Online Glossary

IP Number

A unique number consisting of 4 parts (octets) separated by periods. This number is used as the address of a computer in a TCP/IP network. For example:

128.242.242.2

Every machine that is on the Internet has a unique IP number. Because these numbers are difficult to remember, machines have a domain name instead. A Domain Name Server (DNS) will convert the name to the number for the computers to use.

ISDN

(Integrated Services Digital Network) -- High speed service that the phone companies provide to rural areas. ISDN comes in two flavors, BRI - Basic Rate Interface and PRI - Primary Rate Interface. BRI is the service offered to home users at 128Kbps.

IPP

Internet Presence Provider -- A gateway to the world wide web providing dedicated servers hosting information that makes up the internet. Commonly a storage utility for individual web sites.

ISP

Internet Service Provider: An institution that provides access to the Internet. The ISP will provide a bank of modems, a server and a backbone connection to the Internet.

Merchant

Business that agrees to accept credit cards and debit cards in exchange for goods or services. In Internet eCommerce, a merchant is any web site selling physical goods or digital content to consumers or businesses. When providing physical goods, a merchant, by law, can not charge a customer until the order has been physically shipped and must receive confirmation of shipment before a charge can be settled. With digital goods, where fulfillment is immediate, settlement may occur at time of purchase.

Merchant Account

Required financial agreement for a merchant to accept credit cards as payment for their goods and services. The merchant must generally submit an application to a banking institution (known as an "acquiring bank") in order to establish this account. Once the account is established, the merchant is issued a "Merchant ID" and a "Terminal ID". These ID numbers respectively serve to uniquely identify a merchant within the financial network and to uniquely identify different POS "terminals" within that merchant's environment. *this alone does not provide real time credit card authorization.*

Modem

MOdulator, DEModulator: Hardware device that connects a computer to a phone line, that allows the computer to talk with other computers through the phone system. A modem converts the digital packets (bits) from the computer to the tones that are sent over phone lines. Different tones represent the values of the bits.

NIC

Networked Information Center: Office that handles information for a network. The most recognized is the InterNIC, where new domain names are registered.

Plug-in

Netscape developed a standard so other software vendors could write programs that would interface with the web browser. These external programs support functions that the browser was not designed to handle. Sound and video use plug-ins to play.