Glossary
coaxial cable | A type of wire consisting of a center wire surrounded by insulation and a grounded shield of |
(coax) | braided wire. The shield minimizes electrical and radio frequency interference. |
DOCSIS | The CableLabs |
| VoIP cable modems and supporting equipment. |
download | To copy a file from one computer to another. You can use the Internet to download files from a |
| server to your home PC. A DOCSIS VoIP cable modem downloads its configuration from a server |
| during |
downstream | In a network, downstream describes the direction of data received by your computer from the |
| Internet. |
Ethernet | The most widely used type of local area network (LAN). The most commonly installed Ethernet |
| networks are called |
| second (Mbps), usually over |
| speeds up to 100 Mbps. |
expansion slot An opening in a computer where a circuit board can be inserted to add new capabilities.
IP address An Internet Protocol address is an identifier for a computer or device on a TCP/IP network. Networks using the TCP/IP protocol route messages based on the destination IP address. Your cable provider assigns your VoIP cable modem an IP address to provide a continuous Internet connection.
MAC address | The Media Access Control Address uniquely identifies each device that can be connected to an |
| Ethernet network. It is permanently written to |
| on the rear panel of your SURFboard VoIP cable modem. You need to provide the MAC address to |
| your cable provider. |
MHz | Mega Hertz. A measure of radio frequency - millions of cycles per second. One MHz means one |
| million cycles per second. |
PBX | A private branch exchange is a private telephone network usually used within a business. Users of |
| the PBX share a certain number of outside lines for making telephone calls external to the PBX. |
PSTN | The public switched telephone network is the traditional |
| network originally invented by Alexander Graham Bell. It is sometimes referred to as plain old |
| telephone service (POTS). |
The most common type of connector for household phones. | |
The most common type of connector for Ethernet networks. | |
splitter | A splitter is a device that divides the signal power from an input cable equally between two or more |
| signals, each carrying a selected frequency range. |
TCP/IP | Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol is a set of protocols that provides standards and |
| rules for communication between networks. |
upstream | In a network, upstream describes the direction of data sent from your computer to the Internet. |
UPS | An uninterruptible power supply provides a battery backup to enable voice service to continue for |
| some time during a power outage. |
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