Category 5e
A type of cable used to connect your computer to an external modem or router. It can also be used to connect computers together in a LAN.
RJ45 cables are a typical Catagory 5e cable.
It's widely regarded that a wired connection to the Internet is still faster than a wireless connection, but the gap is getting smaller.
EncryptionUsually spoken in the same sentence as Internet security, encryption is the scrambling of values transferred over the Internet so if they are intercepted the data cannot be figured out. Online banking websites tend to use quite a high form of data encryption.
Encryption comes in various forms such as 64 and 128 bit encryption. The higher the number, the larger (and ultimately safer) the encryption is, and the more numbers the data is scrambled into.
EthernetA common way of wiring up a LAN network. The wires are arranged in a star topology.
Probably the most used LAN network, it was originally developed by Xerox Corporation.
FirewireA form of cabling technology popular with older I-Pods and some other MP3 players. Firewire used to be the standard connection for I-Pods, but Apple changed this for wider usage.
Most newer PCs and Macs incorporate the firewire technology, and most new digital cameras favour this way of connecting to a computer.
USBWorks similar to Firewire, but the new USB 2 is slightly faster.
USB is still more widely used than firewire, mainly because it has been around longer and can be used on older computers.
WirelessWireless connections do the same as a cable connection, but doesn't use the cables. Instead it works by transmitting data over radio waves.
Wireless networks are beginning to become more popular as the connections are getting faster, mainly due to the lack of wires which reduces the clutter.