The following explain terms and abreviations used. These are specific to the current Consume, the UK and the L&D colony, and exclude terms relating to speculative future developments.

Access point

(Sometimes also referred to as Base Station). An Access point provides connectivity between wireless and wired (LAN) networks via a 10BaseT or 10/100 LAN port. Depending on the manufacturer, it may also provides features such as data encryption, Internet connectivity via ISDN, Analogue or ADSL, Roaming and DHCP server function. Thus it can act as a combined Bridge, Router and Gateway. It usually has connectors for radio antenna, Internet connection (e.g. modem, xDSL, Cable modem), as well as the LAN computers (e.g. wired ethernet). It can be software or hardware based.

Ad Hoc Mode

(Sometimes referred to as peer-to-peer mode or peer-to-peer networking) Using this mode, wireless enabled computers can communicate with each other directly without an Access Point. This mode may have limitations on the maximum number of clients that can be connected. Orinoco Wireless cards can be switched to operate in this mode.

ADSL

Asymetric Digital Subscriber Line. A broadband (high speed) Connection to the Internet Currently British Telecom (BT) Home Highway and some ISPs provide this in selected areas in the UK. It is believed that currently this is not yet available in the L&D Area.

Amplification

Increasing the power of a transmitted or received signal. In the UK the general public can NOT legally use amplification in the transmit section (well you can, but you generally have to have a separate transmit and receive path and use special aerials). Any equipment used has to be to ETSI (UK) standards.

Authentication

Checking the validity of a user, e.g. by password, prior to giving access (to the network).

Bridge

A bridge provides connectivity between two networks, e.g. between wireless and wired (LAN) networks. Bridges can be implemented in software and run on a computer that has connections to two networks.

Cable Connection

A broadband (high speed) Connection to the Internet using a "Cable Modem" and fibre optic cable laid to each house. Northern Telecom Ltd. (NTL) are believed to be the only company who currently provide this in the L&D Area.

Client Node

(Also referred to as Leaf or Stub node) A type of node that connects to a router, gateway or access point. It may be in a fixed (location) or be a mobile client. Client nodes do not provide routing services for other nodes and do not connect directly to other client nodes.

DSSS

Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum. A radio transmission method. It is used by Orinoco equipment and hence on Consume. Direct-sequence spread-spectrum (DSSS) generates a redundant bit pattern for each bit to be transmitted. This bit pattern is called a chipping code. The longer the chipping code, the greater the probability that the original data can be recovered (and, of course, the more bandwidth required). Even if one or more bits in the chip are damaged during transmission, statistical techniques embedded in the radio can recover the original data without the need for retransmission. To an unintended receiver, DSSS appears as low-power wideband noise and is rejected (ignored) by most narrowband receivers. DSSS products will not interoperate with FHSS (Frequency Hopping Spread-Spectrum) products.

DHCP

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. DHCP function automatically allocates/configures Internet Protocol addresses for users for some predetermined length of time known as a lease. This protocol is used by Consume

Equipment

In this context it is the equipment used for a node. "So now you need some equipment to add to your cpu. Thats an ISA bus PCMCIA Adapter, Silver WLAN card, short linking cable (pigtail), Lightning protector, Cable to the roof or wherever (15m) and antenna of your choice... sounds like you need to use 7dbi (approx 2km range) or 10dbi (4km) Omnidirectional. The antenna can be mounted on as much as a 10 ft pole off your roof. I have been using a wall mount from B&Q and not looking down too much!" - quote from Consume website.

ETSI

European Telegraphic Standard Institute. Produce European Telegraphic Standards (ETS) which have been adopted by the UK. In particular, ETS 300 328 covers requirements and testing for equipment (including antennae) used for broadcasting in the 2.4GHz band which used by Consume.

Firewall

A network security protection mechanism. Firewall systems may consist of packet filters, circuit proxies, and application gateways.

Gateway

A type of node that connects to the Internet, i.e. through an ISP. A Gateway is a router. The connection to the Internet may be of many different types depending on what is available in the locality of the node. E.g. 56K modem, ISDN, ADSL, Cable Modem, Satellite, etc. ALL of these are catered for by optional software modules. Gateway hardware is fitted with appropriate connectors.

IEEE 802.11b

A WLAN Protocol Standard produced by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for wireless networks operating at 11Mbps. It is used by Consume

Infrastructure Mode

(Cf. Ad Hoc Mode) This is a wireless configuration where the clients communicate via an Access Point. Orinoco Wireless cards can be switched to operate in this mode.

IP

Internet Protocol. The network layer protocol that provides Internetworking addressing and routing functions. IPv4 is the current version 4 using 32bit addressing, IPv6 is an experimental new version using 48bit addressing

ISM

Industrial, Scientific and Medical band, 2.4 to 2.483 GHz. The band used by Consume.

ISP

Internet Service Provider. A commercial company who provides Internet connection and Internet-based services, such as e-mail, to others

LAN

Local Area Network. Used here to refer to a "wired" (cf. WLAN and RLAN) network, typically a network of computers in one building and connected by ethernet cabling at speeds of 10Mbit/sec or 100Mbit/sec.

Locational service

A (mainly mobile) service that makes use of the users location when providing information, e.g. giving directions to local shops providing a requested item

LOS

Line of Sight, as in "LOS Survey" indicating that one aerial can be seen by another and there are no obstructions, e.g. buildings, in the way.

Mobile Services

Services aimed primarily at users with Mobile Nodes (MNs), e.g. locational services

MN

Mobile Node, such as a laptop computer with a PCMCIA wlan card

NAT

Network Address Translation, used to provide Internet Sharing (between two networks)

Node

A site where there is node equipment (see Equipment). It refers to a Consume node that may act as
- a Router,
- a Stub (leaf or client), including mobile stubs, or
- a Gateway or Access Point.
All nodes contain the same base software.

Orinoco PC Card (Silver)

A PCMCIA card to enable IEEE 802.11b High Rate standard, ORiNOCO solution for the laptop/desktop (client). Includes "silver" (64 bit) encryption.

PCMCIA

A standard PC interface card. Usually slots for these are found in most modern laptop computers. There are several types: I, II and III. Desktop computers usually require an ISA or PCI converter card to be able to take PCMCIA cards.

RA

The Radiocommunications Agency is an executive agency of the UK Department of Trade and Industry and is responsible for the management and allocation of non-military radio spectrum within the UK.
Address: Radiocommunications Agency
Wyndham House
189 Marsh Wall
London
E14 9SX
Web site: www.radio.gov.uk
Technical enquiries relating to the 2.4 GHz ISM band should be directed to

Annette Henley
Tel: 020 7211 0181
e-mail: henleya@ra.gtnet.gov.uk

RF

Radio Frequency

RG-1000

Residential Gateway 1000, an Orinoco product that acts as an access point for many (number not known) users (each having computers with Orinoco PC WLAN cards). RG-1000 has a built in 56K modem and ethernet port. However, it does not support RG-1000 to RG-1000 routing, but is otherwise compatible with a Consume network. There is speculation within Consume mailings that this equipment could be modified to provide Consume routing.

RIP

Routing Information Protocol. A network layer protocol used by routers to learn and disseminate information about paths to destination networks and hosts.

RLAN

A Radio Local Area Network. That is, it is a high bandwidth, two way data communications network which operates over a limited geographic area using radio as the medium of transmission, rather than optical fibre or copper cable.

Router

A node that transfers messages between two or more other indirectly connected nodes. A type of node that is used to inter-connect with other routers or Gateways. A router examines the network layer addresses (IP addresses) within a packet and then forwards the packet towards the destination. The router uses RIP to learn and disseminate information about paths to the destination.

Routing Table

A router's forwarding table that contains a list of all available networks learned by the router plus other information provided by the administrator.

Seamless roaming

The ability to move from wireless cell to wireless cell while remaining connected to your networks services. Seamless roaming gives you complete mobility and flexibility in your local area network

Site surveys

Surveys or tests used to confirm connectivity between two or more node locations

SNMP

Simple Network Management Protocol. An Internet standard used to manage nodes on an IP network.

WASP

A wireless application service provider (ASP). Particularly a "Home WASP", e.g. a Consume user who provides particular services, such as games, to others on the net

WaveLAN

Lucent equipment prior to the Orinoco range. May be used in a Consume network.

WECA

Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance, Wi-Fi 'wireless fidelity' standard.

WEP

Wired Equivalent Privacy, a wireless security mechanism. This is an end-to-end encryption protocol for wireless networks and may be implemented using 40, 64 or 128 bits. It is embodied in the Orinoco Silver PCMCIA Card using a 64-bit key

Wi-Fi

Wireless Fidelity standard as specified by WECA. Wireless products conforming to the same standard (IEEE802.11b) should interoperate and be compatible with one another, but sometime they are not. For a guarantee of interoperability, look for the Wi-Fi logo on wireless LAN products. Orinoco Wireless cards support the Wi-Fi standard and can communicate with other cards that also support the standard and are WECA certified.

WISP

A Wireless Internet Service Provider (ISP). Particularly a "Home WISP", e.g. a Consume user who provides Internet-based services, such as e-mail, to others on the Consume net, perhaps this should be called a CWISP?

WLAN

Wireless LAN (see also RLAN). WLAN is usually thought also to include those networks using other wire-less technologies such as infra red and other "light" signalling as well as radio signalling.