Jargon Buster

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PHP: PHP is a widely-used general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for Web development and can be embedded into HTML.
POP3 (POP): Post Office Protocol refers to a way that e-mail client software gets mail from a mail server. When you obtain an account from an Internet Service Provider (ISP) you almost always get a POP account with it, and it is this POP account that tells your e-mail software to retrieve your mail. Another protocol called IMAP is gradually replacing POP for e-mail.
Proxy Server: A Proxy Server sits in between a client and the �real� Server. Clients are sometimes configured to use a Proxy Server, usually an HTTP (Web) server. The client makes all of its requests from the Proxy Server, which then makes requests from the "real" server and passes the result back to the client. Sometimes the Proxy server will store the results and give a stored result instead of making a new one (to reduce use of a network). Proxy servers are commonly established on Local Area Networks.
Remote access: Internet access to a network from a remote location, such as for a home worker, traveller or someone working away from their head office.
Reseller/Virtual Internet Service Provider (VISP): Resellers are businesses that buy Internet service provider services at bulk prices in order to resell them to their own customers for a further margin. VISPs, on the other hand, buy similarly discounted bulk services in order to provide their clients with the same ISP services, personally branded, but without the headache of investment, management and maintenance � they provide a �virtual� ISP service. To all intents and purposes both the reseller and VISP supply services as if it were their own. The end user does not know the original source of supply and deals directly with the third party provider.
Router: A special-purpose computer (or software package) that handles the connection between two or more Packet-Switched networks. Routers spend all their time looking at the source and destination addresses of the packets passing through them and deciding which route to send them on.
SDSL (Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line): Second generation, high speed Internet access, particularly suitable for businesses offering their own Internet services or requiring wide area network connections to link multiple locations on a secure private network. The upload speeds and download speeds are the same. Contention for the service is low.
Secure connections: Internet connections made secure by provision of firewall security to prevent hackers, snoopers or spam-mail senders, or via encryption of messages, typically used for a virtual private network (VPN).
Server: A computer that provides the functionality for clients or users to run operating systems and software applications on other computers, for example a PC or a network of PCs. A server may, for instance, offer e-mail functionality to a number of other connected machines. A server can be located on site or be connected remotely to a business or home.
SMTP mail forwarding (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol): The main protocol used to send electronic mail from server to server on the Internet.

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