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148
Networking Fundamentals
The following words and terms will become important pieces of your
networking vocabulary. Be sure you can defi ne them.
ad hoc mode
Basic Service Set (BSS)
carrier wave
cellular technology
channel
demodulation
direct sequencing
directional
Extended Service Set Identifi er (ESSID)
Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)
frequency hopping
geosynchronous orbit
Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS)
infrastructure mode
ISM band
modulation
Multiple Input Multiple Output
(MIMO)
omni-directional
orthogonal frequency-division
multiplexing (OFDM)
piconet
propagation delay
radio interference
radio waves
receiver
spatial multiplexing
spread spectrum
transmitter
unbounded media
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)
Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)
Wireless Access Point (WAP)
Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)
Wireless Personal Area Networks
(WPAN)
working group
Key
Words and Terms
Wireless media is often referred to as unbounded media, which means the
path for network transmissions is unrestricted. When copper core or fi ber-optic
cable is used, the transmitted network signals are bound to the medium. When
the atmosphere is used, the transmission is spread throughout the atmosphere
and is not limited to a single path.
Network signals transmitted through the atmosphere are electromagnetic
waves. In Chapter 3—Fiber-Optic Cable, you learned that light waves are a part
of the electromagnetic wave spectrum and are categorized as visible light. You
learned specifi cally how light waves travel through fi ber-optic cable to transmit
data. In this chapter, you will learn about the three categories of electromagnetic
waves that are used to transmit data across the atmosphere: radio waves,
infrared, and microwaves. You will also learn about wireless transmission
techniques and associated standards. To help you better understand wireless
networking technologies, electromagnetic waves will be discussed in detail.
unbounded media
an unrestricted
path for network
transmissions.