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| ADSL Modem | A device used for high-speed connection between a PC and the Internet over your telephone line. BigPond Broadband ADSL offers download speeds up to 1500 Kbits/sec without stopping normal telephone operations. |
| Access number | The number that your computer dials to access Dial-Up or ISDN Internet. The access number for BigPond Business is 0198 308 308 and for BigPond Residential ISDN is 0198 308 388. These numbers can be dialled for the cost of a local call from almost any fixed phone in Australia. |
| Active Mail | This is a feature available to BigPond Small Business and BigPond Dial-Up Business Single User Accounts. It allows the account owner to create four additional email accounts that can be administered and accessed from that dial in account. The account owner is called the 'Lead Account' while the additional accounts are referred to as 'Sub Accounts'. |
| Agent | An agent is a piece of software which is designed to perform an action such as file extraction on a remote computer. |
| Alias | Term used to describe a quick and easy substitute to a longer file name or directory path. |
| Alias domain | When you initially sign up with BigPond Dial-Up, you will have an email address of, say, mollyjones@bigpond.com. If Molly Jones were to delegate a domain name of "mycompany.com.au" to BigPond, an alias domain name would mean that emailing mollyjones@mycompany.com.au would be exactly the same as emailing mollyjones@bigpond.com. However, this system limits users to usernames (eg. mollyjones) which are not already being used by BigPond customers. So Molly would not be able to have support@mycompany.com.au, because this would send email through to support@bigpond.com. For this reason BigPond only supports virtual domains. |
| AltaVista | A web and Usenet search engine. The Australian version can be found at http://au.altavista.com/ |
| Alternate network | The alternate network is the network that customers on the BigPond Dial-Up Business Starter plan connect to. Access numbers are available locally in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Darwin or Hobart. Once connected to the alternate network, users can expect a similar high grade of network performance to the premium products - Small Business Anytime and Business Solution products - however during peak periods modems may not always be available. |
| Anonymous FTP | See FTP |
| Applet | Small software applications, which add functionality to your computer. |
| Archie | Generally superseded program, used for searching the Internet. |
| Archive | Stored data, usually in a compressed format. |
| Attachment | Additional file "attached" to or "inserted" in an email message. |
| Authentication | The process where a username and password is submitted to a remote computer system in order to verify your identity. |
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| Bandwidth | Bandwidth is just data capacity. Broadband services can carry huge amounts of data. Low bandwidth or 'narrowband' services, like dial-up, carry far less. Bandwidth is usually expressed in terms of data flow - 256kbps or 512kbps for example - because it translates into speed when you're surfing the internet. |
| Banner Ad | The strip advertisements seen at the top of many web pages. |
| Baud | Bauds are a unit of measure for analogue telephone signals. |
| BBS Bulletin Board Service | A computer system that you can connect to using a modem and a telephone line. Many BBS's are now simply a part of the Internet. |
| BigPond | Australia’s leading Internet service, a part of Telstra. |
| BigPond Broadband | Our super-fast, broadband Internet services, including Broadband Cable which uses the hybrid optical fibre/coaxial cable pay TV Network, satellite and ADSL. |
| BigPond Business | Dedicated BigPond Dial-Up Internet services to suit business. Available from 28.8kbps fixed phone dial-up to 128kbps ISDN, with a wide range of plans, options and additional services. |
| BigPond Residential | Internet access for students, young adults, families and small home-based businesses. Flexible pricing plans and easy online account management. |
| Bit | The smallest unit of data, derived from Binary Digit. At their most basic level, computers store and compute data in binary - that is 1's and 0's. A bit is the basic unit of either a 1 or 0. |
| Bits per second (bps) | Most ISPs, including BigPond, rate broadband plan speeds in kilobits per second (e.g. 256/64 kbps, 512/128 kbps). However most software, including Internet Explorer and Windows, display download speeds in kiloBYTES per second (kBps). |
| Bot | Derived from "robot", this term refers to software agents which automate certain processes for IRC users. |
| Broadband | 'Broadband' is actually just an umbrella term for high bandwidth internet services. BigPond Broadband services include ADSL, Cable, Wireless and Satellite internet. |
| Browser | The desktop computer application that provides an easy-to-use graphical interface for browsing and retrieving information over the Internet. Microsoft ® Internet Explorer and Netscape ® Navigator are the most widely-used browsers. |
| Buffer | Area of memory used to temporarily store data. |
| Byte | Bytes are a common unit of computer data measurement, although the base unit is actually a 'bit'. Each 'bit' (short for 'Binary Digit') is literally a 1 or a 0 in the binary code that makes computing possible. And there are 8 bits in a byte. A kilobyte is generally taken to be 1,000 bytes and a megabyte is generally taken to be a 1,000,000 bytes. (Because of the binary code, all computing is based on the 2 times tables - so they're actually 1,024 and 1,048,576 respectively.) |
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| Cable modem | A device used for high-speed connections between a PC and the Internet via the same pay TV network cable that delivers FOXTEL. Can deliver data at up to 100 times the speed of standard telephone modems. |
| Cache | A cache is a type of memory that can be accessed much faster than conventional memory. It is used to store frequently used data to help speed up computer operations. Cache memory is more expensive than conventional memory. |
| CERN | The European Laboratory for Particle Physics, the birthplace of the World Wide Web. |
| Certificates | A sequence of numbers that are used to validate or claim special retail offers over the Internet. |
| Checkbox | A small square box, which will display a tick mark when clicked. Often used on web pages for making a selection. |
| Client | In computing, there are many Client-Server relationships. The computer that stores this web page is a server, allowing many clients (such as your computer) to access the content. |
| Cyberspace | The term "Cyberspace" was originally coined by William Gibson in his novel "Neuromancer", to describe a more highly developed form of the Internet. It is often used to refer to today's Internet. |
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| Daemons | Server side applications that perform various automated tasks such as bulk mail handling. |
| Data | Information (usually in binary code) used by the computer. |
| Data Encryption | Encrypted data is encoded for secure online communications or transactions. |
| Delegation (of a domain name) | Once you have registered your domain name, it must be delegated to a domain name server. By delegating your domain name to BigPond, it is entered into BigPond's Domain Name Server (DNS). When a customer enters your domain name into their browser, the BigPond Domain Name Server directs them to your Web site. |
| Dial-Up Connection | A computer’s link to others (and the Internet) using telephone lines and a modem. |
| Digital | A method of storing, processing and transmitting information through the use of distinct electronic or optical pulses that represent the binary digits (bits) '0' and '1'. Digital technologies employ discrete pulses to represent information, as opposed to the continuously variable signals of analogue technology. |
| DMO (Data Mode of Operation) | Code-name for a Telstra project to adapt its core network for optimal delivery of data, as well as voice. By upgrading its core switching and routing infrastructure, Telstra will be better able to deliver new data services such as broadband Internet. |
| Domain name | A domain name is your address on the Internet. If you have a domain name, your company's website can have an address like www.yourcompany.com.au and email addresses like mollyjones@yourcompany.com.au. Having your own domain name creates a professional image, especially for a company. |
| Domain name renewal | In most cases you will pay a registration fee and a fee to have your domain name delegated to a DNS. You will need to renew your registration of your domain name every two years and pay a renewal fee. |
| Domain Name System - DNS | Every Internet address must be unique and is assigned a number. BigPond Business's is 139.134.2.2, this is called our IP address. When you use our domain name (www.bigpond.com) you are in fact accessing this IP address, this is called the Domain Name System. |
| Download | You "download" when you retrieve data from another networked computer, it could be text, pictures, a website, a sound file - anything. |
| DSL or xDSL (Digital Subscriber Line) | A technology that enables the copper telephone network to carry data-streams of up to 6 Mbit/s (e.g. video signals). The 'x' denotes that there is more than one DSL technology (e.g. ADSL and VDSL). |
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| E-commerce | Refers to buying and selling products online - typically with the use of a Credit Card. |
| Email | Short for ‘Electronic Mail’, email is the term used for written communications between Internet or intranet users. You can email virtually anyone with an Internet connection and an email address. |
| Encryption | See Data encryption |
| Exchange | Microsoft email software, others include Outlook and Outlook Express. |
| Explorer | (Internet Explorer, I.Ex.x) Microsoft's Internet browsing software. |
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| FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) | FAQ's are lists of questions and answers published in various places (like here), to answer common enquiries. |
| File transfer | Term used to describe the moving of data from one computer to another usually via a cable or modem and telephone lines. |
| Filter | A filter typically separates signals of different bandwidths. ADSL uses a filter to separate voice and Internet signals on a copper phone line. This makes it possible to use the one telephone line for voice or fax and the Internet, without any interference between the two. |
| Firewall | Software which secures your system by dividing it into public and private areas. |
| Flame | Originally used to describe a heated debate, this term is now generally used for abusive email or newsgroup postings. |
| Flame War | When abusive email or newsgroup postings fly back and forth. |
| Freeware | Downloadable free-of-charge software. |
| FTP - File Transfer Protocol | Common method of moving data or software between Internet sites. Usually a username and password is required but many sites have public FTP areas which can be accessed with the account name "anonymous". |
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| GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) | Popular graphic file format developed for use on the Internet. Uses lossless compression but has a maximum of 256 colours. |
| Gopher | Older information search tool, generally replaced by search engines such as AltaVista |
| Group Account | Group Accounts are a managed group of individual Dial-Up users (both modem and ISDN), in which each account receives one bill and has a Group Administrator who can add and delete users, edit member details and change plans. BigPond allows a maximum of 100 users per group, with no limit on the number of group accounts a business holds. |
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| Hacker | Previously used to describe users who would break into "secure" computers for destructive or attention getting purposes. It's now used to describe those who just like to poke about and the term "Cracker" is used for the malignant user. |
| Handshaking | A series of signals sent between two linked computers to establish communication. |
| Hayes compatible | Modems that are compatible with the AT command set developed by Hayes. |
| HFC (Hybrid Fibre Coaxial Cable) | A shared broadband access architecture for carrying Foxtel pay TV and TM cable services. The system using optical fibre between exchanges and hubs in suburban streets, and coaxial cables between the hubs and customers homes. |
| History | Log of actions carried out by software applications. An example of your browser's "history" can be accessed when you use the GO menu. |
| Home Page | Usually the first page of a website, containing identity information and an index system for navigation to the site contents |
| Host | Server machine that allows public access for the purposes of sharing data. |
| Hotspot | Area of image on a multimedia or web page that contains a link. |
| HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) | The high level code used to create Web pages using special characters to define text styles and graphic components. |
| http (Hyper Text Transport Protocol) | The commonly used protocol for transferring hypertext documents across the Internet. |
| Hyperlink | Area of text which, if clicked on with the mouse will connect you to another page of information. |
| Hypertext | Any text within a web document that contains a link to another part of the document, another part of the site or anywhere at all on the Internet. |
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| Icon | A small graphical file, often indicating or denoting the presence of a larger file or program. |
| Idle timeout | A time limit placed on a dial-up connection, where the connection is broken by the server after a set period of inactivity. This is designed to provide some protection against excessive charges if the Internet is left connected on a time-based plan |
| Information Superhighway | Term sometimes used to describe the Internet in general. |
| International Links | This refers to the network backbone connecting Australia to the rest of the world. |
| Internet (or the Net) | A global inter-network of computer networks, connected via Internet Protocol (IP) and the world's telecommunications infrastructure. IP enables applications such as email, the Web, file transfer and other services to run across different networks and operating systems. |
| InterNIC | The Internet Information Center is the body responsible for a number of internet services, including Domain Name Registration. |
| Intranet | A network connecting an affiliated set of client computers using standard Internet protocols such as TCP/IP and HTTP. Many intranets now take the form of an IP-based network of nodes behind a firewall, connected by a secure virtual private network (VPN or IP-VPN). Intranets between cooperating companies can be called extranets. |
| IP (Internet Protocol) | The general standard used to enable a diverse range of computers and networks to communicate all over the world. |
| IP Address | Unique address of an Internet location. It's like the location's telephone number but is usually substituted with a Domain Name. |
| IRC (Internet Relay Chat) | A multi-user live chat facility accessible using special "chat" software and consisting of a large number of "channels" dealing with different topics. |
| ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) | ISDN is used to connect computers over the telephone network - much like an ordinary modem. ISDN is faster (up to 128kbps) and more expensive than a normal modem. |
| ISP (Internet Service Provider) | An organisation or business which provides access to the Internet. |
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| JPEG or .JPG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) | A popular method of compressing image files for the Internet. |
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| Kilobyte | 1024 bytes |
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| LAN | Local Area Network - A network of computers which serves a local or geographically limited area such as a University or office building. |
| LAN Account | A LAN (Local Area Network) account is suitable for users who wish to connect a LAN to the Internet via BigPond Dial-Up, either through a modem or ISDN connection. While there is only one password, multiple email accounts can be created for users of the LAN. |
| Lead Account | In Active Mail, the Lead Account refers to the account owner who has administrative rights over the four sub accounts. |
| Link | See Hyperlink |
| Listserv | Listserv is an automated email subscription service. |
| Local Links | The data backbone connecting major points within Australia. |
| Login | The act of entering a remote system or network, or the account name used to access a computer system or network. |
| Lurk | To lurk is to log into an IRC channel, listening to what others are saying, but not typing anything yourself. A good idea for beginners. |
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| Mail | See Email |
| Mail server | The BigPond mail server receives and holds email sent to you while you are disconnected from the Internet. When sending email, it is sent to the mail server for distribution. |
| Man (Metropolitan Area Network) | A Network, usually fibre optic, which extends over a city or metropolitan area. |
| Mbit/s or Gbit/s (megabits or gigabits per second) | Units for measuring rate of digital information transfer - a megabit per second is a rate of one million bits per second; a gigabit, one thousand million bits. New optical fibre technologies can transfer information at the rate of one thousand gigabits, or one terabit, per second. |
| Megabyte | A Megabyte is a measure of computer processor storage and real and virtual memory. A megabyte (MB) is made up of approximately 1000 kilobytes. |
| Migration | BigPond members can change their plan and account type without changing their username or email address settings – and this is referred to as migration. For example, changing from a BigPond Home to BigPond Dial-Up Business is migrating. |
| Mime (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) | A standard used to encode and decode binary files into text format for the purpose of emailing it. |
| Mirror Site | Mirror sites are duplicates of existing sites. They have usually been put in place to relieve pressure on a busy server or to gain a regional advantage. |
| Modem (from Modulate/Demodulate) | A device that allows a computer to communicate with another computer over a telephone line. In order to transmit bits (1's and 0's) over a telephone line, the device must convert the digital bits to an analog signal (modulate). When receiving, the device converts analog signal back into digital code, or demodulates. |
| Mosaic | Developed by the NCSA, Mosaic was the first web browser and helped trigger the popularity of the Internet. |
| MP3 | Technology that allows CD quality music to be compressed and stored on a computer. Music stored in MP3 format can be played through a computer's speakers and is easily distributable over the Internet. |
| MPEG (Moving Pictures Experts Group) | Compressed format for animation and video files. |
| Multimedia | Combination of multiple forms of media in communication of information between users and machines. Communication formats include voice communications (speech recognition, speaker verification and text-to-speech), audio processing (music synthesis, CD-ROM), data communications and video. |
| My BigPond | The section of the BigPond site where members can to review and change settings, account details and more. |
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| Narrowband | Communication technologies with a data transmission capacity of under 300 Kbit/s. Includes online interactive services (e.g. Dial-Up Internet), voice, facsimile services, slow-scan video images and low-rate data transmission. |
| NCSA (National Centre for Supercomputing Applications) | US educational institution responsible for many early Internet applications including Mosaic. |
| Net | Term generally used for the Internet. |
| Net Surfer | Person who browses or "surfs" around the Internet, looking for interesting sites, groups or files. |
| Netfind | Email address search facility. |
| Netiquette | The etiquette of the Internet and the accepted code of behaviour, rather than laws. For example, do not spam, do not flame, do not plagiarise etc. |
| Netizen | Term used to describe an "internet citizen", when you are using the internet, you are a netizen. |
| Netscape (Navigator) | Web browser and the name of the company that developed it. |
| Network | Two or more computers connected together to enable them to share resources and exchange data. |
| Newsgroup | Term used for a discussion group on Usenet. |
| NIC (1) | (Network Information Centre) See InterNIC |
| NIC (2) | (Network Interface Card) A card that allows a computer to connect to a LAN |
| NNTP (Network News Transfer Protocol) | The protocol used for sending and receiving Newsgroup items. |
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| Off-line | Means that your computer is not currently connected to the Internet server. |
| On Ramp | OnRamp is Telstra's ISDN service, which can replace your conventional analogue telephone line with both voice and data services. With an OnRamp 2 service you will be able to continue making normal telephone or fax calls while you surf the Internet or send data. And, in most cases, you will even be able to keep your existing telephone number. Contact your Telstra Account Representative, Telstra FixedNet Dealer or call the OnRamp Telebusiness Centre on 131 191. |
| On-line | Means that your computer is currently connected to the Internet server. |
| optical fibre | A strand of hi-tech glass that carries signals in the form of laser light pulses. An optical fibre pair can carry many thousands of telephone conversations simultaneously, or a mix of video and voice. An optical fibre cable can contain hundreds of fibres. |
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| Packet | When data is transmitted through the telephone lines the bits are arranged into groups called packets. Like normal mail each packet includes an address. |
| Parity Bit | Additional bit added to a unit of data for the purposes of error checking. |
| Password | Code word used to gain access to a secure service, ideally consisting of both letters and numbers. |
| PING (Packet Internet Gopher) | A method of testing an internet connection. Like sonar, a "Ping" is sent to a certain address and a reply received if there is a presence at the other end. |
| Plans | Plans are options for different amounts of Internet access (usually per month). Once you have selected a type of service, they allow you to tailor the cost of Internet access to your expected usage. |
| POP (Point of Presence) | A Point Of Presence is any dial-in location for your ISP. |
| PPP (Point to Point Protocol) | A standard communications protocol used to connect two computer devices serially. The link between your computer and your ISP's is point to point and PPP is typically used. |
| Professional Installation | Installation of a BigPond Broadband service by a technician. |
| Protocol | Defined procedures and rules which determine the way computers communicate with each other. |
| PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) | The current analogue telephone network. |
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| Qwerty | The most common type of keyboard for computational use. |
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| Real Time | The processing of data as it happens, rather than being stored for retrieval and processing later. |
| Re-delegation (of a domain name) | When you have a registered domain name, it must be delegated to a Domain Name Server, typically your ISP’s. If you change ISPs, then you may also want to have your domain name moved, or re-delegated. |
| Router | A router is a computer network device that routes traffic between networks. When a packet travels from your computer to a computer in the United States say, it must pass through a number of routers. Each router in the process reads the packet's destination and determines the best path for forwarding the packet to its destination. |
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| Scrolling | The moving of window contents either vertically or horizontally using the "scroll bars" or cursor keys. |
| Search Engine | A device that enables you to search either a database or the Internet for a specific file. |
| Self Installation | Installation of a BigPond Broadband Service by the customer, using a Self Installation Kit. |
| Server | A computer or piece of software that allows other computers to use its facilities and storage capacity. |
| Service Provider | See ISP |
| Shareware | Software which is available for a free trial and is normally downloaded from the Internet or retrieved on a CD-ROM. |
| Single User Accounts | Single User Plans are individual accounts for standalone PC users, which allow you to connect to the Internet, browse the web and send and receive email. They are suited to residential, home office and small business users |
| Site | Individual servers or individuals with a "web presence" that you can visit on the Internet. |
| SLIP (Serial Line Internet Protocol) | A standard for connecting a computer to a modem for Internet connection. SLIP has largely been replaced by PPP. |
| Small Business | Small Business is a group of products with features designed to suit a business needing only one or two dial up accounts and no group account management functionality. These products are available in capital cities and major regional centres and offer significant cost savings for users who are new to the Internet or who require only a single account. Both PSTN and ISDN plans are available. |
| SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) | The protocol used by servers for the transmission of email. |
| Software | The programs, routines, and symbolic languages that control the functioning of the hardware and direct its operation. For instance, windows or photoshop. |
| Sound File | Any file that contains audio information. These files generally carry .wav, .mp3, .mid, .voc, or .cmf suffixes. |
| Spam | Unwelcome junk email, often sent to multiple addresses. |
| Standard Modem | A modem is any device that is used to transmit a digital signal over an analog medium. The term 'standard modem' is used to specifically refer to 33.6k or 56k Dial-Up modems as opposed to ISDN modems. |
| Sub Account | A sub account refers to any of the four additional email addresses created by the account owner when using Active Mail. |
| Sysop (System Operator) | The person responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of a network or computer system, generally a BBS. |
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| TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) | The standard communications protocol used to connect computers across the Internet. |
| Teleworking | Term used to describe working from home (or anywhere else) with a computer connected to the office. |
| Telnet | Internet protocol that allows you to log on and use other computers on a network. |
| Telstra Internet Direct | Telstra Internet Direct offers permanent connections to the Internet, suitable for ISP's and corporations. The Telstra Internet Direct Web site can be found here. |
| Thread | Newsgroup term used to describe a connected flow of postings relating to a single topic. |
| Transfer Rate | Rate at which data is transferred from one device to another. |
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| Under Construction | Term used to flag websites which have been uploaded to the Net before they are finished. |
| Upload | The process of sending data from your computer to another on the network; the opposite of download. |
| URL (Uniform Resource Locater) | The standard address of any website, eg http://www.bigpond.com |
| Usenet | A world wide discussion group, represented on the Internet by Newsgroups. |
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| VAN (Value Added Network) | Network service offering more services than simple connectivity: shopping and banking for example. |
| VDSL (Very-high rate Digital Subscriber Line) | See DSL. |
| Virtual Domain | Virtual domains allow BigPond customers to create any email address on their own domain, regardless of whether or not a username, (the first part of your email address) has been taken by another BigPond Business customer. For example, using a mycompany.com.au virtual domain, Molly Jones can create email addresses like mollyjones@mycompany.com.au, info@mycompany.com.au and any other username without fear of a conflict. |
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| WAIS (Wide Area Information Servers) | A system used for searching large amounts of information on the Internet. |
| WAN (Wide Area Network) | A network of modem-linked computers covering a large or even global area. |
| WAV (.WAV) | File extension given to sound files saved in the Microsoft wave format. |
| Web | See WWW |
| Web (World Wide Web) | A series of interlinked computer documents 'marked up' with HTML computer language to display text, graphics, images and sound. Users browse the documents via a graphical user interface. Web sites are like multimedia magazines, with interactive features and links to related sites. |
| Web hosting | Web pages need to be stored on web server so that the public can access them. This “storing” is referred to as hosting. BigPond offers Web hosting services, so that websites can be stored on our servers and viewed with more speed, availability and security than most private computers. |
| Web Mail | A Web-based interface for email so that you can access your mail from anywhere with an Internet connection. Webmail is available free from telstra.com, and BigPond email links to telstra.com webmail. |
| Web portal | An individual's customised 'gateway' to the Internet. A portal is a web page designed to allow different users to tailor and aggregate content according to individual preference. Web portals include global and special instant messaging, email and chat facilities to encourage the development of electronic communities. |
| Webcrawler | Software "robots" which roam the Internet seeking uncatalogued URLs for use in search engines. |
| Webmaster | Person responsible for the administration of a website. |
| WebStart | WebStart is a free Web hosting service for BigPond Dial-Up Business customers, with a URL template of www.users.bigpond.com/username. |
| Whois | Program designed to find the email address of someone from a given name. |
| WWW (World Wide Web) | A major part of the Internet, consisting of interconnected communications networks. |
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| XDSL | See DSL |
| Xmodem | Data communications package enabling communications between modems and computers of different types. |
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| Yahoo | Internet search engine and catalogue from the Yahoo corporation. |
| Ymodem | Development of Xmodem, which allows mutiple files to be transmitted simultaneously |
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| Zmodem | Further development of X-Ymodem, providing increases in speed and flexibility. |
| Zones | Telephone charging zones for Dial-Up customers. These zones apply to the local call access via the BigPond National Access numbers, and reflect the distance between the dialler’s location and the closest BigPond access point. BigPond has over 100 dial in access points across Australia, with more to come. |
