| Bandwidth | or capacity of the communications medium, refers to the amount of information that a communications medium can transfer in a given amount of time.
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| Bluetooth | technology that provides entirely wireless connections for all kinds of communication devices.
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| Broadband | high-capacity telecommunications pipeline capable of providing high-speed Internet service.
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| Cable modem | a device that uses your TV cable to deliver an Internet connection.
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| Cat 5 (or Category 5) | a better-constructed version of the phone twisted-pair cable.
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| Client/server network | a network in which one or more computers are servers and provide services to the other computers which are called clients.
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| Coaxial cable (coax) | one central wire surrounded by insulation, a metallic shield, and a final case of insulating material.
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| Communications medium | the path, or physical channel, in a network over which information travels.
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| Communications protocol (protocol) | a set of rules that every computer follows to transfer information.
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| Communications satellite | a microwave repeater in space.
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| Communications service provider | third party who furnishes the conduit for information.
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| Computer network (or network) | two or more computers connected so that they can communicate with each other and share information, software, peripheral devices, and/or processing power.
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| Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) | a high-speed Internet connection using phone lines, which allows you to use your phone for voice communications at the same time.
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| Ethernet card | the most common type of network interface card.
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| Firewall | hardware and/or software that protects a computer or network from intruders.
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| Handspring | a type of PDA that runs on the Palm Operating System (Palm OS).
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| Home PNA (Home Phoneline Networking Alliance) | allows you to network your home computers using telephone wiring.
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| Infrared | a wireless communications medium that uses light waves to transmit signals or information.
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| International virtual private network (international VPN) | virtual private networks that depend on services offered by phone companies of various nationalities.
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| Local area network (LAN) | a network that covers a limited geographic distance, such as an office, a building, or a group of buildings in close proximity to each other.
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| Microwave | a type of radio transmission used to transmit information.
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| Municipal area network (MAN) | a network that covers a metropolitan area.
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| Network hub | a device that connects multiple computers into a network.
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| Network interface card (NIC) | an expansion card or a PC Card (for a notebook computer) that connects your computer to a network and provides the doorway for information to flow in and out.
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| Optical fiber | a telecommunications medium that uses a very thin glass or plastic fiber through which pulses of light travel.
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| Palm | a type of PDA that runs on the Palm Operating System (Palm OS).
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| Palm Operating System (Palm OS) | the operating system for Palm and Handspring PDAs.
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| Peer-to-peer network | a network in which a small number of computers share hardware (such as a printer), software, and/or information.
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| Personal digital assistant (PDA) | a small hand-held computer that helps you surf the Web and perform simple tasks such as note taking, calendaring, appointment scheduling, and maintaining an address book.
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| PNA adapter card | an expansion card that you put into your computer to act as a doorway for information flowing in and out.
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| Pocket PC OS (or Windows CE) | the operating system for the PocketPC PDA.
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| Private network | the communications media that your organization owns or exclusively leases to connect networks or network components.
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| Public network | a network on which your organization competes for time with others.
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| Repeater | a device that receives a radio signal, strengthens it, and sends it on.
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| Router | a device that acts as a smart hub connecting computers into a network, and it also separates your network from any other network it's connected to.
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| Satellite modem | a modem that allows you to get Internet access from a satellite dish.
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| Switch | a device that connects multiple computers into a network in which multiple communications links can be in operation simultaneously.
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| Telephone modem (or modem) | a device that connects your computer to your phone line so that you can access another computer or network.
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| Value-added network (VAN) | a semipublic network that provides services beyond the movement of information from one place to another.
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| Virtual private network (VPN) | uses software to establish a secure channel on the Internet for transmitting data.
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| Wide area network (WAN) | a network that covers large geographic distances, such as a state, a country, or even the entire world.
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| WiFi stands for wireless fidelity (also known as IEEE 802.11b) | a way of transmitting information in wave form that is reasonably fast and is often used for notebooks.
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| Wired communications | media that transmit information over a closed, connected path
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| Wireless network access point or wireless access point | a device that allows computers to access a network using radio waves.
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| Wireless communications | media that transmit information through the air.
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| Wireless Internet service provider (wireless ISP) | a company that provides the same service as a standard Internet service provider except that the user doesn't need a wired connection for access.
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