Adaware
Programs that display advertisements in pop ups or pop up under windows.
ADSL
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. A high-speed Internet access
technology used for the Residential High Speed service, by Bell
in parts of Ontario and Quebec. A technology in which high-capacity
transmission requirements, such as compressed video signals are
delivered through copper wire. In this case, "asymmetric"
refers to the transmission capacity towards the customer being
greater than that from the customer to the network.
Bandwidth
The amount of data that can be transmitted over a given time period.
Bit
A contraction of the "binary digit". A bit is the smallest
possible unit of storage of computer information and can be one
of two values. These values are typically represented by 0 and
1, low and high, or on and off.
bps
bits-per-second. A measure of data transmission, such as that
handled by a modem.
Broadband
A communications medium which is capable of carrying multiple
messages at the same time.
Browser Hijackers
Programs that change settings in your browser.
Browser Plugins
Browser plug-in parasites can add
buttons, links, and other add-ons to the users web browser.
Carding
Credit card fraud.
Dedicated
Access
A direct connection between a terminal and a service, network
or computer dedicated to the specific use of a particular customer.
Cracks
Software created to
modify other software.
Dial
access (roaming)
Ability to access the Internet through a dial up connection.
Dialers
Programs that
change a users dialup connection settings.
Dial
Up
The use of a rotary-dial or Touch-Tone™ telephone
to initiate a station-to-station telephone call.
DSL
Digital Subscriber Line. A term coined to refer to the family
of DSL access technologies, including ADSL, RADSL, VDSL, etc.
e-mail
address
Electronic identification that enables users to send and
receive electronic mail.
Ethernet
Card
The ethernet card provides a standardized way of connecting
computers together to create a network. Because DSL technology
requirements far exceeds the lower speed limits of standard serial/parallel
connections now uilt-in most PCs, a connection technology capable
of interfacing at higher speeds was required; ethernet technology,
capable of sustaining traffic volumes of up to 10MB, was chosen
as the technology of choice.
Filter
A device that prevents noise interference and is installed
between a telephone and its wall jack.
Firewall
A system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from
a private network. Firewalls can be implemented in both hardware
and software, or a combination of both. Firewalls are frequently
used to prevent unauthorized Internet users from accessing private
networks connected to the Internet, especially Intranets. All
messages entering or leaving the Intranet pass through the firewall,
which examines each message and blocks those that do not meet
the specified security criteria. A firewall is considered a first
line of defense in protecting private information. For greater
security, data can be encrypted.
There are several types of firewall techniques:
Flooders
Programs that
try to overload a connection.
Gateway
This is a device that converts different protocols; a network
interconnectivity device that translates communications protocols.
In networking,
it is a combination of hardware and software that links two different
types of networks. Gateways between e-mail systems, for example,
allow users on different e-mail systems to exchange messages.
Gateway
Address
A gateway address is the IP address of a network point that
acts as an entrance to another network. For example, in a corporate
network, a proxy server acts as a gateway between the internal
network and the Internet.
Hub
A common connection point for all devices connected to a
star network. A passive hub simply serves as a conduit for the
data, enabling it to go from one device to another. So called
intelligent hubs include additional features that enable them
to act as a bridge, transferring data between different types
of networks. Some hubs are full-fledged computers that also act
as network servers.
HFC
Hybrid Fibre-Coaxial. A high speed Internet access technology
not yet employed by the Sentex service.
Internet
A wide-area network that connects tens of millions of computers
worldwide. Originally implemented by the U.S. Defence Department,
Internet is now administered by an independent organization. Members
include: government agencies, educational institutions and large
corporations.
Kbps
Kilobits-per-second (thousands of bits-per-second). A measure
of data transmission, such as that handled by a modem.
Keyloggers
Programs
that monitor keystrokes and can also send this data from the computer.
Line
A communications channel. Also called a circuit, trunk or
facility. It often refers to customer access to the public switched
telephone network (e.g., residence line, individual business line).
Mail Bombers
Programs that can flood a users
email account with many email messages.
Malware
Programs that can
install without users knowledge or consent and can execute unwanted actions on the computer.
Mbps
Megabits-per-second (millions of bits-per-second). A measure
of data transmission, such as that handled by a modem.
Modem
Device that modulates and demodulates data usually transmitted
over a regular telephone line
Network
A series of points interconnected by telecommunications channels.
Port
The entrance or access point to a computer or multiplexer.
Proxy
Server
A server that sits between a client application, such as
a Web browser, and a real server. It intercepts all requests to
the real server to see if it can fulfill the requests itself.
If not, it forwards the request to the real server. Proxy servers
can also be used to filter requests. For example, a company might
use a proxy server to prevent its employees from accessing a specific
set of Web sites.
Router
A device that connects two LANs. Routers are similar to bridges,
but provide additional functionality, such as the ability to filter
messages and forward them to different places based on various
criteria. The Internet uses routers extensively to forward packets
from one host to another.
Spam Tools
Programs created to assist with
sending spam.
Splitterless
"Splitterless ADSL" refers to the fact that this
particular version of the technology does not require an in-house
installation by a qualified technician of a special filter known
as a POTS Splitter. Instead, the splitterless ADSL service relies
on the installation of small in-line filters at each telephone
set.
Streaming
A method of delivering information (usually sound and/or
video) over the Internet such that it can be played on a receiving
computer at the same time it is being delivered.
Subnet
A portion of a network that shares a common address component.
On TCP/IP networks, subnets are defined as all devices whose IP
addresses have the same prefix. For example, all devices with
IP addresses that start with 100.100.100 would be part of the
same subnet. Dividing a network into subnets is useful for both
security and performance reasons. IP networks are divided using
a subnet mask.
Telnet
A terminal emulation program for TCP/IP networks such as
the Internet. The Telnet program runs on your computer and connects
your PC to a server on the network. You can then enter commands
through the Telnet program and they will be executed as if you
were entering them directly on the server console. This enables
you to control the server and communicate with other servers on
the network. To start a Telnet session, you must log into a server
by entering a valid username and password. Telnet is the most
common way to remotely control Web servers.
Trojans
Programs that
install secretly and quietly - usually intended to cause harm.
VADSL
Very-High-Rate Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. A high-speed
Internet access technology.
Viruses
Programs that spread automatically by infesting other files
on your PC, and then spreading themselves to the other computers.
Web
Server
This is a computer that delivers (serves up) Web pages. Every
Web server has an IP address and possibly a domain name. For example,
if you enter the URL http://www1.sympatico.ca/Tools/ into your
browser, a request is sent to the server with the domain name:
sympatico.ca. The server then fetches the page named Tools and
sends it to your browser.
Any computer
can be turned into a Web server by installing server software
and connecting it to the Internet. There are many Web server software
applications, including public domain software from NCSA and commercial
packages from Microsoft, Netscape, and others.
*Sentex Customer
Support
does not provide support for Web servers.
Worms
Virus-like programs that contain destructive code and can
spread itself to the other computers.
