Tech Terms

DSL: Digital Subscriber Line
DSL is a high-speed connection that transmits digital data over telephone wires. Although there are several kinds of DSL, most homes and small businesses use an asymmetric DSL connection. Wit that type of connection, the download speed is greater than the upload speed. High bit-rate DSL provides fast data transfer,  receiving and sending data at the same speed, but requires two lines separate from the telephone line. Voice-over DSL allows multiple phone lines to be combined into a single phone line that also includes data-transmission capabilities.

FTP: File Transfer Protocol
FTP is a network protocol that allows files to be moved back and forth between different computers.

IP: Internet Protocol
Internet protocol is the language that computers use to communicate over the Internet. Every machine on the Web has assigned to it a unique identifying number called an IP address. The IP acts as a machine’s digital fingerprint.

LAN: Local Area Network
A LAN is a network of computers that are in the same general physical location, usually within a building or a campus. Ethernet and Wi-Fi are two of the most common communication links for information to be moved within a LAN.

WAN: Wide Area Network
A WAN is a network of computers that are far apart, such as across town or in different cities. Most WANs are built for specific organizations and are private. Typical communication links used in WANs are telephone lines, microwave links and satellite channels.
Source: HowStuffWorks.com