Nomadix Universal subscriber gateway User Manual page 238

U S G ™
NIVERSAL UBSCRIBER ATEWAY
Bandwidth
The maximum speed at which data can be transmitted between computers across a network, usually
measured in bits per second (bps). If you think of the communication path as a water pipe, the bandwidth
represents the width of the pipe which consequently determines how many gallons of water can flow
through it at any given time. See also, Broadband.
Broadband
A high speed data transmission medium capable of supporting a wide range of varying frequencies.
Broadband can carry multiple signals at fast rates of speed by dividing the total capacity of the medium into
multiple, independent bandwidth channels, where each channel operates only on a specific range of
frequencies. See also, Bandwidth.
CoS
(Class of Service) A category based on the type of user, type of application, or some other criteria that QoS
systems can use to provide differentiated classes of service. The characteristics of the CoS may be
appropriate for high throughput traffic, for traffic with a requirement for low latency, or simply for best
effort. The QoS experienced by a particular flow of traffic will be dependent on the number and type of
other traffic flows admitted to its class. See also, QoS.
Daemon
A program that runs continuously in the background, or is activated by a particular event (for example, an
error may trigger Syslog). The word daemon is Greek for "spirit" or "soul." See also, SYSLOG.
DAT
(Dynamic Address Translation) The USG provides "plug-and-play" access to subscribers who are
misconfigured with static (permanent) IP addresses, or subscribers that do not have DHCP functionality on
their computers. DAT is a Nomadix, Inc. patented technology that allows all users to obtain network access,
regardless of their computer's network settings. See also, DHCP.
DHCP
(Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) A standard method for assigning IP addresses automatically to
devices connected on a TCP/IP network. When a new device connects to the network, the DHCP server
assigns an IP address from a list of its available addresses. The device retains this IP address for the
duration of the session. When the device disconnects from the network, the IP address becomes available
for reassignment to another device. See also, Dynamic IP Address, IP Address, Static IP Address, and TCP/
IP.
DNS
(Domain Name System) A system that maps meaningful domain names with complex numeric IP
addresses. See also, Domain Name and IP Address.
Domain Name
A unique and meaningful name representing each addressable computing device on a dynamic network (for
example, the Internet). Some devices have more than one domain name. When a user types a domain name,
requesting a connection to the device, DNS converts the domain name into a numeric IP address. The
location of the device on the network is known by its IP address. WWW.YAHOO.COM is an example of a
commercial domain name on the World Wide Web. See also, DNS, Internet, and IP Address.
Dynamic IP Address
A temporary IP address that is assigned by the DHCP server to a device. Devices retain dynamic IP
addresses only for the duration of their networking session. When a device disconnects from the network,
the IP address is recaptured by the DHCP server and becomes available for reassignment to another device.
See also, DHCP, IP Address, IP Address Translation, Static IP Address, and Translation.
234 Glossary of Terms