| Broadband Glossary |
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| Written by John Allen |
| Friday, 29 April 2011 09:54 |
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Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) A DSL line where the upload and download speeds differ - the download speed is usually faster than the upload speed. See also Digital Subscriber Line (DSL). ADSL typically provides up to 8Mbps download and 1Mbps upload speeds. ADSL 2 / ADSL2+ / VDSL ADSL2, ADSL2+ and VDSL technologies are upgraded versions of ADSL and are available only where the local exchange has been upgraded or cabinets installed. Can provide up to 24 Mbps download speeds but only for premises that are close to the exchange or cabinet. Bandwidth Also known as connection speed. Bandwidth defines how much data the broadband connection can send or receive per second. It is measured in bits per second (bps) or Mega bits per second (Mbps) Broadband A term used to describe high-speed Internet services that allow download speeds typically greater than 256bps. Modern broadband connections offered by ISPs typically range in speed from 1Mbps – 100 Mbps. Cabinets A road-side cabinet on a cable route containing electronics that extend the exchange equipment to where people live. Cloud Computing A method of accessing computer software and services where the program is installed on an Internet Server and not on a person’s own computer. Using software in the ‘Cloud’ is usually paid for on a per-use basis rather than purchasing a capital asset. Examples are Google Docs, Yahoo Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) DSL is a technology for bringing high-bandwidth information to homes and small businesses over ordinary copper telephone lines. xDSL refers to different variations of DSL, including ADSL, HDSL, and VDSL. See also Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL). Broadband modem This is the device that connects a PC to the internet. It codes the signals that are transmitted over the broadband line (and decodes those that are received). Bits and Bytes Bit (b) A contraction of ‘binary digit’, the smallest data element in digital systems. A bit has a value of either ‘1’ (on) or ‘0’ (off). Note the convention that bits are abbreviated by a lowercase ‘b’. Byte (B) A unit of data that is eight bits in length. Note the convention that bytes are abbreviated by a uppercase ‘B’ Any character (eg the letter ‘A’) is represented in digital systems by one Byte of data. KiloByte (KB) One thousand (actually 1,024) bytes of information. Megabyte (MB) One million bytes of information, also expressed as one thousand Kilobytes. Gigabyte (GB) One thousand million bytes of information, also expressed as one thousand Megabytes. Terabyte (TB) One million million bytes of information, also expressed as one thousand Gigabytes. If a byte had a length of 1m, then a KB is equivalent to 1 Km, a MB is the distance from Tuakau to Christchurch, a GB is the nearly 3 times the distance from Tuakau to the Moon a TB is around 6 times the distance from Tuakau to the Sun Cable modem A device installed in the home to connect personal computers to a local cable TV line and interact with the Internet at high speeds. Contention Ratio It defines the number of people sharing a broadband connection and is written 20:1 (20 users sharing 1 connection). Typical contention ratios are:
Dial up (or narrow band) typically runs at 56Kbps download speed, or less, over a normal telephone line. The telephone cannot be used at the same time as a dial-up internet connection. Digital Subscriber Line (DSL). This is a method of transmitting data over standard telephone lines that permits simultaneous telephone use. DSLAM (Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer) A device that connects many ADSL circuits to the Internet by multiplexing data onto one or more fibre cables. Dynamic IP address IP address assigned to a computer or other device on a network. Dynamic IP addresses may be changed each time a device logs on the internet. Ethernet card and cable Broadband hardware. They, along with modem connect you to broadband. Fibre Optic Fibre optic technology uses pulses of light carried on glass fibre wires at a very fast rate – approaching the speed of light. Fibre optic broadband typically offers connection speeds of up to 100Mbps compared to up to 20Mbps for the fastest copper-wire based broadband. Fibre To The Cabinet / Fibre to the Node (FttN) A fibre-based broadband network that connects the Internet to a road-side cabinet before using the traditional copper cables to complete the connection to the premises. Connection speeds of up to 50Mbps are possible for premises within 300m of the cabinet. Fibre to the Premises (FttP) A fibre-based broadband network that connects the Internet direct to the premises. Connection speeds of more than 1Gbps (ie 20 times faster than FttN) are possible. Firewall A software barrier between any connected public network and private network that prevents unauthorised data passing through it. Hotspots Also known as public wi-fi hotspots, they have one or more wireless access points and provide wireless broadband access to the users with wi-fi enabled devices like laptops and smart phones. Internet Internet service provider (ISP) A company that offers broadband service. For example Xtra, Orcon, Compass. IP address Internet Protocol (IP) address is a unique number assigned to every device connected to the Internet. There are two types of IP addresses – static and dynamic. Static IP addresses are permanent assigned to a device whereas dynamic addresses may change every time it connects to the Internet. Kilobits per second (Kbps) Unit that measures speed on a broadband line. Kilo bits per second or 1000 bits per second. LLU (Local Loop Unbundling) A scheme whereby third party ISPs are allowed access to the hardware within telephone exchanges so that they may offer Internet services to consumers. Megabits per second (Mbps) Unit of broadband speed. Megabits per second or 1000 kilo bits per second. Micro-filter A component used in ADSL connections to split the phone line so that both voice and data can share the same line at the same time. Modem A contraction of modulator-demodulator - a device that converts digital signals to analogue and vice-versa so that digital information can be transmitted over analogue communication facilities, such as copper telephone lines. Mobile broadband Refers to the use of network technologies (eg GPRS, 2G, 3G & HSDPA, 4G, LTE) to provide broadband connection from Cell Sites to smartphone and laptop users whilst they are on the move. Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) This refers to the traditional analogue phone service delivered over copper wires. Router Router helps multiple devices to share a single broadband connection. Server Hardware and software that provide network services to clients Static IP address Permanent IP address assigned to a device connected to the Internet. URL (Uniform Resource Locator) The standardised method for locating web pages on the Internet, e.g. waidc.govt.nz Usage cap Monthly data download limit. If your usage during a month goes over the data cap, then either the connection speed is slowed or the user is billed for the additional usage. Virtual Private Network (VPN) A network usually provided over the public Internet that uses advanced security and encryption features to make it private. WAN Wide Area Network. A large network making up of many local area networks (LAN). WEP Wired Equivalent Privacy. A wireless security feature makes sure that your wireless network is safe from the unauthorized access by hackers. Wi-Fi Wireless Fidelity. WiFi users can access broadband on their smart phones or laptops wirelessly. Wi-Max Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access is a wireless broadband technology used to transmit data over long distances. Wireless: Any broadcast or transmission that can be received through microwave or radio frequencies without the use of a cable connection for reception. Wireless access point (WAP) A device used in wireless networking or Wi-Fi hotspots. WLAN Wireless local area network. WPA Wi-Fi Protected Access. Advanced wireless security feature that uses encryption to protect wireless network from unauthorized access by hackers It provides better protection than WEP. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) VoIP or broadband telephony uses internet connection to make and receive voice calls. The call rates are quite cheaper than standard telephone service. Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) A technology that permits the broadcasting of an internet connection wirelessly around a building or area. Access to a WiFi network may be free or pay as you go and WiFi networks are normally secured through a required Wireless Access Key (password). Wireless Access Key A password required to access a wireless network. If a wireless network does not require a Key then it is unsecure and anyone is able to access the network without the knowledge or agreement of the network’s owner. World Wide Web (WWW) Also known as simply The Web, the world wide web refers to the vast number of web pages stored and computers connected to the Internet. The World Wide Web is often represented in diagrams as a cloud, which is the origin of the term ‘Cloud computing’. |