Over the years everything has become more technology focused, even the way we speak. We can’t speak for those of the newer generations who just can’t spell, but we can help you to understand some of the most commonly used acronyms in the technology world.
ACL Access control list
ARP Address Resolution Protocol
BGP Border Gateway Protocol (routing protocol)
BSS Basic service set (Wi-Fi)
CAT Category (e.g. CAT-5 cable)
CLI Command line interpreter
CRC Cyclical redundancy check
CRC-16-CCITT Cyclical redundancy check (X.25, HDLC)
DES Data Encryption Standard (obs. See AES)
DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
DNS Domain Name System
DRAM Dynamic random-access memory
DSL Digital Subscriber Line
DTE Data Terminal Equipment
EHA Ethernet Hardware Address (MAC address)
EIGRP Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol
EOF End Of Frame (HDLC, etc.)
ESS Extended service set (Wi-Fi group)
FCS Frame check sequence (Ethernet)
FDDI Fiber Distributed Data Interface
FTP File Transfer Protocol
GBIC Gigabit interface converter
Gbps Gigabit per second
HDLC High-level Data Link Control
http HyperText Transfer Protocol
https HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure
ICMP Internet Control Message Protocol
IDS Intrusion Detection System
IMAP Internet Message Access Protocol
IP Internet Protocol
IS-IS Intermediate System to Intermediate System (routing protocol)
ISDN Integrated Services Digital Network
ISP Internet service provider
LAN Local area network
LLC Logical link control
MAC Media access control
Mbps Megabits per second
MDF Main distribution frame
MIB Management information base (SNMP)
MPLS Multiprotocol Label Switching
NAC Network access control
NAT Network Address Translation
NIC Network Interface Card
NVRAM Non-volatile RAM
OSPF Open Shortest Path First (routing protocol)
OUI Organization Unique Identifier
PAP Password authentication protocol
PAT Port address translation
PC Personal computer (host)
PCM Pulse-code modulation
PDU Protocol data unit (such as segment, packet, frame, etc.)
POST Power-on self test
PPP Point-to-point Protocol
PPTP Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol
RAM Random Access Memory
RIP Routing Information Protocol
ROM Read-Only Memory
RTP Real-time Transport Protocol
SMTP Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
SNAP SubNet Access Protocol
SRAM Static random access memory
SSH Secure shell
SSID Service set identifier (Wi-Fi)
SYN (TCP) Synchronization
TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
VLAN Virtual local area network
VPN Virtual private network
WAN Wide-area network
WEP Wired Equivalent Privacy
Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi Alliance)
WPA Wi-Fi Protected Access
www World Wide Web