Community Broadband.
A glossary of terms for the perplexed or the interested ...
Access Point
In wireless terminology, this is the point at which wireless clients connect to the network. An access point may serve anything from a single room to an entire community.
Acrobat (or Acrobat Reader)
Software developed by Adobe Systems to read documents in 'PDF' format. Acrobat Reader can be downloaded free of charge from the Adobe website, and you will often find a "download" link where a website offers PDF documents.
More ...
* You will often see an icon like this on a webpage. This indicates that you can download a "PDF" version of a document.
See also: PDF
ADSL
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line.
ADSL is the technology used to deliver the vast majority of broadband connections using conventional telephone line technology. Called asymmetric because it supports higher rates of data transfer for downstream traffic than it does for the upstream. That is, you can download data much faster than you can upload data.
See also: SDSL
Adware
Software on your computer that allows pop-up adverts and the like to open. Generally installed without your knowledge. It's effects can range from mildly irritating to very damaging.
Anti-Virus
Anti-Virus software is essential to keeping your computer healthy.
See also: Virus
Bandwidth
In computer network terms, the amount of data that can be transferred across a connection (wired or wireless) in any given period of time. The higher the available bandwidth, the greater the networks capacity is to carry data (information).
Browser
Used for looking at (browsing) pages on the Internet (WWW). Examples include - Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Netscape etc. Which of these is the best is the subject of much heated debate. Choose one you like, keep it updated, and you're unlikely to have any problems.
See also: WWW
BWA
Broadband Wireless Access
CPE
Customer Premises Equipment.
CPU
Central Processing Unit. The 'brain' of a computer (PC), often referred to as a "chip". The measure of a CPU is traditionally it's 'speed', and in basic terms a faster chip will improve the performance of a computer.
DHCP
Domain Host Control Protocol
See also: IP Address
Firewall
A device that sits between a computer, or computer network, and the outside world (the Internet). Put very simply, a firewall allows most traffic to pass from the inside to the outside, but prevents any inbound access, except for information that has been specifically requested from within.
More ...
* This drawing gives you an idea of the role that a firewall plays in your network.
Freeware
Software or programming that is offered to users for no charge.
IP Address
The unique identifier of a computer (or other item of hardware) within a network.
ISP
Internet Service Provider
A company or organisation that provides Internet connections to customers. Firstmile are an ISP, as are the likes of BT, Talk Talk, Orange etc. The difference is that most ISP's require you to have a BT telephone line, and be near enough to your telephone exchange for them to be able to deliver traditional ADSL Broadband. We deliver broadband without wires.
LAN
Local Area Network.
See also: Network
LOS
Line of sight
Local Access Point
A wireless device that is used as part of a wireless network, allowing remote users to connect to the network.
MAC Address
Media Access Control address. Any item of computer networking equipment has it's own unique MAC address, allowing for the identification of equipment across a network.
For example, access to a wireless network can be restricted to only those devices that have known MAC addresses, and whose addresses have been entered into a security list or database.
Malware
Hostile, damaging, intrusive or otherwise unwanted software on a users computer. It is an amalgamation of the words 'malicious' and 'software'.
Network
In computer terms, a group of two or more machines connected to each other, wired or wirelessly. A network can be either 'Local', as in an office for example, or 'Global', as with the Internet.
NIC
Network Interface Card
NLOS
Non Line Of Sight. Some people use NLOS to mean "near line of sight", but this is more correctly described as OLOS - Obstructed Line Of Sight.
OFDM
Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing - a multi-carrier modulation technique for transmitting large amounts of digital data over a radio link.
Firstmile use radio units that support this technology, allowing us to provide excellent link quality even where NLOS or OLOS may be a problem.
See also: NLOS OLOS
OLOS
Obstructed Line Of Sight
PC
Personal Computer
Portable Document Format.
See also: Adobe
RAM
Random Access Memory
Router
A device that is used to connect two different computer networks together.
SDSL
Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line
An SDSL connection offers identical data transfer speeds for upstream and downstream traffic, unlike the more common ADSL connection. An SDSL connection is generally considerably more expensive to use, and may not be available on your telephone line.See also: ADSL
Shareware
Software or programming that is offered to users free of charge to trial, on the understanding that they will have to pay a fee after a set period of time or number of uses if they wish to continue using the programme.
Spam
Unwanted, or junk, e-mails.
SU
Subscriber Unit - the equipment installed in a customers home or office that provides their part of the wireless connection.
TCP/IP
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol.
The 'language' that computers use to talk to each other across most common networks, such as the Internet.
Trojan
A programme that is installed on your computer, without your knowledge or consent. These are almost invariably malicious, and can range from the irritating to the downright harmful.
URL
Uniform Resource Locator
USB
Universal Serial Bus
Virus
In computer terms, a programme that has the ability to replicate itself and 'infect' other computers, without the consent of the user.
See also: Anti-Virus
WAN
Wide Area Network - generally used to describe the Internet, which is effectively an enormous computer network.
Webmail
A service, available using a browser , that allows you to access your email account(s) without using an email client like Outlook Express. Your emails are displayed in a web page, and you can compose, read, reply and forward emails just like you would if you were using Outlook.
This can be particularly useful for people who are travelling, as it allows you to use your email without carrying around a laptop, or manually configuring someone elses computer. All that is needed is a computer with Internet access, in an Internet cafe, for example.
To access your Firstmile email account using webmail, enter the following into the address bar of a web-browser:
http://webmailer.1and1.co.uk
or alternatively click HERE and then enter your email address and password.
WLAN
Wireless Local Area Network
WWW
The 'World Wide Web', or more often "The Web". An immense network of resources.
"The World Wide Web is the universe of network accessible information, an embodiment of human knowledge." Source: World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
