Computer "Tip of the Day" 12-08-09

Information: - - Getting Connected
BROADBAND: Broad bandwidth networking. High-speed Internet connections, like DSL (Digital Subscriber Line), Cable Internet, and 3G (Third
Generation) cellular services.

DSL: Digital Subscriber Line. One of the most common ways to bring Internet to homes and small businesses over a telephone line at up to
12 Megabits/second.

CABLE OR CABLE INTERNET: The other most common way to bring Internet to homes over cable TV lines at speeds ranging from 1.5 to 50 Megabits/second.

FiOS: Fiber-Optic Service. An emerging technology that provides Internet to homes and offices over fiber-optic cables at speeds from 15 to 50 Megabits/second.

WI-FI: Wireless Fidelity. The most common kind of short-range wireless networking--about 300 feet--at speeds of up to 108 Megabits/second.

EDGE or EVDO: An older kind of wide-area wireless networking-like a whole city--based on first and second generation cellphone technology with speeds ranging from 300 to 400 kilobits/second.

3G: Third Generation cellular service. Enhanced wide-area wireless networking at speeds of up to 14 Megabits/second.

4G: Fourth Generation cellular service or WIMAX. An emerging wide-area networking technology that promises a range of 10 miles and speeds of up to 100 Megabits/second.

ETHERNET: A way of connecting computers to networks using a cable at speeds ranging from 10 to 10,000 Megabits/second.

FIREWALL: Software or hardware that prevents outsiders from accessing a computer or network.

ROUTER: A device that finds the best route for sending information between networks.

IP ADDRESS: Internet Protocol Address. Every computer on the Internet is identified by a unique set of numbers known as an Internet Protocol address--usually four numbers separated by dots, for example:
74.125.53.100. These numerical addresses are normally invisible to users and are translated into familiar Web addresses, like http://www.google.com.