Broadband Glossary

Don't be baffled or overwhelmed by business broadband jargon, have a look at our broadband glossary instead. Find everything you need to know about the bits and pieces that make up your broadband packages as well as definitions of popular broadband extras with our handy glossary.

ADSL: Standing for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, ADSL is a way for data to be transferred quickly over copper wires and is a common internet connection.

ADSL 2+: This is the same technology as ADSL, but boosted so that it offers twice the amount of downstream data as basic ADSL.

Bandwidth: The bandwidth of your package is the rate at which data can be transmitted; meaning the speed you'll be able to upload and download things online.

Bitrate: When it comes to broadband, bitrate means the number of bits processed per second or minute - the higher the bitrate, the faster the transmission speed.

Cable Broadband: This is a type of broadband using the same optic fibre technology as cable TV. It provides good service but is only available in areas that have cable service in the area.

Coaxial/coax cable: Coax cable is a type of cable that works as a transmission line for high-frequency signals and is used for both broadband and cable internet connections.

Dialup: When you access the internet using telephone lines, you are using a dialup connection. This is sometimes explained as a pay-as-you-go type of online connection.

Downloading: Transferring data or information from the internet to your computer means downloading it, as you are receiving data from a remote system.

Download Limits: Your broadband package may have download limits - this caps the amount of data you can download from the internet in a specific period of time, also known as a bandwidth cap.

DSL: A DSL is a Digital Subscriber Line and is the generic name for digital telephone lines - rather than copper lines - that carry data at high speeds.

DSLAM: A Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer is a network device in the telephone exchanges of providers that allows telephone lines to make faster connections to the internet.

Fibre Optic Broadband: This is a broadband internet connection using fibre optic cables to transfer data. It is typically faster than data transferred via a telephone modem or dialup connection.

Hotspot: A hotspot is an area where you can wirelessly connect to the internet using a local area network. You may need a security password to connect to the internet in specific hotspots.

ISP: The companies that offer internet access and packages are often referred to as ISPs - or Internet Service Providers.

IP Address: When it comes to broadband, an IP stands for an Internet Protocol, meaning the specific number ascribed to your internet connection. It is similar to a phone or house number and can be seen by web pages when you request information from them.

IPTV: This system allows you to watch digital TV through your IP Suite. It is like cable TV, but uses a broadband connection to deliver the programmes instead of a cable.

ISDN: An Integrated Services Digital Network, or ISDN, combines voice, data and video into single cables to allow for high speed communication.

MAC Address: A Media Access Control address is an identifier made up of letters and numbers and assigned to a network interface. It is also known as a hardware address as it makes it possible to identify a host or network.

Mb/Megabyte: A megabyte is a unit for measuring the amount of storage space digital information will take up. It is the equivalent of one million bytes and roughly equates to the same amount of information held in a medium-sized novel.

Mb/s/Mbps: This is a different unit of storage to megabytes, and instead means the number of megabits transferred per second and relates to the speed of your internet connection.

Mobile Broadband: When you access the internet wirelessly from a phone or other portable device, you're using a mobile broadband connection. Most mobile phones have this technology built in.

Modem: A modem is a hardware device allowing computers to connect via telephone line. A dialup modem will allow you to connect to the internet, for example.

Router: An electronic device that forwards data between computer networks. Your broadband connection will pass through a router so that it's channelled onto the internet correctly.

Static IP Address: A static IP address is the same as your IP address, and it will always stay the same. This means that every time you connect to the internet, you will use the same IP address.

Streaming: When you are online, you can often watch or listen to digital audio or video without storing it on your computer - when you are doing this, you're streaming the information.

Switching: If you are thinking of changing your internet account or provider, you will be switching your connection.

TCP-IP: This is another name for the Internet Protocol Suite, the different ways your computer is identified and communicates with the internet and similar networks.

Upstream: When you upload information to the internet, you are upstreaming it. This is the opposite of downloading, or downstreaming, information from the internet to your computer.

VoD: Standing for Video on Demand, these are systems allowing you to chose and watch either video or audio files when you want to.

VoIP: Voice over Internet Protocol is a popular way for people to communicate online. Communicating over IP networks, people are able to talk online; similar to the way they would over a phone using a broadband connection.

Wide Area Network: This is the name for a computer network that is connected over a wide geographical area, like across a city or a country.

Wireless Broadband: It is possible to use broadband connections wirelessly, provided your router or modem supports it. You also need a computer or mobile device with the right technology. This allows you to get online and work the same way you would with a cabled connection, but without the need for a Ethernet connection.

Wireless Networking: When computers are networked they can communicate and share things with each other. It is possible to make use of broadband and telecommunications technology to network computers - for example a number of computers in one office - wirelessly.