Clear Answers for Common Questions

WiFi®, also spelled Wi-Fi®, is a wireless networking technology used across the globe. It refers to any system that uses the 802.11 standard, which was developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and released in 1997. This standard was largely promoted by the ...

The two driving forces of modern Internet are broadband, and wireless. The WiMax standard combines the two, delivering high-speed broadband Internet access over a wireless connection. Because it can be used over relatively long distances, it is an effective "last mile" solution for delivering broadband to the home, and ...

FiOS, according to its creator Verizon, is a Gaelic word that means “knowledge” in English. It's a telecom service that is offered over fiber-optic lines. Verizon is known primarily as a provider of mobile phone service. The company is now offering other kinds of phone service, including local ...

ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) is a type of digital phone/data and Internet service that preceded ADSL (Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line) and has for the most part been superseded by it. Normal telephone lines carry analog signals that must be amplified and converted to digital signals by the phone ...

EVDO is a protocol for high speed wireless broadband. Also known as EV-DO, 1xEvDO and 1xEV-DO, it's one of several major Third Generation (3G) wireless data standards. Mobile devices that use EVDO technology can upload and download data quickly, and the technology is always "on" whenever there ...

HSDPA, short for High-Speed Downlink Packet Access, is a new protocol for mobile telephone data transmission. It is known as a 3.5G (G stands for generation) technology. Essentially, the standard will provide download speeds on a mobile phone equivalent to an ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) line in ...

Commonly simplified as DSL, Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) is technology for high-speed Internet access. It uses existing copper telephone lines to send and receive data at speeds that far exceed conventional dial-up modems, while still allowing users to talk on the phone while they surf. By contrast ...

FTTH, or Fiber To The Home, refers to fiber optic cable that replaces the standard copper wire of the local Telco. Many people prefer it because it can carry high-speed broadband services integrating voice, data and video, and runs directly to the junction box at a home or building ...

The world of mobile phones is changing, daily it seems. All the rage these days is 3G, third-generation telephony, such as mobile Web browsing and other advanced functionalities. These 3G protocols are manufactured on the building blocks of 2G technologies, which were themselves revolutionary when they began to be ...

Developed in South Korea, WiBro™ is a variety of wireless broadband devices offering Internet access; devices that may use the service include personal and desktop computers and cell phones, though its was designed specifically for cell phone use. WiBro™ is based on the same IEEE 802.16 standard ...

High-Bandwidth Digital-Content Protection (HDCP) is a form of digital rights management (DRM) that was created by Intel. It was designed to protect the transfer of high quality, digital content from a video source, such as a computer, satellite television receiver, or DVD player to a receiver such as ...

Very high bit-rate Digital Line Subscriber (VDSL) is next generation DSL at super-accelerated rates of 52 Mbps downstream and 12 Mbps upstream. Downstream data rates refer to download speeds, or the speed at which data travels to a computer, while upstream data rates refer to upload speeds, or ...

ISDL is a hybrid of ISDN and DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) technology that uses a little of each to deliver a service that is slightly faster than ISDN, but significantly slower than most DSL services. A person might opt for ISDL if standard DSL service is not available in his ...

UMTS stands for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, one of the mobile phone technologies known as third-generation, or 3G. Third-generation systems are designed to include such traditional phone tasks as calls, voice mail, and paging, but also new technology tasks such as Internet access, video, and SMS, or text ...

SDSL (Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line) is high-speed Internet access service with matching upstream and downstream data rates. That is, data can be sent to the Internet from the client machine or received from the Internet with equal bandwidth availability in both directions. Normally, DSL service is asymmetrical (ADSL), with ...

Fiber-To-The-Premises (FTTP) is a technology for providing Internet access by running fiber optic cable directly from an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to a user's home or business. It facilitates much faster speeds than dial-up and most coaxial cable Internet connections, and generally needs to be ...

A WiFi® finder can be a small, portable, battery operated device that locates wireless hotspots so computer users don't have to turn on their computers to see if a network is available. Instead, colored lights on the device indicate whether or not an Internet network is accessible. The ...

A Wireless Wide Area Network or WWAN is a way to connect to the Internet without wires, achieved using cellular tower technology. Cellular service companies offer this type of connection for a monthly fee, or alternately on a pay-as-you-need-it basis. The connectivity allows a user with ...

Wireless Internet is just one of the services that WiFi® optionally supports. WiFi® is a wireless communication standard used between computer devices to share files and resources. The signal cannot travel long distances without loss of integrity, and it is therefore used for Local Area Networks (LANs). In ...

With the availability of public hot spots and neighborhood wireless (WiFi) networks springing up in every direction, you might wonder if using someone else's wireless Internet service is secure. It's not always clear exactly what the local coffee shop, a municipal network, or a neighbor can see if ...

Wireless hotspots originate from both small and large networks that have installed a wireless router and have Internet access and have left the wireless or “wifi” port open for public connectivity. Many networks have all three requirements, from John Q. Public’s computer room, to the business center in town ...

802.11n is a newer standard of WiFi LAN, or wireless local area network technology, subsequent to standards 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g. Its proper name is IEEE 802.11n, as it is a protocol developed by the international non-profit Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The ...

Wireless modems are devices that allow computers to connect to a wireless local area network (WLAN) without physical cabling such as ethernet wiring. They use cellular, satellite or WiFi protocols to connect to a WLAN, which can then provide Internet service. This differs from dial-up and DSL modems which ...

A WiFi® phone uses wireless Internet technology to make phone calls. There are designated areas in some cafes and public areas known as hotspots where people can use WiFi® devices, including phones. Providing there are no obstructions and depending on the amount of people using the hotspot, the ...

UWB (Ultra Wideband) is a radio frequency platform that personal area networks can use to wirelessly communicate over short distances at high speeds. UWB is ideally suited for streaming multimedia in the wireless home or office environment. Growing interoperability between devices like digital camcorders, PDAs, cell phones, portable MP3 and ...

A Wide Area Network (WAN) is a network that spans a large geographical area, the most common example being the Internet. This is contrasted to smaller local area networks (LANs) and metropolitan area networks (MANs). LANs are home or office networks, while a MAN might encompass a campus or service ...

The term “broadband penetration” refers to the amount of the Internet access market that high speed or broadband Internet has captured. When broadband was first introduced as a method to connect to the Web, many companies confidently expected it to capture the majority of the market share, and with good ...

Sometimes, technology moves backward. Such is the case with Broadband over Powerline, a technology which allows people to access the Internet by plugging a special modem into an electrical outlet. In a sense, the electric company becomes the Internet Service Provider (ISP). In this way, consumers can have a third ...

Satellite broadband is Internet connectivity provided by satellite, rather than dial-up, DSL (digital subscriber line) or cable service. It is linked to a dish network subscriber service and provides speeds similar to other broadband technologies. Broadband service is the premiere way to connect to the Internet. Unfortunately, not everyone ...

Wireless broadband is high-speed Internet service via wireless technology. It is available in Internet cafes, local “hot spots” within many cities, private businesses and many homes. The advantage of this type of Internet connection is that the computer receiving the signal need not be tethered by an Ethernet or ...

There are many different ways to connect to the Internet. One of the most common ways is via a dial-up connection. With a dial-up connection, the Internet user can connect to the Internet via his or telephone line and an Internet service provider. This method of connecting to ...

Today's online content begs for a high speed Internet connection. The first choice to be made is what type to get, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) or cable? Knowing some of the differences between DSL and cable should help you decide which will best serve your needs. The first difference ...

An Internet phone looks and acts like a regular phone. However, it does not provide for communications over traditional telephone lines. Instead, it connects to the Internet, sending your voice via the World Wide Web. Internet phones operate through Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, allowing callers to toss their ...

A T1 line refers to a specific type of copper or fiber optic telephone line that can carry more data than traditional telephone lines. The T-carrier line, as it is sometimes called, was developed by AT&T Bell Labs for North America and Japan. Twisted copper telephone lines have ...

A Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone is a type of phone that uses digital technology to transmit phone calls via the Internet rather than regular phone lines. Such a phone allows the user to bypass traditional phone companies entirely, placing all calls via the Web. VoIP services require the ...

A local area network, or LAN, is a network of connected computers in a room, building, or set of buildings. These networks have been around since the beginning of computer use. A LAN is defined as a user network whereby data is sent at high rates between people located relatively ...

Mesh connectivity layers are innovations in computer technology that make it possible for an end user to make a connection with a wireless mesh network. The purpose of this connection is to make use of wireless mesh networks that utilize Wi-Fi or WiMAX as a means of accessing the ...

In a traditional network, routers are used to direct data traffic from one place, or node, to another. Each router has a specific set of locations from which it can accept data, and a specific set of locations to which it can send data. A mesh, or multi-hop network ...

Ultra wideband technologies are simply technologies that make use of a very large amount of bandwidth, usually exceeding speeds of 100 Megabits per second (Mbit/s). Ultra wideband usually refers to a form of wireless technology, but it may also be used to discuss wired or cabled forms of large ...

Every business has standards and best practices, even the sprawling, rapidly changing telecom industry. The most widely used and accepted set of standards for this sector of the world communications market is ETOM, which stands for Enhanced Telecom Operations Map. The enhanced part of the title illustrates the focus on ...

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) filters, also known as micro-filters, are small in-line devices sometimes required for DSL installations. They filter line interference to standard telephone equipment when phones share the same lines as DSL service. Not all setups require the use of a DSL filter, though they are ...

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) is a generic term categorizing services provided over copper wire. DSL subscribers may receive high speed Internet service and other services bundled with the DSL package. When a service provider or ISP offers Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL), the customer will receive service that is not ...

Dial-up Internet access is a connection type that operates through a standard telephone line. By running the telephone line to a modem device in the computer and configuring it to dial a specific phone number, the computer can connect to the Internet. This connection type is usually inexpensive, but ...

DirecTV™ Internet is a service from the DirecTV™ satellite company in addition to its standard satellite television service. This service is usually offered one of two ways: Either it is through partnership with another company or available through the satellite dish. This is a relatively new feature offered ...

Phone line networking connects computers in the home by using existing phone lines. The standard for this technology is set by the Home Phone Networking Alliance (HPNA), often referred to as HomePNA. The first incarnation of HPNA, version 1.0, was very slow at 1 megabit per second (mbsp). Version ...