802.11 -- In wireless LAN (WLAN) technology, 802.11 refers to a family of specifications developed by a working group of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). There are three specifications in the family: 802.11, 802.11a, and 802.11b. The 802.11 and 802.11b specifications apply to wireless Ethernet LANs, and operate at frequencies in the 2.4-GHz region of the radio spectrum. Data speeds are generally 1 Mbps or 2 Mbps for 802.11, and 5.5 Mbps or 11 Mbps for 802.11b. The 802.11a specification applies to wireless ATM systems and operates at radio frequencies between 5 GHz and 6 GHz.

ASIC --An ASIC, or application-specific integrated circuit, is a chip designed for a special application, such as a particular kind of transmission protocol. ASICs are used in a wide-range of applications, including auto emission control and environmental monitoring.

Bluetooth -- Bluetooth is a computing and telecommunications industry specification that describes how mobile phones, computers, and personal digital assistants (personal digital assistant) can easily interconnect with each other and with home and business phones and computers using a short-range wireless connection. Using this technology, users of cellular phones, pagers, and personal digital assistants such as the PalmPilot will be able to buy a three-in-one phone that can double as a portable phone at home or in the office, get quickly synchronized with information in a desktop or notebook computer, initiate the sending or receiving of a fax, initiate a print-out, and, in general, have all mobile and fixed computer devices be totally coordinated.

Bridge -- In telecommunication networks, a bridge is a product that connects a local area network (LAN) to another local area network that uses the same protocol (for example, Ethernet or token ring). You can envision a bridge as being a device that decides whether a message from you to someone else is going to the local area network in your building or to someone on the local area network in the building across the street.

Bus -- (1) A bus is a network topology or circuit arrangement in which all devices are attached to a line directly and all signals pass through each of the devices. Each device has a unique identity and can recognize those signals intended for it. (2) In a computer, a bus is the data path on the computer's motherboard that interconnects the microprocessor with attachments to the motherboard in expansion slots (such as hard disk drives, CD-ROM drives, and graphics adapters).

CBQ -- CBQ (Class Based Queuing) is a traffic management algorithm developed as an alternative to traditional router-based technology. Now in the public domain as an open technology, CBQ is deployed by companies at the boundary of their WANs. Network managers can use CBQ to easily classify traffic to meet business priorities and to ensure each traffic class has the appropriate quality of service.

Chipset -- A chipset is a group of microchips designed to work as a unit in performing one or more related functions.

CLEC -- A CLEC, or Competitive Local Exchange Carrier, is a company that competes with local telephone firms by establishing its own network and switching.

Daughterboard -- A daughterboard (or daughter board, daughter card, or daughtercard) is a circuit board that plugs into and extends the circuitry of another circuit board. The other circuit board may be the computer's main board (its motherboard) or it may be another board or card that is already in the computer such as a sound card.

DHCP -- A Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol is a protocol that allows network administrators to run centrally and automate the allocation of IP addresses in a company's network. Without DHCP, IP addresses must be entered manually at each computer and entered again if the computer relocates to another part of the network.

Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum -- Direct sequence spread spectrum, also known as direct sequence code division multiple access (DS-CDMA), is one of two approaches to spread spectrum modulation for digital signal transmission over the airwaves. In direct sequence spread spectrum, the stream of information to be transmitted is divided into small pieces, each of which is allocated across to a frequency channel across the spectrum.

DSP -- Digital Signal Processing is used for improving the accuracy and reliability of digital communications. DSP works by clarifying, or standardizing, the levels or states of a digital signal. A DSP circuit is able to differentiate between human-made signals, which are orderly, and noise, which is inherently chaotic.

DOCSIS -- DOCSIS, or Data Over Cable Systems Interface Specifications, specifies schemes and the protocol for exchanging bidirectional signals over cable. It supports downstream-to-the-user data rates up to 27 Mbps (megabits per second). Since this data rate is shared by a number of users and because many cable operators will be limited by a connection to the Internet, the actual downstream data rate to an individual business or home will be more like 1.5 to 3 Mbps. Since the upstream data flow has to support much smaller amounts of data from the user, it's designed for an aggregate data rate of 10 Mbps with individual data rates between 500 Kbps and 2.5 Mbps.

Firewall -- A firewall is a set of related programs, located at a network gateway server, that protects the resources of a private network from users from other networks. (The term also implies the security policy that is used with the programs.) An enterprise with an intranet that allows its workers access to the wider Internet installs a firewall to prevent outsiders from accessing its own private data resources and for controlling what outside resources its own users have access to.

Frequency Hopping -- Frequency hopping is one of two basic modulation techniques used in spread spectrum signal transmission. It is the repeated switching of frequencies during radio transmission, often to minimize the effectiveness of "electronic warfare" - that is, the unauthorized interception or jamming of telecommunications. It also is known as frequency- hopping code division multiple access (FH-CDMA).

Gateway -- A gateway is a network point that acts as an entrance to another network. On the Internet, a node or stopping point can be either a gateway node or a host (end-point) node. Both the computers of Internet users and the computers that serve pages to users are host nodes. The computers that control traffic within your company's network or at your local Internet service provider (ISP) are gateway nodes.

GHz -- Gigahertz. See MHz.

H.323 -- H.323 is a standard approved by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 1996 to promote compatibility in videoconference transmissions over IP networks. H.323 was originally promoted as a way to provide consistency in audio, video and data packet transmissions in the event that a local area network (LAN) did not provide guaranteed service quality (QOS). Although it was doubtful at first whether manufacturers would adopt H.323, it is now considered to be the standard for interoperability in audio, video and data transmissions as well as Internet phone and voice- over-IP (VoIP) because it addresses call control and management for both point-to-point and multipoint conferences as well as gateway administration of media traffic, bandwidth and user participation.

Hub -- In data communications, a hub is a place of convergence where data arrives from one or more directions and is forwarded out in one or more other directions. A hub usually includes a switch of some kind.

IBOS -- The Integrated Broadband Operating System is Spectrum Wireless' wireless routing platform that has a feature set designed specifically for Internet service delivery - right within the CPE device.

ILEC -- An ILEC, or Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier, is a U.S. telephone company that was a local service provider at the time of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. A local exchange is the local central office of an LEC. Lines from both businesses and homes are terminated at local exchanges. Local exchanges interconnect within a local access and transport area or to interexchange carriers such as AT&T, Sprint, and MCI.

IP -- Internet Protocol (IP) is the method used to send data from one computer to another on the Internet. Each host computer on the Internet has it's own unique IP Address that identifies it from other host computers. When information is either sent or received, the data is separated into smaller pieces of information called packets. Each of the packets contains both the sender and receiver's IP Address. The packets are sent to a gateway that comprehends a small part of the Internet. If the gateway does not recognize the IP address, it will send the information to another gateway. This process continues until one of the gateways recognizes the receiver's IP Address and immediately forwards the packet to that computer. Because packets take varying routes to get to their destination, they can arrive out of order. A different protocol, the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), is used to get the packets back in the correct order.

IPSec -- Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) is an increasing standard for security at the network layer of network communication. Older security systems have inserted protection at the application layer of the communications model. IPSec offers two choices of services: Authentication Header (AH), which allows authentication of the sender of information, and Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP), which allows authentication of the sender of information as well as encryption of the data.

ISP -- An ISP, or Internet Service Provider, is a company that provides access to the Internet. ISP's also provide newer services, such as Web site building and virtual hosting. ISP's have the equipment and the telecommunication line necessary to have Point of Presence (POP) on the Internet for their geographic area served. Larger ISP's tend to have their own high-speed leased lines that make them less dependent on telecommunication providers.

LAN -- A Local Area Network (LAN) is a group of computers and other related devices that are connected by a communications line and usually share the resources of a selected processor or server within a small area. The server most often has applications and data that are shared in common by multiple users connected to the LAN. LAN's can network small houses, which contain possibly two or three computers, or large corporations, which may have thousands of computers interconnected.

LMDS -- Local Multipoint Distribution System is a system for broadband microwave wireless transmission direct from a local antenna to homes and businesses within a line-of-sight radius, a solution to the last mile problem of economically bringing high-bandwidth services to users.

Mbps -- Millions of bits per second, or Megabits Per Second (Mbps), is the measurement of bandwidth on a telecommunication medium. Bandwidth is also sometimes measured in Kbps (kilobits per second), or Gbps (billions of bits per second).

Megaco -- Megaco is a call control protocol that addresses the relationship between the Media Gateway (MG), which converts circuit-switched voice to packet-based traffic, and the Media Gateway Controller (MGC), sometimes called a call agent or softswitch, which dictates the service logic of that traffic. Megaco is designed for intradomain remote control of devices such as VoIP gateways, remote access servers, Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexers (DSLAMs), Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) routers, optical cross-connects and PPP session aggregation boxes.

MGCP -- MGCP is a protocol for controlling Telephony Gateways from external call control elements named Media Gateway Controllers or Call Agents. MGCP is central to the VoIP solution and may be integrated into products such as Central Office Switches, Gateways (Trunking, Residential, Access), Network Access Servers, Cable Modems, PBXs etc., to develop a convergent voice and data solution.

MHz -- The MHz, or Megahertz, is a unit of either electromagnetic or alternating current wave frequency equal to one thousand million hertz. The GHz is most commonly used to determine the frequency of ultra-high-frequency (UHF) and microwave electromagnetic signals. GHz is also used in some computers to reflect microprocessor clock speed. Other units of frequency are the kHz, equal to .001 MHz, and the GHz, or gigahertz, which is equal to 1,000 MHz.

MMDS -- Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Systems are channels used to provide wireless cable service, a viable option to wired cable. Frequency bands start at 2.5 GHz and cover a geographical region of customers who should be in direct line of sight of the transmitter for the microwave to get to them reliably.

NAT -- Network Address Translation is the translation of an Internet Protocol address (IP address) used within one network to a different IP address known within another network. One network is designated the inside network and the other is the outside. Typically, a company maps its local inside network addresses to one or more global outside IP addresses and unmaps the global IP addresses on incoming packets back into local IP addresses. NAT is included as part of a router and is often part of a corporate firewall.

NTP -- Network Time Protocol (NTP) is a protocol that is used to synchronize computer clock times in a network of computers.

OSPF -- Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) is a router protocol used within larger independent system networks. If a host using OSPF detects a routing table change, that host can immediately multicast the changes to all other hosts in the network so they will all have the same information. Unlike OSPF's predecessor, RIP, OSPF only sends the changes to other hosts, and not the entire routing table.

PCMCIA Card -- A PCMCIA card is a credit card-size memory or I/O device that connects to a personal computer, usually a notebook or laptop computer. A PCMCIA card has a 68-pin connector that connects into a slot in the PC. There are three sizes (or "Types") of PCMCIA cards: The Type I and II cards work in a Type III slot and a Type I card will work in a Type II slot. (On the other hand, the thicker cards can't be fitted into the slots for the thinner cards.) The PCMCIA standard is most commonly applied to portable PCs but it can also be used on desktop computers.

Point-to-multipoint -- Communications network that provides a path from one location to multiple locations.

Point-to-point -- Refers to a communications line that provides a path from one location to another.

POP -- A POP, or Point-of-Presence, is an access point to the Internet. All POPs have their own individual IP addresses. Internet service providers most likely have more than one POP. A point-of-presence typically contains routers, call aggregators, servers, and ATM switches.

PSTN -- The PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) is the term given to the collection of the world's interconnected voice-oriented public telephone networks. Today, the PSTN is almost completely digital, aside from the final connection from the central (local) office to the user. PSTNs also create much of the Internet's long distance infrastructure.

QoS -- Quality of Service (QoS) is the theory that Internet transmission rates, error rates, and other features can be surveyed, improved, and guaranteed in advance.

RF -- Radio Frequency (RF) refers to alternating current that if put into an antenna, would produce an electromagnetic field suitable for wireless broadcasting and/or communications. The frequencies cover a large portion of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum, varying from 9kHz, the lowest allocated wireless frequency, to several thousand GHz. When an RF current is placed into an antenna, it creates an electromagnetic field that broadcasts through space. All RF fields have wavelengths inversely proportional to their frequency.

RIP -- Routing Information Protocol, it is a widely used protocol for managing router information within a self-contained network such as a corporate local area network or an interconnected group of such LANs.

Router -- On the Internet, a router is a device or, in some cases, software in a computer, that determines the next network point to which a packet should be forwarded toward its destination. The router is connected to at least two networks and decides which way to send each information packet based on its current understanding of the state the networks it is connected to.

SIP -- Session Initiation Protocol is a standard protocol for initiating an interactive user session that involves multimedia elements such as video, voice, chat, gaming, and virtual reality. Like HTTP or SMTP, SIP works in the Application layer of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) communications model. The Application layer is the level responsible for ensuring that communication is possible. SIP can establish multimedia sessions or Internet telephony calls and modify or terminate them. The protocol can also invite participants to unicast or multicast sessions that do not necessarily involve the initiator. Because the SIP supports name mapping and redirection services, it makes it possible for users to initiate and receive communications and services from any location, and for networks to identify the users wherever they are.

SNMP -- Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is the protocol that governs network management and monitors network devices and their functions. SNMP is not only limited to TCP/IP networks.

Spread Spectrum -- Spread spectrum is a form of wireless communications in which the frequency of the transmitted signal is deliberately varied. This results in a much greater bandwidth than the signal would have if its frequency were not varied.

Switch -- In telecommunications, a switch is a network device that selects a path or circuit for sending a unit of data to its next destination. A switch may also include the function of the router, a device or program that can determine the route and specifically what adjacent network point the data should be sent to. In general, a switch is a simpler and faster mechanism than a router, which requires knowledge about the network and how to determine the route.

TCP/IP -- Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol is the basic communication language or protocol of the Internet. It can also be used as a communications protocol in a private network (either an intranet or an extranet). When you are set up with direct access to the Internet, your computer is provided with a copy of the TCP/IP program just as every other computer that you may send messages to or get information from also has a copy of TCP/IP. TCP/IP is a two-layer program. The higher layer, Transmission Control Protocol, manages the assembling of a message or file into smaller packets (see packet) that are transmitted over the Internet and received by a TCP layer that reassembles the packets into the original message. The lower layer, Internet Protocol, handles the address part of each packet so that it gets to the right destination.

Telnet -- Telnet is the way you can access someone else's computer, assuming they have given you permission. (Such a computer is frequently called a host computer.) More technically, Telnet is a user command and an underlying TCP/IP protocol for accessing remote computers.

VoIP -- Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a phrase used in IP telephony for a set of facilities for managing the transfer of voice data using the Internet protocol. This means sending digital voice information in discrete packets instead of in the conventional circuit-committed protocols of the PSTN. An advantage of VoIP is that it avoids fees charged by normal telephone services.

VPN -- A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a private data network that uses public telecommunications infrastructure while preserving privacy by using a tunneling protocol and other security measures. Using a VPN consists of encrypting information before sending it through the public network and then decrypting it at the other end. Companies have recently begun to consider using a VPN to fulfill both their Intranet and Extranet needs.

WAN -- A Wide Area Network (WAN) is a geographically separated telecommunications network. A WAN refers to a more extensive telecommunication structure than that of a local area network. WAN usually implies the inclusion of public networks.

WLAN -- A Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) is a network in which a user can use a wireless connection in order to connect to a LAN.

WLL -- A Wireless Local Loop is a system that connects subscribers to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) using radio signals as a substitute for copper for all or part of the connection between the subscriber and the switch. This includes cordless access systems, proprietary fixed radio access, and fixed cellular systems.

xDSL -- DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) is a technology that brings high bandwidth information to homes and businesses via ordinary copper phone lines. XDSL alludes to all of the various forms of DSL, including ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line), HDSL, and RADSL. If a home or small office is close enough to a phone company's central office that offers DSL service, they could be able to receive speeds of up to 6 Mbps.