Media Access Control address. A unique hardware number that identifies each device on a network. A device can be a computer, printer, etc. (See IP address).
Glossary
MAC address
MAN
Metropolitan Area Network. A data network, typically operated by a municipality or communications carrier that provides high-speed service within a geographical area such as a college campus, town or city. A MAN is larger than a Local Area Network (LAN) but smaller than a Wide Area Network (WAN). (See WiMAX).
Mapping
Assigning a PC to a shared drive or printer port on a network.
Mbps
Megabits per second. A measurement of data speed that is roughly equivalent to a million bits per second. (See bps).
Mesh network
A communications network with least two pathways to each node, forming a net-like organization. When each node is connected to every other node, the network is said to be fully meshed. When only some of the nodes are linked, switching is required to make all the connections and the network is said to be partially meshed, or partially connected.
MIC
Message Integrity Check. A technology that is employed to prevent an attacker from capturing data packets, altering them and resending them. The MIC provides a strong mathematical function in which the receiver and the transmitter each compute and then compare the MIC. If it does not match, the data is assumed to have been tampered with and the packet is dropped. (See Packet, TKIP, WPA, WPA2).
MIMO
Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output. An advanced signal processing technology that uses multiple receivers and multiple transmitters in both the client and access point to achieve data throughput speeds of 100Mbps. (See 802.11n).
Mobile professional
Often called road warrior. Any employee or professional person who travels frequently and requires the ability to regularly access his or her corporate networks, via the Internet, to post and retrieve files and data and to send and receive e-mail from remote locations. (See hotspot, roaming).