SWRE Ch12 Terms

Wi-Fi range extenders

• A device that boosts the wireless signal to extend Wi-Fi coverage.

Yagi antenna

• A type of directional wireless antenna.

Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID)

• An IEEE 802.11 name that uniquely identifies each BSS. • This is the formal name of the BSS and is always associated with only one AP.

802.11b

• An older IEEE wireless standard that supports speeds of up to 11 Mbps over the 2.4 GHz frequency range. • It covers a larger area than 802.11a and is effective at penetrating building structures. • It is not interoperable with 802.11a.

Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2)

• The current recommended wireless encryption method that uses the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) for encryption.

Wi-Fi Protected Access 3 (WPA3)

• The next generation of Wi-Fi security that will require Protected Management Frames (PMF).

802.11

• The original IEEE wireless standard supporting speeds of up to 2 Mbps.

Wireless Wide-Area Networks (WWANs)

• This type of network uses transmitters to provide coverage over an extensive geographic area, such as national or global communications. • This type of network uses specific licensed frequencies.

infrastructure mode

• This type of wireless network requires that wireless clients interconnect via a wireless router or AP, such as in WLANs. • APs connect to the network infrastructure using the wired distribution system, such as Ethernet.

802.11ax

• Modern IEEE wireless standard that operates over the 5 GHz frequency range. • It is also known as Wi-Fi 6 and high-efficiency wireless (HEW).

802.11ac

• Modern IEEE wireless standard that supports speeds of up to 1.3 Gbps over the 5 GHz frequency range using MIMO technology. • It is backward compatible with 802.11a/n devices.

Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)

• A legacy method to encrypt wireless traffic between host and destination. • This method is no longer recommended and should never be used.

Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE)

• A new secure password-based authentication and password-authenticated key agreement method to authenticate connecting wireless devices.

Device Provisioning Protocol (DPP)

• A replacement to WPS to help authenticate IoT devices.

link aggregation group (LAG)

• The acronym LACP is used to describe the bundling of several physical ports to form a single logical channel. • Cisco uses the term EtherChannel, whereas all other vendors refer to as this term. • Note: An LACP is a Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) • An industry-standard protocol that aids in the automatic creation of EtherChannel links.

WLAN controller (WLC)

• The central WLAN device that controls multiple lightweight access points (LAPs) using the Lightweight Access Point Protocol (LWAPP). • This device serves as the default gateway to all LAPs. • This device is most useful in situations where many APs are required in the network. • This device simplifies device configuration, troubleshooting, and enhance monitoring and visibility to closely analyze the WLAN.

autonomous APs

• This type of AP that is configured locally using its CLI or GUI. • Most home and SOHO routers use this type of AP. • A small network could be set up using a few of this type of APs connected to a Layer 2 switch. But each AP would require to be individually configured.

Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)

• This is a very secure commonly used encryption algorithm.

Direct-Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS)

• This is a wireless modulation technique designed to spread a signal over a larger frequency band. • It does this by spreading the signal over a wider frequency, which effectively hides the discernible peak of the signal. • A properly configured receiver can reverse this wireless modulation technique and reconstruct the original signal. • wireless modulation technique is used by 802.11b devices to avoid interference from other devices using the same 2.4 GHz frequency.

Wireless Personal-Area Networks (WPAN)

• This type of network uses low powered transmitters for a short-range network, usually 20 to 30 ft. (6 to 9 meters). • Bluetooth and ZigBee devices are commonly used in this type of network. • This type of network is based on the 802.15 standard and a 2.4-GHz radio frequency.

Wireless MANs (WMAN)

• This type of network uses transmitters to provide wireless service over a geographic area such as a metropolitan city or specific district. • This type of network uses specific licensed frequencies.

4G/5G

• Current wireless cellular broadband standards for multiaccess networks carrying both data and voice communications.

carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA)

• How and when data is sent on a wireless network. • In a multi-access, shared media network this is the protocol that governs process of a host attempting to send data over the wireless network and what to when collisions occur. • In a this type of network, hosts attempt to avoid collisions by beginning transmission only after the channel is sensed to be "idle." • When they do transmit, nodes transmit their packet data in its entirety.

Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)

• IEEE 802.1X protocol used between a supplicant and a RADIUS authentication server.

Basic Service Set (BSS)

• In wireless, an IEEE 802.11 name for an infrastructure mode wireless network that requires wireless clients to connect via a wireless router or AP. • APs connect to the network infrastructure using the wired distribution system, such as Ethernet.

Extended Service Area (ESA)

• In wireless, an IEEE 802.11 name for the coverage area of an extended service set (ESS).

Basic Service Area (BSA)

• In wireless, an IEEE 802.11 name for the wireless coverage area that is provided by a basic service set (BSS).

independent basic service set (IBSS)

• In wireless, this is an IEEE 802.11 name for an adhoc wireless network.

802.11n

• A current IEEE wireless standard that supports speeds of up to 600 Mbps over the 2.4 and 5 GHz frequency ranges. • It is backward compatible with 802.11a/b/g devices. • APs and wireless clients require multiple antennas using MIMO technology.

wireless access points (APs)

• A device that connects wireless communication devices to form a wireless network, analogous to a hub connecting wired devices to form a wired LAN. • These devices usually connects to a wired network and can relay data between wireless devices and wired devices. • It is possible to link several of these devices together to form a larger network that allows roaming.

hotspot

• A type of ad hoc network where a cellular device is used to provide a personal Internet connection to other devices. • It is also referred to as tethering and provides a temporary solution.

tethering

• A type of ad hoc network where a cellular device is used to provide a personal Internet connection. • It is also referred to as a temporary quick solution that enables a smartphone to provide the wireless services of a Wi-Fi router. • Other devices can associate and authenticate with the smartphone to use the Internet connection.

parabolic dish antenna

• A type of directional wireless antenna.

WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access)

• A type of network access described in the IEEE standard 802.16. • This type of network offers high-speed broadband service with wireless access. • It provides broad coverage like a cell phone network rather than using small Wi-Fi hotspots.

Wireless LAN (WLAN)

• A type of network that uses transmitters to cover a medium-sized network, usually up to 300 feet. • This type of network is suitable for use in a home, office, and even a campus environment. • This type of network is based on the 802.11 standard and a 2.4-GHz or 5-GHz radio frequency.

Frequency-Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS)

• A wireless modulation technique designed on a spread spectrum method to communicate. • It transmits radio signals by rapidly switching a carrier signal among many frequency channels. • This wireless modulation technique was used by the original 802.11 standard. • Walkie-talkies and 900 MHz cordless phones also use this wireless modulation technique, and Bluetooth uses a variation of this wireless modulation technique.

Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM)

• A wireless modulation technique that is a subset of frequency division multiplexing in which a single channel uses multiple subchannels on adjacent frequencies. • This wireless modulation technique is used by a number of communication systems, including 802.11a/g/n/ac. • The new 802.11ax uses a variation of this wireless modulation technique called Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiaccess (OFDMA).

Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS)

• A wireless network security standard that makes connecting wireless hosts faster and easier on WPA Personal or WPA2 Personal password protected WLANs. • To connect a new device, press the WPS router button to enable the discovery of new devices and then on the host connect to the WLAN without entering the network password.

service set identifier (SSID)

• A wireless router advertises its wireless services by sending beacons containing this identifier. • The identifier is used to identify a wireless domain. • To access the local network and Internet, wireless devices associate and authenticate with the AP using this identifier.

Protected Management Frames (PMF)

• A wireless security feature that prevents the sending of de-auth frames by threat actors in an attempt to disconnect legitimate clients on the WLAN and then force them to reauthenticate.

MAC address filtering

• A wireless security mechanism where an AP is manually configured to permit or deny wireless access to a host based on the MAC hardware address.

Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP)

• A wireless security protocol used by WEP and WPA.

Message Integrity Check (MIC)

• A wireless security protocol used by WPA and WP2 to ensure a message payload and header have not been altered.

FlexConnect

• A wireless solution for branch office and remote office deployments. • It lets you configure and control access points in a branch office from the corporate office through a WAN link, without deploying a controller in each office.

multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO)

• A wireless technology that uses multiple antennas to increase available bandwidth for IEEE 802.11n/ac/ax wireless networks. • Up to eight transmit and receive antennas can be used to increase throughput.

distribution system (DS)

• An IEEE 802.11 term to describe the wired infrastructure to interconnect APs.

Control And Provisioning of Wireless Access Points (CAPWAP)

• An IEEE standard protocol that enables a WLC to manage multiple APs and WLANs. • This protocol is also responsible for the encapsulation and forwarding of WLAN client traffic between an AP and a WLC. • This protocol is based on LWAPP but adds additional security with Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS). • This protocol establishes tunnels on User Datagram Protocol (UDP) ports. • This protocol can operate over either IPv4 or IPv6, but uses IPv4 by default.

802.11g

• An older IEEE wireless standard that supports speeds of up to 54 Mbps over the 2.4 GHz frequency range. • It also is backward compatible with 802.11b devices.

802.11a

• An older IEEE wireless standard that supports speeds of up to 54 Mbps over the 5 GHz frequency range in a small coverage area. • However, it is less effective at penetrating building structures and is not interoperable with the 2.4 GHz standards.

Extended Service Set (ESS)

• In wireless, an IEEE 802.11 name when two or more basic service sets (BSSs) are used to create a wireless domain.

ad hoc mode

• In wireless, when two devices connect wirelessly in a peer-to-peer (P2P) manner without using APs or wireless routers. • Examples include wireless clients connecting directly to each other using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct. • The IEEE 802.11 standard refers to this type of network as an independent basic service set (IBSS).

lightweight APs (LAPs or LWAPs) aka: controller-based APs

• This type of AP uses the Lightweight Access Point Protocol (LWAPP) to communicate with a WLAN controller (WLC). • The WLC serves as the default gateway to all APs. • This type of AP is most useful in situations where many APs are required in the network. • As more APs are added, each AP is automatically configured and managed by the WLC. • This type of AP simplifies device configuration, troubleshooting, and enhance monitoring and visibility to closely analyze the WLAN.

split MAC

• Used by CAPWAP to describe how a LAP and WLC divide the MAC functions. • For instance, the LAP sends beacons, probe responses, and packet acknowledgments, and the WLC is responsible for authentication, association, and sending wireless traffic on the wired network.

Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS)

• Used to add security to CAPWAP. • It is a protocol that provides security between the AP and the WLC. • It allows them to communicate using encryption and prevents eavesdropping or tampering.

SSID cloaking

• When an AP disables the SSID beacon frame and therefore wireless clients must manually configure the SSID to connect to the network.

pre-shared key (PSK)

• When two parties setup a secret password that is used to secure communications or authenticate users.

directional antenna

• Wireless antenna that focuses the radio signal in a given direction to enhance the signal to and from the AP in the direction the antenna is pointing. • This provides a stronger signal strength in one direction and reduced signal strength in all other directions. • Examples of directional Wi-Fi antennas include Yagi antenna and parabolic dish antenna.

omnidirectional antenna

• Wireless antenna that provide 360-degree doughnut shape wireless coverage. • They are commonly used in home and SOHO routers, enterprise networks, and outside areas. • Compare with directional antennas.

Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)

• Wireless encryption method that is stronger than WEP. • It uses the Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) encryption algorithm to enhance security.

Lightweight Access Point Protocol (LWAPP)

• Wireless protocol used to communicate between a lightweight access point (LAP) and its WLAN controller (WLC).