Term

Meaning

802.11b

The 802.11b standard for wireless local area networks (WLANs) - often called Wi-Fi - is part of the 802.11 series of WLAN standards. 802.11b shares available bandwidth between local users and offers transmission over relatively short distances at up to 11 megabits per second (Mbps).  All Surf2Go access points support the 802.11b standard.

802.11g

The 802.11g specification is a standard for wireless local area networks (WLANs) that offers transmission over relatively short distances at up to 54 megabits per second (Mbps), compared with the 11 Mbps theoretical maximum with the earlier 802.11b standard. All Surf2Go access points support the 802.11g standard.

Access Point

In a wireless local area network (WLAN), an access point is a station that transmits and receives data (sometimes referred to as a transceiver). An access point connects users to other users within the network and also can serve as the point of interconnection between the WLAN and a fixed wire network. Each access point can serve multiple users within a defined network area; as people move beyond the range of one access point, they are automatically handed over to the next one. A small WLAN may only require a single access point; the number required increases as a function of the number of network users and the physical size of the network. The technical specifications of the Surf2Go access points are available here.

Captive Web Portal

Captive web portal is a function of the access point which allows users to access certain web sites before being authenticated for access to the Internet.  In this way, the access provider (Surf2Go) can provide opportunities for advertising and branding regardless of whether a user pays for Internet access.

DHCP

The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is an Internet protocol for automating the configuration of computers that use TCP/IP. DHCP can be used to automatically assign IP addresses and to provide other configuration information. DHCP is supported by the Surf2Go access points which means that your laptop will automatically be configured on a Surf2Go network when it contacts the access point.

Firewall

A firewall is a set of related programs, located at a network gateway or access point, that protects the equipment and information on the private network from users on other networks. Surf2Go access points have a firewall to ensure that other Internet users cannot access the devices on the local wireless network.

IP Address

An IP address is a 32-bit number (in the form aaa.bbb.ccc.ddd) that identifies each sender or receiver of information across the Internet. Every machine which connects to the Internet must be assigned an IP Address before they can send or receive information.  Using DHCP, Surf2Go users will be assigned their IP Address from the local access point.

NAT

NAT (Network Address Translation) is the translation of an Internet Protocol address (IP address) used within one network to a different IP address known within another network. One network is designated the inside network and the other is the outside. Typically, a company maps its local inside network addresses to one or more global outside IP addresses and unmaps the global IP addresses on incoming packets back into local IP addresses. This helps ensure security since each outgoing or incoming request must go through a translation process that also offers the opportunity to qualify or authenticate the request or match it to a previous request. All Surf2Go HotSpots are 'inside' and the Internet is 'Outside'.  Surf2Go access points use NAT for several reasons, one if which is that it provides an added level of security to the users of the HotSpot.

HotSpot

Hotspots provide public Internet access to devices like handhelds and laptops that are equipped with 802.11 network cards.

SSID

Short for Service Set IDentifier, a 32-character unique identifier for a WLAN. The SSID differentiates one WLAN from another, so all access points and all devices attempting to connect to a specific WLAN must use the same SSID. An SSID is also referred to as a network name because essentially it is a name that identifies a wireless network.  All Surf2Go hotspots use an SSID of 'Surf2Go'.

SSL

Pronounced as separate letters and short for Secure Sockets Layer, SSL is a protocol  for transmitting private documents via the Internet and ensuring they cannot be read by other users. Surf2Go access points use SSL to communicate with their server when passing username and passwords and credit card details for authentication.

Scratch Cards

A scratch card is a piece of card which can be purchased at Surf2Go locations.  It will contain a username and password which, when typed in at the login screen, will allow the user to access the Internet for a pre-determined amount of time.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi stands for wireless fidelity and is a generic term used when referring to any 802.11 wireless network or networking equipment.

VPN

A VPN, or virtual private network, is a private network which uses the Internet as the transmission medium.  It generally offers a method of using public network infrastructures to access private fixed networks.  Many businesses whose remote workers require regular access to the company network will allow them to connect from the Internet to the internal company network using a VPN client.  It is important to these users that the Internet access they use supports VPN passthrough.  Surf2Go equipment does support VPN passthrough.

VPN pass-through

This signifies the ability of an access point to pass through encrypted streams of data from one or more users running VPNs to their targets.

WLAN

Wireless Local Area Network. A wireless local data network.

Wisp

Wireless Internet Service Provider.  A company which provides Internet access using wireless equipment.