Summary:
Drowning in the “alphabet soup” of tech jargon? This guide cuts through the confusion, breaking down key terms and essentials to help you choose the best options for your business with confidence.
Let’s face it: technology acronyms and terms are like an untended garden full of weeds. You turn your head for a second, and a new term appears that has you scratching your head. We spend more time scouring the internet, researching what these things are, than we do on finding the right solutions to our most pressing business challenges.
Unfortunately, most providers talk like . . . well, tech companies, throwing around terms like “bandwidth,” “latency” and “uptime.” Us included! Before long, you have 15 different browser tabs open, furiously Googling all these new terms and trying to figure out what these providers actually offer. Clearly, I am speaking from experience.
If you’ve been there before, you’re in the right place now. We know all our industry jargon isn’t exactly common knowledge, so we’ve put together this guide that breaks down the essentials, so you can make the best network choices for your business—without needing an IT degree.
1. Bandwidth
What It Is: This should be an easy one since it’s part of our regular vocabulary, and it means pretty much the same thing when you’re speaking about it from a network perspective. Bandwidth refers to how much data your network can handle at once. Think of it as the width of your network “highway.” The more bandwidth, the more “lanes” there are for data to travel in.
Why It Matters: Bandwidth is important if you’re running a lot of devices or applications simultaneously. High bandwidth means smoother, faster service with fewer hiccups—keeping employees and customers happy.
2. Uptime
What It Is: Uptime is simply the amount of time your network is up and running without issues. It’s usually expressed as a percentage (like 99.9%), showing how reliable your service provider is.
Why It Matters: Every minute your network is down can mean lost revenue, frustrated customers and stalled productivity. High uptime means you can trust your internet service to work when you need it.
3. Backup connection
What It Is: A backup connection is an alternative internet source that kicks in if your main connection fails. Think of it like an automatic generator, but for your internet instead of your electricity.
Why It Matters: When your primary internet goes down, a backup connection helps you stay connected. No downtime means no lost business or reduced productivity due to bad weather and outages.
4. Download speed
What It Is: This one also may be familiar. Download speed is how quickly data from the internet gets to your devices. It’s usually measured in megabits per second (Mbps).
Why It Matters: Faster download speeds mean you can access files, stream or load websites more quickly. This is especially helpful if you’re constantly downloading large files or using video conferencing.
5. Fiber
What It Is: Fiber is the modern standard for internet connections. Fiber internet uses fiber-optic cables, which transmit data as light rather than electrical signals. It’s faster and more reliable than traditional copper-based connections. Fiber also delivers synchronous upload and download speeds to ensure high-performance for real-time applications.
Why It Matters: Fiber can drastically improve your business’s internet speed, keeping things smooth during high-demand times (think multiple connected devices, video conferencing and a demanding point-of-sale system). If your business relies heavily on the internet, fiber can save you from those dreaded slowdowns.
6. Latency
What It Is: Latency is the time it takes for data to travel between two points on a network, like the delay between clicking a link and the page starting to load.
Why It Matters: High latency means there’s a lag in communication, which can be frustrating in real-time activities like video calls or online customer interactions. Low latency makes everything feel quicker and more responsive.
7. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
What It Is: VoIP is basically phone service over the internet. Instead of a traditional landline, calls are made via an internet connection.
Why It Matters: VoIP often costs less and provides more flexibility than regular phone lines, which is perfect for businesses on a budget or those with remote teams. Plus, you get access to a lot of convenient extra features, like call forwarding and voicemail-to-email. VoIP runs over existing internet connections, eliminating the need for expensive voice-only access lines.
8. Ethernet
What It Is: Ethernet is the wired connection you can use to link devices directly to the internet, usually through a router. It’s often more stable than WiFi, but it does mean that your devices have to stay plugged in to the connection to access the internet. In other words, your laptop will be tied to your desk.
Why It Matters: Ethernet provides a reliable, fast, and secure connection. If your business relies on heavy internet use, Ethernet can prevent slowdowns and help you maintain a strong connection.
9. Encryption
What It Is: Encryption is a way of scrambling data so only authorized people or devices can make sense of it. Those authorized devices generally read the data using “keys”—special codes known only to the sending and receiving devices that allow them to lock and unlock the information.
Why It Matters: Encryption is essential for protecting sensitive information, like customer data or payment details, from hackers. It ensures that even if someone intercepts the data, they can’t read it. For small businesses, encryption adds an extra layer of security, building customer trust and helping you comply with data protection standards.
10. VPN (virtual private network)
What It Is: A VPN creates a secure “tunnel” for your data, encrypting it as it moves between your device and the internet. It’s especially useful for remote work since employees can log into the VPN from any location.
Why It Matters: A VPN protects sensitive information, so even if you’re working from a coffee shop using unsecure WiFi, your data stays secure. It’s a great first step to ensure you can safely handle customers’ financial information or other confidential data. That being said, there are newer, more advanced technologies like ZTNA (Zero Trust Network Access) that provide a modern solution for even greater security and performance.
11. Firewall
What It Is: A firewall is like a security guard for your network. It controls what traffic is allowed in and out, blocking unauthorized access.
Why It Matters: Firewalls protect your business from cyberthreats and prevent hackers from accessing your network and sensitive information. Think of it as your first line of defense against data breaches.
12. IP address
What It Is: An IP address is like a digital mailing address for each device on a network, helping route data to the right place.
Why It Matters: Knowing IP addresses can help you manage your devices and keep your network secure. It’s especially useful if you have many devices on your network and need to track usage or troubleshoot issues.
13. Scalability
What It Is: Scalability is your network’s ability to grow (or shrink) easily to fit your changing business needs.
Why It Matters: If you’re planning to expand your business, high scalability means your network can grow with you without needing a major overhaul. For example, fiber internet is highly scalable because you don’t need to run any new lines or add more devices to increase your speed or bandwidth. All you have to do is move to a higher tier plan.
Now you know the terms—next, get the support
Whether you’re upgrading your internet or trying to build a secure network for your business, it’s easy to get lost and overwhelmed by all the unfamiliar terms. But understanding what each one means will help you make more informed decisions that support growth and set your business up for long-term success.
And while you’re exploring all your options, take a look at what we have to offer. We have a whole suite of solutions designed to meet the needs of small businesses—at a cost-effective price point. Plus, we have incredible bundles available—with offers like “6 months free” so you can try solutions with confidence. We’ll partner with you to help you determine which solutions are right for your business, then deliver seamless setup and installation with ongoing support available any time you need it.
