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Glossary

3G

- Third Generation network

3G refers to the third generation of mobile telephony technology. The evolution of 3G

technology is as follows:

802.11 (b, g, n)

A set of WLAN communication standards in the 2.4, 3.6 and 5 GHz frequency bands

Access Point

A device that allows wireless communication devices to connect to a wireless Network using

a standard such as Wi-Fi

APN

Access Point Name. The APN is an alphanumeric string that identifies the particular network

service that is being accessed. These are used by GPRS and UMTS networks.

ARP - Address Resolution Protocol

ARP

is a TCP/IP protocol for mapping an IP address to a physical machine address that is

recognized in the local network, such as an Ethernet address.

A host wishing to obtain a physical address broadcasts an ARP request onto the TCP/IP

network. The host on the network that has the IP address in the request then replies with

its physical hardware address.

Inverse ARP (In-ARP), on the other hand, is used by a host to discover its IP address. In

this case, the host broadcasts its physical address and a RARP server replies with the host's

IP address.

BPS - Bits Per Second

The rate of data flow.

Broadband

High-capacity high-speed, transmission channel with a wider bandwidth than conventional

modem lines. Broadband channels can carry video, voice, and data simultaneously.

CDMA - Code Division Multiple Access

It is the underlying channel access method used by some mobile phone standards.

CDMA technologies



1xRTT offered speeds up to 144 Kbps (2002)



EV-DO increased downlink speeds up to 2.4 Mbps (2004)



EV-DO Rev A boosted downlink speeds to 3.1 Mbps (2006)



EV-DO Rev B can use 2 to 15 channels with each downlink peaking at 4.9 Mbps.



Ultra Mobile Broadband was slated to reach 288 Mbps but operators may switch to

LTE instead.

CDMA EV-DO

A is a leading-edge wireless technology with higher data rates and higher system capacity.

It is a fully backward compatible standard and remains interoperable with deployed EV-DO

networks and devices around the world. The increased data rates on Rev. A’s physical

layer

enable richer applications and services.

For more information, visit www.cdg.org.

DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)

When operates as a DHCP server, the Router assign IP addresses to the client PCs on the

LAN

. The client PCs “leases” these Private IP addresses for a user

-defined amount of time.

After the lease time expires, the private IP address is made available for assigning to other

network devices.

The DHCP IP address can be a single, fixed public IP address, an ISP assigned public IP

address, or a private IP address.

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If you enable DHCP server on a private IP address, a public IP address will have to be

assigned to the NAT IP address, and NAT has to be enabled so that the DHCP IP address can

be translated into a public IP address. By this, the client PCs are able to access the Internet.

DHCP Server

A server or service with a server that assigns IP addresses.

DNS - Domain Name System

A system for converting host names and domain names into

IP addresses on the Internet or on local networks that use the TCP/IP protocol.

EDGE - Enhanced Data for GSM Environment

or Enhanced Data rates for Global Evolution

A faster version of GSM wireless service, it allows data to be delivered at rates of 384 Kbps

and enable the deliver of multimedia and other broadband applications. EDGE became

available in 2001.

ESN - Electronic Serial Number

A unique 32-bit number embedded in the microchip of a wireless device that identifies the

device.

Firewall

A hardware or software boundary that protects a network or single computer from

unwanted outside traffic.

Firmware

A computer program embedded in an electronic device Firmware usually contains

operating code for the device.

FTP - File Transfer Protocol

A network protocol for exchanging files over a TCP network. Gateway

—

A network point

that acts as an entrance to another network that uses a different protocol.

GPRS - General Packet Radio Services

A system used by GSM mobile phones for transmitting IP packets. It also provides support

for WCDMA based 3G networks.

GSM - Global System for Mobile communication

A digital mobile telephony system widely used in Europe and other parts of the world. GSM

was first launched in 1991 and is the most widely used of the three digital wireless

telephony technologies (TDMA, GSM, and CDMA). GSM uses a variation of TDMA.

GSM technologies



GPRS offered speeds up to 114 Kbps (began in 2000).



EDGE reached up to 384 Kbps (2003).



WCDMA offered downlink speeds up to 1.02 Mbps.



HSDPA boosted downlink to 14 Mbps (in 75 countries 2007)



LTE Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access is aiming for 100 Mbps (specifications

completed 2008).

Host Name

The unique name by which a network-attached device is known on a network.

Hotspot

A Wi-Fi (802.11) access point or the area covered by an access point.

Hot-Swappable

The ability to remove and replace the MicroSD Card from a device while it

is still connected to the computer and online without damaging the device.

HSDPA - High Speed Downlink Packet Access

HSDPA is an enhanced version of WCDMA that supports broadband connections with

download speeds up to 7.2 Mbps. This enhanced 3G technology enables the download of

high-bandwidth multimedia files, high resolution graphics, and other complex files, and

viewing email attachments at broadband-like speeds.

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HSPA - High Speed Packet Access

A family of 3G services that is available to GSM carriers. It is a major enhancement from

WCDMA.

HSUPA - High Speed Uplink Packet Access

A 3G mobile telephony protocol with up-link speeds up to 5.76 Mbps.

HTTP - Hypertext Transfer Protocol

An application-level protocol for accessing the World Wide Web over the Internet.

IMAP - Internet Message Access Protocol

An Internet standard protocol for email retrieval.

IMSI - International Mobile Subscriber Identity

Used in GSM networks to identify the subscriber Usually embedded in the SIM.

IP - Internet Protocol

The mechanism by which packets are routed between computers on a network.

IP Type

The type of service provided over a network.

IP address - Internet Protocol address

The address of a device attached to an IP network (TCP/IP network)

ISP - Internet Service Provider

Also referred to as the service carrier, an ISP provides Internet connection service.

Kbps - Kilobits per second

The rate of data flow.

LAN - Local Area Network & WAN - Wide Area Network

A LAN is a computer network limited to the immediate area, usually the same building or

floor of a building. A WAN, on the other hand, is an outside connection to another network

or the Internet.

The Ethernet side of a Router is called the LAN port. It is a twisted-pair Ethernet 10Base-T

interface. A hub can be connected to the LAN port. More than one computer, such as server

or printer, can be connected through this hub to the Router and composes a LAN.

LTE - Long Term Evolution

A set of enhancements to UMTS (moving toward 4G) that will provide high throughput, low

latency, plug and play and seamless connection to existing networks such as GSM,

cdmaOne, etc.

MAC Address - Media Access Control

A number that uniquely identifies each network hardware device. MAC addresses are 12-

digit hexadecimal numbers.

MEID - Mobile Equipment Identifier

A globally unique number for a physical piece of mobile station equipment.

Mbps - Megabits per second

The rate of data flow.

MicroSD / MicroSDHC

A small, removable flash memory card available in various storage sizes.Some products

have a slot that allows them to utilize this external memory.

MSID - Mobile Station Identifier

A number for a mobile phone that identifies that phone to the network. These numbers are

carrier specific.

MSL - Master Subsidy Lock

A numeric code for accessing certain phone settings.

NAI - Network Access Identifier

A standard way of identifying users who request access to a network.

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NAT - Network Address Translation - IP Address

NAT is an Internet standard that translates a private IP within one network to a public IP

address, either a static or dynamic one. NAT provides a type of firewall by hiding internal IP

addresses. It also enables a company to use more internal IP addresses.

If the IP addresses given by your ISP are not enough for each PC on the LAN and the

Router, you need to use NAT. With NAT, you make up a private IP network for the LAN and

assign an IP address from that network to each PC. One of some public addresses is

configured and mapped to a private workstation address when accesses are made through

the gateway to a public network.

For example, the Router is assigned with the public IP address of 168.111.2.1. With NAT

enabled, it creates a Virtual LAN. Each PC on the Virtual LAN is assigned with a private IP

address with default value of 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.2.254. These PCs are not accessible

by the outside world but they can communicate with the outside world through the public IP

168.111.2.1.

Network Mask

A number that allows IP networks to be subdivided for security and performance.

Network Provider

The vendor who provides your access to the Internet. Known by different names in different

regions, some examples are: wireless provider, network operator, and service provider.

Network Technology

T

he technology on which a particular network provider’s system is built; such as,

xDSL,

PON, GPON, GSM, HSPA, CDMA, EDGE, and EVDO.

NNTP - Network News Transfer Protocol

An Internet application protocol for reading and posting Usenet (newsgroup) articles.

PDA - Personal Digital Assistant

A handheld device used for organization, notes, address books, etc.

POP - Post Office Protocol

An Internet protocol for retrieving email from a remote server over a TCP/IP connection.

Port.

A virtual data connection used by programs to exchange data. It is the endpoint in a

logical connection. The port is specified by the port number.

Port Forwarding

A process that allows remote devices to connect to a specific computer within a private LAN.

Port Number

A 16-bit number used by the TCP and UDP protocols to direct traffic on a

TCP/IP host. Certain port numbers are standard for common applications.

Private IP Address

Private IP addresses are also LAN IP addresses, but are

considered “illegal” IP addresses to

the Internet. They are private to an enterprise while still permitting full network layer

connectivity between all hosts inside an enterprise as well as all public hosts of different

enterprises.

The Router uses private IP addresses by assigning them to the LAN that cannot be directly

accessed by the Internet or remote server. To access the Internet, private network should

have an agent to translate the private IP address to public IP address.

Protocol

A standard that enables connection, communication, and data transfer between computing

endpoints.

PPP - Point to Point Protocol

A method of connecting a computer to the Internet.

PPTP - Point-to-point Tunnelling Protocol

A method for implementing virtual private networks that does not provide confidentiality or

encryption but relies on the tunnelling process for security.

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PRL - Preferred Roaming List

A list that your wireless phone or device uses to determine which networks to connect with

when you are roaming. (Network operator specific)

Protocol

A standard that enables connection, communication, and data transfer between computing

endpoints.

Proxy

A firewall mechanism that replaces the IP address of a host on the internal

(protected) network with its own IP address for all traffic passing through it.

Public IP Address

Public IP addresses are LAN IP addresses that can be considered “legal” for the Internet,

because they can be recognized and accessed by any device on the other side of the DSL

connection. In most cases they are allocated by your ISP.

If you are given a range of fixed IP addresses, then one can be assigned to the router and

the others to network devices on the LAN, such as computer workstations, ftp servers, and

web servers.

PVC - Permanent Virtual Circuit

A PVC is a logical point-to-point circuit between customer sites. PVC

’

s are low-delay circuits

because routing decisions do not need to be made along the way. Permanent means that

the circuit is pre-programmed by the carrier as a path through the network. It does not

need to be set up or turned down for each session.

RIP - Routing Information Protocol

RIP is a routing protocol that uses the distance-vector routing algorithms to calculate least-

hops routes to a destination. It is used on the Internet and is common in the NetWare

environment. It exchanges routing information with other routers. It includes V1, V2 and

V1&V2, which controls the sending and receiving of RIP packets over Ethernet.

RFB - Remote Frame Buffer

A protocol for remote access to graphical user interfaces.

Router

A device that directs traffic from one network to another.

RTP - Real-time Transport Protocol

A packet format for streaming multimedia over the Internet.

SIM - Subscriber Identification Module

Found in GSM network technology, the SIM is a card containing identification information for

the subscriber and their account. The SIM card can be moved to different devices.

SMS -Short Message Service

A service for sending short messages of up to 160 (224 in 5-bit mode) characters to mobile

devices. SMS is also known as text messaging.

SMTP - Simple Mail Transfer Protocol

An Internet standard for email transmission across IP networks.

SSID - Service Set Identifier

The name assigned to a Wi-Fi network.

TCP - Transmission Control Protocol

A core protocol for transmitting and receiving information over the Internet.

TCP/IP - Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol

A communications protocol developed under contract from the U.S. Department of Defence

to internetwork dissimilar systems.

Telnet - Telecommunication Network

A network protocol used on the Internet or on local area networks.

TFTP - Trivial File Transfer Protocol

A file transfer protocol with a subset of FTP functionality.