ISP Glossary, Glossary ISP |
| T1 - Two pairs of copper wire that carry data at a rate of 1.544Mbps. T1 lines are used to carry 24 DS-0 signals. They can be used to carry 24 phone lines or... |
| T2 - Four T1 lines which can carry 96 voice channels or up to 6.312Mbps worth of data. |
| T3 - 28 T1 lines together make up a T3, which can carry 672 separate voice channels or up to 44.736Mbps data throughput. |
| T4 - 6 T3 lines make up a T4, which carries data at 274Mbps. |
| T5 - 240 T1 lines, which can carry 5760 voice channels or up to 400.352Mbps worth of data. |
| Tab Delimited - A text file where data elements in the text file are separated by the tab character. |
| Tachometer - A gauge the measures how fast a motor is running in revolutions per minute. The gauge can represent the information in analog or digital, and is critical... |
| Tag Image File Format - A bitmap graphics file format. It was developed by Aldus in 1986 to provide a common format for scanners, and is mainly used for that purpose, desktop... |
| Tag RAM - A bank of SRAM that only holds addresses. Tag RAM is used to store addresses so that when the processor makes a call for memory it first checks to see... |
| TAO - A method of writing data to a CD-R or CD-RW disc on a track by track basis. Recording can be paused between writing tracks, unlike Disc at Once, which... |
| Tape - A storage medium that consists of a long band of magnetic material wound around a couple of reels. Tapes can hold a lot of information, but are typically... |
| Tape Archive - A UNIX/Linux command that was designed to allow the storage of data spread across files and directories to exist in a single tape volume. Another handy... |
| Tape Drive - A device that can store data on a tape. The advantage of storing data on a tape is that a tape can hold large amounts of data in a small and inexpensive... |
| TAPI - An API for using telephony functions in Windows. For example, you can include TAPI instructions in your program that can dial numbers, receive calls, and... |
| Tar - A UNIX/Linux command that was designed to allow the storage of data spread across files and directories to exist in a single tape volume. Another handy... |
| Taskbar - The space that normally sits at the bottom of the Windows 95/98/NT4/2000/XP interface. It displays the list of running programs so that you can easily... |
| TCO - This phrase was coined by the creators of the Network Computer (NC) to describe the benefits of using a system that is more mainframe and less client/server.... |
| TCP - The part of the TCP/IP suite of protocols that is responsible for forming data connections between nodes that are reliable, as opposed to UDP, or IP, which... |
| TCP/IP - The TCP/IP suite first saw use on the original Department of Defense Internet in 1983. Its first implementation was amazingly successful, and it is still... |
| Technographer - This person types into a computer exactly what a person speaking at a meeting requests of them. The output is displayed on a screen for all to see. The... |
| Telecom - Refers to the industry and hardware involved with telephones and the transmission of voice data. |
| Telecommunications - Refers to the industry and hardware involved with telephones and the transmission of voice data. |
| Telephony - The science of audio communication through electric devices. It commonly refers to the many pieces of software that will make your $2,000 computer act... |
| Telephony API - An API for using telephony functions in Windows. For example, you can include TAPI instructions in your program that can dial numbers, receive calls, and... |
| TeleTypewriter - This term refers to a means of sending data one character at a time. The TTY interface is often used by dumb terminals to communicate with mainframes.... |
| Telnet - An old protocol for remotely logging in to another computer. It is one of the basic utilities for TCP/IP, and is available in Windows, UNIX, and Linux... |
| Terabit - Approximately 1 trillion bits. More exactly, it is 2^40, or 1,099,511,627,776, bits. |
| Terabyte - One trillion bytes, or one thousand gigabytes. |
| TeraFlop - The ability of a system to compute one trillion floating point operations in one second. |
| Terminate and Stay Resident - A program that runs, loads into memory, and stays out of view until you call on it. TSRs were commonly used in DOS, and are not necessary in modern operating... |
| Termination - Because of the amount of signals that SCSI format sends through small wiring, termination is required. The termination is accomplished by using resistors... |
| Texel - The smallest element of a textured 3D surface. Pixels make up 2D surfaces, but texels make up the surfaces that cover textured 3D objects. Higher texel... |
| Text Editor - A class of computer programs that allows the opening, changing, and saving of text files. Text editors can be used to edit HTML files, and any file that... |
| Texture Element - The smallest element of a textured 3D surface. Pixels make up 2D surfaces, but texels make up the surfaces that cover textured 3D objects. Higher texel... |
| Texture Mapping - This technique pastes saved images, to be used as textures, onto triangle surfaces to improve realism. For example, you could take a picture of a grassy... |
| Tflop - The ability of a system to compute one trillion floating point operations in one second. |
| TFT - A synonym for the Active Matrix display. You'll often see screens referred to as "TFT-Active Matrix," or just "TFT" if the manufacturer is low on space.... |
| TFTP - A network transfer protocol that allows you to connect to a device and download code onto it. For example, it can be used to shove boot code onto a diskless... |
| Thermal Compound - A paste that is applied between a microprocessor and heatsink. This paste fills in any tiny gaps that may be present on the visibly flat surfaces of the... |
| Thermal Paper - A type of paper that displays a mark on it when heat is applied. Some older printers and fax machines used thermal paper, as it allowed for a very cheap... |
| Thermal Paste - Synonymous with thermal compound. A paste that is applied between a microprocessor and heatsink. This paste fills in any tiny gaps that may be present... |
| Thermal Printer - A printer that produces characters by applying heat to special heat-sensitive thermal paper. |
| Thermal Tape - Like thermal compound, thermal tape fits between a microprocessor package and heatsink and gives greater heat conductivity than air. Thermal tape is typically... |
| ThickNet - The type of cabling on which 10Base5 Ethernet runs. It can transfer data at up to 10Mbps using the 10Base5 Ethernet standard. It is thicker than 10Base2... |
| Thin Client - A thin client is similar to a dumb terminal in that it gets all of its information from the network. Some thin clients have their own memory, but lack... |
| Thin Film Transistor - A synonym for the Active Matrix display. You'll often see screens referred to as "TFT-Active Matrix," or just "TFT" if the manufacturer is low on space.... |
| ThinNet - This refers to the type of cabling on which 10Base2 Ethernet runs. It can transfer data at up to 10Mbps using the 10Base2 Ethernet standard. It is thinner... |
| Thrash - The action of a computer component, usually a hard drive, that is doing a lot of work but not getting much done. Hard drive thrashing is often due to running... |
| Thread - Part of a program that runs independently or along with other threads to accomplish a task. To run multiple threads you must be running on an operating... |
| Throughput - Any measure of the speed of data transmission. |
| Thumb - A small representation of a larger graphic. Detail is lost in the representation, but you get an idea of the content of the graphic. Thumbnails are often... |
| Thumbnail - A small representation of a larger graphic. Detail is lost in the representation, but you get an idea of the content of the graphic. Thumbnails are often... |
| Tier 1 - An ISP that has its own worldwide Internet backbone |
| TIFF - A bitmap graphics file format. It was developed by Aldus in 1986 to provide a common format for scanners, and is mainly used for that purpose, desktop... |
| Time to live - The maximum amount of time that a data packet can travel on a network before being discarded and assumed to be lost. If you are using PING and getting... |
| Title Bar - The top portion of a window in a GUI that contains the title of the window. |
| Token Ring - A network topology pioneered by IBM and eventually made into the IEEE 802.5 standard. The original version transmitted data at 4Mbits/second, and it was... |
| Toner - Basically this is ink in dust form. It is specially formulated to be sticky and to melt at a couple hundred degrees so that it bonds with paper when used... |
| Toner Cartridge - When referring to laser printers (or copiers or fax machines) this is a cartridge that contains toner and the electrostatic drum used to transfer that... |
| Toolbar - A common user interface term that refers to any rectangular bar of buttons or icons with a set of related functions. For example, most browsers use a toolbar... |
| Toolkit Without An Interesting Name - A set of operations that allow scanners to have a standard interface to software. This allows the use of your favorite graphics package with your favorite... |
| Topology - The general structure of a network. Some examples are star and ring topology. |
| Torx - A type of indent in a screw head that looks like a 6-pointed star. Compaq used torx screws for all of its computer equipment at one point. Torx screws... |
| Total Cost of Ownership - This phrase was coined by the creators of the Network Computer (NC) to describe the benefits of using a system that is more mainframe and less client/server.... |
| Touchpad - A pad that is electrically sensitive to touch, often used as the pointing device in laptops. You can also tap on it for clicks, but some people find that... |
| Tower Case - An improvement to the standard desktop case, a tower case is flipped 90 degrees to accommodate more inside and to make it more convenient by allowing the... |
| TPC - A group that defines industry standard benchmarks that compare the ability of hardware and software platforms to perform database transactions. The performance... |
| TPM - The amount of database transactions a server can do in a minute's time. This method of measurement is often used to compare high-powered database servers... |
| Traceroute - A command that displays PING results for each router encountered between a source and a destination TCP/IP address. Traceroute is useful for getting some... |
| Tracert - A command that displays PING results for each router encountered between a source and a destination TCP/IP address. Traceroute is useful for getting some... |
| Track - One of the concentric circles of data on disk media such as hard drives, CD-ROM discs, DVD discs, and floppy disks. |
| Track at Once - A method of writing data to a CD-R or CD-RW disc on a track by track basis. Recording can be paused between writing tracks, unlike Disc at Once, which... |
| Trackball - This is basically a mouse turned upside down. Instead of moving the whole pointing device, you simply move the ball on top. It was first seen in arcade... |
| Transaction Processing Performance Council - A group that defines industry standard benchmarks that compare the ability of hardware and software platforms to perform database transactions. The performance... |
| Transactions Per Minute - The amount of database transactions a server can do in a minute's time. This method of measurement is often used to compare high-powered database servers... |
| Transceiver - A device that translates between different network cables but maintains the same network topology. Thus, a transceiver could allow an AUI (Thick-Ethernet)... |
| Transfer rate - The rate at which data is transferred in some amount of bits per second. |
| Transistor - An electronic device that acts like an electrically activated switch but has no moving parts, so it can switch millions of times per second. |
| Transistor Transistor Logic - A specific method of wiring a digital circuit using bipolar transistors. |
| Transmission - The act of uploading or sending data. Often the term "TX" is used on indicator lights on modems or network cards to indicate that data is flowing out of... |
| Transmission Control Protocol - The part of the TCP/IP suite of protocols that is responsible for forming data connections between nodes that are reliable, as opposed to UDP, or IP, which... |
| Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol - The TCP/IP suite first saw use on the original Department of Defense Internet in 1983. Its first implementation was amazingly successful, and it is still... |
| Trapezoidal Control - A control on better CRT monitors that allows you to adjust the angles of the borders of the screen. |
| Tree - A means of organizing data that starts with a single node, or data element, that has any number of child elements. Each of these child elements or nodes... |
| Trilinear Filtering - Like Bilinear Filtering, this is used to smooth flat surfaces by averaging the colors of adjacent pixels, which blurs them and removes blockiness when... |
| Trinitron - A technology developed by Sony to enhance the clarity of graphics on its monitors. These screens were vertically flat and made the pixels appear more square... |
| Triple DES Encryption - A form of DES encryption that uses three separate 56-bit keys to encrypt and decrypt messages. This basically compounds the number of possible key combinations... |
| Trivial File Transfer Protocol - A network transfer protocol that allows you to connect to a device and download code onto it. For example, it can be used to shove boot code onto a diskless... |
| Trojan Horse - A computer program that appears to be something useful, but then does something malicious to your computer. This could range from destroying data to laying... |
| TRS cable - An analog cable used to connect audio devices. It typically comes in 1/4" and 1/8" diameters. It is balanced, as opposed to the unbalanced signals of RCA... |
| True Color - The name given to 32-bit, 16.7 million color representation. |
| True Parity - This term has come about with the advent of logical parity memory. It simply means that the parity memory actually does something useful instead of just... |
| TrueType - This is a font standard developed by Apple and used in Mac OS version 7. Later, Apple licensed the technology to Microsoft, which used it in Windows 3.1... |
| Truth table - A boolean table that describes the way that a circuit reacts to input values by showing a complete set of possible input values with corresponding outputs.... |
| TSR - A program that runs, loads into memory, and stays out of view until you call on it. TSRs were commonly used in DOS, and are not necessary in modern operating... |
| TTL - see Time To Live or Transistor Transistor Logic |
| TTY - This term refers to a means of sending data one character at a time. The TTY interface is often used by dumb terminals to communicate with mainframes.... |
| Tuple - Pronounced "en-too-pull." This is a mathematical term for a finite sequence of n terms. For example, the set {1, 2, 3, 4} is a four-tuple. The set {Frank,... |
| Turbo-Pascal - Borland's version of the Pascal programming language. |
| Turnkey - This usually refers to a server or a complex system that can basically be shipped from the manufacturer, turned on, and work right away. Many VARs pride... |
| TWAIN - A set of operations that allow scanners to have a standard interface to software. This allows the use of your favorite graphics package with your favorite... |
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