ACPI - an advanced power and configuration interface.

Latest standards allows the pc or laptop to manage its power needs

efficiently. Such benefits can be powering devices fully on a need to know basis, and lowering sore power until needed.
ADSL - stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, a broadband connection used over ISDN and dial up connections, similar to
cable modems.
AGP - stands for accelerated graphics port. A expansion slot on the motherboard usually brown and used to provide high
performance graphics via AGP cards, standard is 2x newer 4x standard allows peak transfer speeds of 512MBps for 2x, and 1.1GBps
for the 4x.
AIT - Advanced Intelligent Tape, this a Sony magnetic tape using the 8mm cassette standard, these cassettes can hold up to 100GB.
ATA - means AT Attachment, this term is the signal and protocol for IDE devices. Newer hard drives run at ATA 100, or ATA 66,
ATA 33 has been phased out, also known as Ultra66 & 100. This describes the bandwidth of the disc.
ATAPI - a packet attachment interface which is used to extend the EIDE interface used with CD-ROMS and similar devices.
BIOS - meaning basic input/output system. This software is stored on board and is used to boot the system and carry out memory
tests and what devices are attached.
BIT -  the smallest unit of data possible, it's values are 1 & 0 (binary) they are stored in capacitors on memory chips using electrical
currents. These are often abbreviated ie 5kbps = 5,000 bits per second.
BURN-PROOF / UNDERUN - This technology is included with some cd writers, the technology controls the data stream going to
the writer and avoids errors and underun problems which on writers with out BURN- PROOF will be useless and wont read in other
drives basically another coaster. Very good if you can afford the extra do it, it will save you discs and time in the long run. Also
depending on the size of the buffer you can to a task or two at the same time as burning.
BYTE - 8 bits used to make up one byte, this is where it can be 'tricky' as the binary system is used which makes a kilobyte = 1,024
byte. A Megabyte (MB) is 1,048,576 bytes. This mistake is often noted by newer users when more ram or hard drives are added as
128mb of ram will be 131,   kilobytes as 1mb is 1,048,576. It doesn't make a real difference to us the users but is worth knowing.
CACHE - this is a temporary area used to speed up processes. A good example is web browsers they will keep a log of recently used
pages so that when you re-visit, they will load quicker.
CLUSTER - The smallest amount of space that a file can occupy on a disc, with hard discs, the larger the size of the disc the larger
the cluster will be.
CMOS - stands for complementary metal oxide semiconductor. Although more well known for the battery powered chip on
motherboards which stores the system and clock configurations.
COMPRESSION - This is reducing the size of a file so it can be stored in a smaller space. A common compression utility in
Winzip. 
CPU - central processing unit, a microprocessor which is basically the brains of the computer performing many instructions a second
to carry, fetch and compute.
DAT - stands for Digital Audio Tape, this is a magnetic tape using 4mm cartridges, often used in DAT drives for backups. Didn't
take of as planned used for backup tape drives and was mainly used by musicians and sound studios. There are 4 medias DDs-1 - 4
which range at 2GB, 4GB, 12GB, 20GB. 
DATA RATE - This is the amount of data a hard disc or device is capable of saving / transferring per second.
DIMM - dual in line memory module, a memory board referred to as ram. Similar to SIMMS but newer and effectively double sided,
can be added singularly and is common format at the moment. comes with a 168 pin connector.
DMA - stands for direct memory access, this is the process that sis the retrieval of data from a hard drive which writes it into the
memory without requiring the cpu this frees up tasks and resources.
DRAM - a common and cheapest form of memory, which uses a capacitor and transistor to store one bit of data, it is similar to ram
and is volatile so once power is removed it loses its memory.
DVD - digital versatile disc, but now also referred to as digital video disc following popular use in storing movies. There are several
different formats at present ranging from 2.6GB - 17GB once a agreed format has been settled prices of media and recording devices
will fall to realistic levels.
FAT - file allocation table, these are held on floppy's or hard disks and communicate with the operating system where the data is
stored. Using 16 bit addresses (FAT 16) it can only support disks up to 2GB, the FAT32 can handle sizes from 2GB - 2TB (terabytes)
FireWire - this is a very quick interface for use with external devices. Sometimes also known as IEEE 1394 or iLink, this format can
support up to 63 devices and speeds of around 400Mbps. It is more expensive than USB, and at the moment used primarily for digital
cameras and PDA's etc and where a high transfer rate is beneficial.
GIGABYTE - The standard unit of measurement for hard disk sizes, a gigabyte (GB) is roughly 1000 megabytes. (MB)
HARDWARE - A term used to describe every item of a computer that can be physically touched.
IDE - stands for integrated drive electronics, the commonest way of connecting hard drives and over devices to the PC. The units
come with built in boards etc so no need for adapters as with SCSI devices you can just connect and power up.
KILOBYTE - a kilobyte is 1024 bytes but often referred to 1000 bytes of data. This is sometimes mistaken by users who think they
have been done out of some hard drive space etc when really its 1024 not 1000.
LBA - this means Logical Block Addressing, used in hard drives capacity's.
LOGICAL DRIVE - a sub- partition of an extended partition on a hard disk.
SMEGABYTE - a 1000 kilobytes is a MB
MILLISECOND - This is the speed that hard drives access is timed, 1 millisecond is 1 thousandth of a second.
MODEM - stands for MOdulator - DEModulator this is the device that allows your computer to communicate with your phone line
and then the Internet.
PARALLEL PORT - this is the 25 pin 'D' shaped port on your pc it is used mainly for connecting printers, it offers a fairly slow
transfer rate by many standards but is used for printing and attaching scanners primarily.
PCI - peripheral component interconnect, this is the commonest interface for attaching internal components to your system these are
the white slots for modems, graphic cards and such like.
POST - power on self test, this is the very first action the PC will run when it is switched on. It will check that all devices such as
memory, graphics, drives etc are working before it attempts booting. If it finds any errors it will sound a series of beeps, the standard
one beep at booting is a indication that it has found nothing amiss and will boot.
RAM - (Random Access Memory), this is the memory of the computer that will store data while it processes and performs task
before patching and transferring chosen data to be written to the hard drive. Measured in nano seconds, the more ram in your system
the quicker it will be able to run faster most noticeably when doing multitasking as the system wont need to request the hard rive so
often. Data will be lost once the system is switched off.
ROM - Read Only Memory, this is data that can only be read and not written to such as cdr.
SCSI - small computer systems interface, this is another way to connect hard drives and cd writer/dvd drives to PC's. It is a more
expensive option to IDE, you will need a SCSI adapter to connect the devices to. They are normally used in larger systems and
servers and the devices can be daisy chained together, they are normally faster than IDE and can support higher transfer rates.
SDRAM - synchronous DRAM, this memory matches itself in synch with the speed of the cpu bus. At the moment 133mhz is the
fastest cost effective standard. You will need to insure that your board and cpu are compatible to get the full speed out of your ram,
most have backward compatibility.
SIMM - single inline memory module, this is an older type of memory board similar to dimms etc, it has 72 pins and has to be used
in pairs used mainly in early Pentiums and some boards still carry some simms, you can not mix simms with dimms.
TERRABYTE - a Terrabyte (TB) is a term used to describe 1000 Gigabytes (GB)
TFT - thin film transistor, these are a high quality crystal display and are used in laptop screens and PDA's.
UDMA - ultra DMA is the latest EIDE controllers that support transfer rates of 33/66/100Mbps.
USB - Universal Serial Bus, this is the common plug & play and also hot plugging interface. USB supports up to 127 devices and
speeds of around 12Mbps. USB 2.0 is due to ship with most newer motherboards shortly this will allow faster speeds of transfer, we
are unsure if all devices will be supported, cables for direct cable connection form USB to 2.0 standard seem unlikely.

File system is a method for storing and organizing computer files and the data they contain to make it easy to find and access them.

File Allocation Table (FAT) is a partially patented file system developed by Microsoft for MS-DOS and was the primary file system
for consumer versions of Microsoft Windows up to and including Windows Me. FAT as it applies to flexible/floppy and optical disk
cartridges (FAT12 and FAT16 without LFN support) has been standardized as ECMA-107 and ISO/IEC 9293.

User – an individual who uses a computer either as a standalone or to access a network.

Account - the collection of information known about a user, including an account name, an associated password, and a set of access
permissions for network resources.

Workstation – any computer that is connected along a LAN

Node - In networks, a processing location. A node can be a computer or some other device, such as a printer. Every node has a
unique network address, sometimes called a Data Link Control (DLC) address or Media Access Control (MAC) address.

Domain - A group of computers and devices on a network that are administered as a unit with common rules and procedures. Within
the Internet, domains are defined by the IP address. All devices sharing a common part of the IP address are said to be in the same
domain.

Local Group – a group meant to be used in a single domain.

IP address -An identifier for a computer or device on a TCP/IP network. Networks using the TCP/IP protocol route messages based
on the IP address of the destination. The format of an IP address is a 32-bit numeric address written as four numbers separated by
periods. Each number can be zero to 255. For example, 1.160.10.240 could be an IP address.
Within an isolated network, you can assign IP addresses at random as long as each one is unique. However, connecting a private
network to the Internet requires using registered IP addresses (called Internet addresses) to avoid duplicates.
The four numbers in an IP address are used in different ways to identify a particular network and a host on that network.
Class A - supports 16 million hosts on each of 126 networks
Class B - supports 65,000 hosts on each of 16,000 networks
Class C - supports 254 hosts on each of 2 million networks
The number of unassigned Internet addresses is running out, so a new classless scheme called CIDR is gradually replacing the system
based on classes A, B, and C and is tied to adoption of IPv6.

Subnet – a portion of an IP address that identifies the network portion of that address.

Subnet mask – the ‘all ones” bit pattern that masks the network portion of that address.
Class A = 255.0.0.0
Class B = 255.255.0.0
Class C = 255.255.255.0
Operating system - Also known as an "OS," this is the software that communicates with computer hardware on the most basic level.
Without an operating system, no software programs can run. The OS is what allocates memory, processes tasks, accesses disks and
peripherals, and serves as the user interface.

Packet - This is a small amount of computer data sent over a network. Any time you receive data from the Internet, it comes to your
computer in the form of many little packets. Each packet contains the address of its origin and destination, and information that
connects it to the related packets being sent. The process of sending and receiving packets is known as "packet-switching." Packets
from many different locations can be sent on the same lines and be sorted and directed to different routes by various computers along
the way. It works a lot like the post office, except billions of packets are transferred each day, and most packets take less than a few
seconds to reach their destination. Even FedEx same-day delivery can't compete with that.

Client – a computer on a network that requests resources or services from some other computer.
Client network software – a type of software designed for workstation computers that enable the use of network resources.
Client/Server – a model for computing in which some computers (clients) request services and others (servers) respond to such
request for services.
Server – A computer whose job is to respond to requests for services or resources from clients else where on a network
Server-based – a type of model that requires the presence of a server, both to provide services and resources and to manage and
control access to those same services and resources.
Peer – a computer with the same role or capability like any other computers on a peer – to- peer network
Peer-to-peer- a type of networking in which each computer can be a client to other computers and act as a server as well.
DHCP - Short for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, a protocol for assigning dynamic IP addresses to devices on a network.
With dynamic addressing, a device can have a different IP address every time it connects to the network. In some systems, the
device's IP address can even change while it is still connected. DHCP also supports a mix of static and dynamic IP addresses.
Dynamic addressing simplifies network administration because the software keeps track of IP addresses rather than requiring an
administrator to manage the task. This means that a new computer can be added to a network without the hassle of manually
assigning it a unique IP address. Many ISPs use dynamic IP addressing for dial-up users.
Device driver – a software program that mediates communication between an operating system and a specific device for the purpose
of sending and/or receiving input and output from that device.
Firewall - A Firewall is a system which limits network access between two or more networks. Normally, a Firewall is deployed
between a trusted, protected private network and an entrusted public network. For example, the trusted network might be a corporate
network, and the public network might be the Internet.
Partition - A partition is a section of a hard disk. When you format a hard disk, you can usually choose the number of partitions you
want. The computer will recognize each partition as a separate disk, and each will show up under "My Computer" (Windows) or on
the desktop (Macintosh).
Sharing – one of the fundamental justifications for networking. Microsoft’s meaning of his term refers to the way in which resources
are made available to the network.
Twisted pair (TP) – a type of cabling where two copper wires, each enclosed in some kind of sheath, are wrapped around each other.
UTP (Unshielded Twisted-Pair) – a form of Twisted-pair cable that includes no additional shielding material in the cable
composition.
Shielded Twisted-pair – a variety of TP cable , wherein a foil wrap encloses each of one or more pairs of wires for additional
shielding and where a wire braid or an additional layer of foil may enclose the entire cable for further shielding.
MAC Address (Media Access Control Address)
Stands for "Media Access Control Address," and no, it is not related Apple Macintosh computers. A MAC address is a hardware
identification number that uniquely identifies each device on a network. The MAC address is manufactured into every network card,
such as an Ethernet card or Wi-Fi card, and therefore cannot be changed.
Network - A group of two or more computer systems linked together. There are many types of computer networks, including:
local-area networks (LANs) : The computers are geographically close together (that is, in the same building).
wide-area networks (WANs) : The computers are farther apart and are connected by telephone lines or radio waves.
campus-area networks (CANs): The computers are within a limited geographic area, such as a campus or military base.
metropolitan-area networks MANs): A data network designed for a town or city.
home-area networks (HANs): A network contained within a user's home that connects a person's digital devices.
LAN card
Often abbreviated as NIC, an expansion board you insert into a computer so the computer can be connected to a network. Most NICs
are designed for a particular type of network, protocol, and media, although some can serve multiple networks.
Peripheral
A computer device, such as a CD-ROM drive or printer, that is not part of the essential computer, i.e., the memory and
microprocessor. Peripheral devices can be external -- such as a mouse, keyboard, printer, monitor, external Zip drive or scanner -- or
internal, such as a CD-ROM drive, CD-R drive or internal modem. Internal peripheral devices are often referred to as integrated
peripherals.
Router
This is a hardware device that routes data (hence the name) from a local area network (LAN) to another network connection. A router
acts like a coin sorting machine, allowing only authorized machines to connect to other computer systems. Most routers also keep log
files about the local network activity.
Workgroup
A workgroup is a collection of individuals working together on a task. Workgroup computing occurs when all the individuals have
computers connected to a network that allows them to send e-mail to one another, share data files, and schedule meetings.
Sophisticated workgroup systems allow users to define workflows so that data is automatically forwarded to appropriate people at
each stage of a process.
Attenuation
The degradation or distortion of signal as it travels forms its origin.
Bandwidth
The range of frequencies that a communications medium can carry.
IETF
Internet Engineering Task Force
TCP/Ip’s technical governing body.
IPV4 4-byte address
Reserved addresses:
Class A address beginning with 10 (one Class A address)
Class B address from 172.16 to 172.31 (16 Class B address)
Class C address from 192.168.0 to 192.168.255 (256 Class C address)
In addition, the IETF is working on a new implementation of TCP/IP, known as IPv6.
(The current version is called IPv4 using the same notation.) IPv6 uses IP address that are 8 bytes long but retain backward
compatibility with IPv4 4-byte address. In the long term, switching to this new version of TCP/IP should solve any potential address
limitation because it will multiply the total number of addresses available by over 4 billion, for a total of 16 quadrillion IP addresses.
Network operating System (NOS)
A specialized collection of software that gives a computer the ability to communicate over the network and to take advantages of a
broad range of networking services, Windows NT and Windows 2000 are network operating system available in Workstation (called
“Professional” in Windows 2000) and Server versions; Windows 95 and Windows 98 also include built-in network client and peer-
to-peer capabilities.
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
A TCP/ IP protocol that allow automatic IP address and subnet mask assignment.
Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol (TCP / IP)
A protocol suite that supports communication between heterogeneous systems. TCP/ IP has become the standard communication
protocol for the Internet.
Transmission Control Protocol, and pronounced as separate letters. TCP is one of the main protocols in TCP/IP networks. Whereas
the IP protocol deals only with packets, TCP enables two hosts to establish a connection and exchange streams of data. TCP
guarantees delivery of data and also guarantees that packets will be delivered in the same order in which they were sent.
Standalone computer - A computer that’s not attached to a network.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) - An engineering organization that issues standards for electrical and
electronic devices, including network interface, cabling, and connectors.
Electronic eavesdropping – the ability to listen to signal passing to some communications medium by detecting its commission.
Cat5E –support 350 mbps cable speed also supports Gigabit Ethernet 1000 mbps
Cat5 Enhanced
Southbridge is the chip that controls all of the computers I/O functions, such as USB, audio, serial, the system BIOS, the ISA bus,
the interrupt controller and the IDE channels. In other words, all of the functions of a processor except memory, PCI and AGP.
Northbridge is the chip or chips that connect a CPU to memory, the PCI bus, Level 2 cache and AGP activities. The Northbridge
chips communicate with the CPU through the FSB.
Topologies are either physical or logical.
There are four principal topologies used in LANs.
bus topology: All devices are connected to a central cable, called the bus or backbone. Bus networks are relatively inexpensive and
easy to install for small networks. Ethernet systems use a bus topology.
ring topology : All devices are connected to one another in the shape of a closed loop, so that each device is connected directly to
two other devices, one on either side of it. Ring topologies are relatively expensive and difficult to install, but they offer high
bandwidth and can span large distances.
star topology: All devices are connected to a central hub. Star networks are relatively easy to install and manage, but bottlenecks can
occur because all data must pass through the hub.
tree topology: A tree topology combines characteristics of linear bus and star topologies. It consists of groups of star-configured
workstations connected to a linear bus backbone cable.
These topologies can also be mixed. For example, a bus-star network consists of a high-bandwidth bus, called the backbone, which
connects collections of slower-bandwidth star segments.
ping is a computer network tool used to test whether a particular host is reachable across an IP network. Ping works by sending
ICMP “echo request” packets to the target host and listening for ICMP “echo response” replies. Using interval timing and response
rate, ping estimates the round-trip time and packet loss rate between hosts.
Topology is the pattern of links connecting pairs of nodes of a network. It's the shape of a LAN or other communications system. A
given node has one or more links to others, and the links can appear in a variety of different shapes. The simplest connection is a one-
way link between two devices. A second return link can be added for two-way communication. Modern communications cables
usually include more than one wire in order to facilitate this, although very simple bus-based networks have two-way communication
on a single wire.
A workstation, such as a Unix workstation, RISC workstation or engineering workstation, is a high-end desktop or deskside
microcomputer designed for technical applications. Workstations are intended primarily to be used by one person at a time, although
they can usually also be accessed remotely by other users when necessary.
Firmware is a term often used to denote the fixed, usually rather small, programs and/or data structures that internally control
various electronic devices.
PING -Process-Improvement Networking Group
ing is a computer network administration utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network and to
measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer.
SSD - A solid-state drive (SSD, also known as a solid-state disk) is a solid-state storage device that uses integrated circuit
assemblies as memory to store data persistently.
PCI Express (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express), officially abbreviated as PCIe or PCI-e, is a high-speed serial
computer expansion bus standard, designed to replace the older PCI, PCI-X, and AGP bus standards.
Graphical user interface (GUI /ɡuːiː/), is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices through
graphical icons and visual indicators such as secondary notation, instead of text-based user interfaces, typed command labels or text
navigation.
Command-line user interface (CLI), also known as a console user interface, and character user interface (CUI), is a means of
interacting with a computer program where the user (or client) issues commands to the program in the form of successive lines of text
(command lines).