Common Computer Terms

Bandwidth

The amount of information a network can carry. Think of the network as a highway, and each message as a car. The more lanes in the highway, and the higher the speed limit, the more traffic it can carry. So the wider the bandwidth of a network, and the faster its speed, the more information it can carry.

Browser

Software used to surf the World Wide Web. The Web has intriguing information on individuals, companies, and products from around the world. Using a browser, you can access text, graphics, sound, and even video. Internet Explorer and Netscape are examples of browsers.

Database

A program that helps you manage large collections of information. You can use a database to store, sort, and easily find information.

Data Jack

This is a jack in which a patch cable plugs into and connects to a switch in the communications closet. This is one part of the link that allows for network and/or internet access.

DHCP (domain host control protocol)

DHCP is a protocol for dynamically assigning.

Email (electronic mail)

Sending and receiving messages through a computer network. To use electronic mail, you need a computer, modem or network connection, and an e-mail address. E-mail is convenient because all messages are sent and received immediately, even over long distances.

Encryption

Encryption is the process of changing data into a form that can be read only by the intended receiver.

Ethernet

Ethernet is a standard for connecting computers into a local area network (LAN).

F: Drive (Network storage drive on the Columbia College network assigned to the department you work in)

 When you log into the Columbia College network you will be connected to a departmental drive on the network which is assigned the letter "F:". The drive is space reserved for the department to share data. It is only accessible by only those people in the department. Rights are granted through your user ID and password.

Firewall

A hardware or software boundary that prevents unauthorized users from accessing certain files on a network; or, a computer used to maintain such a boundary.

Gateway

A gateway is a program or piece of hardware that passes data between networks. You'll see this term most often when you either log in to an Internet site or when you're passing email between different servers.

GUI (graphical user interface)

A graphical user interface lets users interact with their computer via icons and a pointer instead of by typing in text at a command line.

Hard Drive

The primary device a computer uses to store information. Most computers come with one hard drive, called drive C, located inside the computer case.

Home page

An introductory screen on the World Wide Web, used to welcome visitors. A home page can include special underlined text or graphics you click on to jump to related information on other pages on the Web.

Internet

A worldwide information highway is comprised of thousands of interconnected computer networks, and reaches millions of people in many different countries. The Internet was originally developed for the United States military, and then became used for government, academic and commercial research and communications.

Intranet

A private network inside a company or organization that uses the same kinds of software that you would find on the public Internet, but that is only for internal use.

LAN (local area network)

A local area network is a short-distance network used to link a group of computers together within a building.

Modem

A device that lets computers communicate through telephone lines.

NIC (network interface card)

An adapter card that physically connects a computer to a network cable. This is required to connect to the Columbia College Internet.

OS (operating system)

The master control program that works like a traffic cop to direct traffic and keep everything flowing smoothly inside your computer. An operating system knows how to talk to this hardware and can manage a computer's functions, such as allocating memory, scheduling tasks, accessing disk drives.

P: Drive (Personal Storage Drive on the Columbia College network)

Patch Cable

Cat 5 cable used to plug computer into the data jack. This is part of the link that allows network and/or internet access.

Protocol

A set of rules for how two computers speak to one another through a modem or network. This ensures that the message gets through OK. Both the sender and receiver must use the same protocol.

Proxy servers

A proxy server is a system that caches items from other servers to speed up access. On the Web, a proxy first attempts to find data locally, and if it's not there, fetches it from the remote server where the data resides permanently.

Spam

Electronic junk mail or junk newsgroup postings. Some people define spam even more generally as any unsolicited e-mail.

WAN (Wide area Network)

Several PCs connected together so they can share files and computer equipment, as well as exchange e-mail. A wide area network connects computers across a large geographic area, such as a city or country. The Internet is an example of a WAN.

Webmail

Microsoft's email system used at Columbia College.