HELP GUIDE Westbase.io Networking 101 A Glossary of Technology Terms Networking 101: Glossary of Technology Terms We know that networking terminology and acronyms can be a headache, so Westbase.io has put together this helpful guide so that you can work your way around them. If we don’t cover something you want to know here, then please feel free to contact us to ask. 3G 3G is the third generation of UMTS (universal mobile telecommunications technology). Also known as HSPA or HSPA+ it delivers connectivity speeds and bandwidth suitable for powering a wide range of applications. 4G 4G is the fourth generation of mobile technology and brings increased speed and bandwidth to mobile networks. Also known as “LTE” (Long Term Evolution), 4G is unlocking the true potential of cellular networking and enabling new applications not previously available on 3G. Standard 4G networks are also referred to as CAT 3 or Category 3 LTE. See the definition for “LTE Categories” below for more information. 4G+ / 4.5G 4G+ / 4.5G, also known as LTE-A and LTE-Advanced, is a newer and faster version of 4G cellular connectivity. Utilising carrier aggregation, it allows 4G+ / 4.5G enabled devices to receive data from multiple bands in the 4G spectrum, which provides a theoretical speed of 300 Mbps compared to the 100 Mbps theoretical speed you get on a standard 4G network. 4G+ / 4.5G is also referred to as CAT 6 or Category 6 LTE. See the definition for “LTE Categories” below for more information. 5G 5G is the fifth generation of mobile technology, not yet available but undergoing development and testing today. 5G will offer greater capacity, be faster, more energy-efficient and more cost-effective than any earlier network in order to meet the expanding network demands of technologies such as the Internet of Things. AAA Authentication, Authorisation, and Accounting is a framework for intelligently controlling access to computer resources, auditing usage, enforcing policies, and providing the required information for billing services. Antenna Gain Antenna gain is one of the most important parameters in describing an antenna’s performance; it describes an antenna’s focusing ability which determines the maximum range it can reach. Generally, the bigger the antenna is, the higher the gain. A high quality antenna should have a well behaved gain pattern in all directions without too many nulls (points of no power), and an even signal distribution. Antenna dBi Manufacturers often list the dBi gain of an antenna; dBi stands for decibels relative to an isotropic antenna. The higher the dBi, the better the gain of the antenna. 2 Antenna Efficiency Antenna efficiency refers to the ratio of power radiated, to the power accepted at an antenna’s terminal. A good efficiency antenna will radiate most of the power incident on its input terminals. Efficiency is related to the antenna’s gain, in that a well-designed antenna should offer both good gain and high efficiency. AP An access point, or AP, is a station which transmits and receives data in a wireless local area network, connecting the users within the network and also serving as the point of connection between the wireless and wired network. APN (Access Point Name) APN is the name (web address) of an access point for data connection. Wireless carriers provide APNs for use by customers who have dedicated IT requirements. Application Solution In the context of connectivity, application solution refers to what a device is being used to provide, also known as a “use case”. For example, a 4G router could be used to create a WiFi hotspot, therefore it is providing a WiFi application. Bluetooth Primarily a consumer technology, Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology which connects devices such as mobile phones to other electronic devices. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Also known as BLE and Bluetooth Smart, Bluetooth Low Energy is a wireless network technology designed for specific applications in industries such as healthcare, beacons, and security, as well as consumer industries such as fitness and home entertainment. It differs from Bluetooth as it consumes considerably less power and is less expensive, while still maintaining a similar connection range. Business Continuity Business continuity describes the activities undertaken by an organisation to ensure that any functions that are critical to the running of the business are able to continue in the event of a serious incident or disaster. This is normally done by assessing the risk to the business of a range of scenarios, and putting in place plans and systems to mitigate or negate the risk. In terms of connectivity, we call this "failover”; making sure that a business has back-up connectivity if their primary connectivity fails. Cloud A cloud is a group of computers and servers connected together over the Internet to form a network. Clouds can be used to store data and access computing services. Clouds can be public, private or a mixture of the two. If you use a service like Google Docs, Microsoft Office 365 or Dropbox, then you are using the cloud. Some of the most commonly known B2B cloud providers are Microsoft Azure, IBM SoftLayer and Amazon AWS. Cloud Managed Refers to computer services that are managed in the cloud, rather than on a local computer or network. CSD Circuit Switched Data, or CSD, is the original form of data transmission developed for early mobile phone systems such as GSM. CSD has since been superseded by GPRS and EDGE. Data Packets In order to transfer data over a network it must be broken down into manageable "chunks", before being reassembled at the receiving end of the communication to deliver the data in its original form. Data packets are what we call these chunks. 3 Device Networking Device networking normally refers to using a local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN) to connect different devices required for business operations. For example, point of sale terminals and stock management computers in a retail environment, or medical monitors and patient records in a hospital. Distributed Enterprise A distributed enterprise is an organisation which has a dispersed network of branch locations, as well as a central head office location which typically manages centralised processes across different functions. For example retail and restaurant chains or banks. When we talk about the distributed enterprise in networking specifically, we are referring to geographically-dispersed branches which are all connected to centralised, back-office systems hosted at a head office location or Network Operations Centre, which deliver their in-branch applications and services via this connection. This connection could be fixed line, satellite or cellular. DSL Digital Subscriber Line is a family of technologies that is used to provide internet access by transmitting digital data over telephone lines. EDGE (Enhanced Data for Global Evolution) EDGE (also known as Enhanced GPRS or EGPRS) is a data system used on top of GSM networks. Ethernet Ethernet is the most common type of connection used for a local area network where data is transferred via cable connections. Failover Connectivity Failover connectivity is a back-up solution that businesses use to provide communications access in the event of a disaster which results in their primary connectivity being knocked out. Normally 4G LTE mobile networks are the preferred choice for failover connectivity, although secondary wired lines or satellite are also an option. Firewall A firewall is a network security system which controls incoming and outgoing traffic. Controlled by a rule set, a firewall establishes a barrier between a trusted, secure internal network and another network, e.g. the Internet, which isn't "known" and therefore not trusted and secure. Frequency In the context of radio spectrum, frequency refers to the frequency of radio waves. Typically, low frequency radio waves can reach further and are better at penetrating physical objects such as buildings, while high frequency radio waves can carry more data. Frequency bands are therefore allocated for use in applications which best match their capabilities. Fog Computing Fog computing, or “fogging”, is a distributed infrastructure in which certain application processes or services are managed at the edge of the network by a smart device, but others are still managed in the cloud. It is, essentially, a middle layer between the cloud and the hardware to enable more efficient data processing, analysis and storage, which is achieved by reducing the amount of data which needs to be transported to the cloud. Gateway A gateway is the point at which two different networks meet. Geofencing Geofencing allows users to set geographically-based rules which can be used to perform actions or alerts on a device automatically if it is moved outside a dedicated area. 4 GGSN The Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) is a main component of the GPRS network. The GGSN is responsible for the interworking between the GPRS network and external packet switched networks, like the Internet and X.25 networks. GPRS General Packet Radio Service is a packet-switching technology that enables data transfers through cellular networks. It is used for mobile internet, MMS and other data communications. GRX A GPRS roaming exchange (GRX) acts as a hub for GPRS connections from roaming users, removing the need for a dedicated link between each GPRS service provider. It was developed to facilitate a more efficient way for operators to interconnect networks, and played a large part in the transition to third-generation systems. GTP GPRS Tunnelling Protocol, or GTP, is a group of IP-based communication protocols used to carry general packet radio service (GPRS) within GSM, UMTS and LTE networks. HLR The Home Location Register (HLR) is the main database of permanent subscriber information for a mobile network; it hosts SIM information for all connections on the network.