• 802.11b
  802.11b is a standard for wireless networking that is defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

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• address
  Most commonly, an address is a person's email location or a web page's URL. (See also: e-mail, URL)
• ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line)
  A DSL based technology that enables greater bandwidth rates over standard copper telephone lines. Subscribers install an ADSL modem in their home that allows them to access data on the Internet while at the same time use their telephone for voice conversations. This is possible because ADSL modems transmit data over telephone lines at different frequencies than voice conversations.
• anonymous FTP (anonymous File Transfer Protocol)
  A means of transfering data on a remote server by login in as an 'anonymous' user.
• ANSI (American National Standards Institute)
  An organization of computer industry participants that sets industry standards.
• applet
  An external object usually written in Java that can be attached to a webpage.
• ARPAnet (Advanced Research Projects Agency NETwork)
  The predecessor of the Internet. ARPAnet had several thousand sites when phased out in 1990.
• ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange)
  A standard computer character set, consisting of 128 characters. Several differing extension sets expand the range to 256 characters
• ATM
  asynchronous transfer mode

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• backbone
  A high speed line of connections that forms a major pathway within a network.
• bandwidth
  The rate at which data can be transmitted over a line or network connection. The total amount of information that can be transmitted down a line in a certain period of time. Normally measured in megabits per second (Mbps) or kilobits per second (Kbps).
• bitmap
  A file format that that uses colouring pixels to display images.
• Boolean search
  A search that uses the Boolean operators AND, OR, and NOT as a means of specifying the results.
• browser
  A browser is a user interface that translates HTML documents into readable preset format. Today's browsers also allow seeing images and movies, as well as listening to sounds. Mosaic was the first popular Web browser. Since then Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer have become the most widely used browsers.

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• CAT 3 to 5e
Ethernet cabling, available in a range of categories (CAT3 through CAT5e). A higher CAT rating signifies faster data transmission. Data transmission occurs at a rate of 10 Mbps (for CAT3) up to1 Gbps (CAT5e).
• CGI (Common Gateway Interface)
  A standard that defines how a Web server receives requests from a browser and returns customized information.
• cgi-bin
  The most commonly used directory on a server where CGI programs are stored.
• CHAP
  challenge handshake authentication protocol
• client
  A program that provides a user interface and is designed to collect data located on a remote server.
• cookie
  Information sent by a Web server to a browser, which can then be accessed by that same server the next time the user goes to the web site. A cookie can hold a variety of information, including the number of times the user has accessed the site, registration information, and the number of times a user has seen a particular advertisement at the site.
• crawler
  A program that fetches pages from the World Wide Web, systematically following the links between the documents. The results may be indexed for a search engine. Also known as a spider or a robot.

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• Decryption
  It is the encoding of data, usually from a human-readable format to a a non-readable format. Encryption is intended to make the data accessible only to the intended readers.
• DNS
  Domain Name Service
• domain
  Usually refers to the name of an internet host. It indicates the type of website. Some of the widely known top-level domain are .com, .org (non-profit sites), .mil (US military sites), .edu (US educational sites), .gov (US government sites), .uk (United Kingdom), .jp (Japan), .fi (Finland), .ie (Ireland), .ca(Canada).
• Domain Name System
  The Internet's distributed service for translating host names into IP adddresses. (See also: Internet, IP address)
• download
  The action of transfering data from a remote machine (Server machine) to your local machine (Client machine).
• Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
DHCP enables network information such as IP address, subnet mask, gateway, DNS, and more to be automatically sent to PCs on a network. This makes IP address management easier for network administrators

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• e-mail
  Electronic mail is a common method method of seding messages acroos the Internet.
• encryption
  It is the encoding of data, usually from a human-readable format to a a non-readable format. Encryption is intended to make the data accessible only to the intended readers.
• Ethernet
  Ethernet is a standard defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for connecting computers in a Local Area Network (LAN).
• extranet
  An extension of a company's intranet which is made accessible to users outside the firewall, usually for the purpose of sharing company information with business associates.

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• Favicon
  A Favicon is a multi-resolution image included on nearly all professional developed sites. The Favicon allows the webmaster to further promote their site, and to create a more customized appearance within a visitor’s browser. Often, the Favicon reflects the look and feel of the web site or the organization’s logo. The Favicon was first popularized by its appearance in the 'Address Bar' and 'Favorites Folder' using Internet Explorer and is now a prominent fixture of web browsers such as Mozilla and the soon-to-be-released Netscape 7.0. Each web browser has a unique user interface, and as a result uses the Favicon in different ways. See 'ico file' for more information.
• File Transfer Protocol (ftp)
  An method for transferring files from one computer to another in the internet.
• firewall
  A security measure which prevents unauthorized access to/from a private network. A firewall is a hardware device or software application that protects one network from unauthorized access by users on another network.
• frames
  A feature of of web pages where multiple 'windows' can co-exist within a single browsers. A feature that breaks up the Web page into two or more parts, keeping each as a separate page. The user can then scroll in one frame while keeping the other frames visible.
• freeware
  Software available in the internet for free.
• ftp
  File Transfer Protocol

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• Gopher
  A menu-based system for retrieving files on the Internet. Its popularity has been overshadowed by the World Wide Web in recent years, though it is still in use. Many can be gopher clients. A Gopher URL begins with gopher://.
• GRE
  generic routing encapsulation

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• Hardware
  Physical components of a computer or network system including monitors, hard drives, CD-ROMs, printers, modems, NIC cards, Internet Gateways etc.
• Home Network
  A home network is a group of computers, printers, scanners, game consoles or other devices connected together inside a home. This connection enables these devices to communicate and share information with each other.
• home page
  Usually refers to the first page of a Web Site.
• host
  A computer connected to a network. A host machine may provide several services, such as World Wide Web access, Usenet access, and e-mail access.
• HTML
  Hypertext Markup Language
• http
  Hypertext Transfer Protocol
• Hub
  A hub is the central meeting point for all network cabling and information being sent between the networked PCs. Its total bandwidth, usually 10 or 100 Mbps, is shared with all of the users on the network.
• hyper-link
  Text or images in a webpage that can be linked to another web document by clicking on it.
• Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
  A text-based document that include special tags to organize information in a specific manner governed by internet browsers. It is based on the Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML).
• Hypertext Transfer Protocol (http)
  A standard of transmission of data in a intranet/internet.

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• i18n
  Abbreviation for internationalization. It stands for the initial i, the terminating n, and the 18 characters in between those two letters. Usually people prefer to use a lowercase 'i' in the front because some fonts do not distinguish well between uppercase I and lowercase L. Both i18n and i18N seem acceptable. When it comes to Microsoft and especially the Windows International Division, i18n is usually broken down into two parts: (1) Globalization: Designing software for the input, display, and output of a defined set of supported language scripts and data relating to specific geographic areas. Coding areas include currency, date/time, number formatting, bidi awareness, mirroring, IME support, etc. (Bugs in this area are found with functional testing). (2) Localizability: Designing software code and resources such that said resources can be localized with no changes to the source code. Coding areas include no hard coded strings, to composite messages, allowing for text expansion, no text in graphics, etc. (Bugs in this area are found during localization - pseudo or real). On a related note, L10n stands for localization, for much the same reasons behind i18n (and the uppercase L is often preferred because once again many fonts do not distinguish well between the lowercase L and the uppercase I.
• Ico file
  An ico file is actually a repository of bitmap like images. They are used because in some locations a 16x16 pixel image is desired, and sometimes a 32x32 image may be needed. Sometimes a 16 color image is desired, and sometimes a 256 color icon is desired. This repository is scanned for the image size/color count appropriate for the location and the computer's color capability. If the image is not ideal, it may be compressed, expanded, and/or colors may be modified producing unexpected results. To make an ISP or HTTPs supports favicon ico file, use the following tag '<LINK REL="SHORTCUT ICON" HREF="http://www.somedomain.com/somename.ico">'
• IEEE
  Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, pronounced 'eye-triple-E'. Founded in 1963, IEEE is an organization composed of engineers, scientists, and students. IEEE is best known for developing standards for the computer and electronics industry.
• IETF
  Internet Engineering Task Force
• IKE
  Internet key exchange
• IMAP
  IMAP stands for Internet Message Access Protocol. It is a method of accessing email or bulletin board messages that are kept on a (possibly shared) mail server. In other words, it permits a 'client' email program (e.g., Microsoft Outlook, Eudora, etc.) to access remote message stores as if they were local. For example, email stored on an IMAP server can be manipulated from a desktop computer at home, a workstation at the office, and a notebook computer while traveling, without the need to transfer messages or files back and forth between these computers.
• internet
  Any set of interconnected networks. The Internet is the largest example.
• Internet
  A worldwide internet, composed of several backbone networks and smaller networks. It includes commercial, educational, military, and other organizations.
• Internet Appliance
  A non-PC device that can access the Internet either directly or through a home network. Web pads, email stations and Internet alarm clocks are some examples.
• Internet Gateway
  A link between a home network and the Internet. The gateway allows all users of the home-network to share one Internet connection. Usually provides functionality such as DHCP, NAT, VPN and more, depending on the manufacturer.
• Internet Service Provider (ISP)
  A company which provides access to the Internet.
• InterNIC
  The Internet Network Information Center provides information on the Internet and registers Internet addresses.
• intranet
  A connection of networks within an organization designed for internal use.
• IP (Internet Protocol)
  Used in TCP/IP.
• IP address
  A 32-bit binary number that uniquely identifies a host (computer) connected to the Internet or to other Internet hosts. In the TCP/IP protocol, the address of a host on a network, in the form '124.16.3.1.' Each of the four sections is a decimal number between 0 and 255.
• IPSec (Internet Protocol Security)
  IPSec a standard encryption method used in VPN networking. It enables data to be encrypted and verified between two computers, even if the data is being sent over an insecure network such as the Internet.
• IPX
  Internet package exchange
• ISDN
  Integrated services digital network
• ISP
  Internet Service Provider
• IT
  information technology

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• Java
  A programming language developed by Sun Microsystems, intended to be independent of hardware platform.
• JavaScript
  A cross-platform scripting language developed by Netscape which allows HTML authors to create more dynamic pages. JavaScript bears some relation to the Java language but was developed independently.

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• L2F
  Layer 2 forwarding
• L2TP
  Layer 2 tunneling protocol
• LAN
  Local Area Network
• link
  Usually refers to as hyper-link
• Local Area Network (LAN)
  A computer network contained in a small geographical area, such as within a company.A network in which communication between devices is a short distance; e.g. a network in your home or office. The computers are usually in direct connection with each other in a physically distinct location.
• Lynx
  A type of text-base web browser.

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• Megabits Per Second (Mbps)
  Mbps is a measure of bandwidth transferred over a data communications channel in a given amount of time (seconds). For example, a Ethernet network might have a bandwidth of 100 Megabits per second.
• Microsoft Internet Explorer
  The Web browser developed by Microsoft.
• MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)
  The hardware and the protocol used to transmit music between synthesizers, computers, and other electronic devices.
• Modem
  The term 'modem' is derived from the expression 'modulator/demodulator'. A modem allows a computer to transmit digital data over an analog copper telephone line. It does this by translating digital data to analog signals before sending the signal over the line.
• Mosaic
  The first widely used graphical Web browser, developed by the NCSA.
• MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group)
  A committee which creates industry standards for data compression and transmission of video.
• MPPE
  Microsoft point-to-point encryption

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• National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA)
  Developers of Mosaic, the first graphical Web browser.
• National Science Foundation (NSF)
  US government agency which funds scientific projects and research.
• NCSA
  National Center for Supercomputing Applications
• netBEUI
  network basic input/output system extended user interface
• netiquette
  The conventions of network etiquette which first evolved on Usenet.
• netizen
  A network citizen; a user of the Internet.
• NetscapeThe industry leader for Web browser technology.
  
• Netscape Navigator
  The Web browser produced by Netscape.
• Network
  A connection of two or more computer-based devices that use specialized communication equipment such as laptops, PCs, printers, cables, hubs and routers to send, receive and share information. Networks can range in size from small home networks to the most widely known network - the Internet.
• Network Address Translation (NAT)
  A function of Internet Gateways and routers that allows for the sharing of an IP address. For example, NAT on an Internet Gateway will allow the individual PCs in a home network to appear as the IP address of the Internet Gateway to users and PCs on the Internet, even though each PC on the home network has it's own internal private IP address.
• Network Cabling
  Cabling used to connect equipment such as PCs, NICs, and hubs or switches to form a network.
• Network interface card (NIC)
  NIC cards plug into a PCs and laptops and enable your PC to connect to a network. NIC cards can be either wired (Ethernet) or wireless (802.11b). In the wired scenario, NIC cards connect to a hub or switch using Ethernet cable. In the wireless case, the NIC cards connect to a wireless access point by transmitting signals over radio frequencies.
• newsgroup
  A Usenet discussion group.
• newsreader
  A browser-based program which allows a user to read articles posted to Usenet.
• news server
  The server which provides access to Usenet.
• NIC
  Network Interface Card
• NSF
  National Science Foundation

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• OSI
  open systems interconnection

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• PAP
  password authentication protocol
• PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)
  PCI is a standards specification for cards that plug into desktop PCs. For example, network interface cards (NICs), sound cards, video cards, and more can interface to a desktop PC by plugging into a free PCI slot in the computer.
• PCMCIA
  PCMCIA is a standard specification for cards that plug into laptop PCs. Network interface cards (NICs), modems, and other cards are examples of PCMCIA devices that can plug into a laptop.
• Peripherals
  Equipment such as disk drives, CD-ROM drives, modems, printers, fax machines, etc. that can be connected to a computer.
• PGP
  Pretty Good Privacy
• POP (Post Office Protocol)
  Protocol that allows a user to retrieve email messages from a POP server.
• POP
  point of presence
• PPP
  point-to-point protocol
• PPPoE
  PPPoE stands for Point-to-Point Protocol Over Ethernet. It is a protocol that is used for connecting to high speed DSL service. Bell Sympatico's Access Manager is a PPPoE client that manages the PC's high-speed connection to the Internet.
• PPTP
  point-to-point tunneling protocol
• Pretty Good Privacy
  A commonly used public-key encryption method.
• protocol
  A formal set of rules for transmitting data across a network. Protocols determine anything from syntax to data formatting to error-detection.
• public-key encryption
  An encryption method, in which a user employs a public and a private key. Messages encoded with the public key can be decoded only with the private key, held by the intended recipient.
• PVC
  permanent virtual circuit

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• RADIUS
  remote authentication dial-in user service
• Repeater
  A network device that amplifies and regenerates signals so they can travel for longer distance on a cable.
• robot
  An automated Web program. Frequently, this refers to a crawler.
• Router
  A device that attaches directly to the broadband modem, usually with an Ethernet connection. Its basic function is to route the traffic from one network to another network efficiently; usually used for connecting remote networks.
• RJ-45
  RJ-45 connectors are used to connect Ethernet cable to NIC cards, hubs, and switches. They look similar to the connectors on standard telephone cable (RJ-11 connectors), but are larger.

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• search engine
  A remotely accessible program for searching documents on the World Wide Web. The search engine takes a user's query and returns a list of relevant Web pages.
• server
  1. A program that provides services to client programs.2. A computer that provides services to other computers on a network.
• shareware
  Software that is distributed freely by the developer, but for which payment is expected if the customer makes frequent use of the program. Payment often entitles the user to further documentation or upgrades.
• site
  Usually a term used interchangeable for Web site
• SMTP
  Short for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, a protocol for sending email messages between servers. Most email systems that send mail over the Internet use SMTP to send messages from one server to another; the messages can then be retrieved with an email client using either POP or IMAP. In addition, SMTP is generally used to send messages from a mail client to a mail server
• spam
  To overload a network resource with unnecessary or unwanted copies of an item. Spam is a violation of netiquette. Originally, spam referred to multiple postings in Usenet newsgroups. E-mail spamming is the equivalent of junk mail, unsolicited e-mail notices of products for sale. From the perspective of search engines, spam is the deliberate repetition of words in a document, by which the author attempts to boost the page's place in a ranked list of results.
• spider
  identical term to crawler
• Switch
  Provides the same functionality as a hub, but with one significant difference. Each port on the switch has it's own dedicated bandwidth to improve the speed at which data signals are sent.

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• TACACS
  terminal access controller access control system
• TCP/IP (Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)
  A popular data communications protocol that is used on the Internet and on many intranets.TCP/IP is the name for the suite of protocols used to provide transmission of data on and between networks. This protocol is the standard used for communications on the Internet.
• telnet
  Communications protocol and software to connect a user on one computer to another computer on a network.

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• Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
  The address of a page on the World Wide Web. A URL has this form: 'http://www.nlsearch.com/search.html'The first part, before the colon, indicates which protocol to use when retrieving the page. The second part, after the two slashes, is the name of the server that is providing the page. The last part is the path for the page itself.
• upload
  The act of transfering data from a user's local computer to a remote computer.
• URL
  Uniform Resource Locator
• USB (Universal Serial Bus)
  USB is a standard that defines how peripherals and devices interface with a PC. In the past, peripherals such as mice and keyboards connected to a PC through a serial interface. With USB, these peripherals, as well as other devices such as high speed DSL modems can connect to a PC through a standard interface that is much faster than a serial connection.
• Usenet
  A collection of discussion groups called newsgroups, ordered hierarchically by topic. The topics include everything from computers to recipes to politics to movies and television. To access newsgroups, you must first have access to a news server and a newsreader. An article posted on Usenet is not housed on a single server; rather it is sent to every server which carries that particular newsgroup.

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• Virus
  A program that attaches itself to other programs, thereby 'infecting' them and running when they run. Some viruses are merely distracting, while others cause damage to the user's machine, deleting files or causing the system to crash.
• VPN, Virtual Private Network
  A private communication network that encrypts any data before it is sent over the Internet. Ensures that telecommuting from your home into your office is secure.

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• WAN
  Wide Area Network
• Web page
  An HTML file stored on a server and available on the World Wide Web.
• Web site
  A location on the World Wide Web, consisting of a home page and additional Web pages, connected by links.
• Wide Area Network (WAN)
  A computer network extended over a large area, with data transmitted over telephone lines or radio waves. A WAN is a computer network that spans large geographic areas. For example, the Internet is the best known and most widely used WAN.
• Wi-Fi
  A group of industry leading companies have formed an alliance known as the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA). Their mission is to certify interoperability of 802.11b products in the market. If a product achieves Wi-Fi certification, it means that the product will be fully interoperable with all other Wi-Fi certified products.
• Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)
  WEP is the encryption protocol used to encrypt data that is sent over an 802.11b wireless network. There are two encryption levels available - 40 bit and 128 bit WEP encryption.
• World Wide Web
  A collection of electronic documents connected by hypertext links. Web documents are written in HTML, and can only be viewed through browsers. Individual pages are addressed by their URL.
• WWW Consortium (W3C)
  An international consortium of Inernet industry members, founded in 1994, that defines and develops common Internet protocols.

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• xDSL
  digital subscriber line

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