1.       Active X - ActiveX is a brand name referring to a set of Microsoft's technologies and services based on COM (Component Object Model) widely released in 1997.  On the Internet, ActiveX can be used with IE versions 3 and above and with Netscape Navigator though plug-ins.  ActiveX control is a COM object, written as a DLL in a programming language like Visual Basic that follows ActiveX standards.  Once downloaded, ActiveX controls have a large degree of freedom, presenting a security risk.  ActiveX controls have to be digitally signed by their creator.  Major competitor to ActiveX controls are JavaBeans.  Some hosts support ActiveX server components for ASP.

2.       Applet - Most often refers to a small Java program designed to run in a Web browser.  Java applets run in a sandbox, so they can't perform unauthorized functions like file reading or opening Net connections to other computer from your computer.

3.       ASP - Active Server Pages.  ASP is Microsoft's server-side scripting technology.  An Active Server Page has an .asp extension and it mixes HTML and scripting code that can be written in VBScript or JScript.  ASP is distributed with Microsoft's IIS web server, so most host using IIS will also offer ASP for dynamic web programming.  ASP.NET is the next version of ASP.  Other popular server-side scripting languages are Perl, PHP, ColdFusion, TCL, Python, and JSP.

4.       Bandwidth - Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transferred over the network in a fixed amount of time.  On the Net, it is usually expressed in bits per second (bps) or in higher units like Mbps (millions of bits per second).  28.8 modem can deliver 28,800 bps, a T1 line is about 1.5 Mbps.

5.       Browser - Computer program that allows searching the World Wide Web and displays the content of the web pages. Examples are Mosaic, Netscape, Mozilla, Opera and Internet Explorer.

6.       C/C++ - Popular programming languages (C++ includes objects) that can be used to create server programs that run after compilation.  C and C++ were not designed specifically for web programming, but they can still be useful, especially because mature compilers producing very fast code and large code libraries already exist.

7.       CSS – Cascading Style Sheets. A style-sheet determines how the HTML document is displayed by the browser. The current version of CSS is version 2 (CSS2).

8.       CGI - Common Gateway Interface.  A standard for interfacing web servers with an executable application.  A CGI program can be written in any language like Perl or C/C++ and it is often stored in a special directory like /cgi-bin.  CGI is often used to process data from HTML forms.

9.       Control Panel - Control panel included in web hosting packages is an online web-based application that allows you to easily manage different aspects of your account.  Most control panels will let you upload files, add email accounts, change contact information, set up shopping carts or databases, view usage statistics, etc.  

10.   Cookie - A Cookie is a piece of data that is saved in the user's browser by the web server. It is used to customize user's browsing experience.

11.   Data Transfer - In Web hosting, it is the the total size of files transferred by an account in a month.  Sites with a lots of graphics, downloads, or streaming audio or video and a lot of visitors will require plans with more available transfer.

12.   Database - Data in a structured format stored on a web server.  Most popular type is a relational database.  The most common query (information retrieval) language for relational databases is SQL.  Linux-based hosts most commonly include MySQL database and Windows NT-based hosts usually include Access or MS SQL databases.

13.   Dedicated server - Similar to co-location, except that you lease or rent hardware from a Web host.  The main advantage over co-location is easier upgrade and usually better support.  Getting a dedicated server or co-locating is necessary for sites that outgrow shared servers because they use a lot of bandwidth and resources or they require total control over software environment.

14.   DNS - Domain Name System.  Internet service that maps Internet domains into corresponding IP addresses.  DNS database is distributed and replicated among many DNS servers, so when you change your domain's IP address, the changes take a while to propagate.

15.   Domain name - Domain name is an easy-to-remember address that can be translated by DNS into server's IP address.  Domain names are hierarchical.  Domain's suffix indicates which TLD (top level domain) it belongs to, for example .com, .gov, .org, .net, or .jp.  Recently ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) added several new TLDs, like .biz, .pro., and .museum.

16.   Encryption - Encryption means encoding data using a cryptographic cipher. Encrypted data can be read (decrypted) only by an authorized entity.

17.   Ethernet - Local Area Network (LAN) protocol invented by Xerox Corporation. It is a broadcast protocol that uses CSMA/CD method and utilizes electrical cables. It can run at various speeds: 10Mbps, 100Mbps and even 1000Mbps. IEEE 802.3 standard describes Ethernet. Word Ethernet is also sometimes used to describe the implementation that runs at the speed of 10Mbps.

18.   Filtering - Screening network packets for certain properties, such as the source or destination address, protocol used or even a pattern in the data. It is used in firewalls in order to decide if the traffic is to be forwarded or rejected. Provides the basis for network security.

19.   Firewall - Firewall refers either to software-only or separate software and hardware combination that serves to protect an internal network or a computer from attacks and unauthorized access by sitting between the Internet and the internal network. 

20.   FTP - File Transfer Protocol.  The Internet protocol defining how to download and upload files between a client and an FTP server.  Popular client FTP programs are CuteFTP and WS_FTP.  Major browsers also have FTP capability.

21.   GUI – Graphical User Interface. A way of interacting with the computer that relies on graphical symbols. Most often requires a mouse. It is less powerful then the command-line interface, but is more user-friendly and is easier to learn for users without technical background.

22.   Hit - n the WWW world "hit" is used to describe a single request made by a web browser. The data transmitted by the web server in response to the request is a text file or a binary file (images, audio, video, executables and other data).

23.   Host - A networked computer dedicated to providing a certain kind of service. Usually refers to a computer that stores the website files and has a web server running on it.

24.   HTML - (Hypertext Markup Language). It is the language in which web pages are written. It allows the images to be combined with text and offers wide range of formatting capabilities. One of the most important features of HTML is hypertext that allows web pages to be liked one to each other.

25.   HTTP - Hyper Text Transfer Protocol.  The main protocol used to transfer and receive data over the World Wide Web.  The latest version of HTTP is 1.1.  Basic HTTP transaction involves a WWW browser connecting to a server, browser sending a request to the server specifying its capabilities and which document is requested, server responding with the required data, and closing of the connection.

26.   Hub - A hub is a network device that is used for connecting computers on a Local Area Network (LAN). It forwards all the packets it receives to all of its ports.

27.   Hyperlink - A part of the web page that links to another web page. By clicking on a hyperlink user redirects the browser to another page. The word hyperlink is sometimes shortened to just "link".

28.   Hypertext - A text on the web page that is linked to another webpage. Browsers usually display hypertext as underlined and in blue color.

29.   Internet - Not to be confused with internet (with lowercase i). The word Internet refers to all the computer networks worldwide that are connected together. TCP/IP is the de facto standard protocol set for Internet.

30.   IP address - Internet Protocol Address.  A unique number identifying all devices connected to the Internet.  This number is usually shown in groups of numbers from 0 to 255, separated by periods, for example  207.46.230.218.

31.   ISP - Internet Service Provider.  A company that provides its subscribers with Internet access.  Customers have a username and a password and can dial-up or use a cable or DSL line to connect to ISP's network which is connected to the Internet.  The biggest ISP is AOL.

32.   Java - Sun's popular programming language.  Java is a platform-independent (at least in theory), crash-protected, object-oriented language that can be used to write applets that run in a browser, servlets that run server-side, or independent programs.  Java's syntax is similar to that of C++.

33.   Java Script - Simple, client-side programming language created by Sun and Netscape.  JavaScript can be embedded in HTML pages to create interactive effects and do tasks like validate form data.  JavaScript is a separate language from Java.  All popular modern browsers support JavaScript.  A few hosts support server-side JavaScript.

34.   Mirror Site - An FTP site that stores the exact content of some other site. Mirroring is done in order to minimize the load on a particular server and also to increase reliability.

35.   Modem - MOdulator-DEModulator. A device used to transform digital data sent by a computer to analog format suitable for transmission over a telephone line. It also transforms analog signals back to the digital form. A modem is required for the dial up connection to the Internet.

36.   Network - A group of electronic devices connected together that are able to communicate with each other.

37.   Operating System - A software heart of the computer. It is a set of programs that manage the hardware resources of a computer, provide the environment for application programs to run and provide the user interface. Most known operating systems are: different flavors of Unix (SunOs, HP-UX, Irix, FreeBSD, Linux,...), MacOS and Windows.

38.   PAP - (Password Authentication Protocol). PAP is the authentication protocol used over PPP connections

39.   Perl - Open source CGI scripting programming language.  Written in 1987.  Still one of the most popular web programming languages mostly due to its powerful text-manipulation facilities.  A huge number of Perl scripts are available for download.

40.   PHP - PHP is an free, open-source server-side scripting language.  PHP code can be embedded in HTML.  PHP files usually have extensions like .php or .php3.  PHP language style is similar to C and Java. 

41.   Plug-in - An add-on piece of software that can extend the features of an existing application. For example Netscape browser plug-ins allows displaying of new types of web content that the browser can't display on its own.

42.   POP - Post Office Protocol.  Popular but inflexible email retrieval standard.  All messages are downloaded at the name time and can only be manipulated on a client machine.  Current version is POP3.

43.   Protocol - A set of rules by following which two parties can communicate. The TCP/IP protocol suite is the basis of today’s Internet.

44.   Router - A network device (can be a dedicated computer) that is used to connect two or more networks together and route packets between them.

45.   Scripting Language - A programming language in which programs are the series of commands that are interpreted and then executed one by one. Doesn't require the compilation phase, for the price of lower performance.

46.   Search Engine - An Internet service that stores a vast number of web pages and allows for fast searching among them. Also, a piece of software that implements a website search functionality.

47.   Shopping cart - Software that allows users to select products from a Web catalog, modify their choices, calculate prices, review their choices, and order them.  Many hosts with e-commerce plans offer installed shopping carts, but you can always get a shopping cart of your choice instead.

48.   SMTP - Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.  Very popular protocol used to transfer email messages across the Internet mail servers.

49.   SQL - Structured Query Language.  Limited programming language used for updating and performing queries on relational databases.  All databases share a common subset of SQL.  Most popular SQL databases available with hosting plans are MySQL and MS SQL.

50.   SSH - Secure Shell.  Developed by SSH Communications Security, it is a standard for encrypted terminal Internet connections.  SSH programs provide strong authentication and encrypted communications, replacing less secure access methods like telnet.

51.   SSI - Server-Side Includes.  Instructs the server to include some dynamic information in a Web page before it is sent to a client.  This dynamic information could be current date, an opinion poll, etc.  Many hosts require that SSI pages have .shtml extension to reduce the load on servers by not having to parse non-SSI pages.

52.   SSL - Secure Sockets Layer.  Protocol developed by Netscape to provide encryption for commercial transactions data that should be protected while traveling over the Internet, like credit card numbers.  SSL uses https protocol.  Before using SSL in commerce, you'll also need to get is a certificate from a Certificate Authority.

53.   Static (or dedicated) IP - If a host offers a static IP, it means that your site will be assigned a unique and unchanging IP address.  See the FAQ for some possible advantages of using a static IP.

54.   STP - Shielded Twisted Pair. Cabling consisting of pairs of insulated wires wrapped in metal to minimize interference.

55.   Streaming - Playing multimedia files (audio and video) without requiring a full download.  Audio and video are compressed but they still may require a lot of bandwidth.  Most popular streaming media formats are Real Audio/Video.

56.   Sub domain - Sub domain is a way to divide your site into sections with short and easy to remember names.  For example, a section of this site for new users could be at newbies.webhostingratings.com.  Other use of sub domains might be to let somebody else use your account (but this may not be allowed by your host's terms of use).  Large websites might make their sub domains point to another server to reduce load on the main www site.

57.   TCP - (Transmission Control Protocol) is the most important of the network protocols used in the Internet.

58.   TCP/IP - (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol). This protocol suite is the de facto standard for the today's Internet. TCP is a higher level protocol that runs on top of the IP protocol.

59.   URL - (Uniform Resource Locator) is a way of addressing used for world wide web. An URL consist of the type of service (protocol), then the host name and then the file on the host.

60.   Virus - A virus is a malicious program written to do as much harm as possible. Viruses can spread themselves over the network.

61.   W3C - World Wide Web Consortium. An international industry consortium that develops standards for the World Wide Web.

62.   Webmaster - A person responsible for the maintenance of a particular website.

63.   XML - Extensible Markup Language.  A meta-language, abbreviated version of SGML, used to specify other document types used on the Web.  Accepted as a format in 1998 to replace dependence on HTML extensions.  MSIE 5.5 and Netscape 6 both support XML.

64.   ZIP - A popular compression utility.

65.   ZMODEM - A file transfer protocol. It's the fastest of XMODEM and YMODEM and thus the most popular.