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Appendix A: Glossary
www.gateway.com
Terms you should know
adapter (network) - A circuit board that plugs into a computer to let the
computer connect to a network.
beacon interval - A beacon is a periodic broadcast by the router to keep the
network synchronized. The interval indicates how often the router broadcasts
the beacon.
broadband - When multiple signals or channels (such as voice, data, and video)
share the bandwidth of a single medium.
browser - A program running on a computer which makes it possible to view
and interact with the Internet.
cable modem - A broadband device that uses a coaxial cable to connect to an
ISP to access the Internet.
CAT 5 - The minimum standard of twisted-pair cable suitable for data
transmission over a computer network.
data packet - A unit of transmitted data. For more information, see “packet.”
default gateway - A routing device that forwards data over a local network.
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) - DHCP lets a router or access
point router temporarily assign an IP address to a computer on the network.
DMZ (demilitarized zone) - DMZ hosting lets a single computer on your LAN
expose all of its ports to the Internet. When you set up DMZ hosting on a
computer, you bypass the security provided by a router. Consider port forwarding
as an alternative to DMZ hosting.
DNS - A database that translates and stores domain and host names as IP
addresses.
domain - A set of IP addresses usually “owned” by a company. For example,
in an e-mail address the name of the domain comes after the @ symbol.
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) - A broadband Internet connection that uses an
ordinary telephone line to provide a fast, “always on” connection to the
Internet.