1G (First Generation Wireless) : The original analog, voice-only cellular telephone standard, developed in the 1980s. Analog cellular service is being phased out in all but the most rural areas in the United States.

1x : A prefix for cellular data technology that indicates that only 1.25 MHz of spectrum are in use.

1xEV-DO : An upcoming third-generation cellular data technology for CDMA networks in testing by Verizon Wireless. EV-DO stands for Evolution Data Optimized (but is sometimes referred to as Evolution Data Only).

1xEV-DV : An upcoming third-generation cellular data technology for CDMA networks in testing by Sprint PCS and AT&T Wireless. EV-DV stands for Evolution Data/Voice.

3G (Third Generation Wireless) : The next generation of wireless communications beyond today’s digital PCS technologies. When available, 3G wireless technologies will allow for much higher transmission rates to wireless devices leading to more useful services and a better user experience.

AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone Service) : An analog cellular phone service standard used in the US and other countries.

APC (Adaptive Power Control) : A feature of some wireless handsets that helps reduce power consumption to increase battery charge life.

Authentication : The process of identifying a user, usually by a user name and password. The next generation of Wi-Fi security, Wi-Fi Protected Access, or WPA, will use authentication to verify whether users have access to a particular wireless network.

Bluetooth  : A short range wireless protocol meant to allow mobile devices to share information and applications without the worry of cables or interface incompatibilities. The name refers to a Viking King who unified Denmark. Operates at 2.4 GHz

Bridge : A device used to connect one network or device type to another, for instance wireless to wired.

Certificate : An instantiation of a digital identity. Certificates are typically signed by other people or certificate authorities to guarantee their authenticity.

Certificate authority : A trusted third party that can assure the identity of others when using security systems like SSL. A certificate authority registers the digital identity of a site or individual, and lets you confirm manually or automatically that someone you’re interacting with — say, over a secure Web connection — is who he appears to be.

CTIA : Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association, a wireless industry organization. CTIA holds annual trade shows and serves as the industry’s representative in dealings with regulatory agencies, such as the FCC.

Caller ID : A feature that displays a caller’s telephone number and/or name before the call is answered.

Cellular : The type of wireless communication that is most familiar to mobile phones users. Called ‘cellular’ because the system uses many base stations to divide a service area into multiple ‘cells’. Cellular calls are transferred from base station to base station as a user travels from cell to cell.

Coverage Area : The geographic area served by a wireless system. Same as Service Area.

Decibel (dB) : A unit of measure used to express relative difference in power or intensity of sound.

Dual band : A feature on some wireless phones that allows the handset to operate using either the 800 MHz cellular or the 1900 MHz PCS frequencies.

Dual mode : A feature on some wireless phones that allows the handset to operate on both analog and digital networks.

Ethernet : The most pervasive connection type for wired networking. Available in speeds from 10mbps all the way up yo 10,000mbps (10gbit). The most common wire used for Ethernet networking is Cat5 (Category 5) and the connectors used are RJ45, slightly larger than the RJ11 connectors used by phones, but the same shape.

EDGE : An upcoming cellular data technology for GSM networks. EDGE atands for Enhanced Data GSM Environment and should provide more than 100 Kbps of bandwidth.

Ethernet backbone : The wired Ethernet network you use to connect access points in a roaming network.

Firewall : A network program that blocks malevolent traffic that might endanger the computers on your network.

FTP : A common way of transferring files on the Internet, though it’s primarily used for uploading these days. FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol.

Gateway : Where WiFi is concerned, the terms Gateway and Router are usually interchangeable. See Router for more information.

GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) : An emerging technology standard for high speed data transmission over GSM networks.

GSM (Global Standard for Mobile) : A digital communication technology used by some carriers to provide PCS service. Other technologies used are CDMA and TDMA.

Handshake : The exchange of information between two modems as they negotiate which communication protocol to use. The funny sounds you hear when your computer initiates a dial-up connection are the modems handshaking.

Hot spot : A place where you can connect to a public wireless network.

Hub : The central device in a star network, whether wired or wireless. Wireless access points act as hubs in wireless networks.

Home Coverage Area : A designated area within which cellular calls are local and do not incur roaming or long distance charges.

IP Address : An IP address is a unique numerical identifier that tells your computer where other computers are located on the network, and vise versa. IP address appear in the form of xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx, though each grouping can be as short as a single digit.

Kbps : Kilobits per second, or thousands of bits per second, a measure of bandwidth.

Key server : An Internet-based server that lets you look up other people’s public keys.

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) : A flat panel screen used to display numbers and/or characters. Often found on a wireless handset.

Mobile IP : A communications protocol designed to allow mobile users to maintain their permanent IP address while moving from network to network.

Modem : Short for modulator/demodulator. A modem modulates outgoing digital data into analog signals so they can be sent over copper phone lines, and demodulates incoming analog signals into digital.

MPEG-4 : A standard for delivering streaming multimedia content to wireless devices. An example of the technology in action might be the ability to watch movie trailers on your wireless phone.

PCI : PCI, or Peripheral Component Interconnect, is a type of connection inside modern computers. The PCI slot supplanted ISA as the defacto connection for add-in cards in desktops. PCI is currently in the process of being phased out to make room for PCI-Express, a much higher bandwidth connection.

PCMCIA or PC Card : PCMCIA stands for Personal Computer Memory Card International Association. It is the slide-in peripheral connector on most notebooks.

PhoneNet : An adapter that enabled LocalTalk networks to operate over standard silver-satin telephone wiring, rather than Apple’s proprietary LocalTalk cables.

Port: Either a physical jack on a network device or a way of identifying the type of data being sent in an Internet connection. Every Internet service has its own port number.

PPP: A network protocol that handles dial-up Internet connections. PPP stands for Point-to-Point Protocol.

PPPoE : A technology that enables an ISP to require users to log in to an always-on Internet connection, something that wouldn’t otherwise be necessary. PPPoE stands for PPP over Ethernet.

PPTP: One of two protocols (with IPsec) used for VPNs. PPTP stands for Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol.

Router : A router accepts multiple internal connections, wired and wireless, and allows them to use the same external IP address, thus lowering the cost of sharing internet access by not requiring the purchase of more IPs.

RFID : Radio Frequency Identification, a technology used to uniquely identify objects. A transceiver (say, at a highway toll booth) sends out a signal that activates a transponder (a tag installed in a car, for example), which sends data back to the transceiver (let me through, I’ve already paid).

Spectrum : The entire range electromagnetic frequencies.

Spread Spectrum : A communications technology where a signal is transmitted over a broad range of frequencies and then re-assembled when received.

Smart card : A card containing data about a person’s identity and credentials to allow access to a network or physical site.

SMS : Short Message Service, a method for sending text messages of about 200 characters to GSM mobile phones. Messages are delivered at low cost and nearly instantaneously. If the recipient’s phone is turned off, messages are held and re-delivered.

Switch : A specific type of hub that isolates the communications between any two computers from the rest of the network, thus increasing throughput. Switches are also called “switching hubs.”

Tri-band : A description of a wireless phone that works on three bands. CDMA and TDMA tri-band phones work on 1900MHz and 800MHz digital frequencies, and 800MHz analog cellular–popular standards in the United States. Tri-band GSM phones are all digital, operating on 1900Mhz in the United States and 1800Mhz and 900Mhz in other countries.

UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) : An evolution of GSM technology to 3G. The underlying transmission standard is WCDMA.

USB : USB stands for Universal Serial Bus and is arguably the easiest way to add WiFi capability to a computer. USB WiFi Adapters are available at almost every computer store and are incredibly easy to set up. The downside of a USB WiFi adapter is they tend to not have very hi-gain antennae. They are, however, more mobile than other adapters, so you can change the elevation to get a better signal far more easily than with a PCI adapter.

VoIP (voice-over-IP) : A way of making telephone calls over a packet-switched network like the Internet. Voice-over-IP requires special telephones and software. Voice-over-IP is commonly abbreviated to VoIP. Its main advantage is that it avoids the usual phone service tolls. A few companies are offering cordless VoIP phones that work on Wi-Fi networks.

Wireless gateway : A somewhat generic term that we use to differentiate between an access point and a more-capable device that can share an Internet connection, serve DHCP, and bridge between wired and wireless networks. You may also see the term “wireless router,” or “base station.”

Wireless ISP : A company that provides wireless Internet access. The term is often abbreviated to WISP.

WCDMA (Wideband CDMA) : A 3G wireless communications standard evolved from CDMA. The standard, often called UMTS, uses wider 5 MHz channels(vs. 1.25 MHz for CDMA) for increased voice traffic capacity and peak data rates of 384 kbps.

WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) : A global protocol used in many newer wireless devices that allows the user to view and interact with data services. Generally used as a means to view Internet web pages using the limited transmission capacity and small display screens of portable wireless devices.

WiMax (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) : Also known as the IEEE 802.16 group of standards, defines a packet-based wireless technology that provides high-throughput broadband connections over long distances.

WiMax applications : The bandwidth and reach of wimax make it suitable for the following potential applications: Connecting Wi-Fi hotspots with each other and to other parts of the Internet. Providing a wireless alternative to cable and DSL for last mile (last km) broadband access.

WLL (Wireless Local Loop) : A wireless system meant to bypass a local landline telephone system. A home or businesses phone system is connected to the public network by a wireless carrier instead of by the traditional local phone company.