Internet Terminology

At times the Internet can be very confusing. We've put together these definitions to make your Internet experience en enjoyable one.

ADSL

ADSL stands for Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line. An ADSL Internet connection provides an always-on, high speed connection to the Internet using a standard copper telephone line. With ADSL you are able to use the Internet & phone at the same time. It's labelled Asymmetrical because your download speed is different to your upload speed – both of which are very fast.

Broadband

Broadband is a generic term for high-speed Internet services. The most common broadband technology for residential use is ADSL Broadband.

Browser

A browser is a program you use to view pages on the Internet. It allows you to create bookmarks and to move and forward through Internet content. Common browsers include Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari.

Bandwidth

The bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transmitted in a fixed amount of time. Bandwidth is usually expressed in bits per second (bps) or bytes per second.

Churning

Churning (or Rapid Transfer) means you're switching from one broadband ADSL provider to another. You are doing so with the least possible disruption to your broadband service, and you're saving on connection costs and time.

Co-location

Co-location is the provision of servers or server space for a customer's use on the service provider's premises. For example, a customer with a web or email server could place their computer server inside the Netspace data centre. The alternative to co-location is to have the equipment and located at the customer's premises.

Dial up Internet

Dial up Internet access is where you dial a phone number to connect to the Internet. It's slower than broadband, and you can't make telephone calls at the same time, but it is still a very popular way of connecting to the Internet from home.

Domain name

The unique name that identifies an Internet site on the World Wide Web. On the Web, the domain name is the part of the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that tells a domain name server where to forward a request for a Web page. For example, the domain name of this web site is www.netspace.net.au

Download speed

Broadband plans are expressed in terms of download and upload speeds. The higher the speed the less time it takes you to view a web page or download a file. Typically residential broadband is up to 10 times faster than dial up Internet which is great for downloading movies and music.

DSLAM

DSLAM refers to Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer. A DSLAM is a network device that receives signals from multiple DSL connections and puts the signals on a high-speed backbone line using multiplexing techniques. Depending on the product, DSLAM multiplexers connect DSL lines with some combination of asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), frame relay, or IP networks. DSLAM enables a phone company to offer business or home users the fastest phone line technology (DSL) with the fastest backbone network technology (ATM).

DSL

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) is a technology for supplying high bandwidth information to homes and businesses over ordinary copper telephone lines. Different variations of DSL include ADSL (Asymmetric DSL), HDSL (High-speed DSL) & SDSL (Symmetric DSL)

Email Address (Mailbox)

Your electronic mail address is username@netspace.net.au. Email is like sending someone a regular letter, only there's no postage and it's delivered by computer.

Excess Usage

If you choose an excess usage plan, you will only be charged excess usage if you use the Internet beyond your allocated download allowance.

Firewall

A firewall isn't as exciting as the flaming pyrotechnics show the name suggests. A firewall is actually either a software program or hardware device which protects your computer from unauthorised access when it's online. It blocks out computer hackers and Internet worms (a special kind of virus which spreads between unprotected computers over the Internet). It's important to have a firewall, and some common ones include ZoneAlarm and Norton's Internet Security. Windows XP comes with an in-built firewall but you need to turn it on.

Flat Rate

Netspace Flat Rate Broadband plans feature a monthly download allowance. Excess downloads beyond this allowance don't incur extra fees, but your download speed is 'shaped' meaning it is slowed to regular dial up speed of around 56k.

Gigabyte (GB)

A gigabyte is a unit of information or computer storage equal to one thousand megabytes or one million kilobytes.

Hosting

Hosting refers to the housing of a web site, email or a domain.

Internet Speed

Your Internet speed is the rate at which you can transfer data. The faster your Internet speed, the faster you can browse the web and download files. It's measured in kilo-bits per second, usually referred to as kbps or sometimes just k. A regular dial up modem has a speed of 56k, while residential Broadband ADSL usually ranges in speeds from 256k and 512k, right up to a super fast 1500k and even higher for business grade broadband.

IP address

IP (Internet Protocol) address is the numeric identification number that refers to a specific machine on the Internet. Every machine that is on the Internet has a unique number, which correlates to its domain name.

Kilobit (kbit or Kb)

A kilobit is a unit of information storage equal to 1,000 bits.

Kilobyte (KB)

A kilobyte is a unit of information or computer storage equal to 1000 bytes.

LAN

A LAN is a Local Area Network. The computers at your business are probably connected to a LAN so that they can share an Internet connection, printers and files.

Mailbox

Your mailbox (email) is where email sent to you is stored waiting for you to collect it. Every my-email@netspace.net.au email address has its own mailbox. You can check your mail using an email client such as Outlook Express, or you can log via Netspace Webmail.

Megabyte (MB)

A megabyte is a unit of information or computer storage equal to one million bytes or one thousand kilobytes

Modem

A modem is a communications device which allows your computer to connect to the Internet. The word modem is shorthand for modulator/demodulator, which means it converts analog signals into digital signals and vice-versa.

Proxy

A proxy server keeps a cache of information about pages on the Internet. If you use it, it helps to make browsing the web faster because it stores copies of web pages in a place that's closer to you. Most large organisations will use a proxy server to save on Internet access.

Rapid Transfer

Rapid Transfer (or Churn) means you're switching from one Broadband ADSL provider to another. You are doing so with the least possible disruption to your broadband service, and you're saving on connection costs.

Reboot

A lot of people like to kick their computers. A reboot, however, usually means shutting down your computer or modem and then restarting it. Unless your computer has frozen, it's best to use the shutdown or restart commands. Some modems don't have a reboot button, but you can just power them off and on.

Shaping

Shaping refers to the slowing of your Internet connection speed to normal 'modem speed', to around the speed of a 56k dial up connection. If you have a flat rate broadband plan, shaping will only occur if you have exceeded your monthly download allowance. Although your Internet connection speed will decrease when you are shaped, you will still have full access to the Internet. Once shaped, you remain at modem speed until the next month rolls over.

SHDSL

SHDSL is an ultra high speed DSL technology with the same download and upload speeds. SHDSL is designed for use with databases, VPNs (Virtual Private Networks), and in-house servers requiring remote access.

Spam

Spam is unsolicited junk email which someone has sent to you. Spam is usually advertising or an attempt to trick you into giving out personal details. About 20 billion spam messages are sent per day that's 7.3 trillion annoying messages a year! You should never reply to a spam message as you'll let the spammers know they can target you.

Upload speed

Broadband plans are expressed in terms of download and upload speeds. If you are sending a big file (say the riotous photos of your last birthday bash) the time it takes to leave your outbox is the upload speed.

Virus

Computer viruses are malicious programs which attack your computer. A bad computer virus can delete files and make your computer run at snail pace. Opening an email with an infected attachment is the most common way to get a virus. Some viruses now even fake messages from your friends to try to trick you into catching them. Luckily, you can protect yourself by running an anti-virus program which stops viruses. Common anti-virus programs include Norton AntiVirus®, McAfee VirusScan®, and Virex®.

VLAN

VLAN is a Virtual Local Area Network. VLAN is a group of devices on one or more LANs that are configured (using management software) so that they can communicate as if they were attached to the same wire, when in fact they are located on a number of different LAN segments. Because VLANs are based on logical instead of physical connections, they are extremely flexible.

VPN

VPN is a Virtual Private Network, a private data network that makes use of the public telecommunication infrastructure, maintaining privacy through the use of a tunneling protocol and security procedures.

WAN

A WAN is a Wide Area Network. This is a network which covers a wide distance. The Internet is the largest WAN in the world.

Wireless Broadband

Wireless Broadband is an ultra high speed Internet connection similar to SHDSL that does not require a phone line and is primarily used by Netspace business customers outside DSL enabled areas.