Netgear Router WGR614v7 User Manual

							54 Mbps Wireless Router WGR614v7 Reference Manual
Glossary-1
April 2006
Glossary
Use the list below to find definitions for technical terms used in this manual.
802.11 Standard 
802.11, or IEEE 802.11, is a type of radio technology used for wireless local area networks (WLANs). It is a 
standard that has been developed by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers),  
http://standards.ieee.org. The IEEE is an international organization that develops standards for hundreds of 
electronic and electrical technologies. The organization uses a series of numbers, like the Dewey Decimal 
system in libraries, to differentiate between the various technology families. 
The 802 subgroup (of the IEEE) develops standards for local and wide area networks with the 802.11 section 
reviewing and creating standards for wireless local area networks. 
Wi-Fi , 802.11, is composed of several standards operating in different radio frequencies: 802.11b is a 
standard for wireless LANs operating in the 2.4 GHz spectrum with a bandwidth of 11 Mbps; 802.11a is a 
different standard for wireless LANs, and pertains to systems operating in the 5 GHz frequency range with a 
bandwidth of 54 Mbps. Another standard, 802.11g, is for WLANS operating in the 2.4 GHz frequency but 
with a bandwidth of 54 Mbps. 
802.11a Standard 
An IEEE specification for wireless networking that operates in the 5 GHz frequency range (5.15 GHz to 
5.85 GHz) with a maximum 54 Mbps data transfer rate. The 5 GHz frequency band is not as crowded as the 
2.4 GHz frequency, because the 802.11a specification offers more radio channels than the 802.11b. These 
additional channels can help avoid radio and microwave interference. 
802.11b Standard 
International standard for wireless networking that operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency range (2.4 GHz to 
2.4835 GHz) and provides a throughput of up to 11 Mbps. This is a very commonly used frequency. 
Microwave ovens, cordless phones, medical and scientific equipment, as well as Bluetooth devices, all work 
within the 2.4 GHz frequency band. 
802.11d Standard 
802.11d is an IEEE standard supplementary to the Media Access Control (MAC) layer in 802.11 to promote 
worldwide use of 802.11 WLANs. It will allow access points to communicate information on the 
permissible radio channels with acceptable power levels for client devices. The devices will automatically 
adjust based on geographic requirements. 
The purpose of 11d is to add features and restrictions to allow WLANs to operate within the rules of these 
countries. Equipment manufacturers do not want to produce a wide variety of country-specific products and 
users that travel do not want a bag full of country-specific WLAN PC cards. The outcome will be 
country-specific firmware solutions.  
						

							54 Mbps Wireless Router WGR614v7 Reference Manual
-2Glossary
April 2006
802.11e Standard 
802.11e is a proposed IEEE standard to define quality of service (QoS) mechanisms for wireless gear that 
gives support to bandwidth-sensitive applications such as voice and video.
802.11g Standard 
Similar to 802.11b, this physical layer standard provides a throughput of up to 54 Mbps. It also operates in 
the 2.4 GHz frequency band but uses a different radio technology in order to boost overall bandwidth. 
802.11i 
This is the name of the IEEE Task Group dedicated to standardizing WLAN security. The 802.11i Security 
has a frame work based on RSN (Robust Security Mechanism). RSN consists of two parts: 1) The Data 
Privacy Mechanism and 2) Security Association Management. 
The Data Privacy Mechanism supports two proposed schemes: TKIP and AES. TKIP (Temporal Key 
Integrity) is a short-term solution that defines software patches to WEP to provide a minimally adequate 
level of data privacy. AES or AES-OCB (Advanced Encryption Standard and Offset Codebook) is a robust 
data privacy scheme and is a longer-term solution. 
Security Association Management is addressed by a) RSN Negotiation Procedures, b) IEEE 802.1x 
Authentication and c) IEEE 802.1x Key management. 
The standards are being defined to naturally co-exist with pre-RSN networks that are currently deployed. 
802.11n Standard 
A recently formed (Oct 2003) IEEE official task group referred to as: 802.11n or TGn for the 100 Mbps 
wireless physical layer standard protocol. Current published ratification date is December 2005. As of 
February 2004, no draft specification has been written - It is expected to use both the 2.4 and 5GHz 
frequencies. 
AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) 
A symmetric 128-bit block data encryption technique developed by Belgian cryptographers Joan Daemen 
and Vincent Rijmen. The U.S government adopted the algorithm as its encryption technique in October 
2000, replacing the DES encryption it used. AES works at multiple network layers simultaneously. The 
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of the U.S. Department of Commerce selected the 
algorithm, called Rijndael (pronounced Rhine Dahl or Rain Doll), out of a group of five algorithms under 
consideration, including one called MARS from a large research team at IBM. AES is expected to replace 
WEP as a WLAN encryption method in 2003. 
Access Point (AP) 
A wireless LAN transceiver or base station that can connect a wired LAN to one or many wireless devices. 
Access points can also bridge to each other. 
There are various types of access points, also referred to as base stations, used in both wireless and wired 
networks. These include bridges, hubs, switches, routers and gateways. The differences between them are 
not always precise, because certain capabilities associated with one can also be added to another. For 
example, a router can do bridging, and a hub may also be a switch. But they are all involved in making sure 
data is transferred from one location to another.  
						

							54 Mbps Wireless Router WGR614v7 Reference Manual
Glossary-3
April 2006 A bridge connects devices that all use the same kind of protocol. A router can connect networks that use 
differing protocols. It also reads the addresses included in the packets and routes them to the appropriate 
computer station, working with any other routers in the network to choose the best path to send the packets 
on. A wireless hub or access point adds a few capabilities such as roaming and provides a network 
connection to a variety of clients, but it does not allocate bandwidth. A switch is a hub that has extra 
intelligence: It can read the address of a packet and send it to the appropriate computer station. A wireless 
gateway is an access point that provides additional capabilities such as NAT routing, DHCP, firewalls, 
security, etc. 
Ad-Hoc mode 
A client setting that provides independent peer-to-peer connectivity in a wireless LAN. An alternative set-up 
is one where PCs communicate with each other through an AP. See access point and Infrastructure mode. 
Bandwidth 
The amount of transmission capacity that is available on a network at any point in time. Available bandwidth 
depends on several variables such as the rate of data transmission speed between networked devices, 
network overhead, number of users, and the type of device used to connect PCs to a network. It is similar to 
a pipeline in that capacity is determined by size: the wider the pipe, the more water can flow through it; the 
more bandwidth a network provides, the more data can flow through it. Standard 802.11b provides a 
bandwidth of 11 Mbps; 802.11a and 802.11g provide a bandwidth of 54 Mbps. 
Bits per second (bps) 
A measure of data transmission speed over communication lines based on the number of bits that can be sent 
or received per second. Bits per second—bps—is often confused with bytes per second—Bps. While bits 
is a measure of transmission speed, bytes is a measure of storage capability. 8 bits make a byte, so if a 
wireless network is operating at a bandwidth of 11 megabits per second (11 Mbps or 11 Mbits/sec), it is 
sending data at 1.375 megabytes per second (1.375 Mbps). 
Bluetooth Wireless Technology 
A technology specification for linking portable computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and mobile 
phones for short-range transmission of voice and data across a global radio frequency band without the need 
for cables or wires. Bluetooth is a frequency-hopping technology in the 2.4 GHz frequency spectrum, with a 
range of 30 feet and up to 11Mbps raw data throughput. 
Bridge 
A product that connects a local area network (LAN) to another local area network that uses the same 
protocol (for example, wireless, Ethernet or token ring). Wireless bridges are commonly used to link 
buildings in campuses. 
Client or Client devices 
Any computer connected to a network that requests services (files, print capability) from another member of 
the network. Clients are end users. Wi-Fi client devices include PC Cards that slide into laptop computers, 
mini-PCI modules embedded in laptop computers and mobile computing devices, as well as USB and PCI/ 
						

							54 Mbps Wireless Router WGR614v7 Reference Manual
-4Glossary
April 2006 ISA bus Wi-Fi radios. Client devices usually communicate with hub devices like access points and 
gateways. 
Collision avoidance 
A network node characteristic for proactively detecting that it can transmit a signal without risking a 
collision, thereby ensuring a more reliable connection. 
Crossover cable 
A special cable used for networking two computers without the use of a hub. Crossover cables may also be 
required for connecting a cable or DSL modem to a wireless gateway or access point. Instead of the signals 
transferring in parallel paths from one set of plugs to another, the signals crossover. If an eight-wire cable 
was being used, for instance, the signal would start on pin one at one end of the cable and end up on pin 
eight at the other end. They cross-over from one side to the other. 
CSMA-CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Avoidance) 
CSMA/CA is the principle medium access method employed by IEEE 802.11 WLANs. It is a listen before 
talk: method of minimizing (but not eliminating) collisions caused by simultaneous transmission by 
multiple radios. IEEE 802.11 states collision avoidance method rather than collision detection must be used, 
because the standard employs half duplex radios—radios capable of transmission or reception—but not both 
simultaneously. 
Unlike conventional wired Ethernet nodes, a WLAN station cannot detect a collision while transmitting. If a 
collision occurs, the transmitting station will not receive an ACKnowledge packet from the intended receive 
station. For this reason, ACK packets have a higher priority than all other network traffic. After completion 
of a data transmission, the receive station will begin transmission of the ACK packet before any other node 
can begin transmitting a new data packet. All other stations must wait a longer pseudo randomized period of 
time before transmitting. If an ACK packet is not received, the transmitting station will wait for a subsequent 
opportunity to retry transmission 
CSMA-CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Detection) 
A method of managing traffic and reducing noise on an Ethernet network. A network device transmits data 
after detecting that a channel is available. However, if two devices transmit data simultaneously, the sending 
devices detect a collision and retransmit after a random time delay. 
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) 
A utility that enables a server to dynamically assign IP addresses from a predefined list and limit their time 
of use so that they can be reassigned. Without DHCP, an IT Manager would have to manually enter in all the 
IP addresses of all the computers on the network. When DHCP is used, whenever a computer logs onto the 
network, it automatically gets an IP address assigned to it. 
Diversity antenna 
A type of antenna system that uses two antennas to maximize reception and transmission quality and reduce 
interference  
						

							54 Mbps Wireless Router WGR614v7 Reference Manual
Glossary-5
April 2006
DNS (Domain Name Service) 
A program that translates URLs to IP addresses by accessing a database maintained on a collection of 
Internet servers. The program works behind the scenes to facilitate surfing the Web with alpha versus 
numeric addresses. A DNS server converts a name like mywebsite.com to a series of numbers like 
107.22.55.26. Every website has its own specific IP address on the Internet. 
Encryption Key 
An alphanumeric (letters and/or numbers) series that enables data to be encrypted and then decrypted so it 
can be safely shared among members of a network. WEP uses an encryption key that automatically encrypts 
outgoing wireless data. On the receiving side, the same encryption key enables the computer to 
automatically decrypt the information so it can be read. 
Enhanced Data Encryption through TKIP 
To improve data encryption, Wi-Fi Protected Access utilizes its Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP). 
TKIP provides important data encryption enhancements including a per-packet key mixing function, a 
message integrity check (MIC) named Michael, an extended initialization vector (IV) with sequencing rules, 
and a re-keying mechanism. Through these enhancements, TKIP addresses all WEP known vulnerabilities. 
Enterprise-level User Authentication via 802.1x and EAP 
WEP has almost no user authentication mechanism. To strengthen user authentication, Wi-Fi Protected 
Access implements 802.1x and the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP). Together, these 
implementations provide a framework for strong user authentication. This framework utilizes a central 
authentication server, such as RADIUS, to authenticate each user on the network before they join it, and also 
employs mutual authentication so that the wireless user doesn’t accidentally join a rogue network that 
might steal its network credentials. 
ESSID (more commonly referred to as SSID – Short Set Identifier) 
The identifying name of an 802.11 wireless network. When you specify your correct ESSID in your client 
setup you ensure that you connect to your wireless network rather than another network in range. (See 
SSID.) The ESSID can be called by different terms, such as Network Name, Preferred Network, SSID or 
Wireless LAN Service Area. 
Ethernet 
International standard networking technology for wired implementations. Basic 10BaseT networks offer a 
bandwidth of about 10 Mbps. Fast Ethernet (100 Mbps) and Gigabit Ethernet (1000 Mbps) are becoming 
popular. 
Firewall 
A system that secures a network and prevents access by unauthorized users. Firewalls can be software, 
hardware or a combination of both. Firewalls can prevent unrestricted access into a network, as well as 
restrict data from flowing out of a network.  
						

							54 Mbps Wireless Router WGR614v7 Reference Manual
-6Glossary
April 2006
Gateway 
In the wireless world, a gateway is an access point with additional software capabilities such as providing 
NAT and DHCP. Gateways may also provide VPN support, roaming, firewalls, various levels of security, 
etc. 
Hot Spot (also referred to as Public Access Location) 
A place where you can access Wi-Fi service. This can be for free or for a fee. HotSpots can be inside a coffee 
shop, airport lounge, train station, convention center, hotel or any other public meeting area. Corporations 
and campuses are also implementing HotSpots to provide wireless Internet access to their visitors and 
guests. In some parts of the world, HotSpots are known as CoolSpots. 
Hub 
A multiport device used to connect PCs to a network via Ethernet cabling or via Wi-Fi. Wired hubs can have 
numerous ports and can transmit data at speeds ranging from 10 Mbps to multigigabyte speeds per second. 
A hub transmits packets it receives to all the connected ports. A small wired hub may only connect 4 
computers; a large hub can connect 48 or more. Wireless hubs can connect hundreds. 
Hz (‘hertz”) 
The international unit for measuring frequency, equivalent to the older unit of cycles per second. One 
megahertz (MHz) is one million hertz. One gigahertz (GHz) is one billion hertz. The standard US electrical 
power frequency is 60 Hz, the AM broadcast radio frequency band is 535—1605 kHz, the FM broadcast 
radio frequency band is 88—108 MHz, and wireless 802.11b LANs operate at 2.4 GHz. 
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 
A membership organization (www.ieee.org) that includes engineers, scientists and students in electronics 
and allied fields. It has more than 300,000 members and is involved with setting standards for computers and 
communications. 
IEEE 802.11 
A set of specifications for LANs from The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Most 
wired networks conform to 802.3, the specification for CSMA/CD based Ethernet networks or 802.5, the 
specification for token ring networks. 802.11 defines the standard for wireless LANs encompassing three 
incompatible (non-interoperable) technologies: Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS), Direct 
Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) and Infrared. WECA’s (Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance – now 
Wi-Fi Alliance) focus is on 802.11b, an 11 Mbps high-rate DSSS standard for wireless networks. 
Infrastructure mode 
A client setting providing connectivity to an access point (AP). As compared to Ad-Hoc mode, whereby PCs 
communicate directly with each other, clients set in Infrastructure Mode all pass data through a central AP. 
The AP not only mediates wireless network traffic in the immediate neighborhood, but also provides 
communication with the wired network. See Ad-Hoc and AP.  
						

							54 Mbps Wireless Router WGR614v7 Reference Manual
Glossary-7
April 2006
IP (Internet Protocol) address 
A 32-bit number that identifies each sender or receiver of information that is sent across the Internet. An IP 
address has two parts: an identifier of a particular network on the Internet and an identifier of the particular 
device (which can be a server or a workstation) within that network. 
ISO Network Model 
A network model developed by the International Standards Organization (ISO) that consists of seven 
different levels, or layers. By standardizing these layers, and the interfaces in between, different portions of 
a given protocol can be modified or changed as technologies advance or systems requirements are altered. 
The seven layers are: 
• Physical 
• Data Link 
•Network 
• Transport 
• Session 
• Presentation 
• Application 
The IEEE 802.11 Standard encompasses the physical layer (PHY) and the lower portion of the data link 
layer. The lower portion of the data link layer is often referred to as the Medium Access Controller (MAC) 
sublayer. 
MAC (Media Access Control) 
Every wireless 802.11 device has its own specific MAC address hard-coded into it. This unique identifier 
can be used to provide security for wireless networks. When a network uses a MAC table, only the 802.11 
radios that have had their MAC addresses added to that networks MAC table will be able to get onto the 
network. 
Mesh Networks 
Also called mesh topology, mesh is a network topology in which devices are connected with many 
redundant interconnections between network nodes. In a full mesh topology every node has a connection to 
every other node in the network. Mesh networks may be wired or wireless.  
						

							54 Mbps Wireless Router WGR614v7 Reference Manual
-8Glossary
April 2006 In a wireless mesh example, each of the spheres below represent a mesh router. Corporate servers and 
printers may be shared by attaching to each mesh router. For wireless access to the mesh, an access point 
must be attached to any one of the mesh routers. 
Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO)
MIMO refers to radio links with multiple antennas at the transmitter and the receiver side to improve the 
performance of the wireless link. 
NAT (Network Address Translation) 
A network capability that enables a houseful of computers to dynamically share a single incoming IP 
address from a dial-up, cable or xDSL connection. NAT takes the single incoming IP address and creates 
new IP address for each client computer on the network. 
Network name 
Identifies the wireless network for all the shared components. During the installation process for most 
wireless networks, you need to enter the network name or SSID. Different network names are used when 
setting up your individual computer, wired network or workgroup. 
NIC (Network Interface Card) 
A type of PC adapter card that either works without wires (Wi-Fi) or attaches to a network cable to provide 
two-way communication between the computer and network devices such as a hub or switch. Most office 
wired NICs operate at 10 Mbps (Ethernet), 100 Mbps (Fast Ethernet) or 10/100 Mbps dual speed. 
High-speed Gigabit and 10 Gigabit NIC cards are also available. See PC Card. 
PC card (also called PCMCIA) 
A removable, credit-card-sized memory or I/O (input/output) device that fits into a Type 2 PCMCIA 
standard slot, PC Cards are used primarily in PCs, portable computers, PDAs and laptops. PC Card 
peripherals include Wi-Fi cards, memory cards, modems, NICs, hard drives, etc. 
PCI adapter 
A high-performance I/O computer bus used internally on most computers. Other bus types include ISA and 
AGP. PCIs and other computer buses enable the addition of internal cards that provide services and features 
not supported by the motherboard or other connectors. 
Peer-to-peer network (also called Ad-Hoc in WLANs) 
A wireless or wired computer network that has no server or central hub or router. All the networked PCs are 
equally able to act as a network server or client, and each client computer can talk to all the other wireless 
computers without having to go through an access point or hub. However, since there is no central base 
station to monitor traffic or provide Internet access, the various signals can collide with each other, reducing 
overall performance. 
PHY 
The lowest layer within the OSI Network Model. It deals primarily with transmission of the raw bit stream 
over the PHYsical transport medium. In the case of wireless LANs, the transport medium is free space. The  
						

							54 Mbps Wireless Router WGR614v7 Reference Manual
Glossary-9
April 2006 PHY defines parameters such as data rates, modulation method, signaling parameters, transmitter/receiver 
synchronization, etc. Within an actual radio implementation, the PHY corresponds to the radio front end and 
baseband signal processing sections. 
Plug and Play 
A computer system feature that provides for automatic configuration of add-ons and peripheral devices such 
as wireless PC Cards, printers, scanners and multimedia devices. 
Proxy server 
Used in larger companies and organizations to improve network operations and security, a proxy server is 
able to prevent direct communication between two or more networks. The proxy server forwards allowable 
data requests to remote servers and/or responds to data requests directly from stored remote server data 
Range 
The distance away from your access point that your wireless network can reach. Most Wi-Fi systems will 
provide a range of a hundred feet or more. Depending on the environment and the type of antenna used, 
Wi-Fi signals can have a range of up to mile 
Residential gateway 
A wireless device that connects multiple PCs, peripherals and the Internet on a home network. Most Wi-Fi 
residential gateways provide DHCP and NAT as well. 
RJ-45 
Standard connectors used in Ethernet networks. Even though they look very similar to standard RJ-11 
telephone connectors, RJ-45 connectors can have up to eight wires, whereas telephone connectors have only 
four. 
Roaming 
Moving seamlessly from one AP coverage area to another with your laptop or desktop with no loss in 
connectivity. 
Rogue Access Point
Rogue AP is a term used to describe an unauthorized access point that is connected on the main home or 
corporate network or operating in a stand-alone mode (in a parking lot or in a neighbors building). Rogue 
APs, by definition, are not under the management of network administrators and do not conform to network 
security policies and may present a severe security risk. Ideally, it is best to have some type of WLAN 
system that does not allow rogue access points to easily be added to an existing WLAN. 
Router 
A device that forwards data packets from one local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN) to 
another. Based on routing tables and routing protocols, routers can read the network address in each 
transmitted frame and make a decision on how to send it via the most efficient route based on traffic load, 
line costs, speed, bad connections, etc.  
						

							54 Mbps Wireless Router WGR614v7 Reference Manual
-10Glossary
April 2006
Satellite broadband 
A wireless high-speed Internet connection provided by satellites. Some satellite broadband connections are 
two-way—up and down. Others are one-way, with the satellite providing a high-speed downlink and then 
using a dial-up telephone connection or other land-based system for the uplink to the Internet. 
Server 
A computer that provides its resources to other computers and devices on a network. These include print 
servers, Internet servers and data servers. A server can also be combined with a hub or router. 
Site survey 
The process whereby a wireless network installer inspects a location prior to putting in a wireless network. 
Site surveys are used to identify the radio- and client-use properties of a facility so that access points can be 
optimally placed. 
SSID (also called ESSID) 
A 32-character unique identifier attached to the header of packets sent over a WLAN that acts as a password 
when a mobile device tries to connect to the BSS. (Also called ESSID.) The SSID differentiates one WLAN 
from another, so all access points and all devices attempting to connect to a specific WLAN must use the 
same SSID. 
A device will not be permitted to join the BSS unless it can provide the unique SSID. Because an SSID can 
be sniffed in plain text from a packet, it does not supply any security to the network. An SSID is also 
referred to as a Network Name because essentially it is a name that identifies a wireless network. 
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) 
Commonly used encryption scheme used by many online retail and banking sites to protect the financial 
integrity of transactions. When an SSL session begins, the server sends its public key to the browser. The 
browser then sends a randomly generated secret key back to the server in order to have a secret key 
exchange for that session. 
Subnetwork or Subnet 
Found in larger networks, these smaller networks are used to simplify addressing between numerous 
computers. Subnets connect to the central network through a router, hub or gateway. Each individual 
wireless LAN will probably use the same subnet for all the local computers it talks to. 
Switch 
A type of hub that efficiently controls the way multiple devices use the same network so that each can 
operate at optimal performance. A switch acts as a networks traffic cop: rather than transmitting all the 
packets it receives to all ports as a hub does, a switch transmits packets to only the receiving port. 
TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) 
A protocol used along with the Internet Protocol (IP) to send data in the form of individual units (called 
packets) between computers over the Internet. While IP takes care of handling the actual delivery of the 
data, TCP takes care of keeping track of the packets that a message is divided into for efficient routing 
through the Internet.