REFERENCE LIBRARY

Internet and TV dictionary

Clear definitions for 183 internet, broadband, networking, Wi-Fi, security and television terms.

Browse definitions A–Z

Use these pages to understand the technical terms that appear throughout AmericanTV’s provider comparisons and buying guides.

183definitions

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4G 5G 64-bit

A

Access Point Advanced Persistent Threat Anti-Malware Anti-spam Antivirus Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line ADSL Asymmetrical Bandwidth Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)

B

Backbone Network Backhaul Bandwidth Bandwidth on Demand (BOND)Bandwidth Throttling Bits Bluetooth Border Gateway Protocol Broadband Broadband Adoption Broadband over Power Line (BPL)Broadband Speed Browser Burstable Bandwidth Byte: Definition, Usage and its Role in Data Transmission - Your Go-To Guide

C

Cache Definition Policies and Algorithms: An Essential Guide Cloud Service Provider (CSP)Cloud Storage Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing (CWDM)Coax (coaxial) Cable Communications Act of 1934 Conduit Content Delivery Network (CDN)Content Provider Cookies Coverage Map Customer Premises Equipment (CPE)Customer Provided Equipment (CPE)

D

Data Data Cap Data Centers Data Over Cable System Interface Specification (DOCSIS)Dial-up Internet Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM)Domain Name Domain Name System (DNS)Dongle Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)

E

Electronic Mail (Email)Encryption Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE)Ethernet Ethernet Optical Network (EON)Evolution Data Only (EVDO)Extender Extensible Markup Language (XML)Extranet

F

Fiber Internet Fiber Optic Fiber to the Home (FTTH)Fiber to the Premise (FTTP)Fiber to the x (FTTx)File Transfer Protocol (FTP)File-Sharing FiOS Firewall Fixed Wireless Internet Freenet Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM)

G

Gateway General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)Gigabyte-Capable Passive Optical Network (GPON)Global Positioning System (GPS)Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)

H

Hotspot Hub Hybrid Fiber-Coax (HFC)Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI)Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS)

I

Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)Internet Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP)Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP)Internet of Things (IoT)Internet Protocol (IP)Internet Protocol Suite Internet Protocol-Virtual Private Network IP-VPN Internet Service Provider (ISP)Intranet

J

Jitter

K

Knowbot

L

Landline Last Mile Latency Lit Fiber Local Access and Transport Areas (LATA)Local Area Network (LAN)Local Host Local Host Local Loop Local Multipoint Distribution Service (LMDS)Long-Term Evolution (LTE)

M

Macrocell Malware Media Access Control (MAC)Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)Middle Mile Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET)Mobile Broadband Mobile Wireless Internet Modem Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO)Multiplexing

N

Naked DSL Nameserver | Definition, Functions, and Types National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisers (NATOA)National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)Network Adapter | Definition, Key Components Network Address Translation (NAT)Network Attached Storage (NAS)Network Infrastructure

O

Open Video Systems (OVS)Open-Access Network Optical Line Terminal (OLT) Definition, Key Components, and Functions Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM)

P

Packet Packet Loss Passive Optical Network (PON)Password Peer-to-peer (P2P)Phishing Ping Plugin Point of Presence (PoP)Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP)Post Office Protocol version 3 (POP3)Proxy Server

Q

Quadruple Play (Internet + Phone + TV)

R

Random Access Memory (RAM)Read-Only Memory (ROM)Remote Desktop Router

S

Satellite Internet Search Engine Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)Server Message Block Protocol (SMB)Service Area Service Level Agreement (SLA)Service Set Identifier (SSID)Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)Small Cell Structured Query Language (SQL)Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)Switched Network Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line (SDSL)Synchronous Optical Network (SONET)

T

Terminal Server | Definition, Functions, and Types Time Division Multiplexing (TDM)Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

U

Uniform Resource Locators (URL)Upload Speed Upstream User Datagram Protocol (UDP)

V

Virtual Private Network (VPN)Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

W

Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM)Web Browser Web Browser Web Server Website Wide Area Information Server (WAIS)Wide Area Network (WAN)WiMax Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi)Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) | Definition, Standards, and Function Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)World Wide Web (WWW)