A Glossary of Common Internet Terms
aDSL
Short for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, with a smaller
upstream bandwidth than downstream. Panix offers aDSL connections
from 1.5 Mbps down/128Kbps up, to 6.0 Mbps down/768 Kbps up.
(Email) Alias
A forwarding address, meaning an email address that forwards
all mail that comes to it elsewhere (as compared to a mailbox). Aliases can forward to multiple
addresses.
Authentication
The process of establishing identity, authorizing a user for account
service. Examples include your password, or the security question we
ask over the phone.
Blog
Short for web log, a popular term for online journal. Among the
most popular are LiveJournal and Blogger, which offer free accounts and are
considered the most user-friendly.
Dialup
A form of Internet access in which the user connects through a modem
connected to their computer and a telephone line. This was the most popular way
to access the Internet before broadband became commercially viable.
Domain Name
Essentially the name registered to a person, company, or
organization. It usually has two levels (e.g. "example.com" or
"example.org," with example as the top-level) but may be more, particularly in other countries (e.g.
"example.org.uk").
Download
The act of receiving data from a remote host, such as a webserver or
FTP server.
Firewall
Security sofware or hardware configured to permit or deny network
traffic, according to the user's policies regarding content.
FTP
Short for File Transfer Protocol, used to transfer data from one
computer to
another through a network such as an Internet or LAN connection.
Hostname
A specific, unique name pointing to a host on the Internet. The most
familiar kind of hostname many people encounter is a web site's hostname,
such as www.panix.com.
Internet
A worldwide network of millions of residential, academic, federal, and
commercial networks of all sizes, carrying information and services such as e-mail,
chat, and web pages and sites on the World Wide Web.
Kbps
Short for Kilobits Per Second, a unit of measuring the speed of a line
allowing
one machine to communicate with another. Each kilobit is equal to 1,000 bits, and
1,000 kilobits is equal to one megabit.
(Email) Mailbox
An address (e.g. foo@panix.com) set up to receive and store electronic
mail, as compared to an alias, which is a forwarding
address only -- it can't store mail.
Malware
A term, short for "malicious software," referring to programs
designed to
infiltrate and usually damage a computer without the user's consent. Malware tends
to be embedded in websites and spam, infecting the computer of those that view them
without any sort of notice or warning.
Mb
Short for Megabit, a unit of measurement of data transferred over a
line. One
megabit equals 1,000,000 bits, or 1,000 kilobits.
MB
Short for Megabyte, a unit of measurement for data stored on a
computer. A
basic Panix shell account has a 200 MB quota, for example.
Mbps
Short for Megabit Per Second, a unit of transfer rate equal to 1,000
Kbps, or 1,000,000 bits per second.
(Computer) Network
Multiple computers connected for the purposes of communication and the
sharing
of resources. Formerly common in office and commercial environments, now
increasingly found in private residences.
One-Time Password
A means of Authentication that works by
calculating
function determined by a count, a prompt, and a private component, so that
the result changes with each login.
Open Relay
An open relay is a mail server that is misconfigured to allow
mail to be sent through it from any source to any destination. A
correctly-configured mail server will only accept mail that either
originated locally or has a local destination.
Password
A string of characters (such as letters, numbers, punctuation marks,
or other common symbols) allowing the user access and control of a resource,
such as that given to new users when shell accounts are first generated.
You'll want to keep your password a secret, unless you want others to have access to your account. Users can set their shell or access.net mailbox passwords at
our setup page, and corporate mailbox passwords can be set in
the Options section of the Webmail interface.
Permissions
The setting on a user's account giving them access to various degrees
of options
to read or alter files.
PPP
Short for Point-to-Point Protocol, referring to a type of dialup
connection used
primarily for graphics-intensive activities such as browsing the WorldWide
Web.
PPPoE
Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet, referring to a type of
connection usually
used with aDSL services.
Procmail
A program used from the shell that filters incoming email on a
computer. This
is commonly used to sort and file data into different folders, or used in
conjunction with SpamAssassin to filter out or even delete unwanted
mail.
sDSL
Short for Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line, with an equal upstream
and
downstream bandwidth rate. Panix offers sDSL service ranging from 192
Kbps up to 1.5 Mbps.
Shell
The traditional user interface for the Unix and Linux operating
systems, known
primarily for its command-typing interface. For useful beginner's information on
shell usage and applications, see our UNIX Shell Help
page.
Spam
A term for unwanted mail, usually advertisements for dubious
products.
Spam Block
Software used to block unwanted mail at the server level, preventing
it from making contact with your machine.
Spam Filter
A setting in software allowing the sorting and/or deleting of unwanted
mail.
For more information, see our pages About SpamAssassin or Using Procmail to Filter Your
Email on Panix
SSH
Short for Secure SHell, a network protocol allowing commands and data
to be
exchanged over an encrypted channel.
T1
A 1.5 Mbps connection over telephone wires. A T1 can connect a user
or a
business to the Internet, or connect between two locations for internal
communications (such as for a branch office). Unlike most DSL lines, a T1 is a
business service that is fully supported by the phone company. Panix also sells
"fractional T1" Internet connections, where the user pays lower monthly charges
than a full T1 but receives less bandwidth.
T2
Short for Terminator 2: Judgment Day, the sequel to the popular 1980's
film The
Terminator, starring the Governor of California. Seriously, while there are T1 and
T3 circuits, there is no T2 commercially available. Don't ask why.
T3
A 45 Mbps connection provided over a special high-speed circuit. Like
T1
circuits, a T3 can be connected to the Internet or between two private locations.
Panix also sells "fractional T3" service to the Internet where the user pays lower
monthly charges but receives less than the full bandwidth.
Terminal Emulator
A program that imitates a "dumb terminal" (the way users would connect
to a mainframe in the days before PCs) that allows use of a remote shell
host or other command-line interface.
Trojan
A program that contains hidden malware, usually
disguised as another program
entirely. The name comes from the mythical Trojan Horse, which the
Greeks used to trick the Trojans into letting them into the city of
Troy.
Upload
The act of sending data to a remote host, such as a webserver or FTP
server.
Usenet
A global Internet bulletin board system, consisting of messages (known
as
articles) in a variety of newsgroups devoted to various subjects and
interests.
User ID
The handle assigned to or chosen by a user, allowing them access to
the
shell along with their password. Note that a user
id is public, whereas a password is private.
(Computer) Virus/Worm
A computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer without
permission
or knowledge of the user, frequently carried by files or other software that are
"infected." A worm will go even farther, using a network to send copies
of itself to other computers on the same network. See Wikipedia's pages
on viruses and
worms for more information.
Webmail
A program that allows access and management of email via a web
browser.
Panix uses Squirrelmail, which
lets users change Spam Blocking and Spam
Filtering.
Wiki
A collaborative website allowing viewers to add, remove, or edit
content.
World Wide Web (WWW)
The name given to the mass of pages and sites that run over the
Internet,
viewable through web browsers.
© Copyright 2007 Public Access Networks Corporation
helpmaster@panix.com
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Last modified:
Friday, 13-Jul-2007 16:41:08 EDT
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