Technical information

Watson SHDSL Router
Web-based Management Manual
Watson-SHDSL-Router-GUI-Manual.doc
Version 2.3-03
11-6
Revision: 2012-02-29
11.2 Glossary
100Base-T Also known as "Fast Ethernet," an Ethernet cable standard with a da-
ta transfer rate of up to 100 Mbps.
10Base-T An older Ethernet cable standard with a data transfer rate of up to 10
Mbps.
802.3 The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers - defined
specification that describes the characteristics of Ethernet (wired) connections.
Adapter Also known as a "network interface card" (NIC). An expansion card or
other device used to provide network access to a computer, printer, or other device.
Administrator A person responsible for planning, configuring, and managing
the day-to-day operation of a computer network. The duties of an administrator in-
clude installing new workstations and other devices, adding and removing individu-
als from the list of authorized users, archiving files, overseeing password protection
and other security measures, monitoring usage of shared resources, and handling
malfunctioning equipment.
Authentication The process of identifying an individual, usually based on a
username and password. In security systems, authentication is distinct from author-
ization, which is the process of giving individuals access to system objects based
on their identity. Authentication merely ensures that the individual is who he or she
claims to be, but says nothing about the access rights of the individual.
Bandwidth The amount of information, or size of file, that can be sent through a
network connection at one time. A connection with more bandwidth can transfer in-
formation more quickly.
Bridge A device that forwards packets of information from one segment of a
network to another. A bridge forwards only those packets necessary for communi-
cation between the segments.
Broadband connection A high-speed connection, typically 256 Kbps or faster.
Broadband services include cable modems and DSL.
Broadband modem A device that enables a broadband connection to ac-
cess the Internet. The two most common types of broadband modems are cable
modems, which rely on cable television infrastructure, and DSL modems, which rely
on telephone lines operating at DSL speeds.
Broadcast Broadcasting sends a message to everyone on the network whereas
multicasting sends a message to a select list of recipients.
CAT 5 cable Abbreviation for "Category 5 cable." A type of Ethernet cable
that has a maximum data rate of 100 Mbps.
CHAP Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol, a type of authentica-
tion in which the authentication agent (typically a network server) sends the client
program a random value that is used only once and an ID value. The sender and
peer must share a predefined secret.
Client Any computer or program that connects to, or requests the services
of, another computer or program on a network. For a local area network or the In-
ternet, a client is a computer that uses shared network resources provided by a
server.