802.1q – VLAN Tagging – Nomadix supports VLAN tagging/trunking to identify which AP, port, or SSID a user is connecting to.

802.1p – Priority bit used for VoIP.  Passed through but not directly utilized by Nomadix.

802.1X – Port based access control – Supported by Nomadix

802.3 – The IEEE Ethernet standard supported by Nomadix.

802.11 - The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) has developed the 802.11 family of standards for wireless Ethernet local area networks operating in the 2.4 GHz ISM band and the 5 GHz UNII band.  The 802.11 standards define the Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) specifications for wireless LANs (WLANs).  The 802.11 standards define protocols for both Infrastructure Mode, where all Wireless Stations communicate via at least one Access Point, and Ad-Hoc (peer-to-peer) Mode, where Wireless Stations communicate directly without use of an intervening Access Point.  All public and enterprise WLANs operate in the Infrastructure Mode.  Further information about the 802.11 family of standards can be found on the IEEE 802.11 web site, www.ieee802.org/11/

802.11a (TGa) - PHY standard for 54Mbps at 5GHz UNII band. Approved 1999.

802.11b (TGb) - PHY standard for up to 11Mbps at 2.4GHz ISM-band. Approved 1999.

802.11c (TGc) – 802.11 bridging – recommendation for AP manufactures.  Approved 1998.

802.11d (TGd) – MAC layer enhancement - Operation in new regulatory domains (specifically 5Ghz) – Approved 2001.

802.11e (TGe) – New MAC for QoS and improved efficiency (max delay, min data rate, max packet error probability).   Approved 2003.

802.11f (TGf) - IAPP (Inter Access Point Protocol) – Handoff between multi-vendor AP’s

802.11g (TGg) – PHY standard for up to 54Mbps at 2.4GHz ISM-band.  Backward compatible with 802.11b.

802.11h (TGh) – Enhance MAC and 802.11a PHY (for CEPT approval – Europe), includes dynamic frequency selection (DFS) and transmit power control (TPC).

802.11i (TGi) – Enhanced Security and authentication in 802.11 to overcome limitations with WEP.  Estimated approval in 2004-2005.

802.11j (TGj) – Use of 802.11a in the Japanese 4.9GHz band.

802.11k (TGk) – Radio resource measurements (sits above MAC layer) to improve deployment of large 802.11 networks.

802.11m (TGm) – Maintenance of existing standards.

802.11n (TGn) – High throughput PHY and MAC (108-320 Mbps) with reduced overhead.  Estimated approval in 2005-2006.

802.11x – typically refers to the various PHY standards of 802.11 (a, b, and g). 

802.16 – Wireless Metropolitan Area Networking.  An alternative backhaul to DLS, Cable, T1, or LMDS.

AAA (IETF) – Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting.  A method for transmitting access (authentication) requests in the form of user credentials (typically user@domain and password), service authorization (what the user is authorized to access), and session accounting details between devices and networks in a real-time manner.  Nomadix supports this AAA functionality with RADIUS.

AAA Proxy – The ability to process AAA (RADIUS) requests whereby Nomadix NSE with AAA Proxy functionality can look at the NAI information to route the Authentication request to the appropriate RADIUS Server and also refers to the ability for Nomadix’s NSE to sit behind an 802.1x/WPA-enabled AP and provide it’s access gateway functionality.

AMA – The authentication protocol typically utilized by wireline carriers.  Nomadix is able to support integration with these wireline carriers via RADIUS and through our active participation in IPDR.

CDMA - Nomadix is able to interface to CIBER billing system via RADIUS.  Nomadix is able to support integration with wireless carriers via RADIUS and through our active participation in IPDR.

CIBER – The billing protocol utilized by CDMA based carriers.  Nomadix is able to support integration with wireless carriers via RADIUS and through our active participation in IPDR.

Clearinghouse - A clearinghouse is a third party that facilitates exchange of authentication and accounting messages between WISPs and home entities, and provides auditable data for settlement of roaming payments.  Unlike a broker, clearinghouses do not buy airtime minutes from WISPs for resale, instead providing a trusted intermediary function for implementing roaming agreements made directly between WISPs and home entities.  Clearinghouses are typically compensated on a transaction basis for clearing and settlement services.  Nomadix supports and interfaces with these clearinghouses typically via RADIUS accounting .

DHCP – Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol – An IETF Standard.  Nomadix NSE can operate as DHCP Server or DHCP Relay to a centralized DHCP Server. 

DIAMETER (IETF) – Not directly supported by Nomadix, but a number of RADIUS vendors also support DIAMETER on the backend with gateway functionality to RADIUS.

EAP – Extensible Authentication Protocol.  A general authentication protocol used by Local and Metropolitan Area Networks that supports various specific authentication mechanisms.  EAP is defined in [RFC2284] and used by the IEEE 802.1x Port Based Access Control protocol. Nomadix supports the various EAP methods in our gateway via our use of a standard RADIUS AAA Proxy.

EAP-MD5 – UN/PW based authentication (primarily used by Microsoft clients)

EAP-SIM – SIM card based authentication – such as used by GSM carriers.

EAP-TLS – Certificate based authentication (such as used by SSL)

EAP-TTLS – Tunneled TLS supports mutual authentication and UN/PW passed authentication inside of TLS tunnel.

EMI – The billing protocol typically utilize by wireline carriers.  Nomadix is able to support integration with these wireline carriers via RADIUS and through our active participation in IPDR.

Home Entity or Home Operator or Home Provider - The entity with which the end-user has an authentication and/or billing relationship.  The Home Entity need not be a network provider, but must support the RADIUS functionality required to authenticate and account for usage of their clients that roam.  The Home Entity may also be a Hotspot Operator, a service provider that hasn’t deployed Wi-Fi access hotspots, an enterprise network, or an independent business entity that the end-user has an account relationship with. 

HLR – Home Location Registratar – A GSM term that represents the mobile user’s home profile/account.

HotSpot - A location that provides Wi-Fi public network access to Wi-Fi enabled consumers.  Nomadix solutions for various types of hotspots including hotels, coffee shops, and airports.

HotSpot Operator - An entity that operates a facility consisting of a Wi-Fi public access network and participates in the authentication process.  Also sometimes referred to as the more generic term WISP.  A venue owner can also sometimes function as a HotSpot Operator.

IPDR – Internet Protocol Detail Record.  IPDR is a standards setting alliance primarily for billing records.  Nomadix is an IPDR member and active in the WLAN Accounting and Settlement (WLANAS) Working Group.

IPDRDocs – The IPDR records exchanged for settlement purposes.

NAI -Network Access Identifier  - As defined in [RFC2486], the NAI is the userID submitted by the client during authentication and used when roaming to identify the user as well as to assist in the routing of the authentication request to the user’s home authentication server.

PEAP – Protected Extensible Authenticaiton Protocol – A new mutual authentication tunneling protocol layer Microsoft is trying to standardize through IETF that will address Man-In-The-Middle attacks possible via some EAP methods. 

Portal - A web page where users are initially redirected to with local information and may be where the mobile user can enter their credentials to obtain access to the network using an encrypted mechanism. 

Public Access Control (PAC) Gateway – Used by Hotspot Operators to provide the access and services control in their Wi-Fi network either in a central or distributed fashion.  The PAC gateway performs several key functions such as IP Address Management, Home Page Redirection, Captive Portal, and AAA for the Hotspot Operator in order to support the Universal Access Methodology.

RADIUS - An Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting protocol defined by the IETF [RFC2865, RFC2866].  Nomadix implement the RADIUS Client and Proxy functionality in the NSE.

Roaming - The ability of an end-user with a Wi-Fi device to use the services of an operator other than the one with which they have an account relationship.  Roaming implicitly indicates a relationship between a Hotspot Operator, possibly a Broker, a Home Entity and the end-user, who has an established relationship with the Home Entity.  Wi-Fi Roaming is sometimes confused with subnet mobility and session preservation such as what Mobile IP provides.

Roaming (AAA) Intermediary - An entity in the AAA path between the Hotspot Operator and the Home Entity.  The AAA intermediaries could be a clearinghouse, an aggregator, a roaming broker, or a roaming agent.  Nomadix has established support and partnerships with roaming AAA Intermediaries such as GRIC, and iPass.

Roaming Agent - A legal entity operating as a representative of a community of Home Entities or Hotspot Operators, facilitating common legal and commercial frameworks for roaming.  The agent does not become a party in the roaming agreement between the Home Entities and Hotspot Operators (like Roaming Brokers do) and retains a neutral position with regard to tariffs and service content offered. An agent operates a multilateral roaming model and typically offers multilateral settlement services.

Roaming Agreement - An agreement for access and services between Hotspot Operators, Roaming Intermediaries, and Home Entities.  The agreement regulates the exchange of AAA messages that control the delivery of access at a hotspot and also defines the technical and commercial conditions of such access and is a pre-requisite to initiating roaming services.   

Bilateral Roaming Agreement: a roaming agreement negotiated directly between two roaming parties.

Multilateral Roaming Agreement (MLRA): a roaming agreement negotiated between a Home Entity or Hotspot Operator and a roaming agent.

Roaming Broker - An entity that provides (global) services for Home Entities and Hotspot Operators by operating as an intermediary and trading broadband access between them at a fixed or transactional price (buying and re-selling roaming airtime usage), and performs clearing and settlement services.  Brokers may provide centralized authentication services in order to compute and validate the broadband traffic.

Roaming Tariff - The various charges set by the Hotspot Operator for usage of its network by roaming users.

Smart Client - A software solution which resides on the user’s access device that facilitates the user’s connection to Public Access Networks, whether via a browser, signaling protocol or other proprietary method of access.  Nomadix already interfaces with a number of Smart Clients such as iPass, GRIC, and Boingo.

SNMP – Simple Network Management Protocol – An IETF Standard.  Nomadix supports centralized network management via the SNMP protocol and has it’s own MIB for management of Nomadix proprietary features/functions.

SMTP – Simple Mail Transter Protocol – An IETF Standard used for sending outgoing e-mail.  Nomadix provides support for SMTP redirection to redirect outgoing e-mail messages to a local outgoing mail server since the mobile user’s home mail server may not except outgoing mail if the user is not utilizing a local IP Address.

TAP3 – A billing protocol utilized by GSM carriers.  Nomadix is able to support billing for Wi-Fi services via TAP by interfacing to RADIUS, key strategic partners such as Adjungo, Transat, and Mobility Networks, and through our active participation in IPDR.

UAM – Universal Access Method - The recommended methodology from the Wi-Fi Alliance WISPr document for providing secure web-based service presentment, authentication, authorization and accounting of users is a WISP network.  This methodology enables any standard Wi-Fi enabled TCP/IP device with a browser to gain access to the WISP network.  Nomadix’ Home Page Redirection and Transparent HTTP Proxy patent pending technologies are key components to enabling this methodology.  This methodology is typically compared to an 802.1X or WPA based access methodology that although provides a more security mutual authentication method, requires a client that support 802.1x/WPA be loaded into the mobile client’s computer and be configured appropriately.  Some vendors can support either UAM (open mode networks) or 802.1x/WPA, but Nomadix can support both.

VLR – Visited Location Registrar – In a GSM network, is found at a visited network and responsible for registering a visiting mobile user once it obtains authentication via the user’s HLR.

VSA’s – Vendor Specific Attributes.  Nomadix supports a number of proprietary VSA’s for advanced services such as IP Upsell, Bandwidth Management, etc.  The detailed list of Nomadix VSA can be obtained via the Nomadix RADIUS Interface Description document.

WEP – Wired Equivalent Protocol – A link level encryption protocol whose keys could be hacked and is being replaced by 802.11i with a solution available today via WPA.

WFA – Wi-Fi Alliance - The Wi-Fi Alliance’s mission is to certify interoperability of Wi-Fi™ (IEEE 802.11) products and to promote Wi-Fi as the global wireless LAN standard across all market segments.   Nomadix has been a member of the Wi-Fi Alliance for several years and chairs the Public Access Task Group.  Their website is http://www.Wi-Fi.org/.

Wi-Fi™ - A trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance.  This term refers to all Wi-Fi Alliance-certified IEEE 802.11 networking products.

Wi-Fi Certified – A certification given by the Wi-Fi Alliance the guarantees a certain level of compatibility between 802.11 clients and access points.  There are various sub-categories of Wi-Fi Certified compatibility that are found on the devices “capabilities label”.

Wi-Fi ZONE – A Wi-Fi Alliance program to promote Wi-Fi used in Public Access networks.  It provides an on-line ZONE finder database for end users to find hotspots.  It also provides a decal/branding program for WISPs to display the decal to inform mobile users of link level Wi-Fi access available to the Internet (either free or pay-for-use). See http://www.Wi-FiZONE.org

WISP - Wireless Internet Service Provider.  WISP is a general term that can be a Home Entity allowing their users to roam into a Wi-Fi hotspot or a Hotspot Operator that operates a Wi-Fi based infrastructure for public network access.  WISPs may also offer additional services such as location based content and services, Virtual Private Networking (VPN), and Voice over IP (VoIP).

WISPr - Wireless Internet Service Provider roaming.  A Wi-Fi Alliance Committee established to identify recommended best practices for support of wireless roaming between providers of networks employing Wi-Fi technology.  Nomadix hold a vice-chair position in this committee and is an author/editor of the WISPr document on “Best Current Practices for WISP roaming”.

WLANAS – WLAN Accounting & Settlement Working Group of the IPDR.  Nomadix is a member and active member to support roaming, accounting, and settlement of Wi-Fi services that integrate with various clearinghouses and subsequently support interfaces to various carrier billing systems (GSM, CDMA, wireline, etc.)

WPA – Wi-Fi Protected Access – A Wi-Fi Alliance certified level of compatibility that encompasses 802.1X and components of 802.11i to provide a secure link level security solution to address the problems with WEP (a link level encryption protocol that could be hacked).