| Wireless Internet Terminology, like many
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| | hard-drives and basically anything else
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| things in life, especially those that
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| | you can think of. If you don't have a
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| have anything to do with computers is
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| | laptop or want to open up your computer
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| filled with terminology. But like most
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| | you can get a USB wireless device.
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| things, once you learn a few of the basic
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| | WEP - Wired Equivalent Privacy
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| terms, understanding will come quickly.
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| | No longer used because in 2001 it was
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| So don't be confused get informed and to
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| | found to have security issues. As a
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| help clarify, I've put together a basic
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| | result, it is now the old standard for
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| wireless "internet-to-english" guide to
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| | encrypting wireless networks.
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| help you along.
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| | WPA - WiFi Protected Access
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| IEEE - The Institute of Electrical and
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| | The new standard for encrypting wireless
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| Electronics Engineers
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| | networks. An upgrade of WEP to fix
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| The IEEE is in charge of the wireless
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| | security issues. To avoid becoming
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| networking standard, as well as many
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| | vulnerable, a WPA encrypted network
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| other computer-related standards -
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| | changes encryption methods often. In
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| including the Ethernet standard. They
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| | addition, if an attack is detected, it
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| ensure that computer equipment made by
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| | has the ability to shut itself down for
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| different manufacturers can work
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| | thirty seconds.
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| together.
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| | PAN - Personal Area Network
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| PCMCIA - Personal Computer Memory Card
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| | A network of devices connected together
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| International Association
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| | in one small area. A simple example of a
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| Simply another standard for how to plug
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| | PAN would be your computer, USB keyboard
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| credit card size devices into a laptop
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| | and mouse. Using a technology called
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| computer to boost it's capabilities. It's
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| | Bluetooth, a PAN can be wireless.
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| been suggested by some that it should
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| | LAN - Local Area Network
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| stand for "People Can't Memorize Computer
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| | Briefly mentioned above, LAN is a
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| Industry Acronyms". PCMCIA is a great way
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| | computer network that... generally
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| of adding wireless networking to your
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| | speaking is confined to one building,
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| laptop as easily as inserting a disk.
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| | such as a home or office. A wireless LAN
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| PCI - Peripheral Component Interconnect
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| | is also known as a WLAN.
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| Used to install devices like graphics
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| | MAN - Metropolitan Area Network
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| cards and network devices inside your
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| | A network that covers a larger area, like
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| computer. You would be using a PCI, if
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| | a city or town. They are expensive but a
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| you wanted to install a wireless card
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| | wireless MAN has the capacity to spread
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| inside your computer.
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| | Internet access across a wide area. Many
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| 802.11
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| | college universities set-up a MAN to
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| Set by the IEEE, it's the current
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| | connect the entire campus.
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| wireless networking standard. It helps
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| | WAN - Wide Area Network
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| ensure that wireless devices can
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| | A network that covers or connects to more
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| communicate with one another or in other
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| | than one physical site. A simple example
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| words - they are interoperable.
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| | would be a business that has locations in
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| Interoperable
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| | different cities, states or countries and
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| Simply means that two different pieces of
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| | they need them each location connected on
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| equipment have the ability to speak to
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| | the same network. The Internet itself is
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| each other or another way to put it -
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| | a WAN... the biggest WAN in the world.
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| they are compatible. They can use them
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| | Mbps - Megabits Per Second
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| together because they were designed using
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| | Not to be confused with MBps, megabytes
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| the same standards. Because of the IEEE
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| | per second. Mbps is measurement of
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| and the principle of interoperability,
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| | connection speed. There are eight
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| all wireless equipment you purchase
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| | megabits in a megabyte.
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| should be compatible.
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| | GHz - Gigahertz
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| Driver
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| | One gigahertz is one billion cycles per
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| Not a piece of golf equipment but
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| | second... it's a measurement of
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| computer software that informs a computer
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| | frequency. If the term sounds familiar
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| how to talk to devices that plug into it.
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| | it's probably because it's also used to
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| Most wireless networking drivers come on
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| | measure the processing speed of the CPU
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| a CD-ROM. You then download the drivers
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| | on your computer, which is also measured
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| from the CD onto your computer.
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| | in gigahertz.
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| Ethernet
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| | Linux
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| Currently, the most common way of
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| | A popular and growing alternative
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| connecting to a LAN or Local Area
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| | operating system to Windows. Linux is a
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| Network. Most wires connected to your
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| | less bulky, more efficient operating
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| computer today are ethernet and if you
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| | system in many ways than Windows and not
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| have a cable internet connection an
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| | to mention - it's free. Many servers run
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| ethernet wire is in all likely-hood, what
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| | Linux for this reason. Computers running
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| is being used to connect to your modem.
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| | Linux can run many programs and connect
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| USB - Universal Serial Bus
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| | to the Internet without needing Windows.
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| A port used for connecting all sorts of
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| | Many wireless devices run Linux or are
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| devices to a computer, including
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| | compatible with it.
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| keyboards, a mouse, printers, external
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|
