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# Glossary of Terms

## AOL Access Phone Numbers

The telephone numbers your modem dials to connect to the AOL service. See About Access Phone Numbers.

## Broadband

A type of high-speed data transmission where a single wire carries several channels at the same time. See What Is Broadband?

## Configuring

The process of defining the options that are available with hardware and software.

## Device

A component in or attached to your computer that allows you to connect to the Internet.

## Dock

The row of icons that appears by default along the bottom of the Mac screen.

## Ethernet

A popular method of networking computers in a local area network, as it can be used with any kind of computer. It can provide fast and direct connections to the Internet.

## Firewall

A system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network. Firewalls can be implemented in both hardware and software, or a combination of both. Firewalls are frequently used to prevent unauthorized Internet users from accessing private networks connected to the Internet, especially intranets.

## ISP

Stands for Internet Service Provider. An Internet Service Provider provides and sells physical Internet access to individuals and companies.

## LAN

Stands for Local Area Network. A LAN is a computer network covering a local area, such as a home, office, or small group of buildings.

## Location

Defines your connection type, such as dial-up, as well as your connection settings, such as the phone numbers your modem will dial. See What Is a Location?

## Modem

The hardware in your computer that allows you to connect to the internet via your phone line or cable television line. Most computers have dial-up modems installed in them by default.

- A dial-up modem enables a computer to transmit data over telephone lines using analog signals.
- A cable modem operates over cable television lines, using coaxial cable that allows for much greater bandwidth than a basic dial-up modem.
- A DSL modem uses DSL, which stands for Digital Subscriber Line. DSL is a family of digital telecommunication protocols that allow high-speed data communication over the existing copper telephone lines between end-users and telephone companies.

## Modem script

A program or file that tells certain software on your Mac how to use your modem.

## Network Interface Card

A card you insert into a computer so the computer can be connected to a network.

## Router

In the context of a home or office network, routers are used as Internet gateways, allowing multiple computers in the network to share Internet access.