User's Manual
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Glossary
10/100/1000 BaseT – Unshielded, twisted pair cable with an RJ-45 connector, used with Ethernet LAN
(Local Area Network). “10/100/1000” indicates speed (10/100/1000 BaseT), “Base” refers to baseband
technology, and “T” means twisted pair cable.
Authentication - The process of verifying the identity of an entity on a network.
DHCP (Dynamic Host Control Protocol) – A protocol which allows a server to dynamically assign IP
addresses to workstations on the fly.
Ethernet adapters – A plug-in circuit board installed in an expansion slot of a personal computer. The
Ethernet card (sometimes called a Network Interface Card , network adapter or NIC) takes parallel data from
the computer, converts it to serial data, puts it into a packet format, and sends it over the 10/100/1000 BaseT
LAN cable.
DOCSIS (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specifications) – A project with the objective of developing
a set of necessary specifications and operations support interface specifications for Cable Modems and
associated equipment.
F Connector – A type of coaxial connector, labeled CABLE IN on the rear of the Wireless Gateway that
connects the modem to the cable system.
HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) – Invisible to the user, HTTP is used by servers and clients to
communicate and display information on a client browser.
Ethernet Switch – A device used to connect multiple computers to the Wireless Gateway via Ethernet.
IP Address – A unique, 32-bit address assigned to every device in a network. An IP (Internet Protocol)
address has two parts: a network address and a host address. This modem receives a new IP address from
your cable operator via DHCP each time it goes through Initialization Mode.
Key exchange - The swapping of mathematical values between entities on a network in order to allow
encrypted communication between them.
MAC Address – The permanent “identity” for a device programmed into the Media Access Control layer in
the network architecture during the modem’s manufacture.
Provisioning - The process of enabling the Media Terminal Adapter (MTA) to register and provide services
over the network.
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) – A networking protocol that provides
communication across interconnected networks, between computers with diverse hardware architectures and
various operating systems.
TFTP - Trivial File Transfer Protocol, the system by which the Media Terminal Adapter’s configuration
data file is downloaded.
Universal Serial Bus (USB) – USB is a “plug-and-play” interface between a computer and add-on devices,
such as a Wireless Gateway.
Xpress Technology - One of the popular performance-enhancing WiFi technologies, designed to improve
wireless network efficiency and boost throughput. It is more efficient in mixed environments, and it can
work with 802.11a/b/g networks.