Glossary Of Terms

ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line): High speed Internet access that works over a regular phone line. ADSL is typically used in residential and rural areas.

Bandwidth: The amount of data transmitted in a given amount of time; usually measured in bits per second, kilobits per second, and megabits per second.

Bit: A single unit of data, either a one or a zero. In the world of broadband, bits are used to refer to the amount of transmitted data.

Bottleneck: Occurs when data passes through a port at a slower speed than the actual data transmission.

BPS (Bits Per Second): A measurement of transmission speed

Broadband / high speed:  Generally referred to as an internet connection faster then 128 kbps. Dial-up at best is 56 kbps, so just over twice as fast as Dial-up and you are entering broadband territory.

Byte: 8 bits.

Cable Modem: A cable modem is used for connecting to the Internet using the cable TV infrastructure. It offers high speed Internet access.

Coaxial Cable: A type of cable that can carry large amounts of bandwidth over long distances.  Cable TV, cable modem AND satellite internet service utilize this cable.

Dial-Up: Dialup access is a way of connecting a computer to the Internet using a modem and a telephone line. It is slow and blocks the telephone line.

Downstream: Data flowing from the Internet to your computer (Surfing the net, getting E-mail, downloading a file).

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line): DSL technologies use sophisticated modulation schemes to send data over the copper wire used for your phone connection and is considered high speed or broadband Internet access.

Encrypted Data: Computerized information is scrambled in order to prevent unauthorized access.

Ethernet:  A protocol developed in the 1970’s that supports LAN’s (Local Area Networks).  Ethernet is capable of 10 mbps data transmissions, and “fast ethernet” is capable of 100 mbps.

Extranet: A part of the company’s network that is made accessible for some group of people. Sometimes protected by a password or some other kind of authentication. It allows users to access some of the non-public data

Geostationary Orbit:  Circular orbits that are orientated in the plane of the earth’s equator. The satellite appears stationary.

Gigabit (Gb): 1,000,000,000 bits

Gigabyte (GB): 1,073,741,824 bytes. One gigabyte is equal to 1,024 megabytes.

Internet Backbone: A company that owns large amounts of bandwidth.  The bandwidth is leased to ISP’s or telephone companies, which allows them to supply consumers with access to the Internet.

IP (Internet Protocol): The most basic protocol to communicate on the Internet. An IP number is a numerical address consisting of four numbers separated by periods. Each IP address uniquely identifies a certain computer on the Internet. The domain name is used to make using them easier.

IP Address: A unique numerical address for every computer that is connected to the Internet. If a computer has a static IP address, its IP address is always the same. If a computer has a dynamic IP address, its IP address is assigned by the ISP whenever the computer logs on. A static IP address is required to run a web server.

IP Assignment:  IP assignment is how your computer gets an IP address from your Internet Service Provider

ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network): A digital signal that travels over existing copper phone lines.

ISP (Internet Service Provider): A company providing Internet access to consumers and businesses.
Kbps Kilobits Per Second

Kilobit (Kb): 1,024 bits. Transfer rates are measured in kilobits per second, abbreviated as Kbps.

Kilobyte (KB): 1,024 bytes. Data transfer rates are measured in kilobytes per second, abbreviated as KBps.

LAN (Local Area Network): A network of interconnected workstations sharing the resources of a single processor or server within a relatively small geographic area.

Latency: In a network, latency, a synonym for delay, is an expression of how much time it takes for a packet of data to get from one designated point to another.

Mbps: Megabits Per Second

Megabit (Mb): When used to describe data transfer rates, it refers to one million bits. Transfer rates are often measured in megabits per second,
abbreviated as Mbps.

Megabyte (MB): When used to describe data transfer rates, as in MBps, it refers to one million bytes.

Modem Modulator-Demodulator:  A device used to transform digital data sent by a computer to analog format suitable for transmission over a telephone line. It also transforms analog signals back to the digital form. A modem is required for the dial up connection to the Internet.

Network Card: An internal card on a computer which allows the computer to be connected to a network.  Also known as 10Base-T card, Network Interface Card (NIC), or Ethernet card.

Router:  A network device (can be a dedicated computer) that is used to connect two or more networks together and route packets between them.

Satellite: It is possible to get Internet access via low level orbiting satellites, like those that provide TV Services and is considered high speed or broadband Internet access.

Serial Port:  The 9 or 25 pin ports on PC’s that are used for connecting external devices to the computer, such as modems;  also known as COM ports

.Static IP: An address on your network that never changes. Static IP Addresses are obtained from ISP’s.

TCP/IP  (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol): TCP/IP is used by the Internet for transmitting data over networks

Upstream: Data flowing from your computer to the Internet (sending E-mail, uploading a file).

USB (Universal Serial Bus): A way of connecting devices to a computer. 

Voip (Voice over Internet Protocol): A technology for transmitting voice, such as ordinary telephone calls, over the internet. Also called IP telephony.

VPN (Virtual Private Network): Network scheme in which portions of a network are connected via Internet, but information sent across the Internet is encrypted. The result is a “virtual network” which is also part of a larger network entity. This allows users to privately share private information over a public infrastructure. VPNs are often used to connect offices.

VSAT: Very Small Aperture Terminal to receive/transmit terminals installed at dispersed sites connected to a central hub via satellite using small diameter antenna dishes (0.6 to 3.8 meters).

Wide-area networks (WANs): The computers are farther apart and are connected by telephone lines or radio waves
 
Wideband: A system in which multiple channels access a medium (usually coaxial cable) that has a large bandwidth. Typically offers higher-speed data-transmission capability. Also see broadband.

WISP (Wireless Internet Service Provider): A company that provides Internet access with a wireless connection to your home or building.

Wireless: It is possible to get Internet access via wireless options, think of a cordless phone or a cell phone. It works the same way and is considered high speed or broadband Internet access.

xDSL (Digital Subscriber Line): A term used to generalize all of the different types of DSL.


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