| Commentary | Understanding computer network technologies can pay off in many ways, including being able to track down your computer if it's stolen. See the amusing example of this computer thief with no networking savvy who was caught recently by an owner familiar with the remote desktop support build into their Mac. Snapping their photo at the keyboard was a very nice touch, Ms. Duplaga.
→ See also - Top Remote Desktop Software Packages

| Definition | GPRS is so-called 2.5G technology, designed to provide faster data transfer speeds for mobile phones compared to older 2G cellular networks. GPRS runs at a fraction of the speed of residential broadband Internet services but is still widely used for some mobile applications, like SMS.
→ See also - About Cellular Internet Networking

Sony Ericsson P800 - GPRS Mobile Phone - Sean Gallup / Getty Images

| Commentary | Some people use the term Wi-Fi generically to mean any type of wireless network technology. For example, these Wi-Fi devices that warn doctors of heart attacks in the UK are in fact Bluetooth nodes. Our astute readers will know that's because Bluetooth requires much less power than Wi-Fi, but the idea is similar. By embedding wireless radios and sensors inside your body, you become a mobile network client capable of transmitting information about yourself to anyone in range.

Put that way, it sounds a bit frightening.

| Commentary | According to at least one blogger, it's "not cool at all" to buy an off-the-shelf Wi-Fi range extender but making your own just might be the new hotness. Using aluminum foil and a reflective shield aimed in the right direction, it's true you can increase the reach of some Wi-Fi network adapters cheaply.
→ More - DIY Wi-Fi Signal Booster, by joe
→ Off the Shelf - Cantenna Wireless Booster Antenna

| Reference | Peer to peer networks share responsibility for processing data among all of the connected devices. Peer to peer networking is common on small local area networks (LANs), particularly home networks. Also known simply as peer networking, this model differs from client-server networking in several respects.
→ More - Introduction to Peer-to-Peer Networks

| Definition | The WWW - World Wide Web is a set of technologies that enable Web browsing on the Internet. Web browsing and Web sites exploded in popularity during the mid-1990s. The WWW is just one of many applications of the Internet and computer networks.

| Commentary | [via Gizmodo] - Those of you who study management or work in a corporate environment have probably heard of the Pareto Principle. Simplified, this principle states that roughly 20% of a population (often, people) contribute 80% of an overall result. You can probably think of many examples where the Pareto Principle applies. Add Internet network bandwidth consumption to the list.

According to Om Malik (GigaOM), less than 20 percent (more like 10%) of users in fact generate about 80% of Internet traffic today. This has probably been true for a long time, no matter whether Web browsing, P2P systems or streaming video happen to be the traffic generator of the day. If you believe in Pareto, expect this pattern to continue.

| Reference | The term client-server refers to a popular model for computer networking that utilizes client and server devices each designed for specific purposes. The client-server model can be found on the Internet as well as local area networks (LANs). Examples of client-server systems on the Internet include Web browsers and Web servers, FTP clients and servers, and DNS.
→ More - Introduction to Client-Server Networks

| Reference | A USB port is a standard cable connection interface on personal computers and consumer electronics. USB ports allow stand-alone electronic devices to be connected via cables to a computer (or to each other). Both wired and wireless versions of the USB standard exist, although only the wired version involves USB ports and cables.
→ See also - About USB Networking

USB-B Port - Don Farrall / Getty Images