R-Z

R-Z

RADIUS

Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service, used by some authenticating servers to identify valid PPP connections, commonly for dial-up users. RADIUS can be used to authenticate many services, including wireless network users.

Relay base station

A component of a WDS that shares the main base station's Internet connection and passes on the connection to other remote or relay base stations.

Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service

See RADIUS.

Remote base station

A component of a WDS that shares the main base station's Internet connection.

Rendezvous

Apple's name for the technology known as Zeroconf, a set of protocols which allow devices on a network (wired or wireless) to self-identify what services they can handle, thereby eliminating setup.

RF

Radio Frequency, a method (on its way out) for connecting devices such as keyboards and mice wirelessly to a computer.

Roaming

The ability to get cellular access while outside of your provider's service area.

Roaming network

A single wireless network consisting of multiple base stations with the same SSID hooked up to an Ethernet network.

Router

A device on a network that handles figuring out where on the network packets should be sent.

scp

A secure way to transfer files, replacing rcp.

Secure Shell

See SSH.

Service Set Identifier

See SSID.

sftp

A secure way to transfer files, replacing FTP.

Short Message Service

See SMS.

SIM card

A smart card placed inside a GSM phone that identifies the user account to the network.

Slave

A device on a Bluetooth piconet, paired to a single master device.

SMS

Short Message Service, a way to send text messages between GSM cell phones.

Software base station

See Internet sharing.

Spread Spectrum Technology

See SST.

SSH

Secure Shell. Lets users initiate a shell session (similar to Telnet) or exchange files with a remote server, with the information exchanges encrypted.

SSID

Service Set Identifier, a name that uniquely defines a wireless local network.

SST

Spread Spectrum Technology, which spreads conversations across wide segments of the cellular broadcast spectrum.

Static IP address

An IP address that is assigned by an ISP, which (in return for a higher payment) is set to not change. See Dynamic IP address.

Subnet Mask

A sequence of bits that specifies the network that an IP address is part of.

Supplicant

In a WLAN using 802.1X, a user (called the supplicant) requests access to the authenticator. The authenticator then requests the supplicant's identity, which is then passed to an authenticating server, which then either accepts or rejects the supplicant.

Switch

A hub with additional features that allow it to do a better job of routing packets.

T9

An input method for writing SMS messages with a cell phone keypad; faster than multitap.

TCP/IP

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, the networking standard used by the Internet.

TCP/IP port

A 16-bit number (between 1 and 65535) used by the TCP/IP protocol to address services that run on a computer, such as an FTP server or a Web server.

TDMA

Time Division Multiple Access was the predecessor of GSM. TDMA operates similarly to network packet switching?it divides the signal into multiple segments, thereby allowing multiple calls to take place.

Temporal Key Integrity Protocol

See TKIP.

Time Division Multiple Access

See TDMA.

Timeslot

In a cellular network, a portion of time allocated to transmit data.

TKIP

Temporal Key Integrity Protocol, a short-term solution for solving WEP's problems by using 128-bit dynamic keys that are utilized by different clients. Because of the changing keys, intruders would not have time to collect enough packets to compromise the security scheme.

Tunneling

The transmission of private data securely through a public network.

UMTS

Universal Mobile Telephone Service is a 3G broadband standard. It provides a packet-based standard for cellular telephones which is planned to allow data transmissions of up to 2 Mbps.

Universal Mobile Telephone Service

See UMTS.

Virtual Private Network

See VPN.

VPN

A Virtual Private Network is a method of allowing remote users to securely work as though they are connected to a local network.

WAN

A Wide Area Network is a computer network that is spread out over multiple physical locations. See also LAN.

WAP

Wireless Application Protocol, standards to enable wireless devices to access the Internet.

Warchalking

Symbols (usually written in chalk) on the outside of buildings, denoting the existence of a wireless network.

Wardriving

Driving in a car while searching for wireless networks.

WCDMA

Wideband CDMA is a 3G version of CDMA.

WDS

Wireless Distribution System, a scheme that allows multiple base stations to act as a single wireless network.

WEP

Wired Equivalent Privacy, an early security protocol that had the goal of making wireless networks as secure as wired networks but has since proven insecure.

Wide Area Network

See WAN.

Wideband CDMA

See WCDMA.

Wi-Fi

Short for Wireless Fidelity, Wi-Fi is the shorthand term for wireless technologies such as 802.11b and 802.11g.

Wi-Fi Protected Access

See WPA.

Wireless Application Protocol

See WAP.

Wireless Distribution System

See WDS.

Wireless ISP

See WISP.

Wireless Fidelity

See Wi-Fi.

Wireless LAN

See WLAN.

Wireless Network Name

See SSID.

Wireless router

A device that fulfills both the functions of a router and an Access Point.

Wired Equivalent Privacy

See WEP.

WISP

An ISP that provides wireless access.

WLAN

A Wireless Local Access Network (LAN), a network to which a computer can be wirelessly connected.

WPA

Wi-Fi Protected Access, an interim wireless security protocol designed to improve on WEP, before the 802.11i specification is eventually ratified.

Zeroconf

See Rendezvous.