Glossary

1xRTT

Short for single carrier (1x) Radio Transmission Technology.  A high speed wireless technology based on the CDMA platform.  1xRTT has the capability of providing broadband-like speeds of up to 144 Kbps.  1xRTT is also referred to as CDMA2000.

1xEVDO

Part of a family of CDMA2000 1x digital wireless standards.  1xEVDO is a "3G" standard.  EVDO stands for "EVolution, Data-Optimized."  1xEVDO is based on a technology initially known as "HDR" (High Data Rate) or "HRPD" (High Rate Packet Data), developed by Qualcomm.  The international standard is known as IS-856. 1xEVDO has the capability of providing broadband-like speeds of average speeds of 300-600 Kbps. 

Access Point

An interface between a Wi-Fi network and a wired network.

bps

Bits per second – rate of data flow.

Broadband

High-capacity high-speed, transmission channel with a wider bandwidth than conventional copper telephone lines.  Broadband channels can carry video, voice, and data simultaneously.

COM Port

Defines a serial/RS-232 port within the Windows environment.  May be physical or virtual.

Dial-Up Connection

A switched network connection established by a computer using an analog data modem over ordinary copper telephone lines.

Dormancy

A network state that occurs when no data has been transmitted or received after a given amount of time.  A network connection may disconnect during a dormant state.

Firewall

A hardware or software boundary that protects a network or single PC from unwanted outside traffic. 

GPRS

General Packet Radio Service.  A packet-switched technology that enables high-speed wireless Internet and other data communications.  GPRS offers a tenfold increase in data speed over previous technologies, up to 115kbit/s (in theory).  Typical real-world speeds are around 30-40 Kbps.  Using a packet switching, subscribers are always connected and always on-line, so services will be easy and quick to access.  GPRS is considered a "2.5G" technology, meaning it is more advanced than standard 2G digital technology, but does not meet the requirements of a full-fledged 3G technology.

HTTP

Hypertext Transfer Protocol

ISP

Internet Service Provider

IP

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

Kilobyte

1024 bytes

Kbps

Kilobits per second – rate of data flow

LSP

Layered Service Provider – a Microsoft feature

LAN

Local Area Network.  A data network confined to limited area with moderate to high data rates.  Does not use common carrier circuits, although may have gateways or bridges to other public or private networks.

Mbps

Megabits per second

PC

Personal Computer

PC Card

A card having physical and electrical characteristics specified by PCMCIA providing extra functionality when inserted into a mobile PC.  Typical examples are modems and network cards.  A PC card type refers to the thickness of the card.

PC Card Slot

A physical slot on a mobile computer, usually located on the side of the machine, which accepts standard sized PC cards to enhance the functionality of the machine.

PCMCIA

Personal Computer Memory Card International Association.  Defines specifications used for PC cards.  www.pcmcia.org

PDA

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

POP3

Post Office Protocol v3.  A standard transport protocol used send and receive email.

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.

Serial Connection

A network connection established by a serial device such as a modem.  Serial communication between your PC and modem or other serial devices adhere to the RS-232 standard.

SMS

Short Messaging Service.  Short text messages of generally no more than 140-160 characters sent and received by wireless devices.

SSID

Service Set Identifier.  An SSID is also referred to as a Network Name because it is a name that identifies a Wi-Fi network.  Most access points broadcast their SSID.

Sync

To compare and synchronize two or more sources of data. 

TCP/IP

Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol

UMTS

Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) is an approved 3G standard that uses 5 MHz channels for both voice and data, offering excellent voice capacity and a peak data rate of 384 Kbps.  NTT DoCoMo launched the first WCDMA service in 2001 and now has millions of 3G subscribers.

URL

Uniform Resource Locator

USB

Universal Serial Bus.  A connection type for computer peripherals such as a printer, mobile phone, etc.

VPN

Virtual Private Network.  A way to communicate through a dedicated server securely to a corporate network over the Internet.

VZGlobal

The GlobalAccess connection made when in GPRS/UMTS coverage. 

WAN

Wide Area Network.  A network which uses common carrier-provided lines.  Contrasts with LAN.

WCDMA

Wideband Code Division Multiple Access.  Wideband CDMA is a third generation (3G) wireless standard which utilizes one 5 MHz channel for both voice and data, initially offering data speeds up to 384 Kbps.  WCDMA is also referred to as UMTS - the two terms have become interchangeable.  WCDMA is the 3G standard that most GSM carriers are moving to.  Parts of the WCDMA standard are based on GSM technology.  WCDMA networks are designed to integrate with GSM networks at certain levels.  Most WCDMA phones include GSM as well, for backward compatibility.  WCDMA borrows certain technology ideas from CDMA, as the name implies, but is in fact very different and incompatible with phones and networks using "CDMA" technology.  In Europe and Asia, WCDMA is being deployed in the all-new 2100 MHz frequency band.  In North America, WCDMA is being deployed in the existing 1900 MHz (PCS) and 850 MHz (cellular) bands.

WEP

Wired Equivalent Privacy.  A security protocol for wireless local area networks (WLANs) defined in the 802.11b standard.  WEP is designed to provide the same level of security as that of a wired LAN.

Wi-Fi

Wireless Fidelity.  A generic term used to describe any type of 802.11 (a, b, g) network.

WWAN

Wireless Wide Area Network

WWAN Device

Wireless Wide Area Network device. (Examples include: embedded wireless devices, wireless handsets and PC cards.)

WWW

World Wide Web