Structured Wiring Buzz Words
- ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line): A technology that allows special modems attached to standard telephone copper wiring to transmit data downstream (to the subscriber) at up to 7.1Mbps and upstream (from the subscriber) at up to 680kbps, depending on line distance. DSL bypasses the circuit switched lines that make up that network.
- Bandwidth: A measure of data transmission capacity of communications media. Greater bandwidth allows communication of more information in a given period of time. Bandwidth is generally described either in terms of analog signals in units of Hertz (Hz), which indicates the maximum number of cycles per second. For digital signals, bandwidth is given in bits per second.
- CABA (Continental Automated Buildings Association): A trade association of manufacturers, suppliers, utilities, cable and telecom companies, builders, consultants, governments, and research organizations commited to the development, promotion, and adoption of automated building technologies.
- Cable Modem: A device that connects your computer to the Internet via your cable network.
- CAT5 Cable: A cable consisting of four twisted pairs of copper wire enclosed in an insulating sheath that meets the CAT5 standards for 100Mbps transmission rates as defined by EIA/TIA 568A.
- CATV (Cable TV): CATV, originally "community antenna television," now often "community access television" is now more commonly known as "cable TV". Cable TV is an increasingly popular way to interact with the World Wide Web and other new forms of multimedia information and entertainment services.
- CEBus (Consumer Electronics Bus): CEBus stands form Consumer Electronics Bus and is pronounced, "see-bus". It is an open two-way international standard (EIA-600) for controlling devices over different media using Common Application Language (CAL). Seven media are covered: power line, radio frequency (RF), infrared (IR), coax, twisted pair, fiber optics, and audio/video. The priority has been power line media.
- CEDIA (Custome Electronic Design and Installation Association): A trade organization comnsisting of designers, installers, manufacturers, and others concerned with high-end home systems, primarily Audio/Video.
- DBS (Direct Broadcast Satellite): A broadcast technology that uses satellites orbiting the Earth to broadcast television or data signals to an 18" dish antenna.
- DIFM (Do It For Me): Refers to a type of consumer who prefers to have a qualified individual install, set up, and get a product running.
- FTTCab (Fiber-to-the-Cabinet): Network architecture where an optical fiber connects the telephone switch to a street-side cabinet where the signal is converted to feed the subscriber over a twisted copper pair.
- FTTC (Fiber-to-the-Curb): The deployment of fiber optic cable from a central office to a platform serving numerous homes. The home is linked to this platform with coaxial cable or twisted pair (copper wire). Each fiber carries signals for more than one residence, lowering the cost of installing the network versus fiber to the home.
- FTTH (Fiber-to-the-Home): The deployment of fiber optic cable from a central office to an individual home. This is the most expensive broadband network design, with every home needing a separate fiber optic cable to link it with the central office.
- Gateway:
- A network element interconnecting two otherwise incompatible networks, netwrok nodes, sub-networks, or devices. It performs protocol conversion operations across a wide spectrum of communications platforms.
- A device for interconnecting dissimilar LANs where one network conforms to an "open" standard or protocol and the other network conforms to a vendor's proprietary protocol.
- A telephone company network service that provides a transparent access and billing interface between information service providers and information consumers.
- HomePnP (Home Plug and Play): An interoperability specification based on CAL language developed by the CEBus Industry Council usable over any network protocol.
- PLC (Power Line Carrier): The transmission of communications signals across utility power lines or existing electrical home wiring.
- RJ (Registered Jacks, sometimes described as RJ-XX): RJ is a series of telephone connection interfaces (receptacle and plug) that are registered with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). They derive from interfaces that were part of At&T's Universal Service Order Codes (USOC) and were adopted as part of FCC regulations (specifically Part 68, Subpart F, and Section 68.502). The term jack sometimes means both receptacle and plug and sometimes just the receptacle.
- RJ-11: The most common telephone jack is the RJ-11 jack, which can have six conductors, but usually is implemented with four. The RJ-11 jack is likely to be the jack used in your household or office. In turn, the jacks connect to the "outside" wires known as twisted pair that connect to a central office (CO) or to a private branch exchange (PBX). The four wires are usually characterized as a red and green pair and a black and white pair. The red and green pair typically carries voice or data. On an outside phone company connection, the black and white pari may be used for low-voltage signals such as phone lights. On a PBX system, they may be used for other kinds of signaling. Your computer modem is usually connected to an RJ-11 jack.
- RJ-14: The RJ-14 is similar to the RJ-11, but the four wires are used for two phone lines. Typically, one set of wires (for one line) contains a red wire and a green wire. The other set contains a yellow and black wire. Each set carries one analog "conversation" (voice or data).
- RJ-45: The RJ-45 is a single-line jack for digital transmission over ordinary phone wire, either untwisted or twisted. The interface has eight pins or positions. For connecting a modem, printer, or a data PBX at a data rate up to 19.2Kbps, you can use untwisted wire. For faster transmissions in which you're connecting to an Ethernet 10BaseT network, you need to use twisted pair wire. There are two varieties of RJ-45: keyed and unkeyed. The keyed connector has a small bump on its end and the female complements it. Both jack and plug must match.
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