Terminology

Below are many of the acronyms and terminology used in the "Wireless Networks" section of this website.

Please contact RadioWorks with any questions you might have.

Wireless Networking Terms

• 10/100 Base-T
  • Refers to the transmission speed of a twisted pair Ethernet connection, 10Mbps, 100Mbps or 1000Mbps
  • The aggregate rate is double these numbers because the channel is full duplex
• 802.1x
  • A user authentication standard that generates a unique key for each user, more secure than WEP
  •  Contact RadioWorks for specific key selection criteria
  • Widely deployed and generally accepted
• 802.11a (an IEEE specification for wireless LANs)
  • Frequency - 5.725 GHz to 5.850 GHz, 8 channels available
  • Data rate - up to 54mbps aggregate rate, decreases with range
  • Range - about 50-150 feet from the access point
• 802.11b (an IEEE specification for wireless LANs)
  • Frequency - 2.4 GHz to 2.4835 GHz, 11 channels available
  • Data rate - up to 11mbps aggregate rate, decreases with range
  • Range - about 100-300 feet from the access point
• 802.11g (an IEEE specification for wireless LANs)
  • Frequency - 2.4 GHz to 2.4835 GHz, 11 channels available
  • Data rate - up to 54mbps aggregate rate, decreases with range
  • Range - about 50-150 foot radius from the access point
  • Backwards compatible with 802.11b
• 802.11i - (A.K.A. WPA2)
  • Improved security standard
  • Is under development to replace WEP (use WPA until then)
• 802.11s (not-yet approved IEEE standard for ESS Mesh Networking)
  • Supports both broadcast/multicast and unicast delivery using "radio-aware metrics over self-configuring multi-hop topologies
• 802.11x (an IEEE specification for wireless WANs)
  • Any of the Wi-Fi wireless standards: 802.11a/b/c/d/e/f/g/h/i/s
• 802.16x
  • Several WiMAX variants: 802.16d, 802.16e, etc
  • See WiMAX for details
• 802.3af (an IEEE specification for PoE Power over Ethernet)
  • A system to safely transfer electrical power, along with data, to remote devices over standard category 5 cable in an Ethernet network
  •  It does not require modification of existing Ethernet cabling infrastructure
  • The IEEE standardized version of PoE supplies up to 15.4 W of DC power (minimum 44 VDC and 350 mA to each device
  •  Only 12.95 W is assured to be available at the powered device as some power is dissipated in the cable
  • Numerous non-standard schemes had been used prior to PoE standardization to provide power over Ethernet cabling, some are still in active use
  • An updated standard in progress referred to as PoE Plus or 802.3at introduces increases available power
• AES (Advanced Encryption Standard)
  • A 128 bit encryption standard defined by the U.S. government
• AP  - Access Point
  • A radio device providing wireless broadband service to end-user devices like laptop PCs, PDAs, video cameras etc
  • Quality of Service and Security are very important for commercial grade wireless broadband installations
• Authentication
  • The process of validating (or denying) new users attempting to access a network. See 802.1x
  • The act of confirming that the identity of a computer or similar device is a trusted one
  • Unauthenticated users are not assigned an IP address and are not allowed access to the network
• Backhaul
  • Backhaul refers to the method used for transporting data from a node or Access Point back to the LAN or Internet connection
  • Backhauls can be wireless radios, Ethernet cables, leased T1 spans, fiber, or coaxial cables
• Broadband
  • A signal or circuit which includes a wide range of frequencies
  • Broadband is a relative term, understood according to its context
• Bluetooth
  • Technology for wireless 2.45 GHz connections from PCs to peripherals, cell phones to vending machines, etc
  • Wireless cellular headsets use the Bluetooth protocol
  • Range is up to 10 meters, data rate is 2mbps, throughput is about 300kbps. No support for TCP/IP. Can interfere with 802.11x devices
• Bridge
  • A device that connects two local-area networks (LANs), or connects a remote device to a local LAN
• CAT-5 (Category 5)
  • An unshielded twisted pair cable used for Ethernet connections at 100mbps
  • Maximum length is 100 meters
• CMM - Cluster Management Module
  • Part of an Access Point Cluster
  • It synchronizes the transmit/receive cycles when 3 or more AP modules are in use (in order to maximize data throughput)
• COTS  - Commercial-Off-The-Shelf
  • Commercial off-the-shelf software or hardware products, which are ready-made and available for sale to the general public
  • Low cost, readily available in the event of a disaster, no single supplier
• DES (Data Encryption Standard)
  • DES was the first U.S. government cipher for commercial use
  • DES is the most widely used cryptosystem in the world
  • 56 bit key encryption
• Encryption
  • The translation of data into secret code in order to prevent unauthorized interception
• Ethernet
  • The most common technology used to network computers together to form a LAN
  • Connections are usually across Cat-5 cable or wireless devices
• HIPAA
  • For privacy and security of medical patient data
  • The HIPAA statute requires health care providers to maintain reasonable safeguards to protect personal health information
• Hotspot
  • A radio coverage area providing wireless access to a LAN
  • Supports nomadic traffic in public areas. Includes billing support
  • Examples: airports, train stations, coffee shops
• IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
  • A non-profit, professional organization
  • Its most important role is in establishing standards for computers and computer peripherals
• Interference (radio interference)
  • Some electronic devices within the coverage area of a WLAN can cause a reduction in data rate
  • Example interference sources include Cordless phones, Baby monitors, Microwave ovens, Bluetooth
• LAN (Local Area Network)
  • A computer data network spanning a small area like a building
• License exempt frequency
  • No need to pay annual radio license fees to Industry Canada
  • Open for use by everyone
  • No limit to the number of radio users permitted to operate on the frequency
  • Compare with "licensed frequency"
• Licensed frequency
  • Annual radio license fees are paid to Industry Canada in exchange for protection from other radio users
  • Some licensed radio frequencies are shared with a limited number of other users
  • Some licensed radio frequencies are for the exclusive use of the licensee
  • Compare with "license exempt frequency"
• LEAP (Lightweight EAP)
  • Improves WEP security by adding Mutual Authentication, User-Based Authentication, Dynamic WEP Keys
  • See RadioWorks for more information
• MAC address
  • A unique identifier attached to most forms of networking equipment such as Access Points, NIC cards, Routers, PCs, CPEs, etc
  • An example MAC address would be:  12:34:56:78:90:AB
• MESH Networks
  • Mesh networking is a way to automatically establish optimum data routes between the nodes of a wireless network
  • Self healing is a MESH property where routing occurs around a failed node
  • New nodes are automatically accommodated
  • Failed nodes are auto-bypassed
  • Mesh networks are easy to deploy, and tolerant of failed nodes
  • Fewer expensive backhaul links are required than conventional wireless networks
  • Mobile units can be used to temporarily extend the network coverage as required
  • The wired Internet is an example of a MESH network
  • Infrastructure Meshing - Routing between the backhaul and the APs to reach a destination
  • Client Meshing - Routing between client equipment to reach a destination
  • Ad-hoc Meshing - A self forming network. For example where no infrastructure exists you can have a number of MESH-enabled client devices that form a network to communicate to between themselves
• Near line of sight
  • A partially obstructed radio path where some part of the 1st Fresnel zone is blocked
• Node
  • Any device that is connected as part of a computer network
  • Every node must have a MAC address
  • In a mesh network a node provides two wireless connections. One connection is from the node device to the end-user's PC, the other connection is from the node device back to the LAN or Internet connection
  • In a Mesh network a node card installed in a Laptop or automobile will extend the Mesh coverage to other nearby wireless devices
  •  This has the effect of establishing an ad-hoc extension to the fixed Mesh network coverage area
• Non-line of sight
  • Most wireless broadband equipment will not work if any radio path obstructions exist such as buildings or trees
  • The Canopy 900MHz wireless access point can overcome many radio path obstacles
  • Motorola OFDM backhauls are very good at passing 5GHz through buildings and over hills
• PBX
  • A telephone switch owned by a private business
  • Telephone calls on a PBX are made by dialing a "9" prefix
  • PBXs at different buildings can be interconnected by wireless T1 lines
• PC (Personal Computer)
  • In a wireless network the PCs usually use radio waves to exchange data with each other
• POE (Power-Over-Ethernet)
  • A method of supplying power to a connected device over unused wires in the Ethernet data cable, this eliminates the need for a separate wired connection to provide power for the device
  • See 802.3af 
• QoS (Quality of Service)
  • QoS is achieved in Wi-Fi devices conforming to 802.11e which addresses delay-sensitive applications, such as VoIP and Streaming MultiMedia
  • QoS is achieved in Motorola "Bridges" and "Canopy products" by using an ATM-like protocol to optimize voice and video services
  • Low latency is important for QoS in voice apps
• RADIUS (Remote Access Dial-In User Service)
  • A system used to validate users requesting network access
• Remote programming/management
  • Refers to devices (like cameras or APs) connected to your LAN that can be configured remotely by using a web browser
  • These LAN devices have their own built-in web server, some use HTTPS for "secure" remote programming
• Rogue Access Point Detection
  • A method of locating any unsecured wireless Access Points attached to your LAN
  • For example, anyone could simply buy a consumer grade wireless router and just plug it into your LAN and it would work and it would immediately allow any wireless PC to connect to your LAN without need for a password or an encryption key
• Site Survey
  • An accounting of the issues affecting wireless coverage
  • The objective is to determine the number and placement of access points, and to specify a minimum data rate
  • Identification of radio interference sources that could degrade the performance of a wireless LAN
• SM (Subscriber Module)
  • A fixed radio unit installed at a business or residence
  • It communicates with an AP to provide connection to Internet or LAN services
• T1 (T-carrier)
  • A designator for digital telecommunications circuits
  • Commonly used to link PBX telephone and LAN equipment
  • Telcos rent T1 (1.544mbit/s) circuits to customers for a monthly fee
• Throughput
  • Wireless devices are rated in terms of datarate (clock speed). Examples for 802.11b/g are 11Mbps and 54Mbps
  •  Datarate refers to the upload data, plus the download data, plus the error correction overhead
  • Throughput = datarate + overhead
  • Where Internet browsing is the primary application we recommend 75% of the throughput be assigned for "download" and 25% for "upload"
• VLAN (Virtual LAN)
  • Any protocol allowing secure remote access to a LAN, usually via the Internet
• VoIP (Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol))
  • Voice telephone traffic sent over the Internet or over an Ethernet LAN instead of over analog telephone lines
• VoWLAN (Voice Over Wireless LAN)
  • This protocol transports allows voice conversations over Wi-Fi access points and across the computer LAN
  • Typically used by Wi-Fi enabled two-way communicators and wireless telephones
• WAN
  • A WAN consists of two or more LANs spanning a large geographical area, often connected through public telephone or cable networks
  • The largest WAN in existence is the Internet
• WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy)
  • An algorithm to encrypt information sent over the airwaves
  • WEP's 128-bit encryption algorithm is very secure, but additional security and authentication methods are recommended
  • WEP key exchange is insecure, the keys are static, and can be uncovered, this problem can be alleviated by enabling 802.1x and by contacting RadioWorks for specific key selection criteria
  • WEP (without 802.1x) is used for Privacy not for Security
• Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity)
  • Wireless access points in offices and public spaces commonly use the wireless 802.11a/b/g protocol which is also referred to as the Wi-Fi protocol
  • Products approved as "Wi-Fi Certified" by the Wi-Fi Alliance are interoperable with each other, even if they are from different manufacturers
  • Generically meaning any type of 802.11x wireless network (802.11a/b/g etc)
• WiMAX  - W orldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access
  • IEEE 802.16 is a specification for Metropolitan Access Networks (larger than LAN, smaller than WAN) that use a point-to-multipoint architecture
  • For services like VoIP, IP connectivity and TDM voice and data
  • The most likely frequencies will be 3.5GHz, 2.3/2.5GHz, or 5GHz
  • Range up to 50Km, for last mile access
  • A recent WiMAX standard added mesh networking
  • Vendors claiming WiMAX-ready, WiMAX-compliant, or pre-WiMAX, are not WiMAX certified by the IEEE
  • Available in both licensed and unlicensed frequencies
  • OFDM allows WiMAX some non-line-of-sight capability through clever use of multipath signals, but it does not defy the laws of physics
  • One version of WiMAX will capable of working at automobile speeds
• Wireless backhaul
  • The transport of data from a wireless access point back to a LAN or Internet connection
• Wireless network
  • A group of PCs using radio connections to exchange data
• WISP (Wireless ISP)
  • Wireless Internet Service Provider
• WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network)
  • A wireless computer network that spans a small area like a building
• WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access)
  • A software standard that improves the security of WEP. Works with WEP. Improves data encryption, adds user authentication
  • For use with an 802.1x authentication server
  • Adopted by the Wi-Fi Alliance as an interim specification until 802.11i becomes available, also forward compatible to 802.11i

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