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100Base-T Also known as “Fast Ethernet,” an Ethernet cable standard with a
data transfer rate of up to 100 Mbps.
10Base-T An older Ethernet cable standard with a data transfer rate of up to
10 Mbps.
802.11, 802.11b A family of IEEE-defined specifications for wireless networks.
Includes the 802.11b standard, which supports high-speed (up to
11 Mbps) wireless data transmission. Microsoft
®
Broadband
Networking wireless products comply with the 802.11b standard.
802.3 The IEEE-defined specification that describes the characteristics of
Ethernet connections.
access point See wireless access point.
ad hoc network A solely wireless computer-to-computer network. Unlike an
infrastructure network, an ad hoc network does not include a
central base station, router, or gateway.
adapter See network adapter.
base station A device (also known as a router or gateway) that acts as a central
point for networked devices, receives transmitted messages, and
forwards them. Microsoft Broadband Networking base stations can
link many computers on a single network, and can share a secure
Internet connection with wired and wireless devices.
broadband connection A high-speed connection, typically 256 Kbps or faster. Broadband
services include cable modems and DSL.
broadband modem A device that enables a broadband connection to access the
Internet. The two most common types of broadband modems are
cable modems, which rely upon cable television infrastructure, and
DSL modems, which rely upon telephone lines operating at DSL
speeds.
cable modem See broadband modem.
CAT 5 cable Abbreviation for “Category 5 cable.” A type of Ethernet cable that
has a maximum data rate of 100 Mbps.
client Any computer or program that connects to, or requests the
services of, another computer or program on a network. For a local
area network or the Internet, a client is a computer that uses
shared network resources provided by a server.
glossary.
This glossary contains common terms for wired and wireless
networking.