ACD

Automatic Call Distribution. The routing of calls fairly within a group of agents, normally used in call centre environments.

Adapter

A device that (1) enables different sizes or types of plugs to mate with one another or to fit into an information outlet, (2) provides for the rearrangement of leads, (3) allows large cables with numerous wires to fan out into smaller groups of wires, or (4) makes interconnections between cables.

Ad Hoc Cabling

Cabling scheme where different types of cabling components from different vendors are linked together to form a cabling system.

ADSL

Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line. Can reach speeds up to 2 mb.

ADSL+

Super Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line. Speeds greater than 2 mb

ASCII

American Standard Code for Information Interchange. List of 128 characters, specified in set order. Each character is numbered according to its position in the list.

Asymmetrical Duplex

Asymmetrical Duplex Data flows in both directions at the same time however at different speeds.

ATM

Asynchronous Transfer Mode. A process of information transfer using fixed-length cells and high-speed, switched links.

Backbone(s)

The part of a premises distribution system that includes a main cable route and facilities for supporting the cable from the equipment room to the upper floors, or along the same floor to the wiring closets.

Bandwidth

The more bandwidth your connection has, the faster the data travels along it.

Baseband

A form of modulation in which data signals are coded directly onto the transmission medium without frequency division.

Baud

The number of signal transitions per second. Used for modems.

BER

Bit Error Rate. The ratio of received bits that are in error (relative to the amount of bits received); usually expressed as a number referenced to a power of 10; e.g. 1 error in 10 5 bits - also referred to as a BER of 10 -5.

Bit

A bit (short for binary digit) is the smallest unit of data in a computer. A bit has a single binary value, either 0 or 1.

BLF

Busy Lamp Field

Bluetooth

A Personal Area Network (PAN) technology operating at 721 Kbit/s in the 2.4 GHz radio band.

BRI

Access to the public switched network comprising of two 64 kbit channels and 16 kbit signalling – Basic rate.

Bridge

A device that interconnects local or remote networks no matter what higher level protocols (such as IPX or TCP/IP) are involved.

Broadband

Broadband is the common term for a high bandwidth internet connection

Building Backbone Cable

A cable that connects the building distributor to a floor distributor. Building backbone cables may also connect floor distributors in the same building.

BYTE

Unit of memory, enought to store one character

Cabling

A system of telecommunications cables, cords and connecting hardware that can support the connection of information technology equipment.

Category 3

For cable and connecting hardware products with transmission characteristics specified to 16 MHz, typically used to support digital transmission of 10 Mb/s.

Category 5

For cable and connecting hardware products with transmission characteristics specified to 100 MHz, typically used to support digital transmission of 100 Mb/s and above.

Category 5e

This is an enhanced version of Category 5, with additional parameters specified to enable parallel transmission with full duplex across the four pairs. Enhanced Category 5 specifications for cable and connecting hardware products with transmission characteristics specified to 100 MHz, intended to support digital transmission of 1000 Mb/s.

Category 6

For cable and connecting hardware products with transmission characteristics specified to 250 MHz, used to support digital transmission of 1 Gbp/s and above.

Category 7

For cable and connecting hardware products with transmission characteristics specified to 600 MHz. Category 7 is a cable standard only and will require a new connector standard to fully exploit transmission at the above frequencies.

CCM

Call Centre Management

Circuit

A two-way communications path between electronic devices.

CLI

Calling Line Identity. The network will transmit the telephone number of the call originator to the recipient.

Collapsed Backbone

A star-configured backbone system supported by a single root device – often a high-speed switch.

Collision Detection

The act of detecting when an Ethernet collision has occurred.

Connector

A device that allows you physically to connect and disconnect copper wires or fibres in cable to equipment or to other wires or fibres. Copper wire and fibre optic connectors must often join transmission media to equipment or cross connects.

CRM

Customer Relations Management

CSMA/CA

Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance. A system used by Wireless LANs to warn other stations of an intended transmission, and hence prevents a collision.

CSMA/CD

Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection. A system used in Ethernet where a station listens for the presence of a carrier before attempting to send, and detects the presence of a collision.

CTI

Computer Telephony Integration. Connection of the telephone system and LAN allowing information to be passed from the telephone system to the LAN.

Cut-through

A type of LAN switch which forwards incoming frames without storing and without error-checking.

DASS II

UK ISDN signalling protocol

DCE

Data Circuit Terminating Equipment

DCP

Digital Control Protocol

DDI

Direct Dialling Inwards. Allows each extension user the ability to have their own personal telephone number.

DHCP

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol allows each device on the network to acquires its own unique IP address in order for it to communicate correctly with other devices.

Distributor

The term used for the functions of a collection of components (for example, patch panels, patch cords) used to connect cables.

DPNSS

Digital Private Network Signalling System. 2mb circuit which can provide upto 30 digital circuits for network telephone and data systems

DSP

Digital Signal Processing/Processor. A silicon device that uses sophisticated signal manipulation procedures to enhance its quality.

DTE

Data Terminal Equipment. Such as PC, printers, terminals.

EMC

Electromagnetic Compatibility. The ability of electrical and electronic equipment to co-exist without unacceptable interference.

EMC Directive

The European Directive containing legislation to support the application of rf emission, conducted disturbance and noise immunity standards.

EMI

Electromagnetic Interference.

Equipment Cable

A cable connecting equipment to a distributor.

Equipment Room

The room in which voice and data common equipment (for example, a Mitel switch & Cisco Switches) is housed, protected, and maintained.

Equipment Subsystem

The part of a premises distribution system that includes the cable and distribution components in an equipment room and that interconnects system-common equipment, other associated equipment, and cross connects.

Ethernet

A local-area network (LAN) protocol developed by Xerox Corporation in cooperation with DEC and Intel in 1976.

Fast Ethernet

A version of Ethernet operating at 100 Mbit/s over twisted-pair and optical fibre cabling.

FDDI

Fibre Distributed Data Interface. An industry standard fibre optic LAN with a data rates of 100 Mbit/s.

Fibre Optic Cable

A fibre optic cable in which individual optical fibres are formed into a cable for primary use in side building

Fibre Optics

The technique of conveying lights or images through glass or plastic fibres. Incoherent fibre optics will transmit light but not an image; coherent fibre optics will transmit both and should actually be called "aligned fibre optics" because the fibres are all the same length and are held in a constant spatial relationship.

fibre Optic Connectors

Connectors designed to connect and disconnect either single or multiple optical fibres repeatedly. fibre optic connectors are use to connect fibre cable to equipment and interconnect cables.

Fibre Channel

A high-speed system bus, specified to support data transfer between hosts, host-to-storage device, and channel-to-LAN.

Firewall

Security mechanisms that prevent, detect, suppress and/or contain unauthorised access to a network or attached resources.

Flow Control

A mechanism used to manage the frame/packet transfer rate between devices on a network. Often accomplished by source “throttling”.

Frame

A Data Link Layer (Layer 2) message used within LANs.

Frame Relay

Data network ideally suited to "bursty" traffic

Full-Duplex Transmission

Transmission over 2 channels in both directions simultaneously.

Gigabit Ethernet

A version of Ethernet operating at 1,000 Mbit/s over twisted-pair and optical fibre cabling.

10 Gigabit Ethernet

A version of Ethernet operating at 10,000 Mbit/s over optical fibre. Operation over twisted pair cabling is also under study.

Half-Duplex Transmission

Transmission in either direction but not both directions simultaneously.

HTML

HyperText Markup Language

Horizontal Cable

A cable connecting the floor distributor to the telecommunications outlet(s).

Horizontal Runs

The part of the premises distribution system installed on one floor that includes the cabling and distribution components connecting the riser backbone or equipment wiring to the information outlet.

Hybrid Cable

An assembly of two or more different types of cable units, cables or categories covered by an overall sheath. It may be covered by an overall shield.

HTTP

HyperText Transfer Protocol

Hub

The core of a star topology network or cabling system.

ICT

Information & Communications Technology

IEEE

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

IIM

Intelligent Infrastructure Management

Intercloset Cables

Cables that connect telecommunications closets.

Internet

The Internet is a worldwide system of computer networks - a network of networks in which users at any one computer can, if they have permission, get information from any other computer (and sometimes talk directly to users at other computers).

Intranet

A private network based on Internet technology.

IP

Internet Protocol. The standard for sending the basic unit of data, an IP datagram, through the internet.

IP ADDRESS

Just as a physical address identifies a particular building on a particular street an IP address identifies a particular device on a particular network. An IP address is made up of two halves one half designating the network and the other half a device on that network.

IPX

IPX (Internetwork Packet Exchange) is a networking protocol from Novell that interconnects networks that use Novell's NetWare clients and servers.

ISDN

Integrated Services Digital Network. Basic Rate ISDN (2 channels) european standard. Providing 128k for data transfer etc.

ISDN30

Provision of up to 30 exchange lines on fibre optic cable allowing connection of DDI, CLI etc.

ISO

International Organisation for Standardisation.

ISP

Internet Service Provider.

Jacket

The flexible covering of a cable, used to protect the color-coded conductors inside.

Jumper

A cable unit or cable element without connectors used to make a connection on a cross-connect.

KBPS

Kilobytes Per Second.

LAN

Local Area Network. On-site networking of computers.

Latency

The amount of end-to-end delay in a network path or channel.

LDAP

Lightweight Directory Access Protocol

MAPI

Messaging Application Program Interface

Mb

A measure of computer processor storage and real and virtual memory, a megabyte (abbreviated Mb) is 2 to the 20th power bytes, or 1,048,576 bytes in decimal notation.

Modem

Modulator-De Modulator

MPLS

Multi Protocol Label Switching. A protocol used to support QoS for different types of traffic in a network.

Multicast

A point-to-group message transmission within a network.

NAT

Network Address Translation allows the internal network structure of an organisation to use its own private range of IP addresses. Any traffic destined for the outside world will be translated into a real IP address for communication on the internet.

Octet

A grouping of 8 data bits. Sometimes referred to as a Byte.

OSI

Open System Interconnection

Packet

See Datagram.

PAN

Personal Area Network. Standards being developed by IEEE 802.15 based on radio (Bluetooth) technology.

Permanent link

The transmission path between two mated interfaces of generic cabling, excluding equipment cables, work area cables and cross-connections.

Piconet

A single Bluetooth wireless personal area network containing up to 8 active devices.

POTS

Plain Old Telephone Service

Power over Ethernet

The provision of up to 12 watts of dc power over Ethernet twisted-pair cabling, specified by IEEE 802.3af. Also know as PoE

PPP

Point to Point Protocol. Successor to SLIP Provides router-to-router and host-to-network connections over both synchronous and synchronous circuits.

PRI

Primary Rate Interface for ISDN30e

PRIVATE CIRCUIT

Point to Point private communications link. (Not switched).

PROTOCOL

A set of rules and conventions by which two computers pass messages across a network. Two devices require a common protocol in order to communicate.

PSDN

Packet Switched Data Network

PSTN

Public Switched Telephone Network. Exchange lines provided by a network provider.

Public Network Interface

A point of demarcation between public and private network. In many cases the public network interface is the point of connection between the network provider's facilities and the customer premises cabling.

QoS

Quality of Service. Used to define the level of service and control the transmission of different types of traffic (voice, data, video).

QSig

Quality Signaling

Quad fibre Cable

A type of fibre optic cable that has four single cables enclosed in an extruded jacket of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), with a rip cord for pulling back the jacket to access the fibres.

Rack

A vertical or horizontal open support, usually made of aluminum or steel, that is attached to a ceiling or wall. Cables are laid in and fastened to the rack.

RAS

Remote Access Server

Resistance

The property of a conductor that determines the current produced by a given potential difference. It impedes the flow of current and results in the dissipation of power as heat. Resistance is measured in ohms.

Riser(s)

The term used to describe a space utilized by backbone cabling to house communications cabling and other building services. This space should preferably be specified, or allowed for, at the time of the building design.

RMON

Remote Monitoring. Part of SNMP.

Router

Protocol dependent device that connects subnetworks together. Useful in breaking down a very large network into smaller subnetworks.

RSVP

Reservation Request Protocol. A protocol used to support QoS for different types of traffic in a network. Part of TCP/IP.

SAN

Storage Area Network. A special network designed to interconnect multiple storage devices at high speed. Fibre Channel is often used.

SCSI

Small Computer System Interface. A special network designed to interconnect multiple storage and peripheral devices to computers at high speed and over limited distances.

SDH

Synchronous Digital Hierarchy. A synchronous transmission system used for telecommunications worldwide, operating up to many Gbit/s.

SHDS

Short Haul Data Service.

Sheath

A common term for the collection of twisted pairs of multipair cables.

SIMPLEX

Flow of data in one direction only.

Single-fibre Cable

A plastic-coated fibre surrounded by an extruded layer of plastic encased in a synthetic strengthening material, and enclosed in a plastic sheath.

SMDS

Switched Multi-Megabit Data Service. LAN extension service.

SNMP

Simple Network Management Protocol. Part of TCP/IP.

SOCKET

Software instruction operating as a communications end point within a network device.

Spread Spectrum

A radio technology that spreads information over a wide band of frequencies for transmission to prevent message interception and increase immunity to interference. Used by WLANs and WPANs.

Structured Cabling

Flexible cabling scheme which allows rapid reconfiguration for office moves through patching.

Switching

A function carried out by a switching hub, alleviating traffic by making virtual connections between transmitting and receiving nodes.

TAPI

Telephony Application Programming Interface

TCP/IP

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. Set of networking protocols developed by the US Defence Dept. Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) during the early 1970's.

TIA

Telecommunications Industry Association.

TLA

Three Letter Acronym

Throughput

A measurement of processing or handling ability which measures the amount of data accepted as input and processed as output by a system.

TSAPI

Telephone Server Application Interface. Interface for CTI.

Unicast

A point-to-point message transmission within a network.

URL

Universal Resource Locator

Virtual Circuit

A communications path that is “setup” for information transfer, then “torn down” on completion. There is no permanent physical circuit/path.

VLAN

Virtual LAN. A technique used with switching technologies to support the logical grouping of attached devices into a number of subnetworks to improve traffic management and/or security. Defined by IEEE 802.1Q.

VoATM

Voice Over Asynchronous Transfer Mode

VoFR

Voice Over Frame Relay

VoIP

Voice over Internet Protocol.

VPN

Virtual Private Network. A combination of hardware and software technologies designed to provide a secure tunnel for an organisation’s messages over the Internet.

WAN

Wide Area Network When you connect two physically separate networks together using a low speed medium you are forming a Wide Area Network.

WLAN

Wireless LAN. Defined by IEEE 802.11 to operate up to 2 Mbit/s over 2.4 GHz radio or infra-red; 802.11a to operate up to 54 Mbit/s over 5 GHz radio; 802.11b to operate up to 11 Mbit/s over 2.4 GHz radio.

WPAN

A WPAN (wireless personal area network) is a personal area network - a network for interconnecting devices centered around an individual person's workspace - in which the connections are wireless.

xDSL

A family of digital technologies designed to provide high bit rate operation over existing subscriber loop copper cabling.