Glossary - WLAN at RWTH Aachen
CAT
The eduroam Configuration Assistant Tool (CAT) was developed to help organizations provide their users with simplified access to eduroam.
This tool can be used to create customized installation profiles for various common computer and smartphone platforms and make them available for download.
This aims to simplify the connection process and improve security for end users.
Eduroam Devicemanager
The eduroam devicemanager is a web interface provided by RWTH that enables the creation and management of user data for connecting to the RWTH WLAN networks.
Enterprise-Authentication
Enterprise authentication, also known as IEEE 802.1X, is a standard for authentication and authorization in networks based on the IEEE 802 standard.
This standard makes it possible to authenticate users or devices at the network access point, be it via a physical port in the LAN, a logical VLAN or a WLAN.
The authentication process is carried out by an authenticator, which compares the information sent by a subscriber (also known as a “supplicant”) with an authentication server (RADIUS server).
Depending on the result of the check, access to the services offered, such as LAN, VLAN or WLAN, is granted or denied.
Firewall
A firewall is a combination of hardware and software that monitors and controls data traffic between an internal network and external networks.
It checks all data leaving the network as well as data trying to enter the network.
Firewalls are used to protect RWTH's networks from unauthorized access and threats.
IoT-Device
IoT devices, or Internet of Things (IoT) devices, are networked devices that are able to capture, collect, store and process data and transmit information to other devices and systems.
They differ from traditional devices in that they are usually wirelessly connected to the internet.
Most IoT devices use sensors, software and other technologies to collect data about themselves or their environment.
IPv4
IPv4, also known simply as IP, is the fourth version of the Internet Protocol. It was the first widely used version of the Internet Protocol and forms an important technical basis for the Internet and data transmission in networks.
The 32-bit-based protocol enables devices to communicate on the Internet and in local networks and to route data packets to where they need to go.
IPv6
IPv6 is the latest version of the "Internet Protocol" and therefore the latest standard for identifying devices on the Internet and in local networks.
It was developed to extend the limited number of addresses of its predecessor IPv4 and to better meet the modern requirements of the Internet.
A key feature of IPv6 is the 128-bit address length, in contrast to the 32 bits of IPv4. This longer address length enables an almost unlimited number of unique IP addresses.
NAT
Network Address Translation (NAT) is a process used in computer networks to change the address of data packets.
This happens when data is transferred between different networks. NAT allows several devices to use a public IP address at the same time, while they each have their own private IP addresses.
Normally, the router in the network takes over this task and establishes the connection to the Internet. This router therefore often acts as the standard gateway for the connected devices.
NAP
A network contact person (NAP - Netzwerkansprechpartner) is a person who is registered as the contact person for a specific network or domain at RWTH.
This person has the right to report faults in the data network and request changes, such as adjustments to firewall or DNS entries.
The network contact person can also name other contact persons and manage their entries.
Networks or domains are assigned via the NOC portal, where network contacts are assigned to a specific group.
PSK
A Pre Shared Key (PSK) and refers to a method of authentication in networks, especially when using WLANs or VPNs.
A PSK is a secret key that is shared in advance between the communication partners before a secure connection is established.
SSID
The Service Set Identifier (SSID) is the name of a Wi-Fi network that is originally defined when a router is set up.
These are the names of the RWTH WLAN networks that can be selected via the WLAN search on end devices. For RWTH, these are the names:
VLAN
A Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) is a logical subnetwork within a switch or an entire physical network. It can extend over several switches.
A VLAN ensures that physical networks are divided into smaller sub-networks by preventing VLAN-capable switches from forwarding data packets to other VLANs.
This enables communication within the same VLAN, while data traffic between different VLANs remains separate.
WLAN
Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) refers to a radio connection to a network without a cable connection.
