Reference Manual for the 54 Mbps Wireless Router WGR614 v4
8 Glossary
December 2003
PPP over ATM
PPPoA. PPP over ATM is a protocol for connecting remote hosts to the Internet over an always-on
connection by simulating a dial-up connection.
PPP over Ethernet
PPPoE. PPP over Ethernet is a protocol for connecting remote hosts to the Internet over an always-on
connection by simulating a dial-up connection.
PPTP
Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol. A method for establishing a virtual private network (VPN) by embedding
Microsoft’s network protocol into Internet packets.
PSTN
Public Switched Telephone Network.
Public Key Infrastructure
PKIX. The most widely used standard for defining digital certificates.
X.509 is actually an ITU Recommendation, which means that it has not yet been officially defined or
approved. As a result, companies have implemented the standard in different ways. For example, both
Netscape
and Microsoft use X.509 certificates to implement SSL in their web servers and browsers. But an
X.509 Certificate generated by Netscape may not be readable by Microsoft products, and vice versa.
RADIUS
Short for Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service, RADIUS is an authentication system.
Using RADIUS, you must enter your user name and password before gaining access to a network. This
information is passed to a RADIUS server, which checks that the information is correct, and then authorizes
access. Though not an official standard, the RADIUS specification is maintained by a working group of the
IETF.
RFC
Request For Comment. Refers to documents published by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
proposing standard protocols and procedures for the Internet. RFCs can be found at
www.ietf.org.
RIP
A protocol in which routers periodically exchange information with one another so that they can determine
minimum distance paths between sources and destinations.
router
A device that forwards data between networks. An IP router forwards data based on IP source and
destination addresses.
Routing Information Protocol
RIP. A protocol in which routers periodically exchange information with one another so that they can
determine minimum distance paths between sources and destinations.