From Laura Schneider,
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Computer Terms - terms Through Letter B

10Base5 (10 Mbps, baseband, 500 meter): one of several physical media specified by 802.3 for use in an Ethernet local area network LAN); consists of Thickwire coaxial cable with a maximum segment length of 500 meters

10Base2 (10 Mbps, baseband, 185 meter): one of several physical media specified by IEEE 802.3 for use in an Ethernet local area network LAN); consists of Thickwire coaxial cable with a maximum segment length of185 meters

10BaseT (10 Mbps, baseband, unshielded twisted-pair): one of several physical media specified by IEEE 802.3 for use in an Ethernet local area network (LAN); is ordinary telephone twisted pair wire

100BaseT (100 Mbps, baseband, unshielded twisted-pair): one of several physical media specified by IEEE 802.3 for use in an Ethernet local area network (LAN); referred to as Fast Ethernet because of its higher transmission speed

AAL (ATM adaptation layer): adapts PDUs passed down from higher layers onto ATM cells

Active hub: allows multiple devices to be wired to a central location to share the same media and regenerate the signal; also referred to as multiport repeaters

ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line): typical form of xDSL telephone companies offer to residences

AGP (accelerated or advanced graphics port): a high-speed, point-to-point channel for attaching a graphics card to a computer’s motherboard, primarily to assist in the acceleration of 3D computer graphics

ALU (arithmetic logic unit): a digital circuit that calculates an arithmetic operation (e.g., addition, subtraction) and logic operations between two numbers; the fundamental building block of the Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a computer

AM (amplitude modulation): a technique used for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave

Amplitude: height of the wave at any point in the wave

ANSI (American National Standards Institute): a voluntary organization that coordinates the development and use of consensus standards in the United States and represents the needs and views of U.S. stakeholders in standardization forums around the globe

API (application programming interface): gives programmers a formal set of routines to call on to use underlying network services

Application layer: performs the functions of file transfer, e-mail, etc. (see OSI Model)

Architecture: how a system is designed; includes how the components are connected to and operate with each other

ARP (address resolution protocol): network layer protocol provided with TCP/IP; used to map an IP (internet protocol) address to a MAC (media access card) address

ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange): relates a number from 0 to 255 in the binary (base 2) form to keyboard characters

ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit): an integrated circuit designed for a particular use (e.g., a chip designed solely to run a cell phone)

Asynchronous communication: describes when devices, such as computers, rely on their own internal clocks; it provides connectivity to printers, modems, fax machines, etc.

ATM (asynchronous transfer mode): high bandwidth, cell-switching technology; designed to carry many different types of information, including voice, video, image, data, and graphics; another form of STDM (statistical time division multiplexing)

AUI (attachment unit interface): a 15-pin connection that provides a path between a node’s Ethernet interface and the medium attachment unit (MAU); also known as a transceiver

AS (Autonomous system): collection of IP networks under the control of a single entity

B (bearer) channel: carries voice, video, image, or data traffic, depending upon the equipment and applications available

Bandwidth: expressed in a range of frequencies using hertz as the unit of measurement; also called analog capacity

Base 2 System: binary number system, only two discrete values (0 and 1) are possible and all numbers are a combination of these two characters; digital signals are numbers sent in the Base 2 system

Base 10 System: the decimal system

Baseband: describes signals and systems whose range of frequency is measured from 0 to a maximum bandwidth or highest signal frequency; sometimes used as a noun for a band of frequencies starting at 0

BGP (border gateway protocol): an interautonomous system routing protocol; a network or group of networks under a common administration and with common routing policies

Bit: contraction of the expression “binary digit”; smallest unit of data in a computer

BIOS (basic input/output system): the firmware code run by an IBM-compatible PC when first powered on, known as “booting up”; primary function is to prepare the machine so other software programs can load, execute, and assume control of the PC

Bluetooth: specification that allows mobile phones, computers, and PDAs to be connected wirelessly over short ranges

Bps: bits per second: common measure of data speed for computer modems and transmission carriers

BRI (basic rate interface): an integrated services digital network configuration, usually intended for the home and small enterprise (see also PRI)

Bricks and clicks: business that existed pre-Internet that now uses e-commerce technology to sell on the Internet

Bridge: interprets the LAN hardware adapter address contained in MAC and decide whether to filter or forward the frame; does not change the frame in any way

Browsers: client applications that access WWW servers

Building backbone: connects LANs within a building

Bus: electrical connection between any two components in a computer

Bus topology: system layout where electrical signals generated by a device connected anywhere on the bus are received by all other connected devices

Byte: the standard size of data in a computer; 8-bits