We throw around a lot of words we assume folks know
but get a lot of puzzled looks and head nods. So we thought we'd list a bunch
of those terms and define them. That way, we're all working on the same page.
Here they are - just click on the term and go to it's definition:
Antenna
AP(Access Point)
Broadband
Cat5 Cable
Email Client
Interference
Power-cycle
Power Injector
Radio
Router
SSID
WEP/WPA/WPA2
Wireless 802.11 a/b/g/n
Antenna
A device that is the ear of the radio. This is often built in
to a radio or is external. They vary in size and strength. Antennas are
specific to a particular frequency and may be changeable. The most
common representation for a wireless antenna is the classic "Rubbber
Duckie" antenna that is found on most home wireless routers.
Back to the Terms!
AP(Access Point)
Definition: This is what your radio connects to. This piece of
equipment broadcasts the wireless signal to be picked up by the radios
on the home. It is responsible for allowing multiple people to connect
to a shared internet connection.
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Broadband
Definition: A blanket term for High Speed internet. This can be
wireless, DSL, Cable, Satilite, Fiber optic cable, or Cellular. It has
many forms and many different speeds depending on their own standards
and carriers.
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Cat5 Cable
Definition: A 4-pair wire that runs from the radio to the router, and
from the router to any wired computers. This is the standard network
cable.
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Email Client
Definition: Software that sends and receives email. There are many
email clients out there, but the most common are Outlook, Outlook
Express, Thunderbird, Eudora.
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Interference
Definition: This is when other wireless signals are either too close
in frequency, or are overlapping. Unlicensed frequencies are subject to
a lot of interference. This is due to the multitude of other wireless
devices that can be found in a home. Examples of this would be cordless
phones, routers, microwaves, some florescent lights, wireless headphones
and the like can all run on 2.4Ghz. This can cause interference with
other like devices that operate in that same spectrum.
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Power-cycle
Definition: A fancy term for powering your equipment off and turning
it back on again. This is often done by unplugging the power from the
Power injector for your radio.
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Power Injector
Definition: This is a small passive device that "injects" power
onto a Cat5 cable. This is how the device that is outside (radio) is
powered.
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Radio
Definition: The piece of equipment that transmits and receives the wireless
signal. This is the equipment on the outside of the house.
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Router
Definition: This is the box that decides what goes in and what comes out
of your personal network. Some of these provide wireless inside the home
for laptops and such.
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WEP/WPA/WPA2
Definition: All of these are various wireless security protocols.
The most common is WEP. This is supported by most wireless cards.
Others, such as WPA and WPA2 are more secure, but can be trickier in
their setup and are not always supported by all wireless cards.
Back to the Terms!
Wireless 802.11 a/b/g/n
Definition: These are the various wireless standards.
They operate at different frequencies or speeds depending on the
standard. 802.11B and 802.11G are the two main standards that most
wireless home networks operate on. 802.11N is the newest and is the
speediest.
Back to the Terms!
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Contact Us
106 S. 5th Ave.
Virginia, MN 55792-2637
Phone: 218-741-4650
Broadband@AccessMN.com
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