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5 Simple Ways To Increase Your Computer Speed
If you're a computer expert, you'll probably already know about these tips (hopefully this will provide you with a little reminder). If you're not an expert, don't worry - these tips are simple, and don't require a lot of computer experience. While...
Five Reasons To Do Wireless Networking
I believe that wireless networks represent one of the most significant inventions in human history – almost as important as sliced bread.
Now, seriously, bread is certainly easy enough to cut yourself, but try to wire up a network and you will...
How Do Wireless Networks Work?
Wireless networks work using radio waves instead of wires to
transmit data between computers. That's the simple version. The
big advantage of WiFi is its simplicity. You can connect
computers anywhere in your home or office without the need...
Introduction To Cisco Networking: The OSI Model, Part I
To conquer the Introduction To Cisco Networking exam, and to begin the process of becoming an expert network troubleshooter, you have to master the OSI model and learn what happens at each of the seven layers.
In this three-part series, we'll...
Wireless Networking Explained
Wireless networking is just what it sounds like -- a way of
creating networks without any wires! Wireless networks utilize
radio waves and/or microwaves to maintain commmunication
channels between computers and other network devices. If...
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Wireless Jargon / Glossary
Wireless networking, like so many things in life -- and
especially the ones that have anything to do with computers --
is filled with jargon. Hi-tech babble baffles many Don't be
intimidated, though: here's a quick computer-speak to English
guide to help you out.
802.11. The name of the wireless networking standard, set by the
IEEE. Ensures that wireless devices are interoperable.
Driver. A piece of computer software that tells the computer how
to talk to devices that are plugged into it. For wireless
networking, the drivers you need to install will come on a CD
with any equipment you buy.
Ethernet. The most common way of connecting to a LAN. Any wires
you might have connecting your computers together now are
Ethernet wires, and the cable connecting your modem to your
computer is probably an Ethernet wire too.
Ghz. Gigahertz. A measurement of frequency -- one gigahertz is
one billion cycles per second. You may recognise the measurement
from computer processor speeds, which are now also measured in
Ghz.
IEEE. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. In
charge of the wireless networking standard, as well as many
other computer-related standards (including the Ethernet
standard). They ensure that computer equipment made by different
manufacturers can work together.
Interoperable. Means that two pieces of equipment are compatible
-- you can use them together, because they stick to the
standards. You should not get any wireless equipment that isn't
interoperable.
LAN. Local Area Network. A network that is generally confined to
one building, such as a home or office. A wireless LAN is also
known as a WLAN.
Linux. An alternative operating system to Windows. Computers
running Linux can run many programs and connect to the Internet
without needing Windows. Linux is free to download and you are
allowed to give it to friends to use. A lot of wireless devices
run Linux, or are compatible with it.
MAN. Metropolitan Area Network. A network that covers a larger
area, for example a town or city. Wireless MANs (men?) spread
Internet access all over the area, but are expensive to set up.
They are sometimes used on university campuses.
Mbps. Megabits per second, a measurement of connection speed.
Not to be
confused with MBps, megabytes per second. There are
eight megabits in a megabyte.
PAN. Personal Area Network. These are networks made up of
devices connected together in one small area. For example, your
computer with a USB keyboard and mouse connected is a PAN. PANs
can be wireless, using a technology called Bluetooth.
PCI. Peripheral Component Interconnect. This is a way of
installing new devices inside your computer, such as graphics
cards and network devices. If you want to install a wireless
card inside your computer, you will be using PCI.
PCMCIA. Personal Computer Memory Card International Association
(some say it should stand for 'People Can't Memorise Computer
Industry Acronyms'). A standard for plugging credit card-sized
devices into a laptop, to give it extra capabilities. PCMCIA is
a great way of adding wireless networking to your laptop as
easily as inserting a disk.
USB. Universal Serial Bus. A port used for connecting all sorts
of devices to a computer, including keyboards, mice, printers,
external drives, and almost anything else you can think of. If
you don't want to open up your computer and you don't have a
laptop, you can get a USB wireless device.
WAN. Wide Area Network. A network that is connected over more
than one physical site, such as a business that has its
computers in two countries connected on one network. The
Internet, for example, is a WAN -- the biggest WAN in the world.
WEP. Wired Equivalent Privacy. The old standard for encrypting
wireless networks. Unfortunately, it was found to be insecure
back in 2001, and so should no longer be used.
WPA. Wi-Fi Protected Access. Basically an upgrade of WEP to fix
its security problems. WPA-encrypted networks change their
encryption method often, to avoid becoming vulnerable, and also
shut down for thirty seconds if they detect a suspected attack.
About the author:
Original Source: Articles-Galore.com
Information supplied and written by Lee Asher of CyberTech SoftShop
Suppliers of
SuperLinker - Hyperlinking Technology for the 21st
Century.
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