What does Mbps mean & Other Internet Definitions:

When it comes to computers, broadband and technical definitions, there are so many acronyms, shortened meanings and new words that seem confusing to most people. Whether you’re looking to sharpen your skills for your next technology purchase or don’t want to be in the dark when it comes to troubleshooting, we have outlined some of the more common tech definitions to help grow your confidence when it comes to all things digital.

A

What is ADSL / ADSL2+?

ADSL is an acronym for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. It is often referenced when discussing older types of broadband where existing phone lines were used to connect to a home or business. The newer and more advanced version is ADSL2+ and provides a faster connection.

What is Antivirus?

Anti Virus is software installed on your device, such as a laptop or phone, that prevents malware and other computer viruses from attacking your machine. It works by scanning current programmes for any breach, as well as detecting new risks and deleting these from your device.

What is an App?

‘App’ is short for ‘application’ and is downloaded to a device, normally a phone or tablet. Common examples of apps are social media programmes such as Facebook or Instagram, as well as games, and shopping apps such as Vinted and News applications.

There are over an estimated 4 million apps now available between the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, which are where the majority of users purchase or download their applications.

B

What is Broadband internet?

You will likely use it every day but may not know what ‘broadband internet’ is. In short, broadband is a high-speed internet connection that is always accessible vs the previous dial-up connections that were used to get online. It is called ‘broadband’ because its bandwidth stretches ‘broadly’ to provide fast signals to multiple devices.

What is Bandwidth?

Often referred to as Mbps, bandwidth is the level of volume that data is transmitted over an internet connection across a certain timeframe. Bandwidth is often confused with internet speed, when in fact it refers to the amount of information, not just the speed at which it’s sent.

What is a Browser?

An internet browser is an application (see app) that acts as a library for all other websites and literally ‘browses’ the internet for the website you input.

Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Safari are just some of the common browsers that are defaulted on desktop and mobile devices, however, you can download a browser and install it on your device if you have a preference.

What is a Wi-Fi Booster?

When a Wi-Fi signal can’t reach a certain area of a property, a Wi-Fi booster acts as an amplifier to help the signal reach further. Often used in large properties, it negates the need for a second modem and can also be plugged into various places of a property where the signal is particularly poor.

C

What is a bandwidth cap?

This is a limit set by your Internet Service Provider for data transfers of certain sizes and speeds at which it is sent. If you try to transfer data that exceed your bandwidth cap, it either won’t send at all or will be incredibly slow.

What is contention ratio?

Contention ratio is the number of users who are connected and using the bandwidth at the same time. Businesses and shared houses will need to know their contention ratio to ensure the bandwidth is large enough to cope with the volume of people.

What is a cloud server?

This is a common tech phrase that people can be a little wary of, but it’s not as obscure as it seems. A cloud server is similar to a physical server except it’s typically provided over the Internet. With the ability to be accessed by multiple users at any time, it provides storage solutions for files of all types, processing power and applications.

What are Internet Cookies?

There is a lot to be answered about what people think internet cookies are vs what they actually are. Cookies are small files served by websites you visit that store information such as your marketing preferences, any usernames and passwords, and the domain you’ve visited the website from, which is a uniquely generated ID.

Most websites have cookie preference options which you can accept, reject or change, but a website will still work fine if you choose not to agree to the policy.

D

What is download speed?

Whether you’re downloading images, text, files or video, this will need a certain download speed which is often known as Megabits Per Second or ‘mbps’. Depending on how big the file you need to download, the speed at which it downloads will be affected, so it’s best to ensure you have the right package to ensure this isn’t a problem day to day.

What is Data transfer rate?

A data transfer rate is the volume of data transferred between devices at a certain speed or within a timeframe. When related to broadband, it can also be referred to as the ‘connection speed’.

What is a dongle?

A small USB stick that plugs directly into your computer allowing connectivity to the internet without the need for an ethernet cable.

What is data usage?

The amount of data used as part of your broadband plan is known as ‘data usage’. It is measured in Mbs, and is used every time you access the internet, so it is important to know how much you’re using so you don’t exceed your data usage plan.

E

What is an ethernet cable?

A cable that connects you directly to a broadband router for immediate internet access without having to sign into Wi-Fi.

What does encryption mean?

Encryption transcripts sensitive information, such as passwords, into a coded language to ensure they are not accessible by unauthorised persons.

F

What is FTTP?

FTTP is an acronym for ‘Fibre To The Premises’ and relates to the fibre equipment needed by access deployments for the fibres to reach the desired location, normally a residential property.

What is FTTC?

FTTC is an acronym for ‘Fibre To The Cabinet’ and relates to the high-speed fibre broadband service, often used by businesses, to ensure internet reliability to a premises.

What is Fibre optic Broadband?

Fibre optic broadband is a popular choice for homes and businesses because it is delivered by a network of fibre optic cables designed to deliver data over long distances at lightning speeds.

What is full fibre?

Known as FTTP and using fibre optic cables, full-fibre broadband provides homes and businesses with fast internet connections that eliminate delays with uploads, downloads or streaming.

What is a firewall?

In the terms of the internet, a firewall acts as a barrier to unauthorised access online, offering protection against possible hackers or spam accounts.

G

What is a gigabit?

In terms of data, a gigabit (Gb) is 1 billion bits, which relates to the measurement of data volume transferred per second across two sources. When looking at internet download speeds, you will likely see this in Mb/s.

H

What is hardware?

Hardware is the physical items required to deliver your broadband, such as a router, ethernet cable or telephone line. Hardware can be replaced if there is an issue with your internet service reaching your property.

What is a hacker?

A hacker is someone with advanced technical knowledge who is trying to access information on a computer without permission and for possible illegal use. However a person may be called a hacker if their skills are used for finding a way to make a program or application perform better.

What is a hyperlink?

A hyperlink is simply a URL that has been linked to another resource within a piece of content, often by a keyword or an image. They usually appear in a different colour, normally blue,  to stand out amongst the rest of the text.

What is a Wi-Fi hotspot?

Often found within public places such as coffee shops, restaurants or even transport, a Wi-Fi hotspot allows a person to connect to the internet without needing to use mobile data. Often free to use and connects anyone at any time, there is a caution about security and the information you are accessing on a hotspot connection.

I

What is an IP address?

An IP address has two purposes due to its unique numerical label; location addressing which can be used to block IPs from certain websites if required, and network interface identification between a device and the network.

What is an internet service provider (ISP)?

An Internet service provider (ISP) refers to a company that supplies internet to their customers.

L

What is internet latency?

Internet latency is the amount of time it takes for data to travel between its original source and the necessary destination. Measured in milliseconds, there are different opinions on what classes as greate latency, but anything below 15ms is considered good.

What does LAN stand for?

Often used in businesses or schools, LAN is the acronym for Local Area Network, and refers to the linking of computers over Wi-Fi or by ethernet to create a network.

M

What are Mbps?

As described in the definition of Gbs, Mbps stand for Megabits Per Second is a measurement of broadband, with the ‘bits’ referring to the units of data that are sent, and the ‘mega’ meaning a million of them. When looking for the fastest broadband, you want a package with a higher MBP/s.

What is malware?

Malware is possibly the most commonly known virus software that can cause major security breaches to computers, servers or computer networks. 

What is a modem?

Often confused with a router, a modem is a piece of hardware that connects your home to the internet, whilst a router disperses the signal within the home or property. Since the introduction of broadband, modems have a slightly different look from the internet Dial-Up days.

N

What is a computer network?

Computer networks are connected laptops, desktops, tablets or other computing devices that can share resources over the same technologies, both physical and wireless.

P

What is a Pop Up? 

A pop-up is a page that appears on top of the page you are viewing. Common in the 90s and 00s as advertising tools as they prompted an action before they would close. Although less common now for this purpose, they still often appear in the form of GDPR compliance requests or Newsletter sign-ups.

R

What is an internet router?

An internet router is a piece of hardware that connects devices in a property to the internet. Not to be confused with a modem (see modem), the signal pushed out to a property is done so from the router.

S

What is internet speed?

(See MBPS) Internet speed is the time it takes for your connection to complete certain tasks online such as uploads, downloads or streaming. Poor internet speed will cause buffer issues, as well as lengthen the time it takes to browse online.

What is internet streaming?

Internet streaming is when a person watches content from an online resource that requires an internet connection, such as Netflix or Amazon Prime.

What is system software?

All devices will have system software that keeps them up to date. Mobile phones, laptops and servers, will all have system software that, if left out of date, will be unusable with certain applications.

U

What is upload speed?

This is the speed it takes to upload a file from your device to the internet. This may be sending a document to a shared platform like Google Drive, or perhaps to another device via Whatsapp. If uploading files is a common use for your online activity, it’s important to ensure your broadband package allows for this.

What is ultrafast broadband?

Ultrafast broadband uses fibre optic to provide high-speed internet connections to homes and businesses. What constitutes ‘ultrafast’ is debatable but over 300mbp/s is a good indicator.

What is an internet upgrade?

Depending on the usage of your internet, you may find that you need to upgrade for faster or better connectivity. Broadband providers will be able to advise on suitable packages if an upgrade is required.

V

​​What is VoiP?

An acronym for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoiP), is normally a business need for those that want to use internet connectivity for making calls, attending virtual meetings and other online communication methods.

Computer virus meaning

A computer virus is a malicious piece of code that duplicates itself and attacks technology devices such as computers, tablets and servers to disrupt programs and the usability of the device. An infected device can spread the virus amongst contacts, or other devices they are connected to.

W

What does Wi-Fi mean?

Short for Wireless Fidelity, it is essentially a networking technology that allows devices to connect wirelessly to the internet.

Z

What is a zip file?

A zip file is a compressed file of multiple documents or large-sized files that can be sent via email or uploaded to a shared drive.

Find Out Jurassic Fibre is in your area

Jurassic Fibre started in 2018 with a mission to provide Devon broadband at ultrafast speeds. Since then we have expanded our mission and network into Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset, connecting more and more communities. Find out if you can get Jurassic Fibre to your door, call our friendly team on 01392 345600 or check your postcode and find out if you can go ultrafast.