CWTS key terms

The human-readable name that identifies a wireless network. Access points broadcast it in beacon frames so client devices can discover and select the network, though it can be hidden to reduce casual discovery.

A 48-bit identifier, usually the MAC address of a basic service set radio, that uniquely names one access point instance. Clients use it to distinguish overlapping networks sharing the same SSID.

The fundamental building block of a wireless LAN: one access point together with the client stations associated to it. Multiple basic service sets joined by a common distribution system form an extended service set.

A management frame an access point transmits at a fixed interval to announce its wireless network, capabilities, supported data rates, and security settings. Clients scan for beacons when deciding which network to join.

A management frame a client sends while scanning to ask whether a particular network or any network is present. Access points reply with probe responses containing the details needed to associate.

The process by which a client station joins a basic service set after authentication, agreeing on capabilities and data rates with the access point. Association must succeed before user traffic can pass.

The handoff of a client from one access point to another while keeping its session, typically triggered when signal quality drops. Layer 2 roaming within a subnet is fastest; crossing subnets adds re-addressing delay.

The industry name for the IEEE 802.11ax amendment, which adds orthogonal frequency-division multiple access, higher-order modulation, and improved efficiency in dense environments. It works in both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.

An extension that allows Wi-Fi 6 operation in the newly opened 6 GHz band, providing many more non-overlapping channels and less interference. Clients and access points must both support 6 GHz to use it.

Orthogonal frequency-division multiple access, a technique that splits a channel into resource units so several clients transmit simultaneously in one time slot. It reduces overhead and latency in crowded networks.

A number that pairs a modulation scheme with a coding rate to define a transmission rate for a given channel width and spatial stream count. Higher indexes carry more data but require better signal quality.

A defined slice of radio spectrum used for transmission. In 2.4 GHz only three channels avoid overlap; in 5 GHz and 6 GHz many non-overlapping channels are available, easing co-channel interference.

The amount of spectrum a transmission occupies, such as 20, 40, 80, or 160 MHz. Wider channels raise peak throughput but consume more spectrum and are more sensitive to interference and noise.

Degradation caused when multiple radios transmit on the same channel and must contend for airtime. It reduces capacity rather than raising the noise floor, and is managed through channel planning and power control.

Interference from a transmitter on a nearby but different channel whose energy leaks into the receiver's passband. It is mitigated by leaving guard channels between active channels and by filtering.

Received signal strength indicator, a relative measure of how strongly a client hears an access point or vice versa. Vendors scale it differently, so it is useful for comparing readings from the same device family.

Signal-to-noise ratio, the difference in decibels between the received signal level and the noise floor. Higher values support faster modulation; roughly 25 dB or more is needed for high-throughput rates.

The background radio energy present in a channel from thermal noise and interferers, measured in dBm. A rising noise floor shrinks usable range because it lowers the signal-to-noise ratio.

The elliptical volume around a point-to-point radio path that should stay clear of obstructions. Blocking it reduces signal strength even when the antennas have direct line of sight.

A calculation summing transmit power, antenna gains, and path loss to predict received signal level. It confirms whether a link has enough margin above the receiver sensitivity for reliable operation.

Equivalent isotropically radiated power, the total power a transmitter appears to radiate after combining radio output power with antenna gain, minus cable loss. Regulators cap EIRP per band and channel width.

The measure in dBi of how much an antenna concentrates energy in a direction compared with an isotropic radiator. Higher gain extends range in one direction but narrows the coverage angle.

A country or region code that determines which channels, power limits, and features a radio may use. Setting the correct domain keeps operation legal and avoids transmitting on prohibited frequencies.

Dynamic frequency selection, a requirement in many 5 GHz bands to detect radar signals and vacate the channel. Access points must perform channel availability checks before transmitting and switch when radar is detected.

A structured assessment of a facility to determine access point placement, channel plan, and power settings that meet coverage and capacity goals. It may be predictive, using software models, or physical, using measured readings.

A visual overlay on a floor plan showing predicted or measured signal strength or other metrics across an area. It helps spot weak zones, excessive overlap, and coverage that spills outside the intended boundary.

The use of a receiver that sweeps the band to display energy by frequency, revealing interferers such as microwave ovens, cordless phones, or radar. It complements a Wi-Fi survey, which sees only Wi-Fi frames.

The share of time a radio spends transmitting on a channel. Because clients contend for airtime, capacity planning focuses on airtime utilization rather than raw throughput figures alone.

The current generation of Wi-Fi security certification, adding simultaneous authentication of equals for personal networks and stronger encryption for enterprise deployments. It also protects management frames and resists offline password guessing.

Simultaneous authentication of equals, the password-based handshake used in WPA3-Personal. It replaces the pre-shared key exchange and prevents an attacker from capturing a handshake and testing guesses offline.

An authentication framework for port-based network access control, commonly used with enterprise Wi-Fi. The client, authenticator, and authentication server exchange credentials, often through the EAP protocol, before access is granted.

A server protocol that centralizes authentication, authorization, and accounting for network access. In enterprise Wi-Fi it validates user or device credentials passed by the access point during 802.1X authentication.

Extensible authentication protocol, a framework carrying authentication methods between a supplicant and a server. Variants such as EAP-TLS use certificates, while others use passwords, and each carries different security tradeoffs.

Protected management frames, a feature that encrypts and integrity-protects frames such as disassociation and deauthentication. It blocks spoofed management frames used in denial-of-service and downgrade attacks.

An unauthorized access point connected to a network, or a malicious one impersonating a legitimate network. Detection relies on comparing observed radios against an authorized inventory and monitoring for anomalies.

A password or passphrase shared by all users of a personal wireless network to derive encryption keys. It is simple to deploy but offers no per-user accountability and must be changed when anyone leaves.

Power over Ethernet, which delivers electrical power to access points over the same cable that carries data. Standards define power classes and negotiation, and the power budget must match what each device draws.

A device that bridges wireless clients onto a wired network, managing association, security, and channel use. Its placement, power, and antenna choice largely determine coverage and capacity.

A design in which a central appliance or cloud service configures and manages many access points. It simplifies consistent policy, roaming support, and monitoring compared with configuring each radio individually.

A signed digital document binding a public key to an identity, used in enterprise Wi-Fi to authenticate servers and clients. Proper validation prevents clients from trusting an impostor authentication server.