Local area network (LAN).  An interconnected group of computers and peripherals located within a relatively limited area, such as building or a campus. 308
Local resources.  The memory, storage, and peripheral devices attached to an individual user's workstation on a network. 308
Network printer.  A printer on a network to which all network users can send output from their own workstations. 308
Network resources.  Processing capabilities, storage space, data, peripheral devices and application software available to users through a central server on a network. 308
Network server.  A computer connected to a net- work that "serves," or distributes, resources to the network users. 308
Node.  Each device on a network, including work- stations, servers, and printers; in a hierarchical database, a segment or record type. 308
Stand-alone computer.  A computer that is not connected to a network. 308
Wide area network (WAN).  An interconnected group of computers and peripherals that covers a large geographical area, such as multiple branches of a corporation. 308
Workstation.  A computer connected to a local area network. 308
Network administrator.  The person responsible for setting up user accounts and maintaining a network (also called network supervisor). 309
User account.  A means of providing a user with access to network resources and of accumulating information about the user, such as log-in and log-out times. 309
Drive mapping In network terminology, assigning a drive letter to a network server disk drive. 310
Sharing.  On a network, the use of the same prograrn by multiple people at the same time. 312
File locking.  A process by which a network pre- vents two workstations from opening the same data file at the same time. 313
Default printer.  The printer to which your PC sends documents unless an alternative printer is specified. 316
Ethernet.  A type of network in which network nodes are connected by coaxial cable or twisted- pair wire; the most popular network architecture, it typically transmits data at 1 0 or I 00 megabits per second. 317
NIC (network Interface card) .  A small circuit board that sends data from a workstation out over a network, and collects incoming data for the workstation. 317
Token Ring.  A type of network in which the nodes are sequentially connected in the form of a ring; the second most popular network architecture. 317
BNC connector The silver or gold connector on a coaxial cable. Looks similar to a cable television connector. 318
Coaxial cable.  A type of cable in which a center wire is surrounded by a grounded shield of braided wire. Used in connecting nodes on a network with silver BNC connectors on both ends (also called coax cable). 318
Network hub.  A device that joins communications lines together. Typically used in computer net- works as a point of connection for workstations, servers, and printers. 318
RJ-45 connector.  A small, square plastic connector that looks similar to a telephone connector.  Used for the connection between network interface cards and hubs. 318
Twisted-pair cable.  A type of cable in which two separate strands of wire are twisted together.  Used in connecting nodes on a network with RJ-45 connectors on both ends. 318
Wireless networks.  Networks that use radio or infrared signals (instead of cables) to transmit data from one network device to another. 318
Dedicated file server A file server devoted solely to the task of distributing programs and data files to workstations. 319
Non-dedicated file server.  A network computer that acts as both a server and a workstation. The use of non-dedicated servers is often called peer- to-peer capability. 320
Peer-to-peer.  The process by which one workstation/server shares resources with another workstation/server. Refers to the capability of a network computer to act as both a file server and as a workstation. 320
Print job.  A file sent to the printer. 320
Print queue.  A special holding area on a network server, where files are stored until they are printed. 320
Print server.  A network computer that manages the activities of one or more printers. 320
Application server.  A network server that runs a specific application program, usually a database application, and carries out processing tasks as directed by workstations. 321
Client/server architecture.  A network architecture in which processing is split between workstations (clients) and the server. 321
Host computer.  A central minicomputer or main- frame to which multiple terminals are attached. All processing takes place on the host computer. In Internet terminology, any computer connected to the Internet. 321
Time-sharing system.  A configuration in which terminals share the host computer's processing time, in contrast to a network, in which processing is performed on workstations as well as on the server. 321
Terminal emulation software.  Programs that make it possible for a microcomputer to connect to a host computer and behave as if it were a terminal of the host computer. 322
Network client software.  Programs that are installed on the local hard drive of each workstation to facilitate network interactions. Most desktop operating systems have built-in network client software. 323
Network operating system (NOS).  Programs designed to control the flow of data, maintain security, and keep track of accounts on a network. 323
Network server.  software Programs installed on a file server that control file access from the server hard drive, manage the print queue, and track user data such as lDs and passwords. 323
Network license.  Legal permission for the use of a software program by multiple users on a network. Similar to a multi-user or site license. 324
Workstation installation.  Installation of software on a network server to be accessed from workstations. The process copies some of the program files to a workstation's local hard drive and updates the workstation's Windows Registry and Start menu. 324
Workflow software.  Programs that automate the process of electronically routing documents from one person to another, in a specified sequence and time frame. Also called document routing soft- ware. 326
E-mail.  Messages that are transmitted between computers over a communications network. Short for electronic mail. 327
E-mail client software.  Software that is installed on a client computer and has access to e-mail servers on a network. This software is used to compose, send, and read e-mail messages. 327
E-mail message.  A computer file containing a letter or memo that is transmitted electronically via a communications network. 327
E-mail server software.  The software that assists the e-mail server in organizing, sorting, and routing e-mail messages over a communications net- work. 327
E-mail system.  The collection of computers and software that work together to provide e-mail services. 327
Store-and-forward technology.  A technology used by communications networks in which an e-mail message is temporarily held in storage on a server until it is requested by a client computer. 327
E-mail address.  The network address for an individual's e-mailbox. Usually a user ID, an @ symbol, and the name of the e-mail server. 328
Gateway An electronic link that connects one computer system to another. 329
E-mail attachment.  A separate file that is transmitted along with an a-mail message. 331
Cyberspace.  A term coined in 1984 by science- fiction writer William Gibson to describe a computer-generated conceptual environment shared among computers. 345
ARPANET.  A network created in 1969 by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), ARPANET was the first network to use the technology that is the basis for today's Internet. 346
Exabyte.  A quintillion bytes. 347
Internet host.  A computer that is permanently connected to the Internet and acts as a Web server, FTP server, e-mail server, or router. 347
Internet traffic.  The number of bytes transmitted from one Internet computer to another. 347
Internet backbone.  The major communications links that form the core of the Internet. 348
Network access points (NAPS) .  Connections between network service providers on the Internet backbone. 348
TCP/IP.  TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is a standard set of communication rules used by every computer that connects to the Internet. 348
Dial-up connection.  A connection that uses a phone line to establish a temporary Internet connection. 349
ISP (Internet service provider).  A company that provides Internet access to businesses, organizations, and individuals. 349
Domain name.  Short for "fully qualified domain name," an identifying name by which host computers on the Internet are familiarly known (for example, ""cocacola.com). 350
IP address.  A unique identifying number assigned to each computer connected to the Internet. 350
Router.  A computer found at each intersection on the Internet backbone that examines incoming data's IP address and forwards the data towards its destination. 350
Site.  In Internet terminology, a computer with a domain name. 350
Top-level domain.  The major categories into which groups of computers on the Internet are divided: com, edu, gov, int, mil, net, and org. 350
Web site.  A location on the World Wide Web that contains information relating to a specific topic. 350
Home page.  (1) A document that is the starting, or entry, page at a Web site. (2) The Web page that a browser displays each time it is started. 351
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) .  The communications system used to transmit Web pages. HTTP:// is an identifier that appears at the beginning of each Web page URL (for example, http://www.fooyong.com). 351
URL (Uniform Resource Locator) .  The address of a Web page. 351
Web pages.  Documents on the World Wide Web that consist of a specially coded HTML file with associated text, audio, video, and graphics files. A Web page often contains links to other Web pages. 351
Web server.  A computer that uses special soft- ware to transmit Web pages over the Internet. 351
FTP servers.  Computers that maintain a collection of data that can be transferred between two Internet computers using FTP (file transfer protocol). 352
IRC servers.  An Internet Relay Chat (IRC) computer that offers real-time chat over the Internet. 352
Usenet servers.  Computers that handle the exchange of comments among members of Internet discussion groups. 352
Links.  Underlined areas of text that allow users to jump between Web pages. 354
Commercial information services Companies that provide access to computer-based information, for a fee (for example, America Online, CompuServe, Microsoft Network, and Prodigy). 356
Web portal.  A Web site that provides a group of services, such as a search engine, news, weather, and chat groups. Designed to be used as a portal or entry into the Web. 356
Animated GIF.  A type of GIF image that displays a sequence of frames to create the appearance of continuous motion. 357
In-place multimedia technology.  An Internet multimedia technology that plays a media element as part of a Web page. 357
Streaming media.  An internet multimedia technology that sends a small segment of a media file to a user's computer and begins to play it while the next segment is being sent. 357
Multimedia overlay technology.  An Internet multi- media technology that adds a separate window to the user's screen, in which multimedia elements appear. 358
Player.  A device or software module designed to play or display files that have been stored in a par- ticular format, such as MPEG, DVD, or MP3. 358
Plug-in.  A software module that adds a specific feature to a system. For example, in the context of the Web, a plug-in adds a feature to the user's browser, such as the ability to play RealVideo files. 358
Viewer.  A software module that allows you to view the contents of a specific type of file. For example, you can use a viewer to see the contents of a dbf file even if you do not have the software that allows you to create and edit files of that type. 358
Downloading.  The process of transferring a copy of a file from a remote computer to another compliter's disk drive. 359
FTP client software.  Software that allows a user to upload and download files from a FTP server. Many browsers include download capability, but not upload capability. 359
Uploading.  The process of sending a copy of a file from a user's computer to a remote computer. 359
Sell-extracting file.  A file that contains com- pressed data and the software necessary to decompress it. 360
Asynchronously.  A term referring to communication that does not take place in real time. One person posts a message, then other people respond whenever they log on. Contrast to "synchronously." 361
Chat group.  A discussion in which a group of people communicate online simultaneously. 361
Discussion group.  Online communications in which multiple participants interact asynchronously to share views on a specific issue or topic (for example, a cat lovers' discussion group). 361
Synchronously.  A term used in the context of communications to mean simultaneously or in real time. A phone conversation or Internet chat are examples of synchronous communication. 361
Multi-player gaming.  Online gaming in which multiple players in various locations participate simultaneously. 362
HTML tag.  An instruction, such as <B>, inserted into an HTML document to provide formatting and display information to a Web browser. 364
ActiveX.  controls A set of commands and components that can be used by programmers to add interactive features to Web pages. 365
DHTML.  DHTML (dynamic HTML) is a variation of the HTML format that allows elements of Web pages to be changed while they are being viewed. 365
Java A platform-independent, object-oriented, high-level programming language based on C++, typically used to produce interactive Web applications. 365
XML.  XML (extended markup language) is a docu- ment format similar to HTML, but one that allows the Web page developer to define customized tags, generally for the purpose of creating more interactivity. 365
E-commerce.  Short for electronic commerce, it is the business of buying and selling products online. 369
Web hosting service.  An organization that pro- vides space on its Internet servers for other organizations' and individuals' Web pages, in return for a monthly fee. 369
E-commerce enabled Web site.  A Web site that is ready for e-commerce business as soon as you add product information and prices. These sites are typically provided for a monthly fee by Web hosting services. 370
Connection speed.  The maximum speed at which your modem communicates with your ISP's modem. This speed can be considerably less than your modem's top speed. 372
Transfer rate.  The speed (measured in Kbps) at which data is transmitted between your computer and another device. Often used to specify the speed of data transfer over the Internet. 372
Internet communications software.  Computer programs that allow a computer to transmit and receive data using the Internet TCP/IP communications protocol. 373
SLIP.  (Serial Line Internet Protocol) A version of TCP/IP software designed to handle Internet communications over dial-up connections. 373