A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
Analog:
A signal (usually voice) that is represented by a continuous and smoothly varying amplitude or frequency changes over a certain range.
Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA):
A device that converts an analog signal from a conventional phone into a digital signal that is acceptable for transmission over the internet and vice versa. It is most commonly used with Voice Over Internet Phone Service.
Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM):
A protocol for cell relay in which multiple digital service types (such as voice, video, or data) are packed into 53-byte cells that are switched throughout a network over virtural circuits. Fixed-length cells allow cell processing to occur in hardware, thereby reducing transit delays.
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B
Bits per second (bps):
The number of bits that can be transferred to or from a communications device in one second. It is the most common way to measure transmisson speed of a device.
Broadband:
A type of high speed data transfer such as DSL or cable in which digital signals must be passed through a modem and transmitted over one of the frequency bands of the transmisson medium (DSL, Cable, or Other). Multiple channels carry data on a single physical cable.
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C
Capacity:
The maximum amount of information that can be carried by a communications facility or system.
Cat5 Wiring:
Category 5 unshielded twisted-pair wiring commonly used for 10BaseT and 100BaseT Ethernet networks.
Cat6 Wiring:
Category 6 unshielded twisted-pair wiring commonly used for 1000BaseT (Gigabit) Ethernet networks.
Central Office (CO):
The office location of the local phone company where all local loops in a given area connect and the circuit switching of subscriber lines occur.
Circuit switching:
A process of connecting two points in a communications network where the path (switching points) through the network remains fixed during the operation of a communications circuit. While a circuit switched connection is in operation, the capacity of the circuit remains constant regardless of the amount of content (e.g. voice or data signal) that is transferred during the circuit connection.
Class 5 switch:
Telephone company switch.
Codec (coder/decoder):
A technique used to compress/decompress speech or audio signals.
Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC):
A company that offers alternative communication solutions including internet and or phone service other than the local phone company.
Customer Premises Equipment (CPE):
Any equipment that is supplied by the phone company on the customer premise and connected to their network.
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D
Data:
A) A general term for raw information.
B) A collection of interrelated, unique data items or records, in one or more databases.
Digital:
Data characters coded in discrete, separate pulses or signal levels.
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL):
A proven technology that takes advantage of standard copper telephone lines to provide secure, reliable, high-speed Internet access. This is a general term for any local network loop that is digital in nature. DSL handles more data downstream (data flowing towards the subscriber) than upstream (towards the network).
Duplex:
A term used to describe the ability to transmit and receive voice and/or data signals simultaneously.
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E
Ethernet:
Ethernet is a packet based transmission protocol that is primarily used in LANs.
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F
Frame Relay:
A high-speed data transport solution for cost-effective, flexible connectivity between multiple remote sites.
Full Duplex:
Phone calls are full duplex, meaning both parties can speak at the same time. Not all voice cards can support full-duplex operation so if you are using your PC to talk rather than a telephone with an ATA, you may have a half-duplex voice card.
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G
Gateway:
A device that acts as an interface between two or more networks to connect dissimilar communications systems. A gateway translates from one set of protocols to another, at levels from the Physical layer (Level 1) up through the Application layer (Level 7) of the OSI Reference model.
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H
H.323:
A standard approved by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 1996 to promote compatibility in videoconference transmissions over IP networks.
Half Duplex:
Walkie-Talkiesare half duplex, meaning only one party can talk and one party listen at the same time.
Hertz:
A unit of measurement for frequency that is equal to the number of cycles per second of a waveform.
Hunt Group:
Directs incoming calls to a group of users in series.
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I
Internet:
The world's largest computer network. The Internet originated from a research effort initiated by the U.S. Government and was initially used to connect defense contractors and U.S. universities. Today, its nature is more commercial, and it is becoming the preferred method of linking businesses and individuals' computers to one another. Sometimes referred to as "The Network of Networks".
Internet Protocol (IP):
Protocol by which data is sent from one computer to another over the Internet. An IP address is assigned to every computer on the internet uniquely indentifying one computer from another.
IP Telephony (Internet Protocol telephony):
See VoIP Below
ISDN:
ISDN provides standard interfaces for digital communications networks and is capable of carrying data, voice, and video over digital circuits. ISDN protocols are used worldwide for connections to public ISDN networks or to attach ISDN devices to ISDN-capable PBX systems (ISPBXs).
ISP (Internet Service Provider):
A business that provides subscriber-based access to the Internet.
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J
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K
Kilo-bits per second (Kbps):
The number of one thousand bits that can be transferred per second of time.
Kilo-Hertz (KHz):
The number of one thousand cycles of a waveform that happen per second of time.
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L
Local Area Network (LAN):
A group of computers and associated devices that share a common communications line or wireless link and typically share the resources of a single processor or server within a small geographic area (for example, within an office building).
Latency:
Time for data or computer information packets to get from one location to it desintation. The lower this number the better
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M
Mega-bits per second (Mbps):
The number of one million bits than can be transferred per second.
Mega-Hertz (MHz):
The number of one million cycles of a waveform per second.
Modem:
MOdulator/DEModulator. Equipment that converts digital signals to analog signals and vice versa. Modems are used to send data signals (digital) over the telephone network, which is usually analog.
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N
Network:
A system of computers linked together by communication channels allowing the flow of data between the linked computers.
Network Interface Card (NIC):
The circuit board or other form of computer hardware that serves as the interface between a computer (or other form of data terminal equipment) and the communications network. The most common NIC is an Ethernet NIC, which serves as the interface to the DSL/Cable modem from the computer.
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O
OSI Model:
A 7 layer reference model to standardize communication networks.
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P
Packet:
The "package" or unit of data that is routed between a source and a destination across the Internet or any other packet-switched network.
Packet Switching:
A means of economically sending and receiving data over alternate, multiple network channels. The premise for packet switching is the packet, a small bundle of information containing the payload and routing information. Packet switching takes data, breaks it down into packets, transmits the packets and does the reverse on the other end. Packets can be sent in order and then be received in a different order - only to be put back in the correct order in fractions of a second.
PBX:
Private Branch eXchange - Telephone switching equipment located at the customer premises (usually a business) that is used to connect the business's private telephone network to the public telephone network.
Phone Adaptor:
See Analog Telephone Adapter.
Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN):
The world's collection of interconnected voice-oriented public telephone networks, both commercial and government-owned. Also referred to as the Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS).
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Q
Quality of Service (QoS):
The idea that data transmission can be guaranteed to get from one end to the other without any errors or conflicts.
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R
Redundancy:
Having one or more backup systems available in case of failure of the main system.
RJ-11 connection:
A modular connector that has 2 to 6 conductors that is commonly used to interconnect end-user telephone equipment.
RJ-45 connection:
A standard 8 wire modular connector. RJ-45 connectors are commonly used in telephone and data communication systems.
Router:
A device that connects multiple networks together by acting as an interface between two networks.
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S
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP):
A standard protocol for setting up phone calls as well as other multimedia avenues such as video, voice, instant messaging and gaming.
Softphone (Software Telephone):
Software that is installed on your PC that allows you to make and receive calls over the Internet. Microphone and headset or speakers are required in order to use it. With this type of service you will have to be in front of your computer to make a call and there won't be a dialtone, you must have an ATA in order to get around this.
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T
T1:
A digital transmission link with a capacity of 1.544 Mbps. T1 uses two pairs of normal twisted wires, the same as found in most residences. T1 normally handles 24 voice conversations, each one digitized at 64 Kbps. But, with more advanced digital voice encoding techniques, it can handle more voice channels. T1 is a standard for digital transmission in the United States. T1 lines are used to connect networks across remote distances usually in a WAN environment.
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP):
A session layer protocol that coordinates the transmission, reception, and retransmission of packets in a data network to ensure reliable (confirmed) communication ensuring the data is delivered through the network.
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U
Upload:
The process of transmitting information files from your computer to another through a network.
User Datagram Protocol (UDP):
A protocol that coordinates the one-way transmission of data across a network. Unlike TCP, UDP does not provide any guarantees to data delivery through the network.
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V
Very High Bit Rate DSL (VDSL):
See DSL. VDSL is a faster version of DSL but only for short distances between data transmission points.
Voice over IP (VoIP):
Term used in IP telephony for a set of facilities for managing the delivery of voice information using the Internet Protocol (IP).
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W
Wide Area Network (WAN):
A communications network serving geographically separate areas. For example, a business may have an office location in Denver and want to connect it to another office in New York, the network would be considered a WAN because they are serving different geographic areas.
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X
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Y
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Z
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