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DSL Glossary
10BaseT: A 10Mbps Ethernet local area network (LAN) that runs over twisted pair wiring. This network interface can run over ordinary twisted pair or Category 3 or 5 cabling.
100BaseT: A 100-Mbps local area network that maintains backward compatibility with 10Base-T networks running at 10 Mbps.
Access Rate: The transmission speed for the physical access circuit between the end user location and the local network. This is generally measured in bits per second. Also called access speed.
ATM (asynchronous transfer mode): A protocol that packs digital information into 53-byte cells that are switched throughout a network.
Bandwidth: A measure of the amount of information that can be transmitted via a given transmission line in a given period of time. Usually measured in bits per second.
Bit (binary digit): A single digit number in base-2, either a 1 or a zero. The smallest unit of computerized data. Bits-per-second is the usual measurement of Bandwidth.
Bps (bits-per-second): A measurement of how fast data is moved from one place to another.
CLEC: Competitive Local Exchange Carrier
Demarc: The demarcation line where the telephone company ended the circuit. We need to take the line from that demarcation point to the customer's premises.
DSL: Digital Subscriber Line
DSLAM (digital subscriber line access multiplexer): A device that takes a number of digital subscriber lines and concentrates them into a single ATM line.
DS1 (digital signal 1): Twenty-four voice channels packed into a 193-bit frame and transmitted at 1.544 Mbps.
Domain Name: The unique name that identifies an Internet site. Domain names always have two or more parts, separated by dots. The part on the left is the most specific, and the part on the right is the most general. For example, the domain name: www.earthweb-connect.com
E1: European basic multiplex rate that packs thirty voice channels into a 256 bit frame and is transmitted at 2.049 Mbps.
Ethernet: A standard local area network protocol that uses coaxial cable and provides transmission speeds up to 10, 100, 1000 Mbps.
Firewall: A combination of hardware and software that separates a Local Area Network (LAN) into two or more parts for security purposes.
Hot Cut: To change or move service at a specific time so the customer does not experience down time. This action is coordinated with the local telephone company.
Internet: A collection of interconnected networks that use the TCP/IP protocol.
Intranet: A private network inside a company or organization that uses the same types of software found on the public Internet, but for internal use only.
IP Number (Internet protocol number): A unique identifying number consisting of 4 parts separated by dots, e.g. 165.222.222.2.
ISDN (integrated services digital network): The movement of data over existing regular phone lines. ISDN is rapidly becoming available to much of the USA. It can provide speeds of up to 128 kbps over regular phone lines, however most people will be limited to 56 kbps or 64 kbps.
ISP (Internet service provider): an organization offering and providing Internet services to the public and having its own computer servers to provide the services offered.
Kbps: Kilobytes per second
Kilobyte: A thousand bytes.
LAN (local area network): A computer network limited to the immediate area, in the same building or floor of a building.
LNP (local number portability): The ability to take your phone number with you to a new location.
Local loop network: Last leg that connects end service users to the backbone networks.
Loops: Basic, Digital, ISDN
Mbps: Megabytes per second
Megabyte: A million bytes.
Modem (modulator, demodulator): A device that connects to a computer and to a phone line, that allows the computer to talk to other computers through the phone system.
MOP Date (method of procedure date) DSL meets with local LEC personnel to solidify installation procedures.
Network: Connection of 2 or more computers that share resources.
POP (point of presence, or post office protocol): Two commonly used meanings: A Point of Presence denotes a city or location where a network can be connected to, often with dial-up phone lines. A second meaning, Post Office Protocol refers to the way e-mail software gets mail from a mail server.
POTS (plain old telephone service): Term used for basic analog telephone service. POTS uses the lowest 4KHz of bandwidth.
RBOC (regional Bell operating company): One of the seven U.S. Telephone Companies that resulted from the break up of AT&T.;
Router: A special-purpose computer (or software package) that handles the connection between 2 or more networks. Routers spend all their time looking at the destination addresses of the packets passing through them and deciding which route to send them on.
Server: A computer, or a software package, that provides a specific kind of service to customer software running on other computers.
SMTP (simple mail transfer protocol): The basic programming language of the Internet's e-mail function.
T-1: A leased-line connection capable of carrying data at a bandwidth of 1.5Mbps.
T-3: A leased-line connection capable of carrying data at a bandwidth of 45Mbps.
TCP/IP (transmission control protocol/Internet protocol): This is the variety of protocols that defines the Internet. Originally designed for the UNIX operating system, TCP/IP software is now available for every major kind of computer operating System.
URL (uniform resource locator): The standard way to present an address of any resource on the Internet that is part of the World Wide Web (WWW). For example: www.earthweb-connect.com
VPN (virtual private network): Usually refers to a network in which some of the parts are connected using the public Internet, but the data sent across the Internet is encrypted, so the entire network is "virtually" private.
WAN (wide area network): Any Internet or network that covers an area larger than a single building, usually offered by telephone companies but also available from alternate providers.
WWW (World Wide Web): The universe of hypertext servers (HTTP servers) which are the servers that allow text, graphics, sound files, etc. to be mixed together.