Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I don't know the first thing about
wireless and other services Central Lakes Wireless, Inc. offers.
What is the best way to get some information?
A: Call us! For the quickest response to any question you may
have, call us at the office or directly on our cell phones!
You can find these numbers on our 'Contact' page, along with other
ways to contact us.
Q: Will it cost me to have Central Lakes
Wireless, Inc. give an estimate on my project?
A: No. The only reason we charge for estimates is when our
customers are located more than 30 driving miles from Alexandria,
MN.
Ever wonder what that is? Click on the links below to see a definition of it!
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802.11a is a wireless network standard. It uses the radio frequency of 5 GHz and has a data rate of 54 Mbps.
802.11b is a wireless network standard. It uses the radio frequency of 2.4 GHz and has a data rate of 11 Mbps.
802.11g is a wireless network standard. It uses the radio frequency of 2.4 GHz and has a data rate of 54 Mbps.
802.11n is a wireless network standard. It uses the radio frequency of 2.4 GHz and has a data rate from 100 - 200+ Mbps
Bandwidth is the rate at which data can be transferred to and from your computer.
A Bridge is a wireless device that allows you to connect two or more physically separated networks via Radio Frequency (RF), just as a highway bridge connects two physically separated land masses.
A Data (Computer) Network is system of communication used for transferring information between two or more computers.
dB is an abbreviation for "Decibel". It is used to express a form of power level in a wireless environment.
The Demarcation Point is the point at which the service provider's responsibility ends, and the homeowner/business owner's responsibility begins.
DHCP is an acronym for 'Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol' and is responsible for giving your computer an address on the network so that it can communication with the Internet.
A Distribution Center is a central location in your home or business from which your internet, phone, and television connections are shared.
DMZ is an abbreviation for 'De-Militarized Zone' - which allows a device on the network to be exposed to the Internet - bypassing the Firewall.
DSSS is an acronym for "Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum" and is used in the 802.11b (Wireless B) standard.
Environmental Monitoring is the ability to monitor readings such as temperature, humidity, presence of water, the position of doors and windows (open or closed), as well as other readings.
ERP is an acronym for "Effective Radiated Power". This is the power that is radiated by an access point, minus cable loss (if any), plus the antenna gain.
FCC stands for 'Federal Communications Commission' which is the government agency that controls the use of the air waves.
FHSS is an acronym for "Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum" and is most commonly used in long-range wireless applications.
A Firewall is a piece of hardware or software on your network that protects your computer(s) from intruders.
Gain is an increase in radiated power due to antenna design.
A Gateway is your point of entry to the Internet.
GHz is the abbreviation for Gigahertz - a measurement of radio frequency.
Home Automation
is being able to remotely control things around your home - such as
lighting, security, home entertainment, phone systems, thermostats,
irrigation, networking, and almost anything else imaginable.
A Host is any computer that is connected to a network.
IEEE stands for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. This is one company that is responsible for creating standards in the electronics industry.
ISP is an acronym for "Internet Service Provider", which is a company that provides you with access to the Internet.
A LAN is an acronym for Local Area Network - which is a network of computers laid out over a small geographic area, such as a home or business.
Mbps is an acronym for 'megabits per second' - this is a measurement of Bandwidth.
MHz is the abbreviation for Megahertz - a measurement of radio frequency.
MIMO is an acronym for "Multiple-Input Multiple-Output". This is a technique of data transmission using multiple paths of wireless signals.
NAT is an acronym for 'Network Address Translation' - which defines what your computer looks like to others on the Internet.
NEC is an acronym for "National Electrical Code". It is a set of rules governing safe wiring methods.
NFPA in an acronym for "National Fire Protection Association". It is a voluntary membership organization that promotes and improves fire protection and prevention.
NIC is an acronym for "Network Interface Card" which is a piece of hardware installed into a computer to allow it to communicate with a wireless or a wired network - depending on the model installed.
"Node" is a word used to denote any network device - whether it is a computer, router, access point, etc.
OFDM is an acronym for "Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing" and is a technology used in the 802.11g (Wireless G) and 802.11a (Wireless A) standards.
PDA is an acronym for "Personal Digital Assistant". PDA's can be used to organize personal data, and even use the Internet when configured with a wireless adapter.
PoE is an acronym for "Power Over Ethernet". This technology allows remote installation of networking equipment by carrying power and data to the network device over the same cable.
POP3 is an abbreviation for "Post Office Protocol (version 3)", which is a protocol used by Email programs to retrieve email messages from an Email server.
QoS is an acronym for "Quality of Service". This technology is used to provide prioritization for technologies such as VoIP that cannot have a lot of data transfer delay.
Radio Frequency (RF) is a form of energy which can carry information from one point to another. This technology is used in Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN).
RangeBooster is a technology by Linksys® similar to SRX and MIMO. It uses smart receivers to detect and decode reflected wireless signals and increase the range of wireless networks.
A Router is a network device that determines the best path to send data between your computer, and other computers on your network.
SMTP is an acronym for "Simple Mail Transfer Protocol". It is used by email programs to transfer your email messages to their recipients.
SNMP is an acronym for "Simple Network Management Protocol". It is used for remote management of network devices.
SOHO is an acronym for "Small Office Home Office".
SpeedBooster is a proprietary technology from Linksys® that increases data throughput by chaining data together.
SRX is an acronym for "Speed and Range Expansion", created by Linksys®, for their technology based on MIMO.
SSID is an acronym for "Service Set Identifier". SSID's are used to distinguish between available wireless networks.
Streaming Media is media that you read, watch, or listen to while it is being delivered (downloaded) to your computer. Examples include audio and video clips found on some web pages.
Structured Wiring allows you to distribute your TV, Satellite TV, Telephone, Audio, and Internet connections throughout your entire home, while increasing it's resale value by 5 to 7 percent.
A Switch is a network device that allows multiple computers to communicate with each other, and use the same Gateway to the Internet.
The word 'Telco' is an abbreviation for Telephone Company.
Telecommuting is the practice of working from home which being connected to your employer's computer network through a VPN.
TKIP is an acronym for "Temporal Key Integrity Protocol", and is used in WiFi Protected Access (WPA) to secure a wireless network.
UPS is an acronym for "Uninterruptible Power Supply". These are used to help protect electronic equipment from damage during power outages and brownouts.
VoIP is an acronym for "Voice Over Internet Protocol". This technology is used to make phone calls over computer networks, as well as the Internet.
VPN is an acronym for 'Virtual Private Network'. A VPN is used by some companies to allow users to work from home over a secure connection.
WAN is an acronym for Wide Area Network - or a network that spans over a large area - such as the Internet.
WEP is an acronym for 'Wired Equivalent Privacy', which is a type of security used for wireless networks.
Wireless is the use of Radio Frequencies (RF) for the purpose of data and voice communications.
A Wireless Access Point is a network device that allows one or more wireless devices to communicate with each other, as well as other network devices, and the Internet.
A Wireless Networking Solution is a professional evaluation for individual customer requirements for a wireless home or business application.
WLAN is an acronym for 'Wireless Local Area Network' - which is a network of wireless devices laid out over a small geographic area.
WPA is an acronym for "WiFi Protected Access", which is one of several methods to secure a wireless network.