Quiconnect

Glossary

802.11	The IEEE 802.11 specifications are wireless standards that specify an over-the-air interface between a wireless client and a base station or access point, as well as among wireless clients.
802.11a	High-speed IEEE WLAN standard that operates in the 5 GHz frequency band and delivers up to 54Mbps data transfer rate, although real world transfer speeds are lower than this.
802.11b	A global standard to create short range unlicensed wireless networks so that people can access the Internet without needing a physical connection. The current primary standard of wireless networking. Transfers data at speeds of 11 megabits per second per channel, at distances of up to 100 metres.
802.11g	Similar to 802.11b, but this standard provides a throughput of up to 54 Mbps. It also operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency band but uses a different radio technology in order to boost overall bandwidth.
802.1x	802.1x is an IEEE standard for port-based Network Access Control. It provides authentication to devices attached to a LAN port, establishing a point-to-point connection or preventing access from that port if authentication fails. It is much more commonly used in enterprise networks than in public hotspots. Authentication for 802.1x is based on EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol).
802.16 – 2004 (802.16d)	802.16 – 2004 (802.16d) was an update on the original WiMAX standard 802.16, created in 2004. This was a non-scalable version and so therefore only offered fixed access.
802.16 – 2005 (802.16e)	802.16 – 2005 (802.16e) is the current IEEE standard, it is improved from the previous model 802.16 – 2004 (802.16e) by allowing mobility. It allows for fixed wireless and mobile Non Line of Sight applications primarily by enhancing the OFDM. This brings potential benefits in terms of coverage, self installation, power consumption, frequency re-use and bandwidth efficiency.
2G	The 2G cell phone features digital voice encoding. Examples include CDMA, TDMA and GSM. See GSM.
2.5G	2.5G describes the state of wireless technology and capability usually associated with General Packet Radio Services (GPRS) - that is, between the second and third generations of wireless technology. GPRS offers data speeds at 28 Kbps (and possibly higher) and was introduced in the 2001 through 2003 timeframe. See GPRS.
3G	3G is a short term for third-generation wireless and refers to recently deployed developments in personal and business wireless technology, especially mobile communications. This phase was rolled out in many areas between the years 2003 and 2005.
3.5G	See HSDPA
4G	4G is short for fourth generation mobile technology and is the successor to 3G. 4G is described by the IEEE as 3G and beyond. 4G is characterised by high-speed data rates, suitable for movies and television and by more end-to-end use of IP networking, as with WiMAX.
AAA	Authentication, Authorisation and Accounting functions are key to intelligently controlling access, enforcing policies, auditing usage and providing the information necessary to do billing for services available on the Internet.
Access point	A wireless LAN transceiver or base station that can connect a wired LAN to one or many wireless devices. Access points can also bridge to each other (see Mesh networking). They are involved in making sure data is transferred from one location to another.
Accounting	The tracking of which services are used, by whom, when and for how long. Accounting is carried out by the logging of session statistics and usage information and is used for authorisation control, billing, trend analysis, resource utilisation and capacity planning activities.
Aggregator	A company that buys access from dozens of individual hotspot operators and ties their commercial hotspots together into a seamless network.
Authentication	Authentication is the process of determining whether someone or something is, in fact, who or what it is declared to be. In private and public computer networks (including the Internet), authentication is commonly done through the use of logon passwords. Knowledge of the password is assumed to guarantee that the user is authentic. The weakness in this system for significant transactions (i.e. the exchange of money) is that passwords can often be stolen, accidentally revealed, or forgotten.
Authorisation	The process of enforcing policies — of determining what types or qualities of activities, resources, or services a user is permitted. Usually authorisation is in the context of authentication; once you have authenticated a user, the user may be authorised for different types of access of activities.
Bandwidth	The amount of transmission capacity that is available on a network at any point in time. It is similar to a pipeline in that capacity is determined by size: the wider the pipe, the more water can flow through it; the more bandwidth a network provides, the more data can flow through it.
Bits per second (bps)	A measure of data transmission speed over communication lines based on the number of bits that can be sent or received per second.
Bluetooth wireless technology	A technology specification for linking portable computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and mobile phones for short-range transmission of voice and data across a global radio frequency band without the need for cables or wires. Bluetooth is a frequency-hopping technology in the 2.4 GHz frequency spectrum, with a range of 30 feet.
Bridge	A product that connects one local area network (LAN) to another using the same protocol (e.g. wireless, Ethernet).
Broadband	A transmission medium capable of supporting a large volume of data over a wide range of frequencies, typically resulting in a bi-directional high-speed data capacity in excess of 200 Kbps. It can carry multiple signals by dividing the total capacity of the medium into multiple, independent channels.
BWA	Broadband Wireless Access
Cable modem	A kind of converter used to connect a computer to a cable TV service that provides Internet access.
Carrier	A telecommunications company which either owns and manages networks (network operator) or offers access services (service provider) to end customers. Quiconnect's partners are generally classed as carriers.
Client	Any computer connected to a network that requests services (e.g. files, print capability) from another member of the network.
Diameter	Diameter is an AAA (authentication, authorization and accounting) protocol for applications such as network access or IP mobility. The basic concept is to provide a base protocol that can be extended in order to provide AAA services to new access technologies. Diameter is intended to work in both local and roaming AAA situations. The name is a pun on the RADIUS protocol, which is its predecessor. Diameter is not directly backwards compatible, but provides an upgrade path for RADIUS.
CPE	CPE (Customer Premise Equipment) is any terminal and associated equipment located at a subscriber’s premises and connected with a carrier’s telecommunication channels at the demarcation point. CPE can refer to telephones, DSL modems, cable modems, set-top boxes, key phone systems etc…
DHCP	A utility that enables a server to dynamically assign IP addresses from a predefined list and limit their time of use so that they can be reassigned. Without DHCP, an IT Manager would have to manually enter in all the IP addresses of all the computers on the network. When DHCP is used, whenever a computer logs onto the network, it automatically gets an IP address assigned to it.
DNS	A protocol that translates URLs to IP addresses by accessing a database maintained on a collection of Internet servers. A DNS server converts a name like mywebsite.com to a series of numbers like 107.22.55.26.
DSL	Digital Subscriber Line is a technology for bringing high-bandwidth information to homes and small businesses over ordinary copper telephone lines. A DSL line can carry both data and voice signals and the data part of the line is continuously connected.
EAP-SIM	Extensible Authentication Protocol Method for GSM Subscriber Identity Module (EAP-SIM) is a mechanism for authentication and session key distribution using the Global System for Mobile Communications Subscriber Identity Module.
Encryption key	An alphanumeric (letters and/or numbers) code that enables data to be encrypted and then decrypted so it can be safely shared among members of a network.
Ethernet	International standard networking technology for local-area networks.
FMC	FMC (Fixed Mobile Convergence) involves combining different hard wired and wireless devices, networks, services and organisational units to offer customers a seamless voice and data environment.
Firewall	A system that secures a network and prevents access by unauthorised users. Firewalls can prevent unrestricted access into a network, as well as restrict data from flowing out of a network.
Fixed WiMAX	See 802.16-2004
Gateway	A gateway is a network point that acts as an entrance to another network. The computers that control traffic within your company's network or at your local Internet Service Provider (ISP) are gateway nodes. In the wireless world, a gateway is an access point with additional software capabilities such as providing NAT and DHCP. It can also act as a translation point between two services of the same type that are otherwise incompatible.
GSM	The Global System for Mobile communications is the wireless telephony standard most commonly found in Europe and Asia.
GPRS	General Radio Packet Service. A 2.5G technology implemented in GSM networks. It is based on always-on technology with data transfer rates of up to 144 Kbps.
Hotspot	A place offering public access to the Internet via Wi-Fi.
Hotspot Connector	Connection client developed to simplify the login process at public hotspots for users of non-PC devices such as smartphones, PDAs and other consumer electronic devices. Supplied as a development toolkit, the Hotspot Connector is used by application developers to integrate authentication functionality into their own applications. The Hotspot Connector is not made available to end users for download
Hotspot Robot	The Hotspot Robot is a wireless access point programmed with custom software by Quiconnect and supplied to network operators. Placed within the carrier network, the Hotspot Robot is able to be accessed remotely by Quiconnect engineers to perform login/logout testing as though they were physically located at the hotspot thereby reducing operational costs to perform this testing. The Hotspot Robot is also being offered for use directly by network operators as a tool for them to test their own networks.
HSDPA	HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) is a mobile protocol also referred to as 3.5G technology, which provides a smooth evolutionary path for UMTS-based 3G networks allowing for higher data transfer speeds, it allows download speeds up to 14.4mbps and upload speeds of 2mbps. HSDPA provides transfer speeds by defining a new W-CDMA channel.
HTTP	The Hypertext Transport Protocol is based on TCP/IP and is the protocol behind the world-wide web.
HTTPS	A secure form of http that authenticates the identity of the web site being accessed and encrypts the data being transferred to and from the client computer. All sites that accept input of credit cards, or sensitive passwords, should use HTTPS. (See SSL, which is the underlying technology behind HTTPS.)
Hub	A multiport device used to connect PCs to a network via Ethernet cabling or via Wi-Fi. A small wired hub may only connect 4 computers; a large hub can connect 48 or more. Wireless hubs can connect hundreds.
IEEE	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, www.ieee.org. A membership organisation that includes engineers, scientists and students in electronics and allied fields. It has more than 300,000 members and is involved with setting standards for computers and communications.
Interconnect Platform	A hub to mediate between service providers and network operators, the Interconnect Platform enables roaming across wireless networks without each of the parties needing to establish a direct connection between each other.
IP	Stands for Internet Protocol. A set of technical rules used to send and receive information (including audio, video and/or data) over a digital network by routing packets at the Internet address level.
IP address	A 32-bit number that identifies each sender or receiver of information that is sent across the Internet. An IP address has two parts: an identifier of a particular network on the Internet and an identifier of the particular device (which can be a server or a workstation) within that network. Some 3G and 4G networks use IPv6, which utilises 128-bit addresses, permitting the direct addressing of many more devices.
IPSec	Short for IP Security, a set of protocols developed by the IETF to support secure exchange of packets at the IP layer. IPSec has been deployed widely to implement Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
IP Telephony	Routing of voice conversations from end point to end point over an all IP network.
IRAP	International Roaming Access Protocols. An Intel led initiative to develop a standards-based mobile solution for Wi-Fi roaming.
ISP	Internet Service Provider. A company that provides Internet access to individual or corporate customers over dial-up, DSL, cable, satellite and, increasingly, wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi.
LAN	Local Area Network — A system of connecting PCs and other devices within the same physical proximity for sharing resources such as an Internet connections, printers, files and drives. The wireless system is known as a wireless LAN or WLAN.
Landing Page	Public hotspots are generally configured in such a way that all initial attempts to connect to the Internet are automatically redirected to a specific web page introducing the user to the network and often, requiring login or payment. This type of page is called a landing page.
MAC Address	MAC (Media Access Control) Address is a unique identifier attached to most forms of networking equipment. Most layer 2 network protocols use one of three numbering spaces managed by the IEEE; MAC-48, EUI-48 and EUI-64, which are designed to be globally unique. MAC addresses are divided into parts identifying the manufacturer and the specific device, making it possible to identify all equipment of a particular type (but not in a secure way).
Metcalfe's Law	An observation by Robert Metcalfe, the inventor of Ethernet, that the value of a communications system increases as the square of the number of people connected to it. According to Metcalfe's Law, if you increase the size of a network ten-fold, its value has been increased 100-fold overall.
Mesh networking	Mesh networking is a way to route data and voice between nodes. It allows for continuous connections and reconfiguration around broken or blocked paths by hopping from node to node until the destination is reached. A mesh network allows inexpensive peer nodes to supply backhaul services to other nodes in the same network. Generally the nodes in a mesh network are not mobile. This technique is often used in metro-scale Wi-Fi networks, as it effectively extends the network by sharing access to higher cost infrastructure.
Mobile WiMAX	See 802.16-2005
MNO	Mobile Network Operator
Muni-Fi	Municipal Wi-Fi: the idea of using thousands of overlapping Wi-Fi service zones to provide blanket coverage over a municipal area.
MVNO	Mobile Virtual Network Operator. A service provider that uses one or more Network Operators to create a network for their customers.
NAS	Network Access Server. The server located at the hotspot location. This server controls access to the access points, acts as gateway to the high speed data line coming into the location and processes all of the information that the user sees on their laptop after logging into the Wi-Fi network.
NAT	Network Address Translator — A network capability that enables a houseful of computers to dynamically share a single incoming IP address from a dial-up, cable or DSL connection.
Network name	Identifies the wireless network for all the shared components. During the installation process for most wireless networks, you need to enter the network name or SSID. Different network names are used when setting up your individual computer, wired network or workgroup.
Network Operator	A company which owns and operates a wireless network. The network operator sells access to this network either directly to end users (in which case it may be considered to be both a network operator and a service provider) or through service providers who resell this to their own end users
NOC	A network operations centre is a place from which a communications network is supervised, monitored and maintained.
Northbound Interface	A northbound interface is typically an output-only interface (as opposed to one that accepts user input) found in carrier-grade network and telecommunications network elements. For example, a device that is capable of sending out system status messages is said to implement a northbound interface.
OFDM	OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing); also sometimes referred to as DMM (Discrete Multitone Modulation). OFDM is a modulation technique for transmission based upon the idea of frequency-division multiplexing (FDM), where each frequency channel carries a separate stream of data. In OFDM the frequencies are chosen so that the modulated data streams are orthogonal to each other, which greatly simplifies the design of both the transmitter and the receiver and also allows high spectral efficiency.
PC Cards / PCMCIA	Expansion cards now referred to as PC Cards that fit into the side of laptop computers. These cards can be Wi-Fi cards, modems, or network cards. They were originally called PCMCIA Cards because they met the standards created by the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA).
PDA	Personal Digital Assistants are smaller than laptop computers but with many of the same computing and communication capabilities. PDAs can provide wireless connectivity via embedded Wi-Fi Card radios, slide-in PC Card radios, or Compact Flash Wi-Fi radios.
Peer-to-peer network	A wireless or wired computer network that has no server or central hub or router.
Plug and Play	A computer system feature that provides for automatic configuration of a user's laptop so that it can use various devices (e.g. wireless PC Cards, printers and scanners).
Proxy server	A proxy server is able to prevent direct communication between two or more networks. The proxy server forwards allowable data requests to remote servers and/or responds to data requests directly from stored remote server data.
RADIUS	Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) is a client/server protocol and software that enables remote access servers to communicate with a central server to authenticate and authorise their access to the requested system or service. Originally developed for dial-in networks, RADIUS is now widely used in a variety of settings. RADIUS provides better security management, allowing a company to set up a policy that can be enforced and managed from a single administered network point.
Range	How far will your wireless network stretch? Most Wi-Fi systems will provide a range of a hundred feet or more. With a direct, line-of-sight connection and highly directional antennas, Wi-Fi signals can have a range of many miles.
Roaming	Roaming refers to a customer of one company (service provider) using the network of another company such that the charges for the service used is collected by the customer’s company and the other service provider is paid for by the service collector. Roaming also sometimes refers to moving seamlessly from one service coverage area to another with no loss in connectivity. When roaming, the customer pays an extra fee to use their device on another company's network. Right now this is common with mobile phones. There are two types of roaming: 1) Out roaming — when a customer is outside of their home coverage area and is using the wireless network of another operator — e.g. if a Vodafone UK customer travels to France and uses the France Telecom network, then Vodafone would say that the customer is out roaming. 2) In-roaming occurs when another network operator's customer roams onto a network — e.g. if a France Telecom customer travelled to the UK and used their phone on a Vodafone network, Vodafone would say that the France Telecom customer was in-roaming.
Router	A device that forwards data from one local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN) to another.
Server	A computer that provides its resources to other computers and devices on a network. These include print servers, Internet servers and data servers. A server can also be combined with a hub or router.
Site survey	The process whereby a wireless network installer inspects a location prior to putting in a wireless network. Site surveys are used to identify the radio- and client-use properties of a facility so that access points can be optimally placed.
Service Provider	A company selling wireless network access direct to end users. They may or may not operate their own network, so the access offered to their customers may be to their own network (in which case it may be considered to be both a service provider and a network operator) or that of other network operators.
SLA	Service Level Agreement (SLA) is that part of a service contract in which a certain level of service is agreed, such as network uptime. A SLA is therefore not a type of service contract, but a part of a service contract. A service contract can contain zero, one or more SLA's. They are used extensively for provision of telco and IT services.
Smart Client	A smart client is a software application that is provided by a service provider to be installed on the subscriber’s computer. The software is used to facilitate Internet connections and it is sometimes referred to as a dialer.
SMTP	SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is an Internet protocol used in sending and receiving email. SMTP is limited in its ability to queue messages at the receiving end. Therefore, users typically use a program that uses SMTP for sending email and either POP3 (POP = post office protocol) or Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) for receiving messages that have been received for them at their local server.
Sniffer software	Client software that sniffs the airwaves for Wi-Fi access points and displays their availability to the user. Basic Wi-Fi sniffer software is built into Windows XP and Apple OS X.
Spoofing	Assuming a forged networked identity. Certain network identifiers have no underlying mechanism for ensuring their validity, including MAC addresses and SSIDs and so are easily spoofed.
SSID	The identifying name of an 802.11 wireless network. When you specify your correct SSID in your client set up you ensure that you connect to your wireless network rather than another network in range (see ESSID.) The SSID can be called by different terms, such as Network Name, Preferred Network, SSID or Wireless LAN Service Area.
SSL	Secure Socket Layer — Commonly used public-key encryption scheme used by many online retail and banking sites to protect the integrity of transactions.
Switch	A type of hub that efficiently controls the way multiple devices use the same network to act at optimal performance. A switch acts as a networks traffic cop for data; sending not to everyone but only to the end user.
TCP/IP	Transmission Control Protocol over IP — The most predominant underlying technology behind the Internet and communications between computers in a network. TCP provides guaranteed delivery of data streams and IP is the Internet Protocol responsible for routing data packets to the right place on the .
TDMA	Time Division Multiple Access. A method of transmitting signals over 2G cellular and satellite networks. GSM is based on TDMA technology.
UAM	UAM (Universal Access Method) is a standard describing how to implement web-based login for hotspots.
UMA	UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access): often called Generic Access Network (GAN). It describes a telecommunication system allowing seamless roaming and handover between local area networks and wide area networks using the same dual mode (e.g. Wi-Fi and GSM) mobile phone. Its ultimate goal is the convergence of mobile, fixed and Internet telephony.
USB	Universal Serial Bus. A high-speed bi-directional serial connection between a PC and a peripheral, such as a printer, that transmits data at the rate of 12 megabits per second, or 400 mbps in the case of USB2.
VoIP	Voice over IP — Voice transmission using Internet Protocol to create digital packets distributed over the Internet. VoIP can be less expensive than using standard analogue packets over the POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service).
VPN	Virtual Private Network — A type of technology designed to increase the security of information transferred over the Internet, widely used by enterprise users. VPN software can work with either wired or wireless networks, as well as with dial-up connections.
WAN	Wide Area Network — A communication system connecting PCs and other computing devices across a large local, regional, national or international geographic area. Also used to distinguish between phone-based data networks and Wi-Fi. Phone networks are considered WANs and Wi-Fi networks are considered Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs).
WBA	The WBA is currently comprised of 26 of the world’s largest telecommunications companies, all of whom operate Wi-Fi services as service providers and network operators. The WBA is setting standards in the industry and its membership is expanding.
WEP Key	Wired Equivalent Privacy — Basic wireless security provided by Wi-Fi. In some instances, WEP may be all a home or small-business user needs to deter unauthorised network access. Not secure enough for corporate and other sensitive data that must be carefully secured.
WiBro (Wireless Broadband)	WiBro is a wireless broadband technology developed in Korea, it offers a throughput of 30 to 50 Mbps and covers a radius of 1 to 5 km. It is similar to WiMAX, offering almost identical features.
Wi-Fi	A global technical standard for wireless LANs with a typical range of 100-500 feet. Standards called Wi-Fi include 801.11a, b and g. Wi-Fi is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance.
WiMAX	WiMAX is defined as the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access; it is a standards-based technology enabling the delivery of last mile wireless broadband access as an alternative to cable and DSL. WiMAX is not a technology, but rather a certification mark, given to equipment that meets certain conformity and interoperability tests for the IEEE 802.16 family of standards. WiMAX comes in two flavours for now; fixed and mobile.
Wireless VoIP (also called WiVoIP, VoWi-Fi, or VoWLAN)	WiVoIP is the wireless routing of voice conversations over the Internet or through any other IP based network.
WISP	A Wireless Internet Service Provider. WISPs provide Wi-Fi Internet service to individual or corporate customers.
WISPr	A standard describing content to be inserted into hotspot landing pages to facilitate automatic login (see Landing Page).
WLAN	A computer network allowing communication over short distances using radio or infrared signals instead of traditional network cabling. Also known as: Wireless Local Area Network, Wireless LAN (see LAN).