Sometimes it can seem like technical people are speaking a different language. Here's a handy guide to the lingo.

3G

Third generation of wireless mobile technology. This is available over the mobile phone network and commonly connected to with a T stick. The rule of thumb is that if your cellphone works, you will be able to get 3G.

4G

Fourth generation of mobile wireless technology. Also available over the cellular network but faster than 3G. This is being rolled out over NZ now.

ADSL

Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line – the original high speed broadband comes via your copper landline if you live close to the telephone exchange.

Antivirus

Antivirus or anti-virus software, sometimes known as anti-malware software, is computer software used to prevent, detect and remove malicious software that will affect your computer performance.  Modern antivirus software can protect from: malicious browser helper objects (BHOs), browser hijackers, ransomware, keyloggers, backdoors, rootkits, trojan horses, worms, malicious LSPs, dialers, fraudtools, adware and spyware.  Some products also include protection from other computer threats, such as infected and malicious URLs, spam, scam and phishing attacks, online identity (privacy), online banking attacks, social engineering techniques, advanced persistent threat (APT) and botnet DDoS attacks

Bandwidth

The amount of data transferred to and from a computer over the internet per second. The higher the bandwidth, the more data can be transferred per second.

Browser

A program that lets you view the internet. Common browsers are Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer, although there are others.

Download

Receiving a file from another computer over the internet.

GB

The amount of data a subscriber uses is measured in gigabytes (GB). The average household uses 130GB per month.  

ISP

Internet Service Provider – the company who supplies your internet. YrlessPlus is an ISP.

Mbps

Megabits per second – is a measure of the speed of your internet connection.

Satellite 0.5 – 2 Mbps

ADSL 1 – 6 Mbps

YrlessPlus WiFi up to 50 Mbps

RBI up to 70 Mbps

Fibre up to 100 Mbps

RBI

Rural Broadband Initiative. This is the NZ Government plan to roll out high speed broadband services to rural areas.

Screen Connect

A remote support programme that our technicians can use to quickly and securely access your computer to sort a problem which could otherwise cause a travel charge

Site Survey

A YrlessPlus staff member will visit your home to see if you can receive a signal from one of our transmitters. There must be “line of sight” to a transmitter.

Trojans

Trojans are the most common type of malware.– they rely on you to run them on your PC by mistake, or visit a hacked or malicious webpage.

UFB

Ultra Fast Broadband uses hollow glass fibres to deliver internet much more quickly than ADSL –  it uses light to deliver the messages.

UPS

Uninterruptible Power Supply smooths out the supply of power to electronic devices by removing the surges, spikes, and lows that can occur.

Upload

Sending a file to another computer.

VDSL

Very high speed Digital Subscriber Line – even faster speed broadband than ADSL (and so more expensive).

Virus

Computer viruses are small software programmes that are designed to spread from one computer to another and to interfere with computer operation.

VoIP

Voice Over Internet – a telephone system where the phone goes out of the house or business over the internet rather than through the phone wires. Allows people to talk “long distance” without long distance phone charges or landline phone rental charges.