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. |