Wireless Access Point
Glossary of Terms 611
EDCF
(Enhanced Distributed Coordinator Function) A QoS extension which uses 
the same contention-based access mechanism as current devices but adds “offset 
contention windows” that separate high priority packets from low priority 
packets (by assigning a larger random backoff window to lower priorities than to 
higher priorities). The result is “statistical priority,” where high-priority packets 
usually are transmitted before low-priority packets.
encapsulation
A way of wrapping protocols such as TCP/IP, AppleTalk, and NetBEUI in 
Ethernet frames so they can traverse an Ethernet network and be unwrapped 
when they reach the destination computer.
encryption
Any procedure used in cryptography to translate data into a form that can be 
decrypted and read only by its intended receiver.
Fast Ethernet
A version of standard Ethernet that runs at 100 Mbps rather than 10 Mbps.
FCC
(Federal Communications Commission) US wireless regulatory authority. 
The FCC was established by the Communications Act of 1934 and is charged with 
regulating Interstate and International communications by radio, television, wire, 
satellite and cable.
FIPS
The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) Publication 140-2 establishes 
a computer security standard used to accredit cryptographic modules. 
The standard is a joint effort by the U.S. and Canadian governments. 
frame
A packet encapsulated to travel on a physical medium, like Ethernet or Wi-Fi. If a 
packet is like a shipping container, a frame is the boat on which the shipping 
container is loaded.