Glossary of Network Terminology
	Example of Typical Home Network
We design and install  economical Networks for any home or small business
	Example of Typical Wi-Fi  Network Connecting 2 offices 1/2 Mile apart
	Example of Typical Small Business Network Connecting 2 offices 20 Miles apart.

GLOSSARY

Data Rate
The data rate controls the wireless transmission rate. With Automatic, the base station
selects the highest rate that it can reliably use for connecting and will automatically fall
back to a slower rate, if necessary, while maintaining the connection. If you are unable to
connect using Automatic, try selecting a specific rate, in megabits per second (Mbps). Some
older adapters will only maintain reliable connections at 1 or 2 Mbps.
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DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. The base station uses DHCP to assign an
identifying number (an IP address) to each computer on your network.
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DNS server address DNS stands for Domain Name System, which allows Internet host computers
to have a domain name (for example, www.microsoft.com) and one or more IP addresses (for
example, 192.168.2.1). A DNS server keeps a database of host computers and their respective
domain names and IP addresses, so when a user requests a domain name (for example, by typing
www.microsoft.com at a Web browser), the user is sent to the proper IP address. The DNS
server address used by the computers on your network is the location of the DNS server your
ISP has provided.
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DSL modem DSL stands for Digital Subscriber Line. A DSL modem uses your existing phone lines
to transmit data at high speeds.
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Ethernet A standard for computer networks. Ethernet networks are connected by special cables
and hubs, or switches and transmit data at typically 10 and 100 megabits per second (Mbps).
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Filtering
You can filter Internet access for computers and other devices in your network based on IP
addresses, port numbers, protocol type (TCP or UDP), and time of day.
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Firewall
The wireless router or base station's integrated firewall helps protect your network from
users on other networks. The firewall does not significantly affect system performance, so
it is best to leave it enabled in order to improve network security. Also, you can set up
the base station to ignore ping commands from outside your network. Pinging public IP
addresses is a common method used by hackers to test whether your IP address is a valid,
public address.
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Firmware Software (programs or data) that has been saved into the read-only memory of
hardware such as the base station.
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IP address IP stands for Internet Protocol. An IP address consists of a series of four
numbers separated by periods, that identifies a single, unique Internet computer host.
Example: 192.168.0.2.
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ISP Internet service provider. An ISP is a business that provides connectivity to the
Internet for individuals, businesses, or organizations.
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LAN Local Area Network. A LAN is a group of computers and devices connected together in a
relatively small area (for example, a house or an office). A home network is considered a
LAN.
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MAC address MAC stands for Media Access Control. A MAC address is the hardware address of a
device connected to a network.
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MAC Filtering
You can control (filter) which computers connect to the base station by their unique MAC
addresses. Doing this gives you more control over your network's security. One example of a
device with a MAC address is the Ethernet card installed in a computer.
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NAT Network Address Translation. This process allows all computers on your network to use
one IP address. The NAT capability of the base station allows you to access the Internet
from any computer on your network without having to purchase additional IP addresses from
your ISP. You can use Network Address Translation to give multiple users access to the
Internet with a single user account, or to map the local address for an IP server (for
example, Web or FTP) to a public address. This secures your network from unauthorized
outside access, and provides more flexible management by allowing you to change internal IP
addresses without affecting outside access to your network. NAT must be enabled to provide
multi-user access to the Internet or to use features such as persistent port forwarding. If
the base station network mode is set up for bridging, NAT is disabled.
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Port Forwarding
Some applications, such as Internet gaming, require connections to multiple ports to work
correctly through the wireless router or base station. These applications cannot work when
NAT is enabled through the routing network mode. If you need to run applications that
require multiple connections, specify the outbound (trigger) port normally associated with
an application, select the protocol type (TCP or UDP), then type the inbound (public) ports
associated with the outbound port to open them for inbound traffic.
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Persistent Port Forwarding
If you configure the wireless router or base station to use persistent port forwarding,
remote users accessing services such as Web or FTP servers at your local site using public
IP addresses can be automatically redirected to local servers configured with private IP
address. In other words, depending on the requested service (TCP or UDP port number), the
base station redirects the external service request to the appropriate server.
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PPPoE Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet. Point-to-Point Protocol is a method of secure
data transmission originally created for dial-up connections. PPPoE is used with Ethernet
connections. This type of connection is typical of DSL. Your user name and password provided
by your Internet service provider must be entered in your router for Point-to-Point Protocol
over Ethernet (PPPoE). Generally, the service name is optional, but some providers may
require it. Maximum idle time The amount of time (in seconds) of inactivity before
disconnecting your PPPoE session (for example, 300 seconds disconnects the base station from
your broadband modem after 5 minutes of inactivity). To disable this feature, either set
this to zero or enable Auto-reconnect.
Auto-reconnect If enabled, the base station automatically connects to your ISP after your
base station is restarted or the connection is dropped. Connect Clicking this button
triggers the base station to initiate a PPPoE connection. Disconnect Clicking this button
triggers the base station to disconnect the PPPoE connection.
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Routing
Routing is used in most networks. It both allows a network of computers to share a single
Internet connection and provides the security of a firewall.
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Security
Wireless Security (WEP)
This provides the same level of security for data transmitted over a wireless connection as
if it were being transmitted over a physically-wired Ethernet connection. That is why the
technology used is named Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP). Wireless data is encrypted at the
point of transmission. It is decoded by the receiving device. Wireless encryption adds
security to wireless connections used in your network, but it is not necessary for the
operation of your network. If you use encryption, be sure to use the same wireless
encryption keys used for the base station on each of your wireless computers. Note that
wireless encryption protects data transmissions for wireless connections in your network. It
does not protect data transmissions over wired connections in your network or over the
Internet.
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SSID
The wireless network name is also called the SSID (Service Set ID). Generally, you can use
the default wireless channel number. If you are experiencing interference with wireless
connections, try a different wireless channel number.
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Static Connection
If your Internet service provider has provided you a static (fixed) address, this is the IP
address subnet mask and gateway address of your ISP. If you are planning to host any servers
(for example, Web or FTP servers) on your network, you should order a static IP address from
your ISP and use a static IP address.
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Subnet mask A subnet mask, which may be a part of the TCP/IP information provided by your
ISP, is a set of four numbers configured like an IP address. It is used to create IP address
numbers used only within a particular network (as opposed to valid IP address numbers
recognized by the Internet).
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TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. This is the standard protocol for
data transmission over the Internet. TCP divides a message into packets (datagrams) and
reassembles it at the other end.
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UDP User Datagram Protocol uses the Internet Protocol (IP) to actually get a data unit (a
datagram) from one computer to another, just like TCP. But unlike TCP, UDP does not divide a
message into packets (datagrams) and reassemble it at the other end.
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Virtual DMZ (Demilitarized Zone)
If you have a computer in your network that cannot run an Internet application properly from
behind the firewall or after configuring application-triggered port forwarding, then you can
open up the computer to unrestricted two-way Internet access. Type the IP address of a DMZ
host to this screen. Adding a client to the DMZ may expose your local network to a variety
of security risks, so only use this option as a last resort.
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WAN Wide Area Network
The Internet connection provided by your Internet service provider (ISP).
A Wide Area Network connects computers located in geographically separate areas, (for
example, different buildings, cities, or countries). The Internet is a wide area network.
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