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glossary
This glossary contains common terms for wired and wireless networking. There is a
more complete list of terms in Broadband Network Utility Help.
802.11b A wireless networking standard that transmits wireless data at
speeds up to 11 megabits per second (Mbps).
802.11g A wireless networking standard that transmits wireless data at
speeds up to 54 megabits per second (Mbps).
access point See “wireless access point.”
ad hoc network A wireless network in which computers connect to each other
directly. Contrast with “infrastructure network.”
adapter See “network adapter.”
bandwidth The rate at which data can be transmitted through a network
connection.
base station A device (also known as a gateway or router) that acts as a central
point for networked devices, receiving and forwarding data between
them. A base station typically is a point of connection that sends
data between several networks. It often can be programmed with
rules about what data is acceptable to send and receive.
bridge A networking device that exchanges data from one segment of a
network to another. See “wireless access point.”
broadband A high-speed Internet connection, typically 256 kilobits per second
connection (Kbps) or faster. Broadband services are usually provided over
digital cable lines or digital telephone lines (DSL).
CardBus A credit card-sized device that is inserted into a slot on a computer,
usually a notebook computer. 32-bit CardBus PC Cards look similar
to the older 16-bit PC Cards, but are approximately four to six times
faster and include a new power-saving design.
channel In reference to a “wireless channel,” a channel is a path or link
through which information passes between two wireless devices. In
radio transmission, these different channels are of different radio
frequencies.
client A computer or software program that relies on another computer or
program to act as a server. See “server.”
client/server A network of two or more computers that rely on a central server to
network mediate the connections or provide additional system resources.
Contrast with “computer-to-computer network.”
computer name A name that uniquely identifies a computer on a network. One
computer name cannot be the same as any other computer name or
domain name on the network.