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Broadband Technical Glossary
Broadband Technical Glossary
ADSL
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line - technical term describing the particular technology used to deliver Broadband using your existing telephone cables. ADSL provides download speeds of up to 8Mbit/s and upload speeds of up to 1Mbit/s per second. The different downstream and upstream rates defines the Asymmetry. ^
ATM
Asynchronous Transfer Mode - The underlying data transfer mechanism used by ADSL service. Data from your computer is divided in to variable size IP packets, which themselves are divided in to fixed size ATM cells for transfer across the Broadband network to the Tiscali servers. ^
Bandwidth
The term bandwidth refers to the configured speed of your ADSL line relating to the capacity of your internet connection to transmit and receive data. It is analogous to the size of a water pipe where the bigger the pipe the more water that can flow. Similarly the larger the bandwidth the greater the data transfer rate. ^
Contention ratio
This refers to the maximum number of users sharing the bandwidth on the connection between your local exchange and Tiscali. A ratio of 50:1 would mean that there are 50 connections sharing a single line. (In theory this means 50 people at any time could be trying to download or upload information, but in reality it won't happen too often.) For more details click here. ^
DHCP
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, the method used by many networks to issue IP addresses co computers attached to the network. DHCP server functionality is used by ADSL routers. ^
DSLAM
Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer: Technical hardware equipment located in a local exchange that aggregates the connections of broadband users into one or more link onto the main internet infrastructure.
Dynamic IP address
Originally all Internet Protocol addresses were static, but with the growth of the internet it soon became clear there wouldn't be enough to go around. A dynamic IP address changes every time you connect to the internet. Tiscali has a wide range of dynamic IP addresses from which you will be allocated on making a Broadband connection.
Exchange
This refers to your local telephone exchange, which is where all local telephone lines go through to reach the rest of the telephone network. From here the exchange splits your voice communications and data communications so they are forwarded on to the correct part of the telephone network. ^
Filter
The filter actually blocks the ADSL signal on your telephone line from reaching your telephone handset. This ensures that no audible interference reaches your telephony device. Without a filter you may hear varying degrees of noise on the line. You should fit an ADSL filter in between the wall socket and every telephony device that shares the telephone line. This will include: All telephone handsets, dial-up modems, fax machines, burglar alarms, satellite receiver/set-top box etc. For more details click here. ^
Firewall
A security software application or hardware that gives you the ability to block unwanted traffic from entering your local network, including hackers. ^
IP
Internet Protocol, the protocol used by the world-wide-web to shift data round the globe. An IP address refers to the host computer you are assigned by Tiscali when you make an Internet connection. ^
ISP
Internet Service Provider. These are the providers from whom you purchased your ADSL/Broadband service (hopefully Tiscali). They in turn purchase the network connectivity between you and your local exchange from BT Wholesale. ^
Kbps
Kilobits per second (1 kilobit per second equals 1,000 bits per second) are used to measure data transfer through a modem or on a network.
Latency
In the context of Broadband service, is the time taken for data to get from your computer to the destination (and likewise from Tiscali to your computer). Latency is often discussed because Broadband often adds a significant contribution to the overall round-trip delay time. The inherent delay in Broadband is due to the error correction techniques used to ensure that data travelling from the 5km from your home to the exchange (and back) arrives intact. For more details click here. ^
MB
Megabyte which relates to approxiamately 1,024 bytes. More information is available here. ^
Modem
Whilst the term modem actually stands for modulator/demodulator, the term is commonly used to refer to any piece of Broadband equipment. More likely the term is used to refer to a PCI or USB device that has no routing functionality built in. In this way ADSL modems are differentiated from
ADSL routers. ^
Peer-to-peer
A network of two or more computers that communicate without using a central server. This lack of reliance on a server differentiates a peer-to-peer network from a client/server network. ^
Rate Adaptive DSL
A broadband technology which extends the outer reach of copper wire DSL from 3.5 km to 5.5 km distant from a DSL-enabled exchange.
RJ11 cable
Cable used to join a phone line to a Broadband modem to transfer digital Broadband signals.
Router
A product that combines an ADSL modem for direct connection to an ADSL enabled phone line with multi-device IP routing capability, for the connection of multiple devices to a single ADSL connection. ^
USB
Universal Serial Bus - A standard port that enables you to connect external devices (such as digital cameras, scanners, and mice) to Windows 98 and Macintosh computers. The USB standard supports data transfer rates of 12Mbps (million bits per second), a vast improvement over the serial port standard it is beginning to replace. The easiest way to get a single computer connected to Broadband is to use a USB ADSL modem. ^
Username
A username is a name given to you that you use to gain access to a computer or services. Your Tiscali username is the same as your email address for that particular account. On initial registration you will have had to setup an username in the format jobloggs@tiscali.co.uk which is your Broadband email address and logon username.
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line - technical term describing the particular technology used to deliver Broadband using your existing telephone cables. ADSL provides download speeds of up to 8Mbit/s and upload speeds of up to 1Mbit/s per second. The different downstream and upstream rates defines the Asymmetry. ^
ATM
Asynchronous Transfer Mode - The underlying data transfer mechanism used by ADSL service. Data from your computer is divided in to variable size IP packets, which themselves are divided in to fixed size ATM cells for transfer across the Broadband network to the Tiscali servers. ^
Bandwidth
The term bandwidth refers to the configured speed of your ADSL line relating to the capacity of your internet connection to transmit and receive data. It is analogous to the size of a water pipe where the bigger the pipe the more water that can flow. Similarly the larger the bandwidth the greater the data transfer rate. ^
Contention ratio
This refers to the maximum number of users sharing the bandwidth on the connection between your local exchange and Tiscali. A ratio of 50:1 would mean that there are 50 connections sharing a single line. (In theory this means 50 people at any time could be trying to download or upload information, but in reality it won't happen too often.) For more details click here. ^
DHCP
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, the method used by many networks to issue IP addresses co computers attached to the network. DHCP server functionality is used by ADSL routers. ^
DSLAM
Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer: Technical hardware equipment located in a local exchange that aggregates the connections of broadband users into one or more link onto the main internet infrastructure.
Dynamic IP address
Originally all Internet Protocol addresses were static, but with the growth of the internet it soon became clear there wouldn't be enough to go around. A dynamic IP address changes every time you connect to the internet. Tiscali has a wide range of dynamic IP addresses from which you will be allocated on making a Broadband connection.
Exchange
This refers to your local telephone exchange, which is where all local telephone lines go through to reach the rest of the telephone network. From here the exchange splits your voice communications and data communications so they are forwarded on to the correct part of the telephone network. ^
Filter
The filter actually blocks the ADSL signal on your telephone line from reaching your telephone handset. This ensures that no audible interference reaches your telephony device. Without a filter you may hear varying degrees of noise on the line. You should fit an ADSL filter in between the wall socket and every telephony device that shares the telephone line. This will include: All telephone handsets, dial-up modems, fax machines, burglar alarms, satellite receiver/set-top box etc. For more details click here. ^
Firewall
A security software application or hardware that gives you the ability to block unwanted traffic from entering your local network, including hackers. ^
IP
Internet Protocol, the protocol used by the world-wide-web to shift data round the globe. An IP address refers to the host computer you are assigned by Tiscali when you make an Internet connection. ^
ISP
Internet Service Provider. These are the providers from whom you purchased your ADSL/Broadband service (hopefully Tiscali). They in turn purchase the network connectivity between you and your local exchange from BT Wholesale. ^
Kbps
Kilobits per second (1 kilobit per second equals 1,000 bits per second) are used to measure data transfer through a modem or on a network.
Latency
In the context of Broadband service, is the time taken for data to get from your computer to the destination (and likewise from Tiscali to your computer). Latency is often discussed because Broadband often adds a significant contribution to the overall round-trip delay time. The inherent delay in Broadband is due to the error correction techniques used to ensure that data travelling from the 5km from your home to the exchange (and back) arrives intact. For more details click here. ^
MB
Megabyte which relates to approxiamately 1,024 bytes. More information is available here. ^
Modem
Whilst the term modem actually stands for modulator/demodulator, the term is commonly used to refer to any piece of Broadband equipment. More likely the term is used to refer to a PCI or USB device that has no routing functionality built in. In this way ADSL modems are differentiated from
ADSL routers. ^
Peer-to-peer
A network of two or more computers that communicate without using a central server. This lack of reliance on a server differentiates a peer-to-peer network from a client/server network. ^
Rate Adaptive DSL
A broadband technology which extends the outer reach of copper wire DSL from 3.5 km to 5.5 km distant from a DSL-enabled exchange.
RJ11 cable
Cable used to join a phone line to a Broadband modem to transfer digital Broadband signals.
Router
A product that combines an ADSL modem for direct connection to an ADSL enabled phone line with multi-device IP routing capability, for the connection of multiple devices to a single ADSL connection. ^
USB
Universal Serial Bus - A standard port that enables you to connect external devices (such as digital cameras, scanners, and mice) to Windows 98 and Macintosh computers. The USB standard supports data transfer rates of 12Mbps (million bits per second), a vast improvement over the serial port standard it is beginning to replace. The easiest way to get a single computer connected to Broadband is to use a USB ADSL modem. ^
Username
A username is a name given to you that you use to gain access to a computer or services. Your Tiscali username is the same as your email address for that particular account. On initial registration you will have had to setup an username in the format jobloggs@tiscali.co.uk which is your Broadband email address and logon username.
Error codes
Find out what those error codes mean.
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