Wireless基本概念

原文地址：

http://wireless.kernel.org/en/developers/Documentation/Glossary#WNIC

BSS

BSS stands for Basic Service Set. The coverage of an access point is called a
BSS.

BSS（Basic Service Set）：基本服务集，一个接入点覆盖的范围就是BSS。

cfg80211

Kernel side of configuration management for wireless devices.
nl80211 is the User-space side of configuration management for wireless devices.

Works together with
FullMAC-drivers and also with
mac80211-based drivers.

无线设备配置管理的内核侧，而n180211是用于用户侧的配置管理。cfg80211同FullMAC驱动以及基于mac80211的驱动一起工作

CLI

CLI stands for Command-line interface. These are utilities you can run in the console or terminal emulator.

FullMAC

FullMAC is a term used to describe a type of wireless card where the

MLME is managed in hardware. You would not use
mac80211 to write a FullMAC wireless driver.

FullMAC用于描叙无线网卡的类型，这种无线网卡的MLME是在硬件中管理的。FullMAC驱动编写是用不了mac80211的。

git-describe

git-describe is a git command. It outputs something like this:

v3.12-11297-g6579946

The first part is the tag for the current release. The second part is the number of patches which have been applied since the tag was applied. The last part, after the first
g is the SHA1 commit ID of the last commit applied.

IBSS

IBSS stands for Independent Basic Service Set. Its basically Ad-Hoc mode. See

Independent Basic Service Set

Information Element

An Information Element (IE) is a part of management frames in the IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN protocol. IEs are a device's way to transfer descriptive information about itself inside management frames. There are usually several IEs inside each
such frame, and each is built of
Type-length-value (TLVs).
The common structure of an IE is as follows:

|   1   |    1   |     1-255       |
+-------+--------+-----------------+
| Type  | Length |     Data        |
+-------+--------+-----------------+

Whereas the vendor specific IE looks like this:

|   1   |    1   |          4        |    1-251   |
+-------+--------+-------------------+------------+
|  221  | Length |        OUI        |     Data   |
+-------+--------+-------------------+------------+

iw

iw is a new

nl80211 based
CLI configuration utility for wireless devices.

nl80211

User-space side of configuration management for wireless devices. It is a Netlink-based user-space protocol.
cfg80211 is Kernel side of configuration management for wireless devices.

Several user-space applications are available which utilize
nl80211. See
Developer Docs for nl80211.

mac80211

A driver API for SoftMAC
WNICs. See
Developer Docs for mac80211.
See also
SoftMAC.

MAC

A
WNIC works on both, Layer 1 and Layer 2 of the
OSI model. MAC is a sub-layer for Layer2.

Media Access Control

MLME

MLME Stands for Media Access Control (MAC) Sublayer Management Entity. MLME is the management entity where the Physical layer (PHY) MAC state machines reside. Examples of states a MLME may assist in reaching:

Authenticate
Deauthenticate
Associate
Disassociate
Reassociate
Beacon
Probe
Timing Synchronization Function (TSF)
mac80211's MLME management implementation is currently handled by
net/mac80211/ieee80211_sta.c. This handles only the STA MLME

PHY

A
WNIC works on both, Layer 1 and Layer 2 of the
OSI model. PHY is abbreviation for physical-layer controller and refers to the hardware components of the WNIC, that are responsible for creating/producing the em waves conforming to the standards specified in the responsible standard,
e.g. IEEE 802.11a.
See
PHY and also
Physical layer.

SoftMAC

SoftMAC is a term used to describe a type of WNIC where the

MLME is expected to be managed in software.
mac80211 is a driver API for SoftMAC WNIC, for example.

SSID

SSID stands for Service Set IDentifier. The SSID is a code attached to all packets on a wireless network to identify each packet as part of that network. The code consists of a string of 1-32 octets (usually represented
as case sensitive alphanumeric characters).
See also
SSID

Station (STA)

Station (or STA) is the generic term for a device with a radio that can communicate with other
stations in a wireless network. Common forms of a station are access points (AP), computers, or phones.

See also
Station_(networking) or
Wireless access point.

WE

WE stands for
Wireless-Extensions - the old driver API and user <�"> kernel communication transport. Obsoleted by

#cfg80211

WEXT

WEXT stands for
Wireless-Extensions - the old driver API and user <�"> kernel communication transport. Obsoleted by

#cfg80211

WIPHY

Wireless
PHY.

WNIC

The
Wireless Network Interface Controller always refers to the hardware performing the functionality described in the standards family, i.e. IEEE 802.11. This can be an entire PCB (e.g. a mini PCIe wireless card), a single Chip or the functionality can even
be integrated into a SoC.