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Code by which the Internet identifies you. The format is username@hostname, where username is your username, login name, or account number, hostname is the name of the computer or Internet provider you use. The host name may be a few words strung together with periods.eg. Small Van Insurance A Commercial vehicle insurance guide AA or RAC A guide to car breakdown cover and breakdown insurance.
A way to use the FTP program to log on to another computer to copy files when you don't have an account on the other computer. When you log on, enter anonymous as the username and your address as the password. This gives you access to publicly-available files.
Advanced Network Services. ANS runs one of the largest, high-speed networks on the Internet. Run by Merit, MCI, and IBM.
A system that helps you locate files located anywhere on the Internet. After Archie locates the file, you can use FTP to get it. Archie is both a program and a system of server computers that contain indexes of files.
Verifying the identity of a person or computer process.
A high-speed line or series of connections that forms a major pathway within a network. The term is relative as a backbone in a small network will likely be much smaller than many non-backbone lines in a large network. (see also: Network)
How much " stuff " you can send through a connection. Usually measured in bits-per-second. A full page of English text is about 16,000 bits. A fast modem can move about 33,300 bits in one second. Full-motion full-screen video would require roughly 10,000,000 bits-per-second, depending on compression. second, depending on compression.
"Bulletin Board System." A computerized meeting and announcement system that allows people to carry on discussions, upload and download files, and make announcements without being connected to the computer at the same time. There are several thousands (millions?) of BBS's around the world. Most BBS are very small and run on a single PC with one or two phone lines.
A client program (software) that is used to search through information provided by a specific type of server. (see also: Client, URL, WWW)
Talking in real-time to other network users from any and all parts of the world.
A software program that is used to contact and obtain data from a Server software program on another computer, often across a great distance. Each Client program is designed to work with one or more types of Server programs
When these letters appear at the end of an address, they indicate that the host site is run by a company rather than a university or government agency.
When these letters appear at the end of an address, they indicate that the host site is run by a UK based company rather than a university or government agency.
A virtual universe of computers, programs and data.
The unique name that identifies an Internet site A given machine may have more than one domain name but a given domain name points to only one machine. It is also possible for a domain name to exist but not be connected to an actual machine. This is often done so that a group or business can have an Internet e-mail address without having to establish a real Internet site. In these cases, an Internet Service Provider's machine must handle the mail on behalf of the listed domain name. (see also: IP Number)
When these letters appear in the last part of an address (info@mit.edu), they indicate that the host computer is run by an educational institution.
Electronic Mail. Messages, usually text, sent from one person to another via computer. E-mail can also be sent automatically to a large number of addresses by use of a Mailing List. (see also: Listserv, Mailist)
A method of transferring one or more files from one computer to another on a network or phone line.
A program that displays information about someone on the net. On most UNIX systems, this command tells you who is logged on right now. On most Internet hosts, it tells you the name, and possibly some other information based on the person's Internet address and the last time they logged on.
A filter for messages. A system that has a firewall lets only certain kinds of messages in and out from the rest of the Internet. If an organization wants to exchange mail with the Internet, but does not want other Internet members " telnetting in " and reading those files, its connection to the Internet can be protected using a firewall.
A computer that connects one network with another when the two networks use different protocols. The UUNET computer connects the UUCP network with the Internet, providing a way for mail messages to move between the two networks.
Graphic Interchange Format. The file format commonly used to distribute graphics files on the Internet.
A system that lets you find information by using menus. To use Gopher, you usually Telnet to a Gopher server and begin browsing the menus.
Hypertext Transfer Protocol. The method by which World Wide Web pages are transferred over the network.
A computer on the Internet that you may be able to log on to. You can use FTP to get files from a host computer, and use other programs (such as Telnet) to make use of the host computer.
Hypertext Markup Language, used for writing pages for the World Wide Web. HTML allows text to include codes that define fonts, layout, embedded graphics, and hypertext links.
A system of writing and displaying text that enables the text to be linked in multiple ways, available at several levels of detail. Hypertext documents can also contain links to related documents such as those referred to in footnotes. Hypermedia can also contain pictures, sounds, video.
The vast collection of inter-connected networks that all use the TCP/IP protocols and that evolved from the ARPANET of the late 60's and early '70s. The Internet currently connects roughly 160,000 independent networks into a vast global Internet
The transport layer protocol used as a basis of the Internet. IP enables information to be routed from one network to another in packets and then reassembled when they reach their destination
A four-part number separated by dots (e.g. 165.113.245.2) which uniquely identifies a machine on the internet. Every machine that is on the Internet has a unique IP number, if a machine does not have an IP number, it is not really on the Internet. Most machines also have one or more Domain Names that are easier for people to remember. (see also: Domain Name)
Internet Relay Chat. A system that enables Internet users to talk with each other in real time over the Internet rather than in person.
Integrated Services Digital Network. Basically a way to move more data over existing regular phone lines. ISDN is becoming more widely used in the UK. ISDN can provide speeds of 128,000 bits-per-second over a regular phone line at the same cost as a normal phone call.
Local Area Network. A group of connected computers, usually located in close proximity (such as the same building or floor of the building) so data can be passed between them
Refers to a phone line that is rented for exclusive 24-hour, 7-days-a-week access between your location to another location. The highest speed data connections require a leased line.
A family of programs that automatically manage mailing lists by distributing messages posted to the list, adding and deleting members automatically.
Noun or a verb. Noun: The account name used to gain access to a computer system. Unlike a Password, the login name is not a secret. Verb: The act of entering into a computer system, e.g. " Login to the WELL and then go to the GBN conference. "
A piece of e-mail or a posting to a newsgroup.
An FTP server that provides copies of the same files as another server. Some FTP servers are so popular that other servers have been set up to mirror them and spread the FTP load to more than one site.
MOdulator, DEModulator. A device that you connect to your computer and to a phone line to allow the computer to talk to other computers through the phone system. Modems convert the computer's digital signals into analog waves that can be transmitted over standard voice telephone lines. Modem speeds are measured in bits per second (bps) - also sometimes expressed as KILObits (thousands of bits) per second. As an example, 28.8Kbps and 28,800bps are the same thing, 28,800 bits per second.
A Windows-based, Windows Sockets-compliant program that lets you access information on the World Wide Web. name resolution
Another name for Usenet, often refers to Usenet News when being received via the Internet, via NNTP.
A Windows-based, Windows Sockets-compliant program that lets you access information on the World Wide Web.
Any time you connect two or more computers together so that they can share resources you have a computer network. Connect two or more networks together and you have an internet (small " i "). (see also: Internet)
A protocol defined for distribution, inquiry, retrieval and posting of news articles.
A distributed bulletin board system about a particular topic. Usenet news (also known as net news) is a system that distributes thousands of newsgroups to all parts of the Internet.
A computer on the Internet, also called a host. Computers that provide a service, such as FTP sites or places that run Gopher are also called servers.
A chunk of information sent over a network. Each packet contains the destination address, the sender's address, error-control information, and data.
A document, or collection of information, available by way of the World Wide Web. To make information available over the WWW, it is organized into pages. A page may contain text, graphics files, video, and/or sound files.
A network management tool that checks to see whether you can communicate with another computer on the Internet. It sends a short message to which the other computer automatically responds. If the other computer does not respond to the ping, you usually cannot establish communications.
A physical site in a geography where a network Access Provider, such as U-Net, has equipment that users connect to. The local phone company's central office in a particular area is also sometimes referred to as their POP in that area.
Post Office Protocol. A system by which a mail server on the Internet lets you grab your mail and download it to your PC or Mac. Most people refer to this protocol with its version number (i.e. POP2, POP3) to avoid confusing it with Point of Presence.
Point-to-Point Protocol. A scheme for connecting two computers over a phone line (or a network link that acts like a phone line). Similar to SLIP.
An on-line system run by IBM and Sears. If you have a Prodigy account, username@prodigy.com is your Internet address, where username is your Prodigy user name.
A special-purpose computer (or software package) that handles the connection between two or more networks. Routers look at the destination addresses of the packets passing through them and decide which route to send them.
The STT specification is a software technology designed to provide a secure method for handling credit card transactions across electronic networks.
A computer that provides a service to other computers on a network. An Archie server, for example, lets people on the Internet use
A protocol used to transfer e-mail between computers.
The Internet standard protocol developed to manage nodes on an IP network.
One or more web pages that combine to present information relating to people, companies, services or products.
Serial Line Interface Protocol. A software scheme for connecting a computer to the Internet.
When your computer is on the Internet via a SLIP connection, a socket is a conversation your computer is having with a computer elsewhere on the net. You may have one socket for an FTP session, another socket for a Telnet session and another socket taking care of getting your mail.
Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. The system networks use to communicate with each other on the Internet.
The command and program used to login from one Internet site to another. The Telnet command/program gets you to the " login " prompt of another host.
A device that allows you to send commands to a computer somewhere else. At a minimum, this usually means a keyboard and a display screen and some simple circuitry. Usually you will use terminal software in a personal computer the software pretends to be (" emulates ") a physical terminal and allows you to type commands to a computer somewhere else.
A computer operating system (the basic software running on a computer, underneath things like word processors and spreadsheets). UNIX is designed to be used by many people at the same time (it is " multi-user ") and has TCP/IP built-in. It is the most common operating system for servers on the Internet
Uniform Resource Locator. The standard way to give the address of any resource on the Internet that is part of the World Wide Web (WWW). A URL looks like this: http://www.apec.co.uk. The most common way to use a URL is to enter into a Web browser program, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. (see also: Browser, WWW)
A system of thousands of distributed bulletin boards called newsgroups. You read the messages by using a program called a news reader.
Very Easy Rodent Oriented Net-wide Index to Computerized Archives. A program that uses word searches to locate articles in Gopherspace. Developed at the University of Nevada, Veronica is a constantly updated database of names of almost every menu item on thousands of gopher servers. (see also: Gopher)
A program used by Gopher, WAIS or WWW client programs to show files with contents other than text. You would use a viewer to display graphics files, play sound files or display video files.
Wide Area Information Servers. A system that lets you search for documents that contain specific information that you are looking for.
Wide Area Network. Any internet or network that covers an area larger than a single building or campus. (see also: Internet, LAN, Network)
Windows Sockets is a standard way for Windows-based programs to work with TCP/IP. You can use Windows Sockets if you use SLIP to connect to the Internet.
World Wide Web. A hypermedia-based system for accessing information on the Internet.