transit network
A transit network passes traffic between networks in addition to carrying traffic for its own hosts. It must have paths to at least two other networks. See also: backbone , stub network
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
An Internet Standard transport layer protocol defined in STD 7, RFC 793. It is connection-oriented and stream-oriented, as opposed to UDP. See also: connection-oriented , stream-oriented , User Datagram Protocol
Trojan Horse
A computer program which carries within itself a means to allow the creator of the program access to the system using it. See also: virus , worm
TTFN
Ta-Ta For Now
TTL
See: Time to Live
tunnelling
Tunnelling refers to encapsulation of protocol A within protocol B, such that A treats B as though it were a datalink layer. Tunnelling is used to get data between administrative domains which use a protocol that is not supported by the internet connecting those domains. See also: Administrative Domain
twisted pair
A type of cable in which pairs of conductors are twisted together to produce certain electrical properties.
UDP
See: User Datagram Protocol
Universal Time Coordinated (UTC)
This is Greenwich Mean Time. [Source: MALAMUD]
UNIX-to-UNIX CoPy (UUCP)
This was initially a program run under the UNIX operating system that allowed one UNIX system to send files to another UNIX system via dial-up phone lines. Today, the term is more commonly used to describe the large international network which uses the UUCP protocol to pass news and electronic mail. See also: Electronic Mail , Usenet
urban legend
A story, which may have started with a grain of truth, that has been embroidered and retold until it has passed into the realm of myth. It is an interesting phenonmenon that these stories get spread so far, so fast and so often. Urban legends never die, they just end up on the Internet! Some legends that periodically make their rounds include "The Infamous Modem Tax," "Craig Shergold/Brain Tumor/Get Well Cards," and "The $250 Cookie Recipe". [Source: LAQUEY]
Usenet
A collection of thousands of topically named newsgroups, the computers which run the protocols, and the people who read and submit Usenet news. Not all Internet hosts subscribe to Usenet and not all Usenet hosts are on the Internet. See also: Network News Transfer Protocol , UNIX-to-UNIX CoPy [Source: NWNET]
User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
An Internet Standard transport layer protocol defined in STD 6, RFC 768. It is a connectionless protocol which adds a level of reliability and multiplexing to IP. See also: connectionless , Transmission Control Protocol
UTC
See: Universal Time Coordinated
UUCP
See: UNIX-to-UNIX CoPy
virtual circuit
A network service which provides connection-oriented service regardless of the underlying network structure. See also: connection-oriented
virus
A program which replicates itself on computer systems by incorporating itself into other programs which are shared among computer systems. See also: Trojan Horse , worm
W3
See: World Wide Web
WAIS
See: Wide Area Information Servers
WAN
See: Wide area network
WG
Working Group
white pages
The Internet supports several databases that contain basic information about users, such as email addresses, telephone numbers, and postal addresses. These databases can be searched to get information about particular individuals. Because they serve a function akin to the telephone book, these databases are often referred to as "white pages. See also: Knowbot , WHOIS , X
WHOIS
An Internet program which allows users to query a database of people and other Internet entities, such as domains, networks, and hosts, kept at the DDN NIC. The information for people shows a person's company name, address, phone number and email address. See also: white pages , Knowbot , X [Source: FYI4]
Wide Area Information Servers (WAIS)
A distributed information service which offers simple natural language input, indexed searching for fast retrieval, and a "relevance feedback" mechanism which allows the results of initial searches to influence future searches. Public domain implementations are available. See also: archie , Gopher , Prospero
Wide Area Network (WAN)
A network, usually constructed with serial lines, which covers a large geographic area. See also: Local Area Network , Metropolitan Area Network
World Wide Web (WWW or W3)
A hypertext-based, distributed information system created by researchers at CERN in Switzerland. Users may create, edit or browse hypertext documents. The clients and servers are freely available.
worm
A computer program which replicates itself and is self- propagating. Worms, as opposed to viruses, are meant to spawn in network environments. Network worms were first defined by Shoch & Hupp of Xerox in ACM Communications (March 1982). The Internet worm of November 1988 is perhaps the most famous; it successfully propagated itself on over 6,000 systems across the Internet. See also: Trojan Horse , virus
WRT
With Respect To
WWW
See: World Wide Web
WYSIWYG
What You See is What You Get
X
X is the name for TCP/IP based network-oriented window systems. Network window systems allow a program to use a display on a different computer. The most widely-implemented window system is X11 - a component of MIT's Project Athena.
X.25
A data communications interface specification developed to describe how data passes into and out of public data communications networks. The CCITT and ISO approved protocol suite defines protocol layers 1 through 3.
X.400
The CCITT and ISO standard for electronic mail. It is widely used in Europe and Canada.
X.500
The CCITT and ISO standard for electronic directory services. See also: white pages , Knowbot , WHOIS
XDR
See: eXternal Data Representation
Xerox Network System (XNS)
A network developed by Xerox corporation. Implementations exist for both 4.3BSD derived systems, as well as the Xerox Star computers.
XNS
See: Xerox Network System
Yellow Pages (YP)
A service used by UNIX administrators to manage databases distributed across a network.
YP
See: Yellow Pages
zone
A logical group of network devices (AppleTalk).