It’s easiest if you let Windows detect your modem. Turn the modem on, if it’s an exter-

Glossary Direct Cable Connection DCC Sharing resources between two computers over just a cable, using no network card. Windows includes the software necessary to set up this slow, but effective, networking scheme. direct memory access See DMA. directory folder Folders in Windows are the same as directories in DOS. Use a directory to contain files for an application, data, the system files, and so on. DirectX A library of codes in Windows that presents a standardized format for programming. DirectX makes an application, such as a game, accessible to a wide variety of hardware features. Some hardware might not be fully compatible with DirectX. disk cache Part of the system’s RAM that’s reserved for the data being read from a disk, which allows for faster access. The memory is cleared each time the computer is turned off, so the data in the cache is only temporary. distro A Linux distribution that is based on the Linux kernel, to which enhancements have been added. DMA direct memory access A method of transferring information directly from a hard disk, for example, into memory by bypassing the processor. DNS See Domain Name System. docking station You use a docking station with a portable computer to attach additional equipment, such as speakers, CD-ROM, or keyboard, and to plug the portable into a network. document management software Document management is a method of organizing multiple documents for access by the members of the group. Each user can view other documents and contribute her or his own. Users also can copy, save, and search documents in the database. domain name IP addresses are difficult to remember, so domain names can also represent a computer on the Internet. Microsoft’s domain name, for example, is www.microsoft.com. Domain names usually start with www, which stands for World Wide Web; however, www is not always included in an address. Some addresses route to a different server and therefore use different prefixes than www; other addresses use a generic routing, so if you don’t use www, the link finds its way on its own. Domain Name Server See Domain Name System. Domain Name System DNS A method of matching IP addresses with domain names. When you type a domain name in the URL address area of your browser, that query is transmitted to a Domain Name Server. A Domain Name Server maintains a database of domain names and IP addresses. The Domain Name Server finds the IP address that matches the domain name and then sends your request on to that server. The process is called name resolution. DOS disk operating system An operating system that loads from disk devices at startup. There are various versions of DOS: MS-DOS, IBM DOS, and so on. dot pitch Every object and character on the screen is made up of dots. The distance between the centers of the dots is called dot pitch. Dot pitch ranges from 0.25 to 0.52 mm. download A method of retrieving files from another computer, via the Internet or a network. Glossary downstream Also called download, this is the speed at which information travels from the destination server to you. Downstream speeds are often faster than upstream, because users download more often than upload; bandwidths for downloading are therefore extended. driver A set of software routines used to control input and output between the operating system and a device, such as a modem, network card, or other computer equipment. DSL Digital Subscriber Line A digital technology that transmits data in both directions at once over copper lines existing phone lines, just like the ones the ISDN service uses. DSL also transmits voice and video. Speeds for DSL are around 160 Kbps. DSL lines are secure and offer low interference. DVD-RAM DVD-RAM offers faster access and readwrite times than CD-RW. You can write to a DVD-RAM disc over and over; DVD-RAM discs hold 2.58GB of data. DVD-ROM Digital Video Disc–Read Only Memory DVD-ROM drives are just like CD-ROM drives except that they have a higher capacity. A CD-ROM holds 640MB of data; a DVD-ROM holds 4.7GB of data. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol See DHCP. ECP cable See Extended Capabilities Port cable. EISA Extended Industry Standard Architecture A 32-bit extension to the ISA standard bus. electronic mail e-mail Messages, memos, letters, and so on that are created in a computer and sent electronically via the Internet or another network. Delivery can be nearly instantaneous. Ethernet A protocol and cabling scheme that transfers data at the rate of 10 Mbps. Ethernet can use the bus or the spanning tree topology connected with various cabling types. Extended Capabilities Port ECP cable This cable, which is used with an ECP-enabled paral- lel port, enables data to transfer more quickly than standard cables. The ECP port must be enabled in the BIOS. FAQ frequently asked questions Documents that list common questions and answers about certain topics. Many Internet sites include FAQs. fax server A high-powered server on a clientserver network that manages incoming and outgoing faxes. The fax service routes any received faxes to an individual, department, or workgroup on the network. fiber-optic cabling A fiber-optic cable transmits data in pulses of light along specially manu- factured optical fibers. Fiber-optic cable is lighter and smaller than traditional copper cables, and it’s immune to electrical interference. Fiber-optic cable also offers better signal transmis- sion. Unfortunately, fiber-optics is also extremely expensive. The cable is difficult to install and hard to repair; thus, maintenance is more difficult as well. filename extension A three-letter abbreviation that follows a period in a filename — such as letter.doc or picture.pcx. Extensions identify the type of file — PCX is a picture file, and DOC is a document file from Word, for example. file server A computer with a fast processor and a lot of storage space in the gigabyte range that is used to store files in a clientserver network. File Transfer Protocol FTP A TCPIP protocol, FTP enables the exchange of bulk information over an intranet or the Internet.