Access Point - A device that transports data between a wireless network and a wired network (infrastructure), similar in function to a wired hub.

Cable Modem - A hardware device that connects users to the Internet through a coaxial connection. Cable technology allows for transfer rates up to 30Mbps, however, bandwidth through a cable connection is shared among all subscribers in a defined area, or neighborhood. Actual transfer rates vary from 265Kbps to 4Mbps depending on a variety of factors.

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) - A technology that allows the transmission of information over your traditional telephone line. Potential speeds can be up to 25-times faster than 56K dial-up modems.

Encryption - A means of encoding data with a secret key or password, making it secure for transmission. Encryption levels commonly associated with wireless networks are 64-bit and 128-bit. Both numbers refer to encryption strength, with 128-bit being the strongest commercially available.

Ethernet - A particular network topology and protocol, especially useful in LANs. It comes in various speeds and is often regarded as the standard in current technology for general network direct connection.

Hotspot - A specific geographic location where a notebook or PDA user can access the Internet through wireless network access points. Hotspots are commonly located in public locations, such as hotels, airports, libraries, convention centers and train stations. Hotspots have limited range of access.

Hub - A common connection point for devices in a network. Hubs are commonly used to connect segments of a LAN.

IP Address - An identifier for a computer on the Internet or network. The format of an IP Address is a numeric address 32-characters long, separated into four sections by periods. Each number can be zero to 255. The numbers in an IP Address are used to identify a particular network and host.

Internet Service Provider (ISP) - A company that provides individuals and companies access to the Internet to surf the World Wide Web and send and receive e-mail.

Local Area Network (LAN) - A series of interconnected computers that can share resources, peripherals, and access to the Internet.

Megabits per second (Mbps) - A measure of bandwidth (the total information flow over a given time) on a telecommunications medium.

Network Interface Card (NIC) - A hardware device that allows the computer to communicate with a network of other computers and the Internet. Each computer on a network, whether wired or wireless, must have a network interface card.

Packet - A unit of data sent across a network. When a large block of data is to be sent over a network, it is broken up into several packets, sent, and then reassembled at the other end.

Protocol - A set of rules that governs how information is to be exchanged between computer systems. TCP/IP is an example of a protocol used to connect to the Internet.

Router - A freestanding piece of hardware that transfers data between networks or between networked computers and the Internet.

Server - A hardware device that is the central point, or one of them, for a network. There are many servers on the Internet. Files for each Internet site are stored and executed on the server. While there are many different types of servers, they share the common job of providing access to files and services.

Switch - In networks, a device that filters and forwards packets between LAN segments. Sometimes the switch is housed in a hub.

TCP/IP - Transfer (or transport) Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, the method by which most Internet activity takes place. As the name implies, it is a protocol for network activity. Most current networks support some sort of TCP or IP directly or indirectly.

WEP Encryption - Wired Equivalent Privacy is a security protocol for wireless LANs defined by the 802.11b standard. WEP is designed to provide the same level of security as that of a wired LAN. WEP aims to provide security by encrypting data over radio waves so that it is protected as it is transmitted from one end point to another.

Wireless Base Station - An 802.11b wireless access point with a built in Internet router. With a connection to a cable or DSL modem, the base station can give both wired and wireless computers simultaneous access to the Internet.

Wi-Fi - Wireless Fidelity technology, also known as 802.11b IEEE wireless technology, uses the same networking standards as Ethernet (wired networks), with comparable look and feel, for most everyday tasks.