Broadband
Glossary
The language used when people talk about the internet
can often seem quite intimidating and confusing.
We have listed below the frequently used terms
and their meanings.
ADSL
Stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line.
This is the technology that has been developed
for enabling broadband connections using existing
telephone networks.
Bandwidth
The amount of data that can be transferred over
a connection at any one time. For a standard
connection through a phone line the bandwidth
can be up to 56 kilobits per second (56kbps),
for a broadband connection it is normally at
least 256kbps and can be up to 512kbps.
Broadband
A connection to the Internet that works at high
speeds because of its greater bandwidth.
Cable
The generic name given to services which use
fibre optic cable buried underground to carry
telephone, television and broadband to your
home.
Contention
ratio
Contention means that you share your bandwidth
with a number of other users. This means that
the quality and speed of connection is dependent
on the number of users online at any given time.
For business ADSL use, the contention ratio
is likely to be around 20:1. In other words,
up to 19 other users share your bandwidth. For
cable modem uses, the contention ratio could
be as high as 50:1. In other words, up to 49
other users share your bandwidth.
Dial-up
A dial-up connection uses a telephone line to
connect to the Internet. A modem is used to
turn data into audio signals so that it can
literally 'dial' the number of your internet
service provider (ISP) and communicate with
their computers.
Download
Describes the process of transferring files
from a location on the internet to your PC.
High Speed
Modem
Hardware required to receive broadband services.
High Speed Modems are capable of far higher
rates of data transfer than conventional 56kbps
modems.
Instant Messaging
Simple text-based chat, which allows you to
communicate with another internet user in real
time.
Kbps (kilobits
per second)
Describes the amount of data which is transferred
between computers.
Midband
This is a term used by some service providers
for a slower broadband service of 128kbps. This
is the same speed as a dual-ISDN line.
MP3
Audio file format, which uses compression software
to make the file size smaller without significant
reduction in quality. Common file format for
sharing music files on the internet.
Network Card
A piece of hardware which allows certain types
of modem to be connected to your computer. They
are also used to connect a number of computers
together to form a network.
Plug-In
Special software that helps view certain types
of pages or documents on the internet. Most
are available free of charge.
Streaming
An alternative to downloading large files such
as audio and video. Streaming allows users to
commence playback whilst the remaining file
is downloading in the background.
Upload
Describes the process of transferring files
from your PC to another location on the internet.
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