Internet Terms

Apache : Apache is the most popular Web server software. It enables a computer to host one or more websites that can be accessed over the Internet using a Web browser. The first version of Apache was released in 1995 by the Apache Group.

Applet : This a Java program that can be embedded in a Web page. The difference between a standard Java application and a Java applet is that an applet can't access system resources on the local computer.

ATM: Asynchronous Transfer Mode is a networking technology that transfers data in packets or cells of a fixed size.

Broadband : This refers to high-speed data transmission in which a single cable can carry a large amount of data at once.

Cloud computing : Cloud computing refers to applications and services offered over the Internet. These services are offered from data centers all over the world, which collectively are referred to as the "cloud." The idea of the "cloud" simplifies the many network connections and computer systems involved in online services.

Cookie : A cookie is a small amount of data generated by a website and saved by your web browser. Its purpose is to remember information about you, similar to a preference file created by a software application.

DHCP : Stands for "Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol." A network server uses this protocol to dynamically assign IP addresses to networked computers. The DHCP server waits for a computer to connect to it, then assigns it an IP address from a master list stored on the server.

DNS : Stands for "Domain Name System." The primary purpose of DNS is to keep Web surfers sane. Without DNS, we would have to remember the IP address of every site we wanted to visit, instead of just the domain name.

Firewall : A computer firewall limits the data that can pass through it and protects a networked server or client machine from damage by unauthorized users.

ISDN : Stands for "Integrated Services Digital Network."  ISDN is a data transfer technology, created in 1984, that can transfer data significantly faster than a dial-up modem. ISDN enables wide-bandwidth digital transmission over the public telephone network, which means more data can be sent at one time.

P2P : Stands for "Peer to Peer." In a P2P network, the "peers" are computer systems which are connected to each other via the Internet. Files can be shared directly between systems on the network without the need of a central server.

SOAP : Stands for "Simple Object Access Protocol". SOAP is a method of transferring messages, or small amounts of information, over the Internet. SOAP messages are formatted in XML and are typically sent using HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol).

SMTP : Stands for "Simple Mail Transfer Protocol." This is the protocol used for sending e-mail over the Internet.