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access control layer

Baked into the Wi-Fi standards; specifies how a Wi-Fi device, such as a mobile computer, communicates with another Wi-Fi device, such as a wireless access point. Also called MAC layer.



access point

A broadcast station that Wi-Fi computers can communicate with. Also called AP, hotspot, and base station. Access points are used as the central point for a network of Wi-Fi computers.



access point/router

This common hardware combination combines the functionality of a Wi-Fi access point with that of a network router.



ad-hoc mode

Wi-Fi computers in the ad-hoc mode communicate directly with one another in a peer-to-peer fashion without using an access point to intermediate network communication.



AirPort

Apple's version of 802.11b.



AirPort Extreme

Apple's version of 802.11g.