• Frequently Asked Questions

    Q - How can I find out about broadband providers, and the speed of broadband available in my area?

    A - We hope to be able to publish information regarding broadband availability shortly, in the    meantime; www.samknows.com is a useful website to check availability.

     

    Q - My broadband speeds sometimes appear slow, how can I check what kind of broadband speeds I am currently receiving?

    A - There are many free broadband speed checkers available simply by typing in ‘Broadband Speed Checker' into a search engine.  However, there is a new scheme called ‘Blimp' that carries out regular speed tests in the background at different points of the day, thus providing a more accurate result.  Find out more at http://www.blimpchecker.co.uk/

     

    Q - Onlincolnshire previously offered free ICT advice and grants to businesses, are there any plans to offer these in the future?

    A - Since the introduction of the Business Support Simplification Process (BSSP), we are restricted in the types of business support products we are now able to offer.  Business Link are now the central provider of business support related products and more information regarding the latest support available can be found on their website, www.businesslink.gov.uk/eastmidlands

     

  • Jargon Buster

    Activation - Activation is the term used to describe the process by which your existing phone line becomes enables to receive data and calls simultaneously.  The activation takes place at your local phone exchange.

    ADSL - Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line    This is a type of broadband internet connection typically delivered over a standard telephone line.  It is kept separate from interfering with the telephone call signal by the use of filters.  However, as telephone line lengths from a telephone exchange, and the quality of these lines, can vary tremendously, the broadband speeds that can be delivered over them also vary.  These issues, which have little effect on telephone call signals, can result in no broadband service being possible at all.  The speed from the telephone exchange to the user is also much faster than the speed from the user back to the telephone exchange in most instances.  This is where the term 'asymmetrical' is derived from.  Most marketing of ADSL broadband only refers to the higher speed direction and tends not to mention the much slower speed from the user back towards the internet.

    Anti-virus software - Protection against malicious computer code usually sent via email but sometimes infecting web site downloads.  PC's are particularly vulnerable and you should have anti-virus software installed no matter which way you connect to the internet.

    Bandwith - The capacity of your internet connection to transmit and receive data. Bandwith is usually measured in bits per second.  Imagine your internet connection is a pipe, the bigger the pipe, the faster the information will flow.  Broadband offers speeds between 10 to 40 times faster than a 56k dial up modem.

    BERR  The Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (replaced the DTI)

    Bonded ADSL - Bonded Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line   A methodology of bonding mulitple ADSL broadband services together.  For example, if a location can receive ADSL with a 4 Mbps download speed and 0.7 Mbps upload speed, then by installing two additional lines and ADSL services, and bonding them together, a 12 Mbps download speed and 2.1 Mbps upload speed can be achieved.

    Broadband Broadband is an always-on internet connection, typically at a fixed cost, which has a much larger capacity to send and receive data to and from the internet than an ordinary, dial up internet connection. However, there are a great many different types of broadband delivered in a number of different ways dependent on the requirements of the end user, the available delivery technologies and the cost the end user is prepared to pay. Broadband speeds vary greatly to reflect these different factors.

    Cable Broadband
    Broadband connection delivered via cable.

    Community Enterprise The definition of community enterprise is an organisation that complies with the definition of an SME. The organisation is a commercial entity, sustainable and profit making (but not for private profit). The organisation employs staff and has the ability to pay them i.e. not volunteers, etc. The organisation should also not be making 'excessive profits' - defined as above 25% of turnover - and any profits must be re-invested into the organisation with a clear audit trail. NB: If the organisation is not reinvesting profits then it should contact the Project Management Office for clarification of eligibility.

    Contention Ratio
    The expression of sharing a resource as a ratio. For example if one has a 2 Mbps connection contended at 20:1 at peak times of the day, one could be sharing 2 Mbps with 19 other users at the same time and only getting a fraction of that speed.  Uncontended internet connections, such as 2 Mbps at 1:1, where the use is exclusive and the speed guaranteed, are relatively very expensive compared to the contended services.

    DTI - Department of Trade and Industry as was, now known as BERR.

    Dynamic IP Address - Originally all Internet Protocol addresses were static, but with the growth of the internet, it soon became clear there wouldn't be enough to go around. A dynamic IP address changes every time you connect to the internet. Your ISP will have a range of dynamic IP addresses available and you will be allocated any one of these at any time.

    Encryption - A means of codifying information to prevent unauthorised access.  Only those with authorisation and the key to unlock the code can decipher the encrypted data.

    Ethernet - Ethernet is the most widely installed local area network (LAN) technology.  Most new computers have this capability pre-installed or can be upgraded to take advantage of this connection method.

    Extranet - An intranet that is accessible to computers that are not physically part of the company's own private network, but that is not accessible to the general public.  For example, to allow vendors and business partners to access a company website.

    Firewall - Gatekeeper hardware or software that guards against unauthorised access to your computer via the internet by hackers.

    Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) - Fibre Optic cable which runs from a point of presence (such as a telephone exchange) to a curb side cabinet. FTTC broadband delivers a high level of performance by reducing the length of copper cable over which signals need to travel

    Fibre to the Home (FTTH) -Fibre Optic cable which runs from a point of presence (such as a telephone exchange) to a home or place of work. FTTH broadband delivers a high level of performance by providing and end to end fibre optic cable connection

    ERDF - European Regional Development Fund

    ICT - Information & Communication Technology

    Intranet - A private network or web site for internal company or organisation use. Can be tunnelled into by authorised users.

    IP address - Stands for Internet Protocol address, the host computer assigned to you by your Internet Service Provider when you make a connection. A static IP address means your ISP permanently assigns your connection to a particular host computer. IP addresses are numeric, you may have noticed them occasionally in the address bar of your browser. For example, http://212.58.240.32 is better known as www.bbc.co.uk. An internet service called DNS (Domain Name System/Service) translates the request for www.bbc.co.uk into the corresponding IP address.

    I-Plate - The I-Plate is the point at which an external connection terminates within a building. Examination of the I-Plate can indicate the age of internal wiring and if it is worth attempting to boost broadband connection speeds by replacing an internal network.

    ISP - Internet Service Provider
    The company providing your connection to the internet.

    IT - Information Technology

    KB - Kilo-byte   K = Kilo = thousand and B = Byte = 8 x bits.  For example, 100 KB = 800 Kb (Kilo-bits)

    Kbit/s - Kilo-bits per second
    K = Kilo = thousand, so 512 Kbit/s is 512 thousand bits of data in one second. This is just one of a number of terms used for measuring connection speeds to the internet.

    Kbps - Kilo - bits per second  K = Kilo = thousand, so 512 Kbps is 512 thousand bits of data in one second.  This is just one of a number of terms used for measuring connection speeds to the internet.

    LAN - Local Area Network
    A network of connected computers on one or more sites. Often used by businesses where the computers can use the same internet connection.

    Login or logon - The method by which you identify yourself to a host computer or website. This often means typing in a user name and password.

    Mbit/s - Mega-bits per second
    M = Mega = Million, so 2 Mbit/s is 2 million bits of data in one second. This term typically refers to an actual data rate of 2.048 million bits of data and is just one of a number of terms used for measuring connection speeds to the internet.

    Mbps - Mega-bits per second   M = Mega = Million, so 2 Mbps is 2 million bits of data in one second.  This term typically refers to an actual data rate of 2.048 million bits of data and is just one of a number of terms used for measuring connection speeds to the internet.

    MB - Mega-Byte   M = Mega = Million and B = Byte = 8 x bits. For example, 2 MB = 16 Mb (Mega-bits)

    Microfilter - A channel splitter that inserts into the phone socket to prevent noise interference from an ADSL connection on phone extensions during voice or fax calls.

    Modem - Modulator Demodulator
    The modulator converts digital data from your computer to analogue signals that can be sent down a normal telephone line. The demodulator does the reverse.

    Narrowband
    Term used to describe non-broadband internet connections.

    NAT -  Network Address Translation. A broadband configuration that offers extra security and enables more than one computer to use a single IP address (your location on the internet).

    Network adapter - Also known as a "network interface card" (NIC). An expansion card or other device used to provide network access to a computer, printer, or other device.

    Next Generation Access (NGA) - Next Generation Access refers to high speed internet connections which are usually provided through fibre optic cables.

    Non-NAT - If you need someone or something (such as a server) that is outside of your network to connect to a machine inside your network, then you need non-NAT. The non-NAT option offers extra IP addresses and routes data to specific addresses.

    OJEC - Official Journal of the European Communities

    OJEU - Official Journal of the European Union

    Packet - A unit of information transmitted as a whole from one device to another on a network.

    Peer-to-peer network - A network of two or more computers that communicate without using a central server. This lack of reliance on a server differentiates a peer-to-peer network from a client/server network.

    PING - A method of bouncing a signal to a computer's IP address to check if it is online and to measure the response time. Rather like radar or echo location on a submarine.

    Plug-in
    Software that enables you to view video clips etc. on your computer without having to close your web browser.

    RJ-11 connector - Cable connection for joining a phone line to a modem.

    RJ-45 connector - Small square-ish plug found at the ends of Ethernet cables.

    Router - Fundamentally 'routes' data across the internet from one location to another.

    Router-hub - A device that sits between your computer and the internet and determines where to send your online data. Often used when more than one computer is sharing a connection. Also known as a gateway or base station. Fundamentally 'routes' data across the internet from one location to another.

    Satellite broadband - Broadband connectivity supplied from a satellite located in geostationary orbit.

    Software as a service (SAAS) -SAAS is Software which is hosted remotely and delivered to the consumer via a broadband connection.

    Static IP address - A static Internet Protocol address that doesn't change every time you log on to the Internet. A static IP address is required if you need to run your own email server (SMTP), Virtual Private Network or remote communications applications.

    SDSL - Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line
    Similar to ADSL but with equally high speeds for both uploading and downloading data (symmetric). SDSL was typically delivered over a dedicated line, but later developments have allowed for the service to be delivered over existing telephone lines in the same way as ADSL.

    SLA - Service Level Agreement
    The terms and conditions of your service delivery with your ISP.

    SMEs - Small and Medium Enterprises
    Companies with:

    • Fewer than 250 employees.
    • Annual turnover not exceeding 50m Euros, or an annual balance sheet not exceeding 43m Euros.
    • Independent - not more than 25% owned by enterprise that is not itself an SME.

    Note: - For the purposes of this project the following categories are considered to be an SME: 

    • Self Employed
    • Sole Traders
    • Partnerships
    • Freelance

    Tele-working
    Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) providing secure connections between office locations. Terminal services giving remote control of business systems from any location. Collaborative working from multiple locations at the same time.

    Two way satellite - Broadband connection whereby the upstream (outbound) and the downstream (inbound) data are sent from and arrive via a satellite. The connection is usually asymmetric, i.e. the download speed is faster than the upload speed. One way satellite is when the upstream traffic is routed terrestrially, normally via a dial up modem.

    Unified Messaging - Provides one centralised in-box for all voice, email and fax messages. All message types can be managed using familiar packages such as Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes.

    Unlimited usage broadband - Some ISPs offer ADSL broadband connections that are subject to a ‘data cap'. This means that the amount that can be downloaded within a month is restricted. Whilst such connections are often cheaper, actnow recommends that businesses use providers who do not restrict the service with a data cap - especially for example if you want to offer a wireless broadband service to customers.

    Video conferencing - Real time video, to allow multiple users to broadcast and receive sound and vision simultaneously.

    Virtual Server - A web server that hosts a number of sites simultaneously, each with a unique domain name and IP address.

    Virtual Private Network - Virtual Private Network. This allows a secure, encrypted connection between two points over the Internet.

    VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
    Very low cost internet-based telephone calls. Feature rich digital local office exchanges. Ease of integration into existing office systems such as customer databases, for example.

    WAN -Wide Area Network. A geographically widespread network that might include many linked local area networks.

    WEP -Wired Equivalent Privacy. WEP sometimes also goes under the alias of "wireless security". Essentially wireless network encryption to protect data transmitted over wireless networks.Web Browser.  Software used to access the internet from your computer.

    Wi-Fi - Commonly used to signify the 802.11b standard - a form of wireless networking. Wireless-Fidelty allows the connection of two or more computers without the need for physical cabling between them. The most common forms of WiFi are 80211.b (capable of up to 11 Mb/Sec) and 802.11.g (capable of up to54 Mb/Sec).

    Wireless - The use of radio signals to connect computers without cables whether it be a computer and a mouse or a network of computers that connect to the internet.

    Wireless access point - A device that exchanges data between wireless computers or between wireless computers and wired computers on a network.

    Wireless network name - Single identity for a group of computers that link together to form a wireless network.

    Wireless WAN - Companies with more than one building on a campus or in close proximity in a city centre can use Wi-Fi or other wireless technology to build 'bridges' between buildings.

    WLAN - Wireless local area network. A network that exclusively relies on wireless technology for device connections.