CompTIA A+ Study Blog

ARP Address Resolution Protocol

2011-05-26T20:22:00.000-07:00

ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) is a low-level TCP/IP standard that works at the data-link layerand operates at level 2 of the OSI model.

It is defined by RFC 825.

It resolves the logical IP (Internet Protocol) address to the physical MAC (Media Access Control) address.

It broadcasts the request for the MAC address of all hosts across the network through the ethernet cable.

An ARP Table listing all IP and MAC addresses is maintained my most systems.

Personal Computer System Components Part 1

2011-05-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

Identifying Components of Motherboards

Motherboard - the spine of the computer

a.k.a. system board or planar board
Connects together all the other components of a PC

Two major types of system boards

Nonintegrated - all the major assemblies are installed as expansion cards

These are difficult to find nowadays.

Integrated - most of the components that were previously installed as expansion cards are now integrated into the circuitry of the motherboard.

Integrated motherboards are cheaper to produce but expensive to repair as the whole motherboard must be replaced when one component breaks.

System Board Form Factors

ATX - Advanced Profile Extended

The processor and memory are at right angles to the expansion cards and are in line with the fan, allowing the processor to run cooler.
This is the primary motherboard in use today.

microATX

Uses the same component placement design as ATX motherboards but has a smaller footprint.
Has fewer memory modules, headers, expansion slots, integrated components, and chassis bays.
Was designed for lower wattage power supplies.

LPXe

Lack formal standardization and its riser card interfaces varied from vendor to vendor.
Was popular in the 1990s until the advent of the Pentium II processor and the Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP).
Was inadequate at cooling and accommodating high pin counts.

NLX - New Low-Profile Extended

Uses riser cards to place the expansion slots sideways on the motherboard so that the reduced vertical space of the low-profile case is used optimally.
Was designed to replace LPX but never became as widely used as LPX was.

BTX - Balanced Technology Extended

Was designed by Intel.
Was met with resistance by customers who foresaw ever rising prices and manufacturers who was increased research and development expenses and greater potential profit loss.
Lined up the components that produced the most heat between air intake vents and the power supply's exhaust fan and used a passive heat sink to cool the CPU and other components.

APM Advanced Power Management

2011-04-21T16:15:00.000-07:00

Advance Power Management (APM) was created by Microsoft in conjunction with Intel in 1993.
It is a BIOS-level programming interface between the hardware and the operating system (OS).
APM uses a layered approach to power management.
Power States:

Full On

This is the normal working operation.

APM Enabled

APM is available if needed.
All devices are working at full power consumption but can be powered down if not in use.
The CPU clock may be slowed down or stopped

Standby

Most devices are in a minimal power state.
The system state is saved to RAM.
Recovery is quick (near instantaneous).

Suspend

Most devices are powered off.
The CPU clock is off.
The system state is saved to disk.
Recovery is slow.

Hibernation

Hibernation is a "special implementation of the AMP Suspend state."
The system state is saved to the non-volatile hard drive.
The computer is powered down.
The BIOS must start up with POST.

Computer is powered down and inactive.
The system state is not necessarily stored.
The system must go through the entire boot process to start up.

APM has been replaced by ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface).

Assessment Test

2011-04-20T21:54:00.000-07:00

*This was taken from the CompTIA A+ Complete Study Guide.

Assessment Test

Which of the following is not considered a system component that can found inside a computer?
1. CPU
2. RAM
3. PCIe graphics adapter
4. Motherboard
Which of the following is not a physical memory format used in desktop computer systems?
1. DRAM
2. DIMM
3. SIMM
4. RIMM
Which of the following is a chip that is integrated into PATA drives, as opposed to being mounted on a daughter card?
1. Controller
2. CPU
3. Host adapter
4. IDE
What is the name of the power connector that is larger than the connector used for floppy diskette drives and that is commonly used with PATA drives?
1. AT system connector
2. Berg
3. Molex
4. ATX system connector
The _____ is the measurement of the number of pixels an LCD monitor can display without the image appearing distorted.
1. Native resolution
2. Contrast ratio
3. Pixelation
4. Base frequency
You are installing a new graphics adapter in a Windows Vista system. Which of the following expansion slots are designed for high-speed, 3D graphics adapters? (Choose two.)
1. USB
2. AGP
3. PCI
4. ISA
5. PCIe
What is the legacy term for PC Card?
1. CardBus
2. PCMCIA
3. Express Card
4. CardBay
Which of the following sleep modes is also known as Standby?
1. S1
2. S2
3. S3
4. S4
What is the function of the laser in a laser printer?
1. It heats up the toner so it adheres to the page.
2. It charges the paper so it will attract toner.
3. It creates an image of the page on the drum.
4. It cleans the drum before a page is printed.
What is the component called that stores the material that ends up printed to the page in a laser printer?
1. Toner cartridge
2. Ink cartridge
3. Laser module
4. Laser cartridge
In Windows XP, how can you start a search for files and folders?
1. Click Start => All Programs => Search.
2. Run search.exe at the command prompt.
3. Left-click a directory and choose Find.
4. Click Start => Search.
Which of the following is not a hive in the Windows Registry?
1. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
2. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
3. HKEY_USERS
4. HKEY_RESOURCES
Which of the following upgrade paths is not possible?
1. Windows 95 to Windows XP
2. Windows NT to Windows 2000
3. Windows Me to Windows XP
4. Windows 98 to Windows XP
The program that performs an upgrade from Windows NT to Windows XP is called_____.
1. INSTALL.BAT
2. SETUP.EXE
3. WINNT.EXE
4. WINNT32.EXE
You are troubleshooting a computer, and you have just established a theory of probable cause. What is your next step?
1. Document findings
2. Identify the problem
3. Test the theory
4. Verify functionality
You performed a normal backup on your Windows Vista computer two weeks ago and a differential backup one week ago. If you were to run an incremental backup today, which of the following is true about the files it would back up?
1. All files on your computer
2. All files that have been modified in the last two weeks
3. All files that have been modified in the last week
4. All files that have been modified today
When a Windows-based application attempts to access memory another program is using, what is the error that will be generated?
1. Windows protection error
2. General protection fault
3. Illegal operation
4. System lock-up
You are sending print jobs to the printer, but nothing is printing. The printer is connected properly and online. What should you do?
1. Delete and reinstall the printer.
2. Delete and reinstall Windows.
3. Open Printer Troubleshooting and have it diagnose the problem.
4. Stop and restart the print spooler.
Which of the following topologies allows for network expansion with the least amount of disruption for the current network users?
1. Star
2. Bus
3. Ring
4. Mesh
Which layer of the OSI model has the important role of providing error checking?
1. Session layer
2. Presentation layer
3. Application layer
4. Transport layer
Which authentication protocol depends on a "secret" known only to the authenticator and that peer?
1. PAP
2. SLIP
3. CHAP
4. PPP
Which wireless protocol is an improvement on WEP?
1. WAP
2. WPA
3. PAW
4. PWA
Which of the following computer components can retain a lethal electrical charge even after the device is unplugged? (Choose all that apply.)
1. Monitor
2. Processor
3. Power supply
4. RAM
Roughly how much time spent communicating should be devoted to listening?
1. 23 percent
2. 40 percent
3. 50 percent
4. 80 percent
After SATA was introduced, what was the retroactive term used for the original ATA specification?
1. EIDE
2. IDE
3. PATA
4. SCSI
When retrieving small metallic parts dropped onto a motherboard, which of the following is the best tool to use?
1. An extension magnet
2. A magnetic screwdriver
3. Gravity
4. A parts grabber
What type of connector does a Mini PCI type IIB card have?
1. 52-pin card edge
2. 100-pin card edge
3. 124-pin card edge
4. 1440 pin card edge
Which LCD component is responsible for providing the right kind of power to the backlight?
1. HVPS
2. Inverter
3. Power supply
4. Power converter
Your laser printer has recently started printing vertical white lines on documents it prints. What is the most likely cause of the problem?
1. The print driver is faulty.
2. The fuser is not heating properly.
3. There is toner on the transfer corona wire.
4. There is a scratch on the EP drum.
After upgrading to a new printer, you find that the text is coming out garbled and not readable. Which of the following might you suspect?
1. Corrupt data input
2. Incorrect print drivers
3. Wrong DMA channel
4. Unsupported printer
Which command-line utility enables you to verify entries on a DNS server?
1. NET
2. NSLOOKUP
3. PING
4. NETHELP
You are at a command prompt. A file called WORD1.DOC has been hidden by another user, and you want to unhide it. Which command should you use to accomplish this?
1. ATTRIB +H WORD1.DOC
2. ATTRIB -H WORD1.DOC
3. ATTRIB -U WORD1.DOC
4. ATTRIB +U WORD1.DOC
Which of the following Safe Mode options appears only with Windows Vista?
1. Directory Services Restore Mode
2. Repair Mode
3. Repair Your Computer
4. Enable Boot Logging
When you configure a task in Task Scheduler, a trigger must occur before the task is executed. An additional _____ can be configured that, along with the trigger, will determine if the task will run.
1. Action
2. Condition
3. Charge
4. Duty
Which of the following is a company that provides direct access to the Internet for home and business computer users?
1. ASP
2. ISP
3. DNS
4. DNP
Which of the following protocols can be used by a client to access email on a server?
1. DNS
2. FTP
3. SMTP
4. IMAP
What process involves making an application more difficult for unauthorized individuals to access, exploit, and so on?
1. Application hardening
2. Bulletproofing
3. Pharprotecting
4. EAL'ing
Which group should you make your mobile users a member of if they need to be able to install, delete, and modify their environment?
1. Administrators
2. Power Users
3. Guests
4. Travelers

APIPA Automatic Private Internet Protocol Addressing

2011-04-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

APIPA (Automatic Private Internet Protocol Addressing) is alternatively known as zero configuration networking or address autoconfiguration.
It is a TCP/IP standard designed by Microsoft as substitute to DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol).

It is used to automatically configure IP-based hosts when a DHCP Server is unavailable.
APIPA is a useful solution for computer connected to a small local network (LAN) where all devices are connected on a single physical link.

Computers that have been configured by APIPA have an IP address that is in the 169.254.0.0 range and have a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0.
IETF's formal standard for APIPA functionality is RFC 3927 (Dynamic Configuration of IPv4 Link-Local Addresses.
APIPA is useful in cases where there is no DHCP server and and there is either no previous IP address or the IP address's lease has expired.

A Windows computer will retain the previous IP address as long as the default gateway replies, but if not, will automatically configure itself a new one.
A discover message is sent every 3 minutes in an attempt to re-establish communications with the DHCP server.

AMR Audio Modem Riser

2011-03-24T20:54:00.000-07:00

AMR is a riser expansion slot designed by Intel in 1998
Contains two rows of 23 pins each, for a total of 46 pins
Useful for motherboards without analog I/O functions
Used on Pentium III and IV motherboards
Advantages

Moves analog I/O function from motherboards to a riser card
Allowed motherboards to be manufactured faster
Reduces the cost of producing motherboards by incorporating audio and modem functionality on a single chip
Frees up expansion slots for other peripherals

Disadvantages:

does not support plug and play
uses a PCI slot
allows software-based cards but not hardware accelerated cards

Replaced by CNR Communication and Network Riser
For more information about riser technologies read http://www.hagmaier.net/previous_repair_webpages/riser.htm

AMD Advanced Micro Devices

2011-03-11T13:19:00.000-08:00

AMD and Intel are the two dominant manufacturers of CPUs in the world.
Since a 1995 lawsuit with Intel, motherboards have been made specifically to be used with either AMD chips or Intel ones.
AMD CPUs are not not pin-compatible with Intel CPUs.

AMD Desktop Processors from Athlon through Phenom II

Processor	Code Names	Clock Speed Range	FSB Speed	Processor Socket or Slot	L2 Cache Sizes	Based On
Athlon	K7, K75, Thunderbird	500MHz–1.4GHz	200–266MHz	Slot A, Socket A (aka Socket 462)	256–512KB	—
Athlon XP	Palomino, Thoroughbred, Thorton	1.333–2.2GHz	266–400MHz	Socket A	256–512KB	—
Duron	Spitfire, Morgan, Applebred, Appaloosa	550MHz–1.8GHz	200–266MHz	Socket A	64KB	Athlon Socket A
Sempron	Thorton, Barton	1.5–2.2GHz	166–200MHz	Socket A	256KB (Thorton), 512KB (Barton)	Athlon XP
Sempron	Paris, Palermo	1.4–2.0GHz	800MHz–1GHz	Socket 754	128–256KB	Athlon 64 (Socket 754 versions)
Athlon 64	ClawHammer, Newcastle, San Diego, Venice, Orleans	1–2.6GHz	800MHz–1GHz	Socket 754, Socket 939, Socket 940, Socket AM2	512KB–1MB	—
Sempron	Palermo	1.8–2.0GHz	800MHz	Socket 939	128KB–256KB	Athlon 64
Athlon 64 FX	See Athlon 64 code names; also Windsor	2.2–2.8GHz	800MHz–1GHz	Socket 939, Socket 940	1MB	Athlon 64
Sempron	Manila, Sparta	1.6–2.3GHz	800MHz	Socket AM2	128-256-512KB	Athlon 64
Athlon 64 X2	Manchester, Toledo, Windsor, Brisbane	1.9–3.2GHz	1GHz	Socket 939 (Manchester, Toledo), Socket AM2 (Windsor, Brisbane)	256KBx2; 512KBx2; 1MBx2	Dual-core version of Athlon 64
Athlon 64 FX	Toledo, Windsor	2.0–3.2GHz	1GHz	Socket 939 (Toledo), Socket AM2 (Brisbane)	1MBx2	Dual-core version of Athlon 64 FX
Phenom X4	Agena	1.8–2.6 GHz	1.6-2GHz	Socket AM2	512KBx4 + 2MB L3	K10 microarchitecture
Phenom X3	Toliman	2.1–2.5GHz	1.6-1.8GHz	Socket AM2	512KBx3 + 2MB L3	K10 microarchitecture
Phenom X2	Kuma	2.3–2.8GHz	1.8GHz	Socket AM2+	512KBx2 + 2MB L3	K10 microarchitecture
Athlon X2	Kuma	2.3–2.8GHz	1.8GHz	Socket AM2+	512KBx2 + 2MB L3	Phenom X2
Phenom II X2	Callisto	2.8–3.3GHz	2GHz, 2.2GHz	Socket AM3	512KBx2 + 6MB L3	Deneb with two cores disabled
Phenom II X3	Heka	2.4–3.2GHz	2GHz	Socket AM3	512KBx3 +6MB L3	Deneb with one core disabled
Phenom II X4	Deneb	2.5–3.5GHz	1.8GHz, 2GHz	Socket AM2+, AM3	512KBx4 + 4MB or 6MB L3	DDR3 memory supported on Socket AM3 only
Phenom II X6	Thuban	2.7–3.2GHz	2GHz	Socket AM3	512KBx6 +6MB L3	Includes Turbo Core overclock support
Athlon II	Regor	1.8–2.0GHz	1.8GHz	Socket AM3	1MB	Single-core version of Regor (X2)
Athlon II	Regor (X2)	1.6–3.3GHz	2GHz	Socket AM3	512KBx2 or 1024KBx2	Phenom II without L3 cache
Athlon II	Rana (X3)	2.2–3.2GHz	2GHz	Socket AM3	512KBx3	Phenom II without L3 cache
Athlon II	Propus (X4)	2.2–3.1GHz	2GHz	Socket AM3	512KBx4	Phenom II without L3 cache
The processor code names and performance in this table are effective as of mid 2010.

ADSL Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line

2011-02-24T21:42:00.000-08:00

is a broadband technology

requires a multiplex line
is faster than ISDN, but slower than Ethernet

is a type of Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)

is the most popular in home use; SDSL is second
is less expensive than SDSL

allows more data to be sent over preexisting copper telephone lines

uses a different frequency than voice communications

uses a major part of its bandwidth for receiving data

supports faster download speeds than upload speeds

upload speeds range between 64 Kbps and 1 Mbps
download speeds up to 9 Mbps, but usually between 4 and 8 Mbps

is ideal for viewing Web pages and downloading files
maximum distance is 10,000 ft

ACPI Advanced Configuration and Power Interface

2011-02-24T19:17:00.000-08:00

ACPI is an OS-based power management standard that replace the BIOS-based APM (Advanced Power Management).

ACPI allows the operating system rather than the BIOS to control power management tasks and to configure the hardware configuration platform.

It is open-standard and platform-independent.
ACPI was developed and released by Intel, Microsoft, and Toshiba in December of 1996.
It supports hot-swappable devices and controls power modes.
There are four requirements for ACPI to function:

System Management Mode (SMM) capable CPU
APM compliant BIOS
Energy Star devices that can be shut off when not in use
An operating system that will shut off devices

ACPI is capable of handling all five of the APM power usage levels plus a few more:

Full On

All components are running at full power.
The OS is not running in a power saving mode.

APM Enabled

The CPU and RAM are running at full power.
Power management is turned on.
The CPU clock can be slowed down or turned off as needed.
When not in use, devices can be powered down.

APM Standby

The CPU and all peripherals are shut down.
The RAM stores the current configuration settings.
Recovery is quick.
This is short term power savings.

APM Suspend

The system using minimum power.
Most devices are turned off.
The CPU clock is stopped.
The configuration settings are saved to disk.
Recover time is slow.
This is long term power savings.

The PC is powered down.
Configuration settings are not saved.

Four ACPI Global States:

G0: normal, working, active state
G1: Sleeping

Four Submodes

S1: Sleep (Low Power) Mode

S1 uses the most power of the S states.
The CPU clock is stopped.
Ram is continually refreshed.
There is a 2 second latency before a return to the G0 state.

The CPU and its caches are turned off.
This state is not usually used.

S3 is also known as Sleep, Standby, Suspend to RAM, or Instantly Available PC.
Only the RAM has power.
If there is a power failure, all user data is lost.
There is a 5-6 second latency.

This is also known as Hibernation or Suspend to Disk.
Everything but real-time mode (RTM) is turned off.
Main memory is saved to disk.
There is very low power consumption.

This is the same as G2 Soft Off.
A reboot is required.

G2: Soft Off

A reboot is required to restart the computer.

G3: Power Off, Mechanical Off, or Hardware Off

There is zero power consumption.
The main power switch is turned off.
It is when the PC is in this state that a tech can safely dissemble the computer.

Four ACPI Processor States:

CO: normal operational state
C1: Halt

This is the powered-down state.
This state has the least latency time.

C2: Stop-Clock
C3: Sleep

The PC is powered down and unresponsive.

Four ACPI Device States:

D0: fully on

This state consumes the most power.

intermediate power state
varies by device

intermediate power state
varies by device

D3: off

The PC is powered down and unresponsive.
This devices state consumes the least power and has the longest restoration time.

Performance States

maximum power consumption, frequency, and performance

limited power and performance

N is a number between 1 and 16.

ACL Access Control List

2011-02-11T17:44:00.000-08:00

NTFS security method that defines permissions for individual files and folders, network access, and local users and groups

Decides which traffic is allowed through the firewall and which is blocked

each record in a ACL is an ACE access control entry

Port assignment is how ACL rules are configured

Port forwarding occurs when the ACL passes a packet through the firewall.

use when using a web service that needs to be available to users outside your network

an example would be a server behind a NAT router

Port triggering is an automated and dynamic form of port forwarding that specifies which port will be used while outbound ports are in use

allows PCs behind a NAT-enabled router to provide services which would usually require a static IP address
more secure than port forwarding, but more unstable
only one user in a network can access a particular service using a specific incoming port
the software manufacturer must have provided specific port triggering settings for programs
different port numbers must be used for port forwarding and port triggering
the PC must make an outgoing connection before a server behind a NAT router can receive incoming ones making this configuration unsuitable
commonly used when playing multiple-player games

AC Alternating Current

2011-02-07T14:50:00.000-08:00

Alternating Current is electrical current that reverses the direction in which it is flowing at regular intervals and changes amplitude constantly.

This is the type of current supplied by the electric company.

In the United States, outlets supply between 110 and 120 VAC at 60 Hz.

The rest of the world uses between 220 and 240 VAC at 50 Hz.

Most computer components, however, require direct current (DC).

The Power Supply converts AC into usable 12, 5, or 3.3 VDC.

The IEC 320 connector on the back of the power supply connects to the electrical outlet.

The AC Adapter supplies a laptop with power by converting AC into DC and recharging the battery.

The AC outlet can be tested using a receptacle tester, which ensures the outlet is correctly wired, or a multimeter, which gives a numerical reading.

CompTIA A+ Acronyms

2011-02-03T16:25:00.000-08:00

AC alternating current

ACL access control list

ACPI advanced configuration and power interface

ACT activity

ADSL asymmetrical digital subscriber line

AMD advanced micro devices

AMR audio modem riser

APIPA automatic private internet protocol addressing

APM advanced power management

ARP address resolution protocol

ASR automated system recovery

AT advanced technology

ATA advanced technology attachment

ATAPI advanced technology attachment packet interface

ATM asynchronous transfer mode

ATX advanced technology extended

BIOS basic input/output system

BNC Bayonet-Neill-Concelman or British navel connector

BRI basic rate interface

BTX balanced technology extended

CD compact disc

CD-ROM compact disc-read-only memory

CD-RW compact disc-rewritable

CDFS compact disc file system

CFS Central File System, Common File System, Command File System

CGA color/graphics adapter

CMOS complementary metal-oxide semiconductor

COMx communication port (x=port number)

CPU central processing unit

CRIMM continuity-rambus inline memory module

CRT cathode-ray tube

DAC discretionary access control

DB-25 serial communications D-shell connector, 25 pins

DB-9 9 pin D shell connector

DC direct current

DDOS distributed denial of service

DDR double data-rate

DDR RAM double data-rate random access memory

DDR SDRAM double data-rate symmetric dynamic random access memory

DFS distributed file system

DHCP dynamic host configuration protocol

DIMM dual inline memory module

DIN Deutsche Industrie Norm

DIP dual inline package

DLP digital light processing

DMA direct memory access

DMZ demilitarized zone

DNS domain name service or domain name server

DOS disk operating system

DPMS display power management signaling

DRAM dynamic random access memory

DSL digital subscriber line

DVD digital video disc

DVD-RAM digital versatile disc-random access memory

DVD-ROM digital video disc-read only memory

DVD-R digital video disc-recordable

DVD-RW digital video disc-rewritable

DVI digital visual interface

ECC error correction code

ECP extended capabilities port

EDO SDRAM extended data out symmetric dynamic random access memory

EEPROM electrically erasable programmable read-only memory

EFS encrypting file system

EGA enhanced graphics adapter

EIDE enhanced integrated drive electronics

EISA extended industry standard architecture

EMI electromagnetic interference

EMP electromagnet pulse

ENET Ethernet EPP enhanced parallel port

EPROM erasable programmable read-only memory

EPP enhanced parallel port

ERD emergency repair disk

ESD electrostatic discharge

ESDI enhanced small device interface

EVGA extended video graphics adapter/array

EVDO evolution data optimized or evolution data only

FAT file allocation table

FAT12 12-bit file allocation table

FAT16 16-bit file allocation table

FAT32 32-bit file allocation table

FCC Federal Communications Commission

FDD floppy disk drive

FERPA Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

Fn Function (referring to the function key on a laptop)

FPM fast page-mode

FPM SDRAM fast page-mode symmetric dynamic random access memory

FRU field replaceable unit

FSB Front Side Bus

FTP file transfer protocol

FQDN fully qualified domain name

Gb gigabit

GB gigabyte

GDI graphics device interface

GHz gigahertz

GUI graphical user interface

GPS global positioning system

GRPS general radio packet system

GSM global system manager or graphic size modification or graphics screen manager

HAL hardware abstraction layer

HCL hardware compatibility list

HDD hard disk drive

HDMi high definition media interface

HPFS high performance file system

HTML hypertext markup language

HTTP hypertext transfer protocol

HTTPS hypertext transfer protocol over secure sockets layer

I/O input/output

ICMP internet control message protocol

ICR intelligent character recognition

ICS internet connection sharing

IDE integrated drive electronics

IDS Intrusion Detection System

IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

IIS internet information server

IMAP internet mail access protocol

IP internet protocol

IPCONFIG internet protocol configuration

IPP internet printing protocol

IPSEC internet protocol security

IPX internetwork packet exchange

IPX/SPX internetwork packet exchange/sequenced packet exchange

IR infrared

IrDA Infrared Data Association

IRQ interrupt request

ISA industry standard architecture

ISDN integrated services digital network

ISO Industry Standards Organization

ISP internet service provider

JBOD just a bunch of disks

Kb kilobit

KB kilobyte

LAN local area network

LAT local area transport

LBA logical block addressing

LC Lucent connector

LCD liquid crystal display

LDAP lightweight directory access protocol

LED light emitting diode

Li-on lithium-ion

LPD/LPR line printer daemon / line printer route

LPT line printer terminal

LPT1 line printer terminal 1

LPX low profile extended

LVD low voltage differential

MAC media access control / mandatory access control

MAN metropolitan area network

MAPI messaging application programming interface

MAU media access unit, media attachment unit

Mb megabit

MB megabyte

MBR master boot record

MBSA Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer

MCA micro channel architecture

MFD multi-function device

MFP multi-function production

MHz megahertz

MicroDIMM micro dual inline memory module

MIDI musical instrument digital interface

MIME multipurpose internet mail extension

MLI multiple link interface

MMC Microsoft management console

MMX multimedia extensions

MP3 Moving Picture Experts Group Layer 3 Audio

MP4 Moving Picture Experts Group Layer 4

MPEG Moving Picture Experts Group

MSCONFIG Microsoft configuration

MSDS material safety data sheet

MUI multilingual user interface

NAC network access control

NAS network-attached storage

NAT network address translation

NetBIOS networked basic input/output system

NetBEUI networked basic input/output system extended user interface

NFS network file system

NIC network interface card

NiCd nickel cadmium

NiMH nickel metal hydride

NLI not logged in or natural language interface

NLX new low-profile extended

NNTP network news transfer protocol

NTFS new technology file system

NTLDR new technology loader

NTP Network Time Protocol

OCR optical character recognition

OEM original equipment manufacturer

OS operating system

OSR original equipment manufacturer service release

PAN personal area network

PATA parallel advanced technology attachment

PC personal computer

PCI peripheral component interconnect

PCIe peripheral component interconnect express

PCIX peripheral component interconnect extended

PCL printer control language

PCMCIA Personal Computer Memory Card International Association

PDA personal digital assistant

PGA pin grid array

PGA2 pin grid array 2 PIN personal identification number

PIN personal identification number

PKI public key infrastructure

PnP plug and play

POP post office protocol

POP3 post office protocol 3

POST power-on self test

POTS plain old telephone service

PPP point-to-point protocol

PPTP point-to-point tunneling protocol

PRI primary rate interface

PROM programmable read-only memory

PS/2 personal system/2 connector

PSTN public switched telephone network

PSU power supply unit

PVC permanent virtual circuit

QoS quality of service

RAID redundant array of independent discs

RAM random access memory

RAMBUS trademarked term

RAS remote access service

RDRAM RAMBUS® dynamic random access memory

RDP Remote Desktop Protocol

RF radio frequency

RFI radio frequency interference

RGB red green blue

RIMM rambus inline memory module

RIP routing information protocol

RIS remote installation service

RISC reduced instruction set computer

RJ registered jack

RJ-11 registered jack function 11

RJ-45 registered jack-45

RMA returned materials authorization

ROM read only memory

RS-232 or RS-232C recommended standard 232

RTC real-time clock

SAN storage area network

SATA serial advanced technology attachment

SC subscription channel

SCP secure copy protection

SCSI small computer system interface

SCSI ID small computer system interface identifier

SD card secure digital card

SDRAM symmetric dynamic random access memory

SDSL symmetric digital subscriber line

SEC single edge connector

SECC single edge contact cartridge

SFC system file checker

SGRAM synchronous graphics random access memory

SIMM single inline memory module

SLI scalable link interface or system level integration or scanline interleave mode

S.M.A.R.T. self monitoring, analysis, and reporting technology

SMB server message block

SMTP simple mail transport protocol

SNMP simple network management protocol

SoDIMM small outline dual inline memory module

SOHO small office/home office

SP service pack

SP1 service pack 1

SP2 service pack 2

SP3 service pack 3

SP4 service pack 4

SPDIF Sony-Philips digital interface format

SPGA staggered pin grid array

SPX sequenced package exchange

SRAM static random access memory

SSH secure shell

SSID service set identifier

SSL secure sockets layer

ST straight tip

STP shielded twisted pair

SVGA super video graphics array

SXGA super extended graphic array

TB terabyte

TCP transmission control protocol

TCP/IP transmission control protocol/internet protocol

TDR time domain reflectometer

TFTP trivial file transfer protocol

TPM trusted platform module

UAC user account control

UART universal asynchronous receiver transmitter

UDF user defined functions or universal disk format or universal data format

UDMA ultra direct memory access

UDP user datagram protocol

UNC universal naming convention

UFS universal file system

UPS uninterruptible power supply

URL uniform resource locator

USB universal serial bus

USMT user state migration tool

UTP unshielded twisted pair

UXGA ultra extended graphics array

VESA Video Electronics Standards Association

VFAT virtual file allocation table

VGA video graphics array

VoIP voice over internet protocol

VPN virtual private network

VRAM video random access memory

WAN wide area network

WAP wireless application protocol

WEP wired equivalent privacy

WIFI wireless fidelity

WINS windows internet name service

WLAN wireless local area network

WPA wireless protected access

WUXGA wide ultra extended graphics array

XGA extended graphics array

XPR is an AIX command line utility

ZIF zero-insertion-force

ZIP zigzag inline package