Linksys BEFSR41 User Guide - Page 36

Instant Broadband Series Full Duplex - The ability of a device or line to transmit data simultaneously in both directions. Gateway - A device that interconnects networks with different, incompatible communications protocols. Half Duplex - Data transmission that can occur in two directions over a single line, but only one direction at a time. Hardware - Hardware is the physical aspect of computers, telecommunications, and other information technology devices. The term arose as a way to distinguish the "box" and the electronic circuitry and components of a computer from the program you put in it to make it do things. The program came to be known as the software. Hub - The device that serves as the central location for attaching wires from workstations. Can be passive, where there is no amplification of the signals; or active, where the hubs are used like repeaters to provide an extension of the cable that connects to a workstation. IEEE - The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The IEEE describes itself as "the world's largest technical professional society - promoting the development and application of electrotechnology and allied sciences for the benefit of humanity, the advancement of the profession, and the well-being of our members." The IEEE fosters the development of standards that often become national and international standards. The organization publishes a number of journals, has many local chapters, and several large societies in special areas, such as the IEEE Computer Society. IP Address - In the most widely installed level of the Internet Protocol (Internet Protocol) today, an IP address is a 32-binary digit number that identifies each sender or receiver of information that is sent in packet across the Internet. When you request an HTML page or send e-mail, the Internet Protocol part of TCP/IP includes your IP address in the message (actually, in each of the packets if more than one is required) and sends it to the IP address that is obtained by looking up the domain name in the Uniform Resource Locator you requested or in the e-mail address you're sending a note to. At the other end, the recipient can see the IP address of the Web page requestor or the e-mail sender and can respond by sending another message using the IP address it received. 65 EtherFast Cable/DSL Routers IPCONFIG - A Windows NT or 2000 utility that provides for querying, defining and managing IP addresses within a network. A commonly used utility for configuring networks with static IP addresses. IPSec - IPSec (Internet Protocol Security) is a developing standard for security at the network or packet processing layer of network communication. A big advantage of IPSec is that security arrangements can be handled without requiring changes to individual user computers. IRQ (Interrupt ReQuest) - A hardware interrupt on a PC. There are 16 IRQ lines used to signal the CPU that a peripheral event has started or terminated. Except for PCI devices, two devices cannot use the same line. ISP - An ISP (Internet service provider) is a company that provides individuals and companies access to the Internet and other related services such as Web site building and virtual hosting. LAN - A local area network (LAN) is a group of computers and associated devices that share a common communications line and typically share the resources of a single processor or server within a small geographic area (for example, within an office building). Latency - The time delay between when the first bit of a packet is received and the last bit is forwarded. MAC Address - The MAC (Media Access Control) address is your computer's unique hardware number. Mbps (MegaBits Per Second) - One million bits per second; unit of measurement for data transmission. mIRC - mIRC runs under Windows and provides a graphical interface for logging onto IRC servers and listing, joining and leaving channels. Motherboard - A motherboard is the physical arrangement in a computer that contains the computer's basic circuitry and components. NAT - NAT (Network Address Translation) is the translation of an Internet Protocol address (IP address) used within one network to a different IP address known within another network. One network is designated the inside network and the other is the outside. 66