Computer Phone Jargon
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A bit confused with all the weird acronyms, abbreviations and alphanumeric codes we've been throwing around? Here's a short list of jargon related to computer phones and internet telephony.
- ATA – Analog Telephone Adapter
- Converts the analog signal coming from a telephone to a more useful digital signal; connects to telephones or a broadband connection; used in VoIP
- DSL – Digital Subscriber Line
- Provides data transmission, which is practically synonymous to an internet connection, over the local telephone network (see POTS/PSTN); speeds range from 128 kbps to 24,000 kbps
- H.323
- Standard that supports voice, video, data over packet networks such as LANs, WANs, and the Internet; commonly used in VoIP and IP-based video conferencing
- IAX – Inter-Asterisk eXchange
- Protocol used by Asterisk; can be used for any type of media streamed via IP, but more for voice calls
- POTS – Plain Old Telephone System
- Your usual analog telephone system
- PSTN – Public Switched Telephone Network
- Telephone networks the world over; uses E.163/E.164 (telephone numbers) modes of addressing
- QoS – Quality of Service
- Pronounced "que-oh-ess", a degree of quality in communication systems that ensures voice and video are transmitted without interferences; guaranteed by your POTS because of a dedicated line that connects to every phone line one wishes to contact
- RJ-11 - Registered Jack-11
- Type of connection used to connect telephones to and from a phone line; holds up to four wires, sometimes up to six
- RJ-45 – Registered Jack-45
- Type of connection used to connect Ethernet and Token Ring networks; holds up to eight wires
- Router
- Network device that decides how and where to forward data information contained in packets
- SIP – Session Initiation Protocol
- Telephony protocol that uses the internet; supports voice, video, and any other media type, as well as instant messaging
- USB – Universal Serial Bus
- Possibly the most popular type of port that connects hardware to a computer (or similar device) and interfaces with them
- WiFi – Wireless Fidelity
- Also WiFi, Wifi, or wifi, the name of the technology based on IEEE 802.11 specifications; allows connectivity for mobile computing devices
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