Ethernet standard using twisted pair cabling (such as CAT5). Supports a maximum data rate of 10 Mbps.
Fast Ethernet standard using twisted pair cabling (such as CAT5). Supports a maximum data rate of 100 Mbps.
Wireless network communications standard commonly used in LANs.
Antenna Control Unit.
Automatic Gain Control. Function that automatically boosts the gain of a received signal, as required, to maintain a constant output level. Indicates RF level.
Standard telephone, also referred to as POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service). Voice signals are converted into electrical pulses by modulating a carrier signal.
Azimuth angle. Horizontal direction in which the antenna points.
Bits per second.
Block Up-Converter. Device that converts the intermediate frequency signal from the modem to a Ku-band frequency and amplifies it for transmission.
Communications from the hub to all terminals within its network.
A web browser's local storage of visited web pages and other Internet files, allowing that information to be accessed more quickly on subsequent visits.
Category of twisted pair cable with a maximum data rate of 1,000 Mbps.
Frequency (between 2.4-2.5 GHz) used for Wi-Fi communications. To communicate via a wireless connection, both router and host must be set to the same channel. There are 11 channels to choose from, allowing users to prevent interference between multiple wireless networks.
The outside enclosure of an electronic device.
A computer application that accesses resources held by a server.
“The cloud” refers to the accessibility of software applications and data storage services through a web browser.
Code Reuse Multiple Access (CRMA) protocol is a variant of CDMA, which is widely used in cellular communications. Using this protocol, multiple vessels share bandwidth for ship-to-shore transmissions to the satellite. Unlike TDMA, vessels don’t need to wait their turn to transmit. They can immediately transmit in bursts at the same time as other vessels and at the fastest data rate available, significantly reducing delays.
Cable in which the pins are reversed from one end to the other. Used for connecting two computers back-to-back without using an Ethernet hub.
Speed at which a communications path can transfer information, normally measured in bits per second (bps).
Decibel. Ratio of one power level to another.
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. IP protocol that allows a server to automatically assign IP addressing information to a computer or device on the network.
Domain Name Service. IP service that translates domain names (such as “www.kvh.com”) into IP addresses (such as “63.105.58.10”).
Communication path from the satellite to the antenna.
Digital Video Broadcasting project. Global standard of digital broadcasts.
Ratio of Energy-per-symbol to Noise power spectral density, indicating the general quality of a received signal.
Effective Isotropic Radiated Power, measured in dBW.
Elevation angle. Vertical direction in which the antenna points.
As it applies to Wi-Fi, encoding of a wireless signal to protect it from unauthorized reception.
Network communications standard adopted by most LANs. Communicates via twisted pair cable at one of three maximum data rates: (1) Standard - 10 Mbps, (2) Fast - 100 Mbps, and (3) Gigabit - 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps).
Security mechanism that protects a network from unauthorized access.
Dangerous condition in which the chassis ground of an electrical device differs from ship’s ground. This difference can measure well over 100 volts, risking damage to the equipment and electric shock, potentially resulting in death. A floating ground can be prevented by ensuring proper grounding of the device to ship’s ground.
Coverage area of a satellite.
Communication path from the satellite hub to the user terminal. Another term for “Downlink.”
Number of cycles per second of a radio wave, measured in Hertz (Hz).
General Packet Radio Service. High-speed wireless data communications standard.
Global Positioning System. Network of satellites that allow anyone with a GPS device to accurately fix their position on Earth.
A device that precisely senses and measures motion in a single axis, such as elevation or azimuth.
Any computer connected to a network.
HyperText Transfer Protocol. The primary protocol for the World Wide Web.
Earth station that links the satellite network to the terrestrial network.
Integrated CommBox Modem.
Intermediate Frequency. As it applies to TracPhone V7-IP, L-band output of an LNB, or input to a BUC.
Internet Message Access Protocol. Email protocol by which a client retrieves user-selected messages that are stored on a remote mail server. Messages are saved on the server until the user deletes them.
Global network connecting a vast number of networks and computers.
Unique network identifier assigned to a single computer or device on a network. Consists of four eight-bit numbers, each between 0 and 255 (for example, “195.172.7.2”).
Kilobits (1,000 bits) per second.
Range of frequencies from 10.7 GHz to 18 GHz.
Local Area Network. A relatively small group of computers and devices linked together within close proximity to each other and usually on the same IP network.
Range of frequencies from 950 MHz to 2150 MHz.
Low Noise Block down-converter. Device that converts and amplifies a Ku-band satellite signal into an intermediate frequency (IF) L-band signal.
Media Access Control Address. Unique six-byte hardware identifier assigned to every network interface card (NIC). Used in most LAN configurations to ensure the correct addressing of data to specific hosts.
Megabits (1,000,000 bits) per second.
Modulator-demodulator. Translates digital signals into analog signals and vice-versa.
Multimedia Terminal Adapter. Device that converts analog telephone signals into digital Voice over IP (VoIP) signals.
A group of computers and devices (such as printers) linked together.
Station that maintains and manages a telecommunications network.
Network Interface Card. Expansion or built-in circuit card that provides a computer with network communication capabilities.
Marine electronic device, such as a gyrocompass, that transmits data messages that comply with the NMEA 0183 standard. Data is transmitted serially at 4800 baud over a pair of wires (A and B).
Part of a data message transmitted over a network. Also contains the address of the destination for routing purposes. (Data messages are divided into packets, sent over a network, then reassembled in the correct order at the destination.)
Peripheral Component Interconnect. Bus standard that supports high-speed connections between computers and peripheral devices.
Personal Computer Memory Card International Association. Organization that establishes standards for PC cards, credit card-sized memory or input/output devices, primarily used in laptops.
Software utility used to check a network connection. Sends a test packet to the designated address and reports how long it takes to receive a response.
Orientation of a satellite signal. Circular polarization, which has a “corkscrew” propagation path, consists of left-hand (LHCP) and right-hand (RHCP) signals. Linear polarization consists of vertical and horizontal signals offset by 90 degrees.
Post Office Protocol. Email protocol by which a client retrieves all available messages from a remote mail server and saves them locally. Messages are normally deleted from the server upon download.
Standard that establishes strict rules for how data is communicated over a network.
A server that controls client access to another server.
Public Switched Telephone Network. Worldwide telephone network carrying analog voice signals.
Communication path from the antenna to the satellite. Another term for “Uplink.”
Radio Frequency.
Registered Jack 45. Eight-wire network cable connector for LANs. Similar to a telephone jack.
Device that connects multiple IP networks. For each data packet it receives that is destined for another IP network, determines the best path to reach its destination.
Receive Signal Strength Indicator. Indicates the strength of the received satellite signal.
Receive.
Session Initiation Protocol. Protocol for routing VoIP calls.
Adjustment angle to orient an LNB with a linearly polarized satellite signal.
A type of communication method by which the information signal energy is spread over a frequency band much wider than the minimum bandwidth required for transmitting the information. The resulting low power level across the full bandwidth does not interfere with neighboring satellites, so the width of the transmitted beam is not as critical as it is with traditional VSAT antennas.
Service Set Identifier. Unique identifier shared by all computers and devices on a single wireless network.
Cable in which the pins at one end match the pins at the other end.
Subdivision of a network based on IP address. For example, with a subnet mask of “255.255.255.0,” all computers and devices assigned an IP address starting with “195.172.8” belong to one subnet (there are 255 possible). An IP address starting with “195.172.9” designates a different subnet.
Divides the latter portion of an IP address into subnet and host designations. For example, in a regular class B network, the first two numbers in an IP address define the network ID while the last two numbers define the host ID (the individual computer or device on that network). A subnet mask changes the format of these last two numbers by designating the third number as the subnet ID and designating the last number as the host ID (the computer or device within that subnet).
Software.
Device that connects two segments of a LAN. Routes data from one segment to another based on the MAC address of the destination.
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. Two communications protocols for the Internet. IP handles the delivery of data packets over the Internet; TCP ensures that all data packets are successfully delivered and assembled in the proper order.
Component of a satellite that receives radio transmissions from Earth, amplifies them, and retransmits them back to Earth on a different frequency.
Cable type consisting of multiple pairs of cable in which two wires are spiraled together to reduce electromagnetic noise. Can be either shielded (STP) or unshielded (UTP). Used extensively in LANs and telephone networks.
Transmit.
Uniform Resource Locator. Address of a web page or file on the World Wide Web. Consists of three parts: (1) protocol (such as “http”), (2) IP address or domain name (such as “www.kvh.com”), and (3) name of the web page or file to be retrieved from that address (such as “index.html”).
Universal Serial Bus. Bus standard for connecting peripheral devices to a computer. Supports a data rate of 12 Mbps.
Unshielded Twisted Pair. Cable consisting of four twisted pairs (8 wires), usually terminated by RJ45 connectors. Commonly used in LANs.
Voice over Internet Protocol. Allows telephone conversations to be routed via the Internet.
Very Small Aperture (< 3 m) Terminal. Communications system in which multiple users connect via satellite to a single land-based hub, which handles the routing of all network traffic.
Wide Area Network. A group of computers, devices, and possibly LANs, linked together over a large geographic area.
Wireless Access Point. Device that links computers wirelessly to a LAN. To communicate with the WAP, each computer needs a properly configured wireless network card.
Wired Equivalent Privacy. Security mechanism for wireless networks. Encrypts data to protect it from unauthorized interception.
Wireless Fidelity. Refers to an 802.11 wireless network.
Windows Internet Naming Service Resolution. Organizes the names of all Windows computers in a network with their respective IP addresses. Similar function to DNS.
PCI or PCMCIA card that provides a computer with wireless access to a LAN via a WAP.
Wi-Fi Protected Access. Security mechanism for wireless networks. Encrypts data to protect it from unauthorized interception. More secure than WEP.
Cross-azimuth angle. Angle at which the antenna’s RF feed assembly rotates to maintain the proper skew angle while tracking the satellite.