Glossary of Telecom & Data Terms

1-800 Line: 
Service which automatically reverses calling charges so they are paid by the organization receiving the call rather than by the caller.

Auto Attendant:
Specialized automated system which answers incoming calls with a programmed greeting, then gives the caller a menu of choices for further distribution of the call. When the caller chooses from the menu, s/he is automatically transferred to the appropriate phone number or information greeting.

Auth (authentication) Code:
A code associated with a UW calling card that is dialed before making a long distance call. Use of an auth code ensures that the cost of the call is billed to the calling card instead of the phone.

Bridge:
The identifying number of a single-line telephone which shares an extension number with other single-line telephones.

Button:
Refers to any push-button appearing on a telephone set.

Call Forwarding:
A feature which allows the user to have his/her phone automatically roll to another phone on (or off) campus. This is achieved by pressing *71 (#71 to deactivate) on single line sets, or by using the forward key on multi-line sets.

Call Pickup Group (CPUG):
A group of phones able to answer each other's ringing phones when an access code is keyed in.

Call Transfer:
A feature which is used to send a call to someone else by pressing the transfer key and dialing the number.

Call Waiting:
A feature that allows the user to be notified by a tone if another call comes in while s/he is already on the phone.

Central Office (CO):
A telephone switching system operated by the public telephone company to which all residence telephones and business telephone systems within the local service area are connected.

Coaxial Connection:
A high speed, direct connection to the campus network. Coaxial connections can access the network (if an ethernet card is installed). ALSO: COAX, BNC.

Dial Pad:
The component located on the face of a telephone and containing 12 buttons used to dial telephone numbers.

Directory Number (DN): 
The terminology used for the Meridian SL-100 system to designate an extension number.

Ethernet Address:
A "serial number" unique to the ethernet card installed in a computer. ALSO: ETHERADDRESS, EA.

Ethernet Connection:
A high speed direct connection to the campus network and, through the campus network, to the Internet. An ethernet card,  installed in the local computer, is required to complete the connection to the network.

Extension: 
A telephone connected to the UW telephone system. Each extension has a unique 5 digit extension number, usually preceded by 6. A multi-line telephone may have several extension numbers.

Fast Busy: 
Two tones per second as opposed to a normal busy signal which is one tone per second. A fast busy tone is heard on off-campus phones when the on-campus number dialed is invalid or out of order.

Handset: 
The component of a telephone set which the user holds in his hand in order to speak and listen. The user speaks into the “transmitter” element and listens through the “receiver” element.

Handset Cord: 
The electrical cord connecting the “handset” to the base of the telephone.

Help Desk:
The call center used for reporting telephone and data problems: 766-4357. Open 8:00 to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Hub:
A programmable device in a building to which coax and 10base-T connections are attached. The hub is capable of recognizing which jacks ethernet addresses use to talk to the campus network.

Hunt Group: 
A group of phones that ring in a programmed sequence when a number that is already in use within that group is dialed.

Internet Protocol (IP):
A unique, numerical electronic address assigned to a computer or server connected to the network. Each IP consists of a series of twelve digits. For example, 129.072.999.998 is the address for the NEC. The 129.072. is the part of the address designating the University of Wyoming. The .999 designates a building on campus. The .998 designates a specific machine within the particular building. IPs are unique to each computer.

Jack (AKA: Ckid, Des, Len):
A type of electrical outlet, usually mounted on a wall, into which the “mounting” cord of a telephone set and/or computer is plugged.

Key: 
Generally refers to a button on a telephone set which is used to access an extension or feature.

Key System: 
A very small switching system which uses multi-line telephones to provide a “pool” of lines for incoming and outgoing calls.

Key Telephone: 
A telephone set with buttons that can select several incoming lines. Key telephones do not require a prime number as do single line non-key telephones.

LAN:
Stands for Local Area Network. Users may be referring to the entire campus network or an internal network.

Line: 
On most telephone systems, this generically equates to an “extension”. However, it actually refers to a physical connection to a telephone by a pair of wires. On the Meridian SL-100 system a “line” equates to a pair of wires connected to a telephone or other communications device on one end and to a specific line “port” at the switch end. The term “DN” is used to refer to individual extensions appearing on a telephone set.

Line Equipment Number (AKA: Len, Des, Ckid): 
A number that identifies the equipment's location within the private branch exchange. We use this to designate the jack number.

Mounting Cord: 
The cord connecting the phone to the telephone jack.

Network (data):
A generic term referring to a group of computers which are linked together by cables. Internal networks are groups of computers which can access only each other. The "campus network" refers to any computer which connects to any server (Wrangler, UWacadweb, etc.) in the UW computer network or the worldwide Internet system.

Network (telephone): 
Any of a variety of similar telephone switching systems connected together in such a manner as to allow “transparent” switching of telephone calls between any of the individual systems. The new campus telephone system is a network of individual PBXs which are Meridian SL-100 systems.

OPX (off premise extensions): 
A leased line (from US West in Univ. of Wyo's case) allowing telephones at locations beyond the University's boundaries to be treated as if they were in the same boundaries as the private branch exchange or our switch.

Phantom Directory Number:
An extra extension (DN) assigned to an SL-100 Electronic Set. “Phantoms” cannot be dialed from off campus.

Primary Directory Number (PDN): 
The primary “extension” number assigned to a telephone set connected to a Meridian SL-100 system. On an SL-100 Electronic Set, the PDN is always assigned to Key 0.

Print Server:
A device which connects several computers to one or more printers. A common brand of print servers is Castelle.

Private Branch Exchange (PBX): 
A smaller telephone switching system located on a customer's premises to handle switching of on-premises calls and provide a connection to the telephone company's Central Office switch. The Meridian SL-100 system is a form of “PBX”.

Regular Business Hours: 
For the purpose of these documents; 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday - Friday except holidays.

Ring Again: 
A telephone feature which notifies the caller when a dialed line is no longer busy.

Router:
A machine which acts as a "traffic director" between computers and servers.

Server:
One machine which allows others to access its resources. (Wrangler, UWadmnweb, etc.)

Set: 
A short form designating a telephone set. Also known as “phone”, “instrument”, “station”, etc.

Switch: 
A short form designating any variety of telephone switching systems.

Telephone Number: 
Any number dialed in order to reach a specific telephone. Example: All telephones on the University of Wyoming campus will be accessible by dialing “766-XXXX” from off-campus or just “6-XXXX” from on-campus.

Ten Base-T Connection:
High speed direct connection. User must be less than 300 feet from the wiring closet. This type of connection is the most modern technology we carry and is preferred over coax because less maintenance is required. ALSO: 10BASE-T, TBT.

Transceiver:
A device which acts as an adapter between certain types of media (fiber, coax, 10base-T) and the data jack on the wall.

Trunk: 
A telecommunications line between telephone systems. Central Office Trunks (COT) and Direct In Dial (DID) trunks connect the US West System to the U.W. System. Tie trunks connect the 3 U.W. PBX systems. Trunks may be outgoing (COT), incoming (DID), or incoming and outgoing (TIE).