Term Name Definition
802.11 A group of wireless networking standards defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and commonly referred to as Wi-Fi or WLAN.
802.11a A Wi-Fi network standard that describes radio transmissions in the 5.0-5.8GHz frequency range and with data rates of up to 54Mbps.
802.11ac A Wi-Fi network standard, ratified in 2013, that describes radio transmissions in the 5GHz frequency spectrum with data rates of up to 7Gbps.
802.11b A Wi-Fi network standard that describes radio transmissions in the 2.4GHz frequency range and with data rates of up to 11Mbps.
802.11g A Wi-Fi network standard that describes radio transmissions in the 2.4GHz frequency range and with data rates of up to 54Mbps.
802.11i An IEEE standard that specifies AES or TKIP encryption and 802.1X authentication for securing Wi-Fi networks. It supersedes the previous WEP specification from the original 802.11 standard that was found to be easily compromised.
802.11n A Wi-Fi network standard, ratified in 2009, that describes radio transmissions in both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency ranges and with data rates of up to 600Mbps
802.1x An IEEE standard for port-based network access control, providing for the authentication of users attempting to access a network. It is specified by the IEEE 802.11i standard and the Wi-Fi Alliance WPA and WPA2 certifications for implementing Wi-Fi security. It is typically operated in conjunction with a RADIUS server.
Access Point A Wi-Fi device (typically with 1 or 2 radios) that connects wireless devices/users to another (typically wired) network. Commonly abbreviated as AP.
Ad Hoc A Wi-Fi network connection method that does not require an access point (base station). Using this mode, Wi-Fi devices such as laptops or gaming stations can connect directly to each other.
AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) The preferred encryption algorithm for use in wireless LANs today. It provides government-grade encryption and can be used with both WPA and WPA2 Wi-Fi security.
BSSID (Basic Service Set Identifier) The MAC address of the Access Point.
Channel A frequency band, identified by a unique number, used for Wi-Fi communication. Each channel supports independent communication from any other channel. Wi-Fi channels are 20MHz wide in 802.11a/b/g networks, and can be either 20MHz or 40MHz in 802.11n networks.
dBm A logarithmic unit of measure for milliwatts of power, used in Wi-Fi to measure the strength of a signal. Several examples of the conversion from dBm to milliwatts: 0 dBm = 1 milliwatt; 10dBm = 10 milliwatts; 20dBm = 100 milliwatts; -10dBm = 0.1 milliwatts.
MAC Address (Media Access Control Address) A quasi-unique address value used to identify network adapters that follow different communication standards. In Wi-Fi (as well as Ethernet and other standards), MAC addresses are six bytes (48 bits) in length.
PSK (Pre-shared Key) An encryption key shared between and common to the access point and client. It is used in WPA and WPA2 security.
RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial In User Service) An AAA (Authentication, Authorization and Accounting) protocol for controlling user access to a wired or wireless network.
Roaming The ability for a mobile wireless station to transparently change its connection between access points as it moves throughout a wireless network.
RSSI (Receive Signal Strength Indication) The strength of the Wi-Fi signal as measured by the receiver of the signal. The larger the signal strength, the better the connection. RSSI is usually expressed in dBm or as a numerical percentage. The translation of dBm to percentage is: -100dBm = 0% and -50dBm = 100%, with each dBm accounting for 2% in between. A “good” Wi-Fi signal is typically considered to be -70dBm or greater (keep in mind negative numbers, so -60dBm is greater than -70dBm for example).
Signal Strength See RSSI.
SSID (Service Set Identifier) A unique name that identifies a wireless LAN and that differentiates it from others. All access points and clients attempting to connect to a specific WLAN must use the same SSID.
TKIP (Temporal Key Exchange Protocol) An encryption protocol defined by 802.11i as an enhancement to WEP. Both WPA and WPA2 Wi-Fi security allow for the use of TKIP encryption.
WEP (Wired Equivalency Protocol) The original encryption protocol defined for 802.11 wireless LANs by the IEEE. WEP encryption is easily cracked and is not recommended for implementing Wi-Fi security today.
WEP-104 WEP with 104 bit master encryption key.
WEP-40 WEP with 40 bit master encryption key.
Wi-Fi A term developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to describe wireless local area network (WLAN) products that are based on the IEEE 802.11 standards.
Wi-Fi Alliance Industry organization that certifies 802.11a/b/g/n products for interoperability.
WPA (Wireless Protected Access) The original Wi-Fi Alliance certification of 802.11i security for wireless LANs. It provides good Wi-Fi security but was introduced an interim option before WPA2 was released.
WPA2 (Wireless Protected Access 2) The second generation Wi-Fi Alliance certification of 802.11i security for wireless LANs. Use of WPA2 is considered best practice for implementing Wi-Fi security today.