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Glossary of Internet Terms 10BaseT A variant of Ethernet which allows stations to be attached via twisted pair cable. See also: Ethernet, twisted pair. 802.x The set of IEEE standards for the definition of LAN protocols. See also: IEEE. 822 See: RFC 822 :-) This odd symbol is one of the ways a person can portray "mood" in the very flat medium of computers--by using "smiley faces". This is "metacommunication", and there are literally hundreds of such symbols, from the obvious to the obscure. This particular example expresses "happiness". Don't see it? Tilt your head to the left 90 degrees. Smiles are also used to denote sarcasm. A abstract syntax A description of a data structure that is independent of machine- oriented structures and encodings. [Source: RFC1208] Abstract Syntax Notation One (ASN.1) The language used by the OSI protocols for describing abstract syntax. This language is also used to encode SNMP packets. ASN.1 is defined in ISO documents 8824.2 and 8825.2. See also: Basic Encoding Rules. Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) Many transit networks have policies which restrict the use to which the network may be put. A well known example is NSFNET's AUP which does not allow commercial use. Enforcement of AUPs varies with the network. See also: National Science Foundation. Access Control List (ACL) Most network security systems operate by allowing selective use of services. An Access Control List is the usual means by which access to, and denial of, services is controlled. It is simply a list of the services available, each with a list of the hosts permitted to use the service. acknowledgment (ACK) A type of message sent to indicate that a block of data arrived at its destination without error. See also: Negative Acknowledgement. [Source: NNSC] Administrative Domain (AD) A collection of hosts and routers, and the interconnecting network(s), managed by a single administrative authority. Address Code by which the Internet identifies you. The format is username@hostname, where username is your username, login name, or account number, and hostname is the name of the computer or Internet provider you use. The hostname may be a few words strung together with periods. Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) Used to dynamically discover the low level physical network hardware address that corresponds to the high level IP address for a given host. ARP is limited to physical network systems that support broadcast packets that can be heard by all hosts on the network. It is defined in RFC 826. See also: proxy ARP. Advertorial - Editorials written to promote a company, its services or products. agent In the client-server model, the part of the system that performs information preparation and exchange on behalf of a client or server application. [Source: RFC1208] AIP Association of Internet Professionals (formerly - IDA-ISIP - Internet Developers Association/international Society of Internet Professionals). The professional body for Internet providers, designers, etc. AIP is in the process of setting up committees or groups to discuss items such as standards, qualifications, training, etc. America OnLine (AOL) A public Internet provider. If you have an account on America OnLine, username@aol.com is your Internet address, where username is your America OnLine account name. American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) A standard character-to-number encoding widely used in the computer industry. See also: EBCDIC. Anonymous FTP A way to use the FTP program to log on to another computer to copy files when you don't have an account on the other computer. When you log on, enter 'anonymous' as the username and your 'e-mail address' as the password. This gives you access to publicly available files. Applets Java's advantage is in that it is composed of many smaller, re-usable chunks of programming code, called "applets" (short for "applications"). This allows for quicker transfer over the internet, meaning many new programs will now be able to become directly interactive, incorporating animation, sound, and more. (See also Java, ShockWave, and VRML) application A program that performs a function directly for a user. eg. FTP, mail and Telnet clients are examples of network applications. Archie A system that helps you find files located anywhere on the Internet. After Archie locates the file, you can use FTP to get it. Archie is both a program and a system of server computers that contain indexes of files. Asynchronous Communication Communication that occurs at different times, between two or more individuals, in contrast to Synchronous communication. For e.g. e-mails, some conferencing systems, bulletin boards. Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) A method for the dynamic allocation of bandwidth using a fixed- size packet (called a cell). ATM is also known as "fast packet". Authentication Verifying the identity of a person or computer process. Authoring - writing in html language B Backbone A high-speed line or series of connections that form a major pathway within a network. The term is relative, since a backbone in a small network will likely be much smaller than many non-backbone lines in a large network. backgrounds These are images which are designed to to sit in the background of a web page so that all other information, (e.g.text, images) is seen to sit on top. bandwidth Information theory used to express the amount of information that can flow through a given point at a given time. Usually measured in bits per second (bps). Some points have narrow bandwidth indicating not much information can flow at one time, and others have high bandwidth indicating a great deal of information can flow through at one time. This term is usually used in reference to "wasted bandwidth" indicating that some or most of the information flowing by a point is of no use to a user. (e.g. lengthy signatures at the bottom of email messages is seen by many as a waste of bandwidth. Wasted bandwidth is often relative. What is waste to one person might be essential to another. Berkeley Internet Name Domain (BIND) Implementation of a DNS server developed and distributed by the University of California at Berkeley. Many Internet hosts run BIND, and it is the ancestor of many commercial BIND implementations. Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) Implementation of the UNIX operating system and its utilities developed and distributed by the University of California at Berkeley. "BSD" is usually preceded by the version number of the distribution, e.g., "4.3 BSD" is version 4.3 of the Berkeley UNIX distribution. Many Internet hosts run BSD software, and it is the ancestor of many commercial UNIX implementations. [Source: NNSC] bit basic binary unit for storing and transferring data. bps speed of data transmission of 'bits' used as a measure of modem speeds browse / browser You get access to the WWW through an application called a 'browser', like Netscape or Mosaic. To 'browse' is to search the WWW for information. bulletin board System (BBS) A computer, and associated software, which typically provides electronic messaging services, archives of files, and any other services or activities of interest to the bulletin board system's operator. Although BBS's have traditionally been the domain of hobbyists, an increasing number of BBS's are connected directly to the Internet, and many BBS's are currently operated by government, educational, and research institutions. See also: Electronic Mail, Internet, Usenet. [Source: NWNET] byte binary digit eight - one byte equals 8 bits and can store one character of data C Campus Wide Information System (CWIS) A CWIS makes information and services publicly available on campus via kiosks, and makes interactive computing available via kiosks, interactive computing systems and campus networks. Services routinely include directory information, calendars, bulletin boards, databases. Chatting Talking in real time to other network users from any and all parts of the world. cgi script A cgi script (Common Gateway Interface) is a program that is is run on a web server, triggered by input from a browser. The gateway script is usually a link between the server and some other program running on the system. (e.g. Cgi scripts are used to process form information.) Client A software program that is used to contact and obtain data from a server software program on another computer, often across a great distance. Each client program is designed to work with one or more types of server programs. client-server model A common way to describe the paradigm of many network protocols. Examples include the name-server/name-resolver relationship in DNS and the file-server/file-client relationship in NFS. See also: client, server, Domain Name System, Network File System. Com When these letters appear in lowercase type at the end of an address, they indicate that the host computer is run by a company rather than a university or government agency. It also means that the host computer is most likely located in the United States. CompuServe An online information provider (sometimes abbreviated as CIS) that gives some Internet access. If your CompuServe account number is 7123,456 your Internet address will be 7123.456@compuserve.com. Notice that the comma in the CompuServe address becomes a period in the Internet address. Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) The CERT was formed by DARPA in November 1988 in response to the needs exhibited during the Internet worm incident. The CERT charter is to work with the Internet community to facilitate its response to computer security events involving Internet hosts, to take proactive steps to raise the community's awareness of computer security issues, and to conduct research targeted at improving the security of existing systems. CERT products and services include 24-hour technical assistance for responding to computer security incidents, product vulnerability assistance, technical documents, and tutorials. In addition, the team maintains a number of mailing lists (including one for CERT Advisories), and provides an anonymous FTP server, at "cert.org", where security-related documents and tools are archived. The CERT may be reached by email at "cert@cert.org" and by telephone at +1-412-268-7090 (24-hour hotline). congestion Congestion occurs when the offered load exceeds the capacity of a data communication path. Connect Time length of time you are on line to the Internet - this is reflected in your telephone bill. A good reason to avoid those techno marvels such as moving gifs, video, music - they take a heck of a long time to load down and can infuriate a potential customer - remember they pay the telephone bill to view your masterpieces. Cookies A mechanism for server-side connections to store and retrieve information on the client side. Counters means of checking the number of visitors your page gets. Available free from many sites on the net, some of these programmes also let you check the platform (computer) and browser visitors use. This knowledge might help you in deciding whether or not to include all those black backgrounds and other techno marvels. cross platform Different computing systems being able to share data. Cyberspace A term coined by William Gibson in his fantasy novel Neuromancer to describe the "world" of computers, and the society that gathers around them. [Source: ZEN] Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) A number derived from a set of data that will be transmitted. By recalculating the CRC at the remote end and comparing it to the value originally transmitted, the receiving node can detect some types of transmission errors. [Source: MALAMUD] D Data Encryption Key (DEK) Used for the encryption of message text and for the computation of message integrity checks (signatures). See also: encryption. Decryption decoding data encrypted (often for security purposes) to its original. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) An agency of the U.S. Department of Defense responsible for the development of new technology for use by the military. DARPA (formerly known as ARPA) was responsible for funding much of the development of the Internet we know today, including the Berkeley version of Unix and TCP/IP. [Source: NNSC] Defense Data Network (DDN) A global communications network serving the US Department of Defense composed of MILNET, other portions of the Internet, and classified networks which are not part of the Internet. The DDN is used to connect military installations and is managed by the Defense Information Systems Agency. See also: Defense Information Systems Agency. In Australia, DDN is used to denote a Digital Data Network as distinct from an Analogue Data Network. Defense Data Network Network Information Center (DDN NIC) Often called "The NIC", the DDN NIC's primary responsibility is the assignment of Internet network addresses and Autonomous System numbers, the administration of the root domain, and providing information and support services to the DDN. It is also a primary repository for RFCs. See also: Autonomous System, network address, Internet Registry, Network Information Center, Request For Comments. Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Formerly called the Defense Communications Agency (DCA), this is the government agency responsible for managing the DDN portion of the Internet, including the MILNET. Currently, DISA administers the DDN, and supports the user assistance services of the DDN NIC. See also: Defense Data Network. dialup A temporary, as opposed to dedicated, connection between machines established over a standard phone line. Directory Access Protocol X.500 protocol used for communication between a Directory User Agent and a Directory System Agent. [Source: MALAMUD] Directory System Agent (DSA) The software that provides the X.500 Directory Service for a portion of the directory information base. Generally, each DSA is responsible for the directory information for a single organization or organizational unit. [Source: RFC1208] Directory User Agent (DUA) The software that accesses the X.500 Directory Service on behalf of the directory user. The directory user may be a person or another software element. [Source: RFC1208] Distributed Computing Environment (DCE) An architecture of standard programming interfaces, conventions, and server functionalities (e.g., naming, distributed file system, remote procedure call) for distributing applications transparently across networks of heterogeneous computers. Promoted and controlled by the Open Software Foundation (OSF), a consortium led by Digital, IBM and Hewlett Packard. [Source: RFC1208] distributed database A collection of several different data repositories that looks like a single database to the user. A prime example in the Internet is the Domain Name System. domain "Domain" is a heavily overused term in the Internet. It can be used in the Administrative Domain context, or the Domain Name context. Domain name The unique name that identifies an Internet site. A given machine may have more than one domain name, but a given domain name points to only one machine. It is also possible for a domain name to exist but not be connected to an actual machine. This is often done so that a group or business can have an Internet e-mail address without having to establish a real Internet site. In these cases, an Internet service provider's machine must handle the mail on behalf of the listed domain name. Domain Name System (DNS) The DNS is a general purpose distributed, replicated, data query service. The principal use is the lookup of host IP addresses based on host names. The style of host names now used in the Internet is called "domain name", because they are the style of names used to look up anything in the DNS. Some important domains are: .COM (commercial), .EDU (educational), .NET (network operations), .GOV (U.S. government), and .MIL (U.S. military). Most countries also have a domain. For example, .US (United States), .UK (United Kingdom), .AU (Australia). It is defined in STD 13, RFCs 1034 and 1035. See also: Fully Qualified Domain Name. dot address (dotted decimal notation) Dot address refers to the common notation for IP addresses of the form A.B.C.D; where each letter represents, in decimal, one byte of a four byte IP address. See also: IP address. [Source: FYI4] DS1 A framing specification for T-1 synchronous lines. See also: T1 DS3 A framing specification for T-3 synchronous lines. See also: T3 dynamic adaptive routing Automatic rerouting of traffic based on a sensing and analysis of current actual network conditions. NOTE: this does not include cases of routing decisions taken on predefined information. [Source: J. Postel] Download To retrieve a file from another machine, usually a host machine, to your machine. DNS The Domain Name System. A system for translating computer names into numeric Internet addresses. Domain name The unique name that identifies an Internet site. A given machine may have more than one domain name, but a given domain name points to only one machine. It is also possible for a domain name to exist but not be connected to an actual machine. This is often done so that a group or business can have an Internet e-mail address without having to establish a real Internet site. In these cases, an Internet service provider's machine must handle the mail on behalf of the listed domain name. dpi Dpi stands for dots per square inch. This refers to the amount of pixels in one square inch of a graphical image. The higher the dpi of an image the better the quality the image will be. E edu When these letters appear at the end of an address (info@mit.edu), they indicate that the host computer is run by an educational institution. It also means that the host computer is most likely located in the United States. e-mail (Electronic Mail) Messages that travel through the electronic networks rather than being committed to paper. encapsulation The technique used by layered protocols in which a layer adds header information to the protocol data unit (PDU) from the layer above. As an example, in Internet terminology, a packet would contain a header from the physical layer, followed by a header from the network layer (IP), followed by a header from the transport layer (TCP), followed by the application protocol data. [Source: RFC1208] Encryption means of encoding data to prevent unauthorized access (e.g. e-mail or credit card information). US government wish to proscribe software companies from selling most effective encryption programmes outside of US or Canada. If you are setting up a secure environment for transmission of sensitive information, such as credit card numbers, check the small print on your programme to make sure it is really secure with no 'back doors' which allow entry by people you have not authorized. Ethernet A 10-Mb/s standard for LANs, initially developed by Xerox, and later refined by Digital, Intel and Xerox (DIX). All hosts are connected to a coaxial cable where they contend for network access using a Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) paradigm. See also: 802.x, Local Area Network, token ring. F FAQ Frequently Asked Questions. Many sites have a FAQ section enabling the novice to learn the answers to questions they might be too nervous to ask. Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) A high-speed (100Mb/s) LAN standard. The underlying medium is fiber optics, and the topology is a dual-attached, counter- rotating token ring. See also: Local Area Network, token ring. [Source: RFC1208] forms Forms add extra interactivity to web sites. Questionaires can be created, that include text areas, check boxes and radio buttons which are then sent by the viewer to a specified mail box, usually the manager of the web site. F.T.P. File Transfer Protocol. A method of transferring one or more files from one computer to another over a network or phone line. Finger A program that displays information about someone on the net. On most UNIX systems, this command tells you who is logged on right now. On most Internet hosts, it tells you the name, possibly some other information based on the person's Internet address, and the last time they logged on. Firewall A filter for messages. A system that has a firewall lets only certain kinds of messages in and out from the rest of the Internet. If an organization wants to exchange mail with the Internet, but does not want other Internet members "Telnetting in" and reading those files, its connection to the Internet can be protected by using a firewall. G Gateway A computer that connects one network with another when the two networks use different protocols. The UUNET computer connects the UUCP network with the Internet, providing a way for mail messages to move between the two networks. GIF Graphics Interchange Format. A platform-independent file format developed by CompuServe, the GIF format is commonly used to distribute graphics on the Internet. Gopher A system that lets you find information by using menus. To use Gopher, you usually Telnet to a Gopher server and begin browsing the menus. granularity The breaking down of information to a minimum size to present an idea clearly within the environment that is presented. H hacker A person who delights in having an intimate understanding of the internal workings of a system, computers and computer networks in particular. The term is often misused in a pejorative context, where "cracker" would be the correct term. header The portion of a packet, preceding the actual data, containing source and destination addresses, and error checking and other fields. A header is also the part of an electronic mail message that precedes the body of a message and contains, among other things, the message originator, date and time. See also: Electronic Mail, packet. helper application This is an application that adds extra functionality to web documents. e.g. If you download a movie clip the web browser is unable to play the file but it can boot up a helper application, in this case it may be 'Fast Player' (A movie player application). heterogeneous network A network running multiple network layer protocols. See also: DECnet, IP, IPX, XNS. hierarchical routing The complex problem of routing on large networks can be simplified by reducing the size of the networks. This is accomplished by breaking a network into a hierarchy of networks, where each level is responsible for its own routing. The Internet has, basically, three levels: the backbones, the mid-levels, and the stub networks. The backbones know how to route between the mid-levels, the mid-levels know how to route between the sites, and each site (being an autonomous system) knows how to route internally. See also: Autonomous System, Exterior Gateway Protocol, Interior Gateway Protocol, stub network, transit network. High Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC) High performance computing encompasses advanced computing, communications, and information technologies, including scientific workstations, supercomputer systems, high speed networks, special purpose and experimental systems, the new generation of large scale parallel systems, and application and systems software with all components well integrated and linked over a high speed network. [Source: HPCC] High Performance Parallel Interface (HIPPI) An emerging ANSI standard which extends the computer bus over fairly short distances at speeds of 800 and 1600 Mb/s. HIPPI is often used in a computer room to connect a supercomputer to routers, frame buffers, mass-storage peripherals, and other computers. See also: American National Standards Institute [Source: MALAMUD] hits This refers to the number of people who have visited a given Web Site or page.( e.g.10300 hits) Home Page first page of a site, a one page site, or a company/personal page within a multi paged site. Host A computer on the Internet you may be able to log on to. You can use FTP to get files from a host computer, and use other programs (such as Telnet) to make use of the host computer. hypermedia Computer applications that have the ability to link information to information created by another application, characteristic of Internet Applications. HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol. The method by which World Wide Web pages are transferred over the network. HTML Hypertext Markup Language. A system used for writing pages for the World Wide Web. HTML allows text to include codes that define fonts, layout, embedded graphics, and hypertext links. Hypertext A system of writing and displaying text that enables the text to be linked in multiple ways, available at several levels of detail. Hypertext documents can also contain links to related documents, such as those referred to in footnotes. Hypermedia can also contain pictures, sounds, and /or video. I Image map An image map is another way of creating links between web pages. In image maps, different parts of the image activate different links. (an example: this is an external web link) infobahn A collective term given to all Digital Media. Internet access Internet access is usually made through a University Network or a commercial service provider. Internet The vast collection of interconnected networks that all use the TCP/IP protocols and that evolved from the ARPANET of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The Internet connects roughly 60,000 independent networks into a vast, global Internet. Intranet Internal use of Internet within a company, saves shoe leather, legs, coffee or ciggy breaks, staff chat time. image.gif format for saving an image used for the Internet. Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) A protocol which distributes routing information to the routers within an autonomous system. The term "gateway" is historical, as "router" is currently the preferred term. See also: Autonomous System, Exterior Gateway Protocol, Open Shortest Path First..., Routing Information Protocol. IP Internet Protocol. The transport layer protocol used as a basis of the Internet. IP enables information to be routed from one network to another in packets and then reassembled when they reach their destination. 32 bit binary number identifying the position of a computer on the Internet - similar to the URL. The URL is usually easier to remember as it is alpha based rather than numerical. IP Number A four-part number separated by periods (for example, 155.123.456.7) that uniquely identifies a machine on the Internet. Every machine on the Internet has a unique IP number; if a machine does not have an IP number, it is not really on the Internet. Most machines also have one or more domain names that are easier for people to remember. IRC Internet Relay Chat. A system that enables Internet users to talk with each other in real time over the Internet rather than in person. ISDN An emerging technology which is beginning to be offered by the telephone carriers of the world. ISDN combines voice and digital network services in a single medium, making it possible to offer customers digital data services as well as voice connections through a single "wire". The standards that define ISDN are specified by CCITT. See also: CCITT. [Source: RFC1208] Probably not going to be used as widely as originally thought as it is too slow. ISP Internet Service Provider. An ISP will get you on line once you have a modem, telephone and computer set up with the appropriate software. ISP's will often provide software J Java This programming code works in conjunction with HTML to allow dynamic programs to run and interact with your computer, where straight HTML is primarily linear information downloaded to your computer for static display. Java is a product created by Sun Microsystems. Watch for many new web sites to start incorporating limitless graphics, sound, motion, programs, etc.. (See also applets, ShockWave, and VRML) JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group. A group that has defined a compression scheme that reduces the size of image files by up to 20 times at the cost of slightly reduced image quality. K Kermit A popular file transfer protocol developed by Columbia University. Because Kermit runs in most operating environments, it provides an easy method of file transfer. Kermit is NOT the same as FTP. See also: File Transfer Protocol [Source: MALAMUD] Keywords A selection of words used with META tags or placed on Search Engines to make it easy for people to find your site - don't try and be clever and include everything including the kitchen sink - if the words have nothing to do with the page or site you are registering with the Search Engine you might find they will not accept your entry or will delete it. L LAN Local Area Network. A group of connected computers, usually located in close proximity (such as the same building or floor of the building) so data can be passed among them. land lines Communication technologies that are physical cable laid under the ground (e.g. copper cables, fibre Optic) unlike radio communications. layer Communication networks for computers may be organized as a set of more or less independent protocols, each in a different layer (also called level). The lowest layer governs direct host-to-host communication between the hardware at different hosts; the highest consists of user applications. Each layer builds on the layer beneath it. For each layer, programs at different hosts use protocols appropriate to the layer to communicate with each other. TCP/IP has five layers of protocols; OSI has seven. The advantages of different layers of protocols is that the methods of passing information from one layer to another are specified clearly as part of the protocol suite, and changes within a protocol layer are prevented from affecting the other layers. This greatly simplifies the task of designing and maintaining communication programs. Leased line Refers to a phone line that is rented for exclusive 24-hour, 7-days-a-week access between your location and another location. The highest speed data connections require a leased line. links By inserting hypertextual links into web documents it is possible to connect two documents together. These documents can be on different computers on opposite sides of the globe. Listserv A family of programs that manages mailing lists by distributing messages posted to the list, adding and deleting members automatically. local storage Electronic data that is stored on the computer you are working on. locally This term refers to information stored and viewed on your machine(local). As opposed to the information stored and viewed on other machines on the internet. Login A noun or a verb. Noun: The account name used to gain access to a computer system. Unlike a password, the login name is not a secret. Verb: The act of entering into a computer system; for example, "Login to the WELL and then go to the GBN conference." Logical Link Control (LLC) The upper portion of the datalink layer, as defined in IEEE 802.2. The LLC sublayer presents a uniform interface to the user of the datalink service, usually the network layer. Beneath the LLC sublayer is the MAC sublayer. See also: 802.x, layer, Media Access Control. Logo Style of type or design used as 'trade mark' by a company. Lurking No active participation on the part of a subscriber to an mailing list or USENET newsgroup. A person who is lurking is just listening to the discussion. Lurking is encouraged for beginners who need to get up to speed on the history of the group. M mail to This enables email contact to be written into a web document. (e.g. select this email address info@christlinks.com mail gateway A machine that connects two or more electronic mail systems (including dissimilar mail systems) and transfers messages between them. Sometimes the mapping and translation can be quite complex, and it generally requires a store-and-forward scheme whereby the message is received from one system completely before it is transmitted to the next system, after suitable translations. See also: Electronic Mail. [Source: RFC1208] mail server A software program that distributes files or information in response to requests sent via email. Internet examples include Almanac and netlib. Mail servers have also been used in Bitnet to provide FTP-like services. See also: Bitnet, Electronic Mail, FTP. [Source: NWNET] Message A piece of e-mail or a posting to a newsgroup. META Tag Tags placed at the top of the page giving title, keywords and short description of content in html, to be read by Search Engine spiders or robots, makes your page easier to search. Mirror An FTP server that provides copies of the same files as another server. Some FTP servers are so popular that other servers have been set up to mirror them and spread the FTP load to more than one site. Modem MOdulator, DEModulator. A device that you connect to your computer and to a phone line to allow the computer to talk to other computers through the phone system. Modems convert the computer's digital signals into analog waves that can be transmitted over standard voice telephone lines. Modem speeds are measured in bits per second (bps)--also sometimes expressed as Kilobits (thousands of bits) per second. For example, 28.8 Kbps and 28,800 bps are the same thing--28,800 bits per second. Mosaic A Windows-based, WinSock-compliant program that lets you access information on the World Wide Web. Microsoft's version of Mosaic is called The Internet. N name resolution The process of mapping a name into its corresponding address. See also: Domain Name System. [Source: RFC1208] namespace A commonly distributed set of names in which all names are unique. [Source: MALAMUD] Net Net is an abbreviation for the term Internet with stands for Interconnected networks. Netscape Netscape is a WWW browser. An application that allows you to search for information on the World Wide Web and now other services such as Newsgroups and e-mail. It is made by Netscape Communications Corp., formerly Mosaic Communications Corp., a company founded by many members of the original NCSA Mosaic programming team. Netscape is free for Educational and Personal use. Network Any time you connect two or more computers together so they can share resources, you have a computer network. Connect two or more networks together and you have an internet (small "i"). NNTP Network News Transfer Protocol. A protocol defined for distribution, inquiry, retrieval, and posting of news articles. network address The network portion of an IP address. For a class A network, the network address is the first byte of the IP address. For a class B network, the network address is the first two bytes of the IP address. For a class C network, the network address is the first three bytes of the IP address. In each case, the remainder is the host address. In the Internet, assigned network addresses are globally unique. See also: Internet, IP address, subnet address, host address, Internet Registry. Network File System (NFS) A protocol developed by Sun Microsystems, and defined in RFC 1094, which allows a computer system to access files over a network as if they were on its local disks. This protocol has been incorporated in products by more than two hundred companies, and is now a de facto Internet standard. [Source: NNSC] Network Information Center (NIC) A NIC provides information, assistance and services to network users. See also: Network Operations Center. Network Information Services (NIS) A set of services, generally provided by a NIC, to assist users in using the network. See also: Network Information Center. Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) A protocol, defined in RFC 977, for the distribution, inquiry, retrieval, and posting of news articles. See also: Usenet. Network Operations Center (NOC) A location from which the operation of a network or internet is monitored. Additionally, this center usually serves as a clearinghouse for connectivity problems and efforts to resolve those problems. See also: Network Information Center. [Source: NNSC] Network Time Protocol (NTP) A protocol that assures accurate local timekeeping with reference to radio and atomic clocks located on the Internet. This protocol is capable of synchronizing distributed clocks within milliseconds over long time periods. It is defined in STD 12, RFC 1119. See also: Internet. [Source: NNSC] Newsgroup A distributed bulletin board system about a particular topic. Usenet News (also know as Netnews) is a system that distributes thousands of newsgroups to all parts of the Internet. Node A computer on the Internet, also called a host. Computers that provide a service, such as FTP sites or places that run Gopher, are also called servers. O off line This is working on a computer that is currently not connected to the Internet. on-line This is working on a computer that is currently connected to the Internet. P Packet A chunk of information sent over a network. Each packet contains the destination address, the sender's address, error-control information, and data. packet switching A communications paradigm in which packets (messages) are individually routed between hosts, with no previously established communication path. See also: circuit switching, connection- oriented, connectionless. Page A document, or collection of information, available by way of the World Wide Web. To make information available over the WWW, it is organized into pages. A page may contain text, graphics, video, and/or sound files. Ping -Packet InterNet Groper A network management tool that checks to see whether you can communicate with another computer on the Internet. It sends a short message to which the other computer automatically responds. If the other computer does not respond to the ping, you usually cannot establish communications. POP Point of Presence. A physical site in a geographic area where a network access provider, such as UUNET, has equipment to which users connect. The local phone company's central office in a particular area is also sometimes referred to as their POP for that area. POP Post Office Protocol. A system by which a mail server on the Internet lets you grab your mail and download it to your PC or Macintosh. Most people refer to this protocol with its version number (POP2, POP3, and so on) to avoid confusing it with Point of Presence. Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) The Point-to-Point Protocol, defined in RFC 1171, provides a method for transmitting packets over serial point-to-point links. See also: Serial Line IP. [Source: FYI4] port A port is a transport layer demultiplexing value. Each application has a unique port number associated with it. See also: Transmission Control Protocol, User Datagram Protocol. posting up To send a message to a discussion group or mailing list. PPP Point-to-Point Protocol. A scheme for connecting two computers over a phone line (or a network link that acts like a phone line). Similar to SLIP. Privacy Enhanced Mail (PEM) Internet email which provides confidentiality, authentication and message integrity using various encryption methods. See also: Electronic Mail, encryption. protocol A formal description of message formats and the rules two computers must follow to exchange those messages. Protocols can describe low-level details of machine-to-machine interfaces (e.g., the order in which bits and bytes are sent across a wire) or high-level exchanges between allocation programs (e.g., the way in which two programs transfer a file across the Internet). [Source: MALAMUD] Q queue A backup of packets awaiting processing. R reassembly The IP process in which a previously fragmented packet is reassembled before being passed to the transport layer. See also: fragmentation. remote access When you access a computer that you are unable to see. This is done via a modem or computer network. Remote Procedure Call (RPC) An easy and popular paradigm for implementing the client-server model of distributed computing. In general, a request is sent to a remote system to execute a designated procedure, using arguments supplied, and the result returned to the caller. There are many variations and subtleties in various implementations, resulting in a variety of different (incompatible) RPC protocols. [Source: RFC1208] repeater A device which propagates electrical signals from one cable to another. See also: bridge, gateway, router. S screen resolution The number of dots per square inch (dpi) displayed on a screen. The higher the number of dots, the better the resolution. search engine A software application found on-line which allows you to search for information, by key words, available on the Internet (e.g. web sites, newsgroups) Server A computer that provides a service to other computers on a network. An Archie server, for example, lets people on the Internet use Archie. service provider A service provider is a company who supplies Internet services to personal users or business. Among other things they provide access to the Internet or somewhere to place Web Pages making them available to the WWW. You pay the service provider a set fee. ShockWave Similar to Java, bringing enhanced multimedia to the internet. ShockWave is a development tool created by the company Macromedia. site A site is the term given to a place where information can be found on the World Wide Web. (i.e. A web site) SLIP Serial Line Interface Protocol. A software scheme for connecting a computer to the Internet. Socket When your computer is on the Internet via a SLIP connection, a socket is a conversation your computer is having with a computer elsewhere on the net. You may have one socket for an FTP session, another socket for a Telnet session, and another socket taking care of getting your mail. SMTP Simple Mail Transfer Protocol A protocol used to transfer e-mail between computers. Spam/Spamming Mass insolicited e-mailing by companies or individuals wanting to sell their services, sites or products. Report to your server if this happens frequently from the same sender, there are means of blocking. Spamming is also a term for mass registration of a site or page with Search Engines - not looked on with favour by them and you risk having ALL your pages deleted if you do it. If your page doesn't show up through a search try checking your META tags and the keywords you use when registering. Structure of Management Information (SMI) The rules used to define the objects that can be accessed via a network management protocol. This protocol is defined in STD 16, RFC 1155. See also: Management Information Base. [Source: RFC1208] stub network A stub network only carries packets to and from local hosts. Even if it has paths to more than one other network, it does not carry traffic for other networks. See also: backbone, transit network. subnet A portion of a network, which may be a physically independent network segment, which shares a network address with other portions of the network and is distinguished by a subnet number. A subnet is to a network what a network is to an internet. See also: internet, network. subnet address The subnet portion of an IP address. In a subnetted network, the host portion of an IP address is split into a subnet portion and a host portion using an address (subnet) mask Synchronous Communication Communication that occurs at the same time, between two or more individuals, for e.g. telephone conversations, Internet Relay Chat, face-to-face communication T TCP/IP Simple Mail Transfer Protocol A protocol used to transfer e-mail between Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. The system that networks use to communicate with each other on the Internet. Telnet The command and program used to login from one Internet site to another. The Telnet command/program gets you to the "login" prompt of another host. Terminal A device that allows you to send commands to a computer somewhere else. At a minimum, this usually means a keyboard and a display screen and some simple circuitry. Usually you will use terminal software in a personal computer--the software pretends to be ("emulates") a physical terminal and allows you to type commands to a computer somewhere else. Terminal Access Controller (TAC) A device which connects terminals to the Internet, usually using dialup modem connections and the TACACS protocol. terminal emulator A program that allows a computer to emulate a terminal. The workstation thus appears as a terminal to the remote host. [Source: MALAMUD] terminal server A device which connects many terminals to a LAN through one network connection. A terminal server can also connect many network users to its asynchronous ports for dial-out capabilities and printer access. See also: Local Area Network. topology A network topology shows the computers and the links between them. A network layer must stay abreast of the current network topology to be able to route packets to their final destination. [Source: MALAMUD] transceiver Transmitter-receiver. The physical device that connects a host interface to a local area network, such as Ethernet. Ethernet transceivers contain electronics that apply signals to the cable and sense collisions. [Source: RFC1208] transit network A transit network passes traffic between networks in addition to carrying traffic for its own hosts. It must have paths to at least two other networks. See also: backbone, stub network. Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) An Internet Standard transport layer protocol defined in STD 7, RFC 793. It is connection-oriented and stream-oriented, as opposed to UDP. Trojan Horse A computer program which carries within itself a means to allow the creator of the program access to the system using it. See also: virus, worm. See RFC 1135. U UNIX A computer operating system (the basic software running on a computer, underneath things such as word processors and spreadsheets). UNIX is designed to be used by many people at the same time (it is "multiuser") and has TCP/IP built in. It is the most common operating system for servers on the Internet. Uploading Sending work from the publisher's computers to the Internet to be available worldwide. urban legend A story, which may have started with a grain of truth, that has been embroidered and retold until it has passed into the realm of myth. It is an interesting phenonmenon that these stories get spread so far, so fast and so often. Urban legends never die, they just end up on the Internet! Some legends that periodically make their rounds include "The Infamous Modem Tax," "Craig Shergold/Brain Tumor/Get Well Cards," and "The $250 Cookie Recipe". [Source: LAQUEY] URL Uniform Resource Locator. The standard way to give the address of any resource on the Internet that is part of the World Wide Web (WWW). A URL looks like this: http://www.matisse.net/seminars.htm. The most common way to use a URL is to enter into a Web browser program, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. USENET A collection of thousands of topically named newsgroups, the computers which run the protocols, and the people who read and submit Usenet news. Not all Internet hosts subscribe to Usenet and not all Usenet hosts are on the Internet. See also: Network News Transfer Protocol, UNIX-to-UNIX CoPy. [Source: NWNET] V Veronica Very Easy Rodent Oriented Net-wide Index to Computerized Archives. A program that uses word searches to locate articles in Gopherspace. Developed at the University of Nevada, Veronica is a constantly updated database of names of almost every menu item on thousands of Gopher servers. (See also: Gopher). Viewer A program used by Gopher, WAIS, or WWW client programs to show files with contents other than text. You would use a viewer to display graphics or video files, or to play sound files. virtual circuit A network service which provides connection-oriented service regardless of the underlying network structure. See also: connection-oriented. virus A program which replicates itself on computer systems by incorporating itself into other programs which are shared among computer systems. See also: Trojan Horse, worm. VRML Virtual Reality Markup Language. A standard by which the internet uses for delivering 3-dimensional virtual reality over the the Web. W WAN Wide Area Network. Any internet or network that covers an area larger than a single building or campus. (See also: Internet, LAN, network) Web An abbreviated term for the World Wide Web. Web document Is a collection of information stored on the World Wide Web (WWW) which has the benefit of using hypertext links to link to other documents on the (WWW). web site A collection of html files, graphic files and any other file types that are supported by the World Wide Web that can be viewed by using a World Wide Web browser. WHOIS An Internet program which allows users to query a database of people and other Internet entities, such as domains, networks, and hosts, kept at the DDN NIC. The information for people shows a person's company name, address, phone number and email address. See also: Defense Data Network Network ..., white pages, Knowbot, X.500. [Source: FYI4] Wide Area Information Servers (WAIS) A distributed information service which offers simple natural language input, indexed searching for fast retrieval, and a "relevance feedback" mechanism which allows the results of initial searches to influence future searches. Public domain implementations are available. See also: archie, Gopher, Prospero. Wide Area Network (WAN) A network, usually constructed with serial lines, which covers a large geographic area. See also: Local Area Network, Metropolitan Area Network. Windows Socket (WinSock). Windows Sockets is a standard way for Windows-based programs to work with TCP/IP. You can use WinSock if you use SLIP to connect to the Internet. World Wide Web (WWW or W3) A hypertext-based, distributed information system created by researchers at CERN in Switzerland. Users may create, edit or browse hypertext documents. The clients and servers are freely available. The newest and most ambitious of the special Internet services. The World Wide Web provides full text and graphical access to documents created using Hypertext Markup Language(HTML). It is the first Internet service that incorporates many of the most popular platforms (e-mail, Gopher, FTP, Wais, Newsgroups). Attributed to the world wide success of the Internet. Often abbreviated 'WWW'. worm A computer program which replicates itself and is self- propagating. Worms, as opposed to viruses, are meant to spawn in network environments. Network worms were first defined by Shoch & Hupp of Xerox in ACM Communications (March 1982). The Internet worm of November 1988 is perhaps the most famous; it successfully propagated itself on over 6,000 systems across the Internet. See also: Trojan Horse, virus. X X X is the name for TCP/IP based network-oriented window systems. Network window systems allow a program to use a display on a different computer. The most widely-implemented window system is X11 - a component of MIT's Project Athena. X.25 A data communications interface specification developed to describe how data passes into and out of public data communications networks. The CCITT and ISO approved protocol suite defines protocol layers 1 through 3. X.400 The CCITT and ISO standard for electronic mail. It is widely used in Europe and Canada. X.500 The CCITT and IS Y Yellow Pages (YP) A service used by UNIX administrators to manage databases distributed across a network. Also used as a term meaning a World Wide Web virtual Phone book for businesses. Z

A Glossary of Computer and Communications Jargon

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