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1.05 Broadband Terminology·ATM?
·Bridge Tap?
·BPS (Bits Per Second) ?
·CAP and DMT?
·CIR (Committed Information Rate) ?
·CLEC?
·CPE ?
·DSLAM?
·DLCI?
·DNS (Domain Name System) ?
·Download? Upload?
·Drop?
·EULA (End User License Agreement) ?
·F1 pair?
·Filters?
·FOC date?
·Fractional T1 / T3 ?
·Frame Relay ?
·FTP?
·Ground Block
·High Pass Filter
·ILEC
·IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) ?
·KBPS (Kilobits Per Second) ?
·LAN ?
·LATA ?
·Latency?
·Line Tap Splitters (DC taps)?
·Load Coils?
·Local Loop ?
·Mbps ?
·MPOE?
·Noise Margin?
·Ping?
·POTS?
·PPPoE? PPPoA?
·PSTN
·PVCs - Permanent Virtual Circuits ?
·QoS ?
·Remote DSLAM?
·Repeater ?
·RT (Remote Terminal)?
·SMDS (Switched Multimegabit Data Service) ?
·Sync?
·TLS (Transport Layer Security) ?
·Training the line?
·Trouble Ticket?
·Upstream Signal to Noise Ratio
·VPN (Virtual Private Network) ?
·A List of Broadband Terms
·Hz/KHz/MHz?
·MBaud?
·Shielded/Unshielded?
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(Asynchronous Transfer Mode) A method used for transmitting voice, video, and data over high-speed networks. ATM uses continuous bursts of fixed length packets called cells to transmit data. Commonly referred to as the "ATM Cloud"
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by srtrench  edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-02-09 13:37:45 |
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Bridged tap or bridge tap is a long-used method of cabling for telephone lines. One cable pair (of wires) will "appear" in several different terminal locations (poles or pedestals). This allows the telephone company to use or "assign" that pair to any subscriber near those terminal locations. Once that customer disconnects, that pair becomes usable at any of the terminals. In the days of party lines 2, 4, 6, or 8 customers were commonly connected on the same pair which appeared at several different locations.
DSL can be affected by bridged tap. It depends on where the bridged tap is located ... the farther away from the customer's location, the better.
DSL signal reflects back through the cable pair from the end of a bridged tap, much like a tennis ball against a brick wall. The deflected signal is now out of phase and mixed with the original. The modem receives both signals and gets confused. This is when you "take errors" or cannot sync. If the bridged tap is long, by the time the signal bounces back, the original signal is far ahead and more powerful. Therefore, the modem will ignore the weaker signal and shows no problems.
Almost every cable pair in the world has bridged tap on it, so it definitely isn't always a DSL killer.
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This FAQ entry updated by nunya01
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by nobody edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 11:33:43 |
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In data communications, bits per second (abbreviated bps) is a common measure of data speed for computer modem and transmission carriers. As the term implies, the speed in bps is equal to the number of bits transmitted or received each second. The bandwidth of a signal depends on the speed in bps.
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by Xiotek edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 11:33:09 |
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CAP and DMT are two different "flavors" of DSL. CAP uses two channels to connect and DMT uses 256 channels to connect, giving it a greater connection range and making it easier for it to adapt to certain line issues.
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by traecysmom edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 11:35:38 |
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In frame relay networks, a committed information rate (CIR) is a bandwidth (expressed in bits per second) associated with a logical connection in a permanent virtual circuit (PVC). Frame relay networks are digital networks in which different logical connections share the same physical path and some logical connections are given higher bandwidths than others. Because the CIR is defined in software, the network's mix of traffic bandwidths can be redefined in a relatively short amount of time.
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by Xiotek edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 11:36:04 |
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Pronounced see-lek. A Competitive Local Exchange Carrier is a telephone company that competes with an Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier (ILEC).
With the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, there has been an explosion in the number of CLECs. The Act allows companies with CLEC status to use ILEC infrastructure.
Also see /faq/6789.
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by KyleC edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-02-02 03:56:37 |
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Customer Premise Equpment. This is the router or DSL modem that connects your PC, to your DSL line. The CPE is usually bundled with your DSL line. CPE may require (but not include) a NIC. (Network Interface Card).
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edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 11:37:11 |
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A Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) is a network device, usually at a telephone company central office, that receives signals from multiple customer Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connections and puts the signals on a high-speed backbone line using multiplexing techniques. Depending on the product, DSLAM multiplexers connect DSL lines with some combination of asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), frame relay, or IP networks. DSLAM enables a phone company to offer business or homes users the fastest phone line technology (DSL) with the fastest backbone network technology (ATM).
Also check : »webopedia.internet.com/TERM/D/DSLAM.html
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by Dimension8 edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 11:39:36 |
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Data Link Connection Identifier)
The number of a private or switched virtual circuit in a frame relay network. Located in the frame header, the DLCI field identifies which logical circuit the data travels over, and each DLCI has a committed information rate (CIR) associated with it. The DLCI number is local to the FRAD and frame relay switch it connects to, and it is generally changed by the switch within the network, because the receiving switch uses a different DLCI for the same connection.
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by urbman edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 11:38:19 |
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The domain name system (DNS) is the way that Internet domain names are located and translated into Internet Protocol addresses. A domain name is a meaningful and easy-to-remember "handle" for an Internet address.
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by Xiotek edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 11:37:58 |
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Download is the process of information coming from someplace else to you. When you browse to a web page, you are "downloading" that page. When you get a file from some place on the internet, you are downloading that file.
Upload is the process of sending information from your computer onto the internet. The most common upload for most users is the simple request to "download" a new web page.
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submitted by 2kmaro
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by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 11:38:59 |
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Historically, the wire that "drops" from a telco pole. For DSL, the terminal point of the DSL line outside the building or premise.
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edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 11:40:00 |
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An End User License Agreement (EULA) is a legal contract between a software application author or publisher and the user of that application. The EULA, often referred to as the "software license," is similar to a rental agreement; the user agrees to pay for the privilege of using the software, and promises the software author or publisher to comply with all restrictions stated in the EULA.
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by Xiotek edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 11:42:30 |
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Often a CLEC reports the ILEC has 'facilities' issues and cannot provide an F1 pair to the CLEC. F1 (first facility) pairs refer to the usually buried pair bundles which go from the Central Office to the Cross Box. F2 cables (second facility) are the ones usually aerial, that leave cross boxes.
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by Kangaroo edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 11:41:14 |
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A distributed filter, or micro-filter, is a small electronic component that fits between your phone line and a regular voice device, such as a phone, a fax, or any device with a regular modem such as a cable box, alarm system or digital TV.
When DSL (ADSL) is provided over voice lines, all devices in the house except the DSL modem must be connected through filters. The filter protects the phone devices from high frequency noise. They are low-pass filters. The filter is also there to protect the DSL signal from being contaminated by high frequency noise added by analog phone devices, answering machines, etc.
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Above by 2kmaro
Note: rcnetguy reports a problem with filters when a power strip is used: said by rcnetguy:
We had tried to set someone up with DSL and they had no connectivity b/c they set up the filter into the power strip. We set the line away from the strip and it worked just fine.
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by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-05 14:40:06 |
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Firm Order Commitment. The date at which outside wiring is scheduled (and the order becomes "real"). The normal procedure for a DCLEC DSL install, is for the Telco to schedule a FOC date to your MPOE (minimum point of entry). The ISP should advise you of your FOC date, (if one is required), as you may have to be there to let them have access.
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edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 11:43:20 |
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A fractional T-1 or T-3 line is a T-1 or T-3 digital phone line in the North American T-carrier system that is leased to a customer at a fraction of its data-carrying capacity and at a correspondingly lower cost. A T-1 line contains 24 channels, each with a data transfer capacity of 64 Kbps. The customer can rent some number of the 24 channels. The transmission method and speed of transfer remain the same.
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by Xiotek edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 11:46:34 |
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Frame Relay is a high-performance WAN protocol that operates at the physical and data link layers of the OSI reference model. Frame Relay originally was designed for use across Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) interfaces. Today, it is used over a variety of other network interfaces as well.
Frame Relay is an example of a packet-switched technology. Packet-switched networks enable end stations to dynamically share the network medium and the available bandwidth. The following two techniques are used in packet-switching technology:
Variable-length packets
Statistical multiplexing
 Variable-length packets are used for more efficient and flexible data transfers. These packets are switched between the various segments in the network until the destination is reached.
Statistical multiplexing techniques control network access in a packet-switched network. The advantage of this technique is that it accommodates more flexibility and more efficient use of bandwidth. Most of today's popular LANs, such as Ethernet and Token Ring, are packet-switched networks.
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by Xiotek edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 11:45:49 |
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FTP - File Transfer Protocol
A method of server and obtaining files to and from the internet.
Common FTP software include CuteFTP and WSFTP.
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by whatever8 edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 11:46:53 |
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The ground block is where the coax cable from the Cable Company attaches to your house.
It generally should be near your power meter, and grounded to it (to prevent lightning from coming in through the cable line).
Usually, anything after the ground block is your responsibility. The ground block itself and anything before it is the cable company's responsibility.
It is illegal to unground the ground block. Most utility companies will put a bright yellow tag saying that the line MUST be grounded and to call them if you have to make any changes to it.
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by KeysCapt |
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A high pass filter is a tiny device attached to your cable line to block anything below a certain frequency. A 50MHz HPF would block anything below 50Mhz.
This can be used to prevent very low frequency interference, or to block unauthorized cable modems from attempting to contact the head end, or even to remove TV service from your line while leaving HSD up.
For example, if your cable modem is to talk back to your provider at 29.5Mhz, and this HPF was on your line, your provider would never hear it, because it's below 50Mhz.
If you are having interference on your TV channels while online, try putting a HPF on the TV lines at the splitter. Do NOT filter your cable modem line or you will kill your connection.
I've seen HPFs that run from 50MHz up to 550Mhz.
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by KeysCapt |
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Pronounced eye-lek. Short for incumbent local exchange carrier. An ILEC is a telephone company that was providing local service when the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was enacted. For example: GTE, SWB, AT&T. See also /faq/6788.
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by KyleC edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-02-02 03:56:00 |
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Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) is a standard protocol for accessing e-mail from your local server. IMAP (the latest version is IMAP4) is a client/server protocol in which e-mail is received and held for you by your Internet server. IMAP requires continual access to the server during the time that you are working with your mail.
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by Xiotek edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 11:58:09 |
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Kbps stands for kilobits per second (thousands of bits per second) and is a measure of bandwidth (the amount of data that can flow in a given time) on a data transmission medium.
Higher bandwidths are more conveniently expressed in megabits per second (Mbps, or millions of bits per second) and in gigabits per second (Gbps, or billions of bits per second).
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by Xiotek edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 11:59:10 |
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LAN stands for "local area network" & is a group of computers and associated devices that share a common communications line or wireless link and typically share the resources of a single processor or server within a small geographic area (for example, within an office building).
Usually, the server has applications and data storage that are shared in common by multiple computer users. A local area network may serve as few as two or three users (for example, in a home network) or many as thousands of users.
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by Xiotek edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 12:01:00 |
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LATA (local access and transport area) is a term in the U.S. for a geographic area covered by one or more local telephone companies, which are legally referred to as local exchange carriers (LECs).
A connection between two local exchanges within the LATA is referred to as intraLATA. A connection between a carrier in one LATA to a carrier in another LATA is referred to as interLATA.
InterLATA is long-distance service.
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by Xiotek edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 12:01:22 |
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For a terrific explanation of latency, see /faq/694
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by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 12:00:04 |
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DC Taps are special types of splitters that lose a ton of signal on one leg, but very little on another. The model number generally determines how great the larger loss number is.
For example:
DC-4 Tap: Loses 4db on one leg, around 1db on the other.
DC-6 Tap: Loses 6db on one leg, around 1db on the other.
DC-9 Tap: Loses 9db on one leg, around 1db on the other.
These splitters have one leg labeled "tap", and the other "out". The "tap" leg is the one with a large amount of loss.
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by jav6 edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 12:01:52 |
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Loading coils are used to extend the range of a local loop for voice applications. They are inductors added in series with the phone line which compensate for the parallel capacitance of the line.
They benefit the frequencies in the high end of the voice spectrum at the expense of the frequencies above 3.6kHz.
Thus, loading coils significantly distort xDSL frequencies and must be removed for any DSL operation. They are often found at loops extending farther than 12,000 ft.
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by nobody edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 12:02:39 |
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In telco, a local loop is the wired connection from a telephone company's CO (central office) in a locality to it's customers' telephones at homes and businesses.
This connection is usually on a pair of copper wires called twisted pair. The system was originally designed for voice transmission only using analog transmission technology on a single voice channel. Today, your computer's modem makes the conversion between analog signals and digital signals.
With Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) or Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), the local loop can carry digital signals directly and at a much higher bandwidth than they do for voice only.
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by Xiotek edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 12:03:20 |
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Mbps stands for "megabits per second" and is a measure of bandwidth on a telecommunications medium. Depending on the medium and the transmission method, bandwidth is sometimes measured in the Kbps (thousands of bits or kilobits per second) range or the Gbps (billions of bits or gigabits per second) range.
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by Xiotek edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 12:03:47 |
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MPOE (Minimum Point Of Entry)
Local Carriers are responsible for bringing lines to the Minimum Point Of Entry (MPOE) for multi-dwelling business, high-rise, and apartment buildings. If the line is brought to the MPOE by the local carrier (ILEC - Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier), the CLEC (Competitive Local Exchange Carrier) is responsible for finding and wiring an available pair from the MPOE to the Customer Premise Equipment (CPE, AKA Router) location.
MPOE's are also referred to as NIDs and DMARCs.
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by FlameBait edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 12:04:02 |
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Noise may be defined as the combination of unwanted interfering signal sources whether it comes from crosstalk, radio frequency interference, distortion, or random signals created by thermal energy. Noise impairs the detection of the smallest analog levels which may be resolved within the demodulator. The noise level along with the maximum clip level of an analog signal path set the available amplitude dynamic range.
The maximum data rate of a modem is limited by the available frequency range (bandwidth) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) which is amplitude dynamic range. If more of either is available, more bits may be transferred per second. In an audio analogy, the better (higher) the signal-to-noise ratio is, the easier it is to 'hear' the desired signal above the noise. The same principle applies here. The better the margin (the difference between the signal and the noise) the easier it is for your modem to pick out the DSL signal from the background noise.
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by Mike edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 12:04:39 |
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PING: A protocol (command) that sends a message (packet) to another computer and waits for acknowledgment, often used to check if another computer (host) on a network is reachable.
It has been said that PING stands for "Packet INternet Groper"
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by whatever8 edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 12:07:05 |
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POTS stands for Plain Old Telephone Service.
Is sometimes used in talking about Upgrading/Testing your POTS line to support DSL.
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by DelaWhere_Steve edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 12:07:41 |
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Point To Point Protocol over Ethernet
and
Point To Point Protocol over ATM
These are different VC Encapsulations. They differ in some ways (the most important is that PPPoA allows for MTUs of 1500), but there is mostly no difference in speed between the two.
Here's a more in-depth discussion, although relative to BellSouth, but good info: /faq/1416
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by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 12:09:43 |
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Short for Public Switched Telephone Network, which refers to the international telephone system based on copper wires carrying analog voice data. This is in contrast to newer telephone networks base on digital technologies, such as ISDN and FDDI.
Telephone service carried by the PSTN is often called plain old telephone service (POTS).
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by k0fcc edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-01-02 12:10:34 |
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Permanent virtual circuits (PVC's) are permanently established connections that are used for frequent and consistent data transfers between DTE devices across the Frame Relay network. Communication across a PVC does not require the call setup and termination states that are used with SVCs. PVCs always operate in one of the following two operational states:
Data transfer—Data is transmitted between the DTE devices over the virtual circuit.
Idle—The connection between DTE devices is active, but no data is transferred. Unlike SVC's (Switched Virtual Circuits), PVC's will not be terminated under any circumstances when in an idle state.
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