Technical Glossary copy page link

A – B – C

API (Application Program Interface) — A set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications; Specifies how software components should interact.

AVL (Automatic Vehicle Locator) — A device that uses the global positioning system (GPS) to enable a business or agency to remotely track the location of its vehicle fleet by using the Internet. This type of device combines GPS technology, cellular communications, street-level mapping, and an intuitive user interface, with the goal of improving fleet management and customer service. (Source)

bandwidth — The capacity of a wired or wireless network communications link to transmit data over a computer network or Internet connection in a given amount of time — usually one second. Synonymous with capacity, bandwidth describes the data transfer rate.

bluetooth — Some of Cradlepoint’s routers utilize Bluetooth technology. Cradlepoint is licensed to use the Bluetooth logo and word mark that adhere’s to the Bluetooth brand guide. Most commonly, when using the word mark, include the registered trademark symbol “R” in superscript format immediately following the word mark, followed by the phrase “wireless technology” (required for first reference of the word mark). After the first and most prominent use, the “®” symbol may be omitted from the word mark. (Read the full Bluetooth brand guide — requires SSO login)

Correct formatting: Bluetooth^® wireless technology

control plane — The part of a network that carries signaling traffic and is responsible for routing. Control packets originate from or are destined for a router. Functions of the control plane include system configuration and management. The data plane, the control plane, and the management plane are the three basic components of a telecommunications architecture. (Source)

D – E – F – G

data plane — The part of a network that carries user traffic. The data plane, the control plane, and the management plane are the three basic components of a telecommunications architecture. NOTE: Data plane sometimes is known as the user plane, forwarding plane, carrier plane, or bearer plane. (Source)

day-1 connectivity — Having Internet connectivity at a branch or location from the first day of deployment.

DNS (Domain Name System) — An Internet service that translates domain names into IP addresses. (Source)

dual-modem router — Router capable of containing two modems, enabling automatic wireless-to-wireless failover from one carrier to another.

dual-SIM modem — A modem device capable of containing two SIM cards, enabling IT teams to click in a cloud management platform to switch from one SIM to another, and one carrier to another, as needed.

COMMONLY USED TERMS:

endpoint — Refers to undefined Cradlepoint hardware. This term should be used when being nonspecific in reference to the full breadth of Cradlepoint products. When referring to specific endpoints, use the terms router, adapter, access point, and other specifying language.

extensibility — A measurement of a piece of technology’s capacity to append additional elements and features to its existing structure. A software program, for example, is considered extensible when its operations may be augmented with add-ons and plugins. Extensible programming languages have the ability to define new features and introduce new functionality within them. (Source)

failback — The process of restoring Internet operations to a primary connection after the connection has been shifted to a secondary connection during failover.

failover — A backup operational mode in which Internet connections are routed over a secondary internet connection when the primary connection becomes unavailable, through either failure or scheduled downtime.

firewall — A network security system that monitors and controls the incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules.

FirstNet® — An independent government authority with a mission to develop, build, and operate the nationwide broadband network that equips first responders to save lives and protect U.S. communities. It is a single, nationwide, interoperable LTE network dedicated to public safety communications, utilizing the AT&T network. Use the Registered (®) symbol on first reference of FirstNet within a document.

View the FirstNet Marketing & Media Guide (requires SSO login)

COMMONLY USED TERMS:

geofencing — A virtual geographic boundary, defined by GPS technology, that enables software to trigger a response when a mobile device enters or leaves a designated area.

GPS — Active GPS uses a powered antenna with a voltage bias to amplify the signal, providing better reception for reliable, real-time GPS/GNSS tracking. Active GPS receives and amplifies the GPS signal it receives from satellites by sending power to the attached GPS antenna. Passive GPS only receives satellite signals on their internal GPS module (i.e: listening only). It does not amplify the signal.

H – I – J

Hybrid WAN (or multi WAN) — A WAN that sends traffic over two or more connection types. Hybrid WANs permit dynamic traffic engineering across both private and public domains, using a variety of connectivity options to make the best use of network resources. Traditionally, hybrid WAN has involved MPLS, Ethernet, and T3 links. Today, hybrid WAN can include cellular-based broadband links and other types of links.

IPS/IDS (Intrusion Prevention System/Intrusion Detection System) — An IDS device is passive, watching packets of data traverse the network from a monitoring port, comparing the traffic to configured rules, and setting off an alarm if it detects anything suspicious. An IPS has all the features of a good IDS, but it can also stop malicious traffic from invading the enterprise. Unlike an IDS, an IPS sits inline with traffic flows on a network, actively shutting down attempted attacks as they’re sent over the wire.

IoT (Internet of Things) — The interworking of physical devices, vehicles (also referred to as “connected devices” and “smart devices”), buildings, and other items — embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and network connectivity that enable these objects to collect and exchange data.

IP (Internet Protocol) — The principal communications protocol in the Internet protocol suite for relaying datagrams across network boundaries. Its routing function essentially establishes the Internet.

IP passthrough — Takes a cellular WAN data source (USB, ExpressCard, or Cradlepoint business-grade modem) and passes the IP address through to Ethernet LAN.

jitter — (AKA “seat”) The variance in packet delay. Jitter is measured in milliseconds (ms); closer to 0 is better. (Source)

L – N – O

LAN (local-area network) — A computer network that interconnects computers within a limited area such as a residence, school, laboratory, university campus, or office building, and has its network equipment and interconnects locally managed.

latency — The delay from input into a system to the desired outcome. Latency greatly affects how usable and enjoyable electronic and mechanical devices and communications are.

load balancing — A feature that allows multiple WAN connections to be used concurrently to improve bandwidth reliability.

NAT (network address translation) — Translates private IP addresses to publicly routable IP addresses, allowing the private addresses to communicate with public IP addresses.

network redundancy — A process through which additional or alternate instances of network devices, equipment, and communication mediums are installed within network infrastructure as a method for ensuring network availability in case of a network device or path failure. This term is often used in Europe and British English-speaking countries instead of the term “network failover.” (Source)

network segmentation — The act of splitting a computer network into sub-networks, each being a network segment. Advantages of such splitting are primarily for boosting performance and improving security. (Source)

Out-of-Band Management (OOBM) — A device and system management technique involving an alternate and dedicated connection to the system, separate from the actual network that the system runs on. This allows an administrator to ensure the establishment of trust boundaries by using a single entry point for the management interface. OOBM provides access and control of IT infrastructure when the production network is unavailable, such as cases involving unplanned downtime.

orchestration — The use of programming technology to manage the interconnections and interactions among workloads on public and private cloud infrastructure. It connects automated tasks into a cohesive workflow to accomplish a goal, with permissions oversight and policy enforcement. (Source)

P – Q – S

PoE (Power over Ethernet) — A technology for wired Ethernet local area networks (LANs) that allows the electrical current necessary for the operation of each device to be carried by the data cables rather than by power cords. This allows a single cable to provide both data connection and electric power to devices such as wireless access points, IP cameras, and VoIP phones.

QoE (Quality of Experience) — Measures total system performance using subjective and objective measures of customer satisfaction. QoE differs from Quality-of-service (QoS), which assesses the performance of hardware and software services delivered by a vendor under the terms of a contract. (Source)

QoS (Quality of Service) — A network’s ability to achieve maximum bandwidth and deal with other network performance elements such as latency, error rate, and uptime. QoS also involves controlling and managing network resources by setting priorities for specific types of data (video, audio, and files) on the network.

SaaS (Software as a Service) — A software distribution model in which a third-party provider hosts applications and makes them available to customers over the Internet. (Source)

SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network) — A technology that distributes network traffic across wide area networks (WANs), using Software-Defined Networking (SDN) concepts to automatically determine the most effective way to route traffic to and from fixed sites, vehicles, and data center sites.

SIM Card (Subscriber Identity Module) — An integrated-circuit on a tiny plastic card that allows mobile devices to connect to their cellular-service provider.

COMMONLY USED TERMS:

T – U – V

telematics — The use of wireless devices and “black box” technologies to transmit data in real time back to an organization. Typically, it’s used in the context of automobiles, where factory-installed or after-market boxes collect and transmit data on vehicle use, maintenance requirements, or automotive servicing. Telematics can also provide real-time information on air bag deployments or car crashes, and locate stolen vehicles by using GPS technology. (Source)

throughput — A measure of how many units of information a system can process in a given amount of time. “Throughput” is a term applied broadly to various aspects of computer and network systems. (Source)

truck roll — The need to dispatch a technician to install, move, reconfigure, or troubleshoot an item of equipment or to respond to a service call or network outage.

VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) — Any broadcast domain that is partitioned and isolated in a computer network at the data link layer (OSI layer 2). (Source)

VPN (Virtual Private Network) — A technology that creates a safe and encrypted connection over a less secure network, such as the Internet. It enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network.

VRRP (Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol) — Enables Internet failover and router failover at the same time. VRRP is a Layer 3 protocol that provides automatic default gateway selections on an IP network. If the main wired router fails because of hardware or software, the entire network automatically fails over to the Cradlepoint router with the LAN and WAN uninterrupted.

W – Z

Wireless WAN — An organization using cellular routers or adapters as WAN infrastructure for sites, vehicles, IoT, or remote workers is operating a Wireless WAN.

COMMONLY USED TERMS:

Units of Measure

A — Ampere (Example: 50 A)

C — Celsius, centigrade (Example: 19 °C )

cm — centimeter (Example: 25 cm)

dB — decibel (Example: 50 dB)

dBm — decibel-milliwatts (Example: 50 dBm)

F — Fahrenheit (Example: 50 °F)

Gb — gigabit (Example: 1 Gb)

GB — gigabyte (Example: 5 GB)

Gbps — gigabits per second (Example: 5 Gbps)

GHz — gigahertz (Example: 2.5 GHz)

kb — kilobit (Example: 1 kb)

KB — kilobyte (Example: 50 KB)

Kbps — kilobits per second (Example: 950 Kbps)

kg — kilogram (Example: 5 kg)

kHz — kilohertz (Example: 2.5 kHz)

kW — kilowatt (Example: 75 kW)

lb — pound (Example: 3.4 lb)

m — meter (Example: 25 m)

Mb — megabit (Example: 1 Mb)

MB — megabyte (Example: 50 MB)

Mbps — megabits per second (Example: 950 Mbps)

MHz — megahertz (Example: 240 MHz)

mm — millimeter (Example: 25 mm)

ms — millisecond (Example: 3 ms)

V — volt (Example: 12 V)

W — watt (Example: 50 W)

Industry terms and abbreviations

AER — Advanced Edge Router

API — application program interface

AVL — automatic vehicle locator

ASA — Advanced Solution Architect

BAM — Brick and Mortar

BDR — Business Development Representative

BEWS — Business Enterprise Wireless Solutions

CAM — Channel Account Manager

CARE — Complement. Augment. Replace. Extend.

CBA — Cellular Broadband Adapter

CSAM — Commercial Sales Account Manager

DHCP — Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol

DKATS — Digital Signage. Kiosks. ATMs. Transportation. Surveillance.

DNS — Domain Name System

ESE — Enterprise Support Engineer

EVDO — Evolution Data Optimized (3G)

GPIO — general purpose input/output

GUI — graphical user interface

HIPAA — Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

ICAM — Inside Channel Account Manager

IDS — Intrusion Detection System

IoT — Internet of Things

IP — Internet Protocol

IPS — Intrusion Prevention System

ISE — Inside Solutions Engineer

ISM — Inside Sales Manager

ISP — Internet Service Provider

ISR — Inside Sales Representative

LAN — Local Area Network

LDR — Lead Development Representative

LTE — Long-Term Evolution

LTE-A — LTE Advanced

M2M — Machine-to-Machine

MHM — Modem Health Management

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