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Chapter 1
Planning a Network Topology
relatively quickly, while signals can travel longer distances over
fiber-optic cable
because they attenuate less.
Ad hoc topology A wireless networking topology in which two or more wireless
devices communicate directly with each other, as long as they remain within
their
respective transmission ranges.
Infrastructure topology A wireless networking topology in which a
transceiver
called an access point is connected to a standard cabled network, and
several
wireless devices communicate with the cabled network by transmitting signals
to,
and receiving them from, the access point.
Media access control (MAC) The mechanism used by a data-link layer protocol
to
regulate transmissions by several computers on a shared network medium. MAC
mechanisms are designed to prevent computers on the same medium from send-
ing data simultaneously, causing a collision that damages both
transmissions.
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