Don't Know a Thing About Broadband? Here's Your Home Internet Glossary, From ACP to ZigBee

The internet can be a vast, confusing place. It's helpful to know some of the technical terms your broadband provider may use when trying to upsell you a faster speed plan. Likewise, if your Wi-Fi goes out, it's nice to know a thing or two about resetting your router. If you've ever been confused about acronyms like DOCSIS, the difference between "Wi-Fi" and "Ethernet," we've got you covered with a simple list of some of the most common home internet terms. Most definitions here are linked to more in-depth stories or explainers if you want more information. Use this guide as a companion on your home internet journey, especially when comparing plans from internet service providers. You’ll need to know about Mbps and Gbps when evaluating broadband speeds, whether a modem or router is included (or if you’ll have to rent one or both) and what to expect from the different types of internet technology. From fiber to fixed wireless, we’ve got you covered. A Access points: Access points Read more: Missing the ACP? Check out these Low-Cost Alternatives For All 50 States Locating local internet providers B Read more: What's a Good Internet Speed for Your Home? Broadband: Broadband is more than just any old internet connection. It’s a high-speed internet connection. In the US, the Federal Communications Commission has a specific definition for what counts as broadband. An internet connection needs to offer at least 100Mbps downloads and 20Mbps uploads. That’s a big boost over the previous benchmark of 25Mbps downloads and 3Mbps uploads. If your speeds are below the FCC threshold, you might want to shop for a faster option if you can get it. Read more: The FCC Quadrupled the Definition of Minimum Broadband Speeds. Here's Why It Matters Locating local internet providers C Cable internet or coaxial cable: Cable internet is one of the most common types. It delivers internet to homes through coaxial cables, usually consisting of copper wires surrounded by insulation and shielding material. It’s typically faster than DSL but doesn’t reach the top speeds of fiber internet. A cable connects to a modem (more on this later) at your home. Xfinity Cox Spectrum Getty Images Read more: The Best Cable Internet Providers in the US D Data: Think of data as pieces of information or content. If you’re watching Netflix in your living room, you’re transferring video and audio data through your internet connection to your television at home. When shopping for home internet Read more: The Best Internet Providers With Unlimited Data Data cap: Some internet providers limit the amount of data you can transfer each month. Some providers will slow your internet down Read more: Managing Your Home Internet Plan's Data Cap DNS: This acronym stands for domain name system. A domain name represents the Internet Protocol address (more on that later) of a computer, server or website -- because typing in "cnet.com" is much easier than remembering and entering a long series of numbers, letters and punctuation. The DNS translates what we type into what the server needs to get us there. Read more: Why You Should (or Shouldn’t) Register Your Domain Through Your Web Host DOCSIS: Data over cable service interface specification is a telecommunications standard to consider when shopping for a cable modem. DOCSIS allows your modem to deliver internet from your cable provider to your home. There are different versions of DOCSIS, so it’s important to get the right version with the right modem for your needs. The newer DOCSIS 3.1 standard supports faster speeds than the 3.0 version. Read more: DOCSIS 3.0 vs 3.1 vs. 4.0 Modems Download speeds: The speed of your internet connection is measured in megabits per second (Mbps), but with two metrics: how fast it takes to download data and how fast it takes to upload data. Download speeds refer to the speed your home internet set-up downloads data. You can easily measure that speed with a speed test Read more: I Spent Weeks Using Orb: It's Unlike Any Internet Speed Test I've Ever Used Before DSL: The digital subscriber line is an older method of data transmission, but it’s still widely available in many parts of the US. It uses telephone lines (the same tech used for landline phone calls) to provide an internet connection. It has since been eclipsed by cable and fiber internet, both of which offer faster connections. CenturyLink Read more: The Best DSL Internet Providers E Ethernet: Ethernet is a computer networking technology most visible to home internet users through the use of ethernet cables to create a wired network. Ethernet allows for the transfer of data. For example, you might connect a desktop computer to a router using an ethernet cable. It has a reputation for speed and stability but requires running physical cables between devices. Some home networks use both wired ethernet and wireless components. Hallie Seltzer/CNET Read more: What's the Difference Between Wi-Fi and Ethernet Connections? F Fiber internet or fiber-optic cable: Often just called "fiber," fiber-optic internet is a wired broadband connection delivered over fiber-optic cables as opposed to coaxial cables (cable) or telephone lines (DSL). Fiber-optic cables consist of a bundle of tiny glass or plastic strands that transmit data using light. They're capable of much faster top speeds than DSL or cable internet, and typically, uploads are as fast as downloads. Google Fiber Quantum Fiber Verizon Fios Read more: The Best Fiber Internet Providers Fiber to the home: A fiber-to-the-home connection is one where the internet provider runs a fiber line directly to the home. This is important to know because some providers use a hybrid network where the internet connection runs through the fiber part of the way and then runs to the home through a coaxial cable. That usually means slower upload speeds and overall speeds than you might get with FTTH, which is desirable for its fast, symmetrical speeds. Read more: Brush Up on How Fiber Internet Works Fixed wireless internet: Fixed wireless sounds like two words that shouldn’t go together, but it refers to the use of radio waves to wirelessly send data from a tower to a receiver mounted on or within your home. A direct line of sight to the tower is best. Fixed wireless is often associated with rural areas that don’t have cable, fiber or DSL infrastructure. Verizon and T-Mobile’s 5G home internet services Read more: Learn How Fixed Wireless Stacks Up Against Other Kinds of Internet Connections Frequency Bands: The frequency bands that your router uses to transmit data are radio waves. The most common Wi-Fi bands are 2.4Ghz, 5Ghz Wi-Fi 6 Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi 7 G Gateway: This is a modem and router combined into one device -- your "gateway" to the internet, if you will. Many providers, including AT&T Optimum Xfinity The T-Mobile Home Internet gateway serves as modem and router, though you can also plug in an existing router or mesh network. Amanda Kooser/CNET Read more: Comcast Announces Its New xFi Advanced Gateway Geosynchronous orbit or geostationary orbit satellite internet: Satellite internet ISPs Hughesnet Viasat Read more: The Best Satellite Internet Providers I IP address: An internet protocol address is like a numerical fingerprint for internet devices and networks. Everything from your laptop to your router has an IP address for identification, so internet communications go to the right place. Your internet router has a unique public IP address, but you will also have private IP addresses assigned to devices like computers or televisions on your home network. Read more: How to Figure Out Your IP Address ISP: This is shorthand for "internet service provider." That's the company you pay to get access to the internet. Different ISPs use different technologies to hook you up, so you might have a fiber, cable, DSL or fixed wireless ISP. Big names in the ISP world include Xfinity Spectrum Verizon AT&T Optimum Cox Frontier Viva Tung/Getty Images Read more: How to Find the Best Internet Providers in Your Area L LAN: This stands for local area network. When devices in the home, at school or in a work office are connected to the same network, that's a LAN. A WLAN is also a local area network but wireless. Wi-Fi is a type of WLAN connection. Low Earth orbit satellite internet: We already discussed Hughesnet and Viasat Starlink Read more: Starlink vs. T-Mobile Home Internet: Clash of the Broadband Disruptors M MAC address: This stands for media access control address. Each NIC (see below) has an identifier. This identifier is the MAC address. Mbps: Megabits per second (or Gbps for gigabits per second) is a measurement for data transfer over a network. Essentially, it’s your internet speed. For example, you might sign up for fiber internet that offers 1,000Mbps (1Gbps) downloads. You might get 10,000Mbps (10Gbps) speeds with fast fiber. Slow-poke DSL? You might max out at 100Mbps. Actual home internet speeds can vary, but it will help you compare plans. Read more: What's the Difference Between Megabits and Megabytes? Mesh Wi-Fi: A mesh Wi-Fi system features a router and additional nodes that boost the signal from the router throughout your home. The benefit of a mesh system is that you can walk throughout your home with a wireless device, like your laptop or the upcoming iPhone 17 Read more: The Best Mesh Wi-Fi Routers Modem: The word “modem” is short for modulator-demodulator. It’s a piece of hardware that converts the data from your ISP into data your devices can use on your home network and vice versa. It acts like a translator that keeps your internet flowing. Modems are typically used for cable and DSL internet connections. If you sign up for 5G home internet from the likes of Verizon or T-Mobile, you will get a gateway device that combines the capabilities of a modem and a router. Read more: Learn the Difference Between a Modem and a Router MU-MIMO: This acronym equates to multi-user, multi-input, multi-output. The majority of recent Wi-Fi routers have MU-MIMO capabilities, which divide the Wi-Fi signal into multiple streams. This accommodates multiple devices at once and potentially delivers extra bandwidth to those who need it. N NIC: A network interface controller is a component in your computer or wireless device that enables it to communicate with a network. O ONT: An optical network terminal isn’t the same as a modem but plays a similar role. It translates signals so your devices can use the internet. ONTs are used with fiber networks. You’ll still want a router to manage where the data goes. Read more: How to Find the Best Fiber Internet Providers Near You R Router: A router is one of the cornerstones of your home internet network. It connects to the modem and acts as a hub that routes data to and from the devices on your network. It’s essentially a network traffic manager. Most routers these days allow for wireless connections. U Upload speeds: Upload speeds Getty Images/Tharon Green/CNET Read more: Should You Buy or Rent Your Router? The Wrong Decision Nearly Cost Me $1K V VPN: A virtual private network establishes a private connection over a public network by encrypting your data and hiding your IP address. Using a VPN has many security advantages, but it may cost you a few extra bucks per month. Read more: The Best VPNs for Streaming W Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi is short for wireless fidelity. It’s a wireless communications technology that uses radio waves to connect devices like laptops, computers, smart thermostats, televisions and phones to the internet. In your home network, a Wi-Fi router is the go-between that helps your gadgets talk to the internet without having to physically connect them with a cable. Read more: The Best Wi-Fi Routers Wi-Fi Extender: Even the best Wi-Fi routers can only do so much. That's where Wi-Fi extenders come in. Sometimes also called a Wi-Fi booster or repeater, Wi-Fi extenders increase the range of your Wi-Fi signal from the router. These devices often plug directly into an electrical outlet, but since they connect to your router wirelessly, you'll want to plug it in where there's still somewhat of a strong signal. Otherwise, there won't be much for the device to "extend." Read more: The Best Wi-Fi Extenders WPA, WPA2, WPA3: Wi-Fi Protected Access is a built-in security protocol designed to prevent someone from hacking your router. WPA2 and WPA3 are updated standards, with WPA3 being the current version. Read more: Yes, Your Wi-Fi Can Be Hacked. Here's What You Can Do WPS: This stands for Wi-Fi Protected Setup. Let's say you have a guest over, and they want to connect to your Wi-Fi, but you're not exactly comfortable sharing the password. WPS allows you to add their device, sometimes even on a separate network, often by simply pushing a router button or entering a unique PIN. Z Zigbee: This wireless technology helps devices work together using a low-energy mesh network without requiring Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. You might encounter Zigbee in smart home devices. The Philips Hue Bridge device, for example, uses a Zigbee network. Most Ikea smart lighting gadgets Numbers 5G: You'll hear the term "5G" connected to cell phones and home internet. It's shorthand for wireless mobile technology's "fifth generation" standard. Instead of requiring a cable or telephone line, the ISP uses radio waves for sending and receiving data. The newer 5G standard offers faster speeds, more bandwidth and lower latency (less lag) than the previous 4G technology. Look to mobile providers Verizon 5G Home Internet T-Mobile 5G Home Internet AT&T Internet Air Getty Images/Tharon Green/CNET Read more: What Is 5G Home Internet? 802.11: The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers maintains a list of industry standards for various technologies. Internet network connectivity falls in the 802.1 to 802.12 range, with the 802.11 designation pertaining specifically to wireless local area networks. So, 802.11 is a set of industry standards for Wi-Fi devices or routers. Looking at what comes after the "802.11" on a router will tell you what category of standards the device falls under. Wi-Fi 6, the previous standard, is 802.11ax. The newest router standard, known as Wi-Fi 7 Read more: How CNET Tests Wi-Fi Routers