Linksys AG241 User Manual

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Appendix E: Glossary

802.11a - An IEEE wireless networking standard that specifies a maximum data transfer rate of 54Mbps and an 
operating frequency of 5GHz. 

802.11b - An IEEE wireless networking standard that specifies a maximum data transfer rate of 11Mbps and an 
operating frequency of 2.4GHz. 

802.11g - An IEEE wireless networking standard that specifies a maximum data transfer rate of 54Mbps, an 
operating frequency of 2.4GHz, and backward compatibility with 802.11b devices. 

Access Point - Device that allows wireless-equipped computers and other devices to communicate with a wired 
network. Also used to expand the range of a wireless network. 

Adapter - This is a device that adds network functionality to your computer. 

Ad-hoc - A group of wireless devices communicating directly with each other (peer-to-peer) without the use of 
an access point. 

Backbone - The part of a network that connects most of the systems and networks together, and handles the 
most data. 

Bandwidth - The transmission capacity of a given device or network. 

Beacon Interval - The frequency interval of the beacon, which is a packet broadcast by a Gateway to 
synchronize a wireless network. 

Bit - A binary digit. 

Boot - To start a device and cause it to start executing instructions. 

Bridge - A device that connects two different kinds of local networks, such as a wireless network to a wired 
Ethernet network. 

Broadband - An always-on, fast Internet connection. 

Browser - A browser is an application program that provides a way to look at and interact with all the 
information on the World Wide Web.