HP C8907A User Guide - Page 24

Chapter 2 (continued) router switch wireless access point wireless network WEP interchangeable. An RJ-45 connector is wider and thicker and always has 8 contacts on the end. A phone connector has between 2 and 6 contacts. A router provides a bridge between two or more networks. A router can link a network to the Internet, link two networks and connect both to the Internet, and help secure networks through the use of firewalls and assigning dynamic addresses. A router can also act as a gateway, while a switch cannot. A switch makes it possible for several users to send information over a network at the same time without slowing each other down. Switches allow different nodes (a network connection point, typically a computer) of a network to communicate directly with one another. In computer networking, a wireless access point (WAP or AP) is a device that connects wireless communication devices together to form a wireless network. The WAP usually connects to a wired network, and can relay data between wireless devices and wired devices. Wireless access points have IP addresses for configuration. One IEEE 802.11 WAP can typically communicate with 30 client systems located within a radius of 100 m. However, the range of communication can vary a lot, depending on such variables as indoor or outdoor placement, height above ground, nearby obstructions, other electronic devices that might actively interfere with the signal by broadcasting on the same frequency, type of antenna, the current weather, operating radio frequency, and the power output of devices. A wireless network uses radio frequencies for the communication between computer devices and access points which are basically two-way radio transceivers that typically work in the 2.4 GHz (802.11b, 802.11g) or 5 GHz (802.11a) bands. A wireless LAN or WLAN is a wireless local area network that uses radio waves as its carrier: the last link with the users is wireless, to give a network connection to all users in the surrounding area. Areas may range from a single room to an entire campus. The backbone network usually uses cables, with one or more wireless access points connecting the wireless users to the wired network. Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is a scheme to secure wireless networks (WiFi). Because a wireless network broadcasts messages using radio, it is particularly susceptible to eavesdropping. WEP was intended to provide comparable confidentiality to a traditional wired network, hence the name. WEP was superseded by Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) in 2003, and then by the full IEEE 802.11i standard (also known as WPA2) in 2004. Despite the weaknesses, WEP provides a level of security that can deter casual snooping. Once the restrictions were lifted, all of the major manufacturers eventually implemented 24 HP Photosmart 6222 Wireless Dock Base