Summary

18 megabitmegabitbits).1,048,576 bits (approximately 1 millionmegabits per second (Mbps) A common measurementof the amount of data that is transferred over aconnection in one second. A data transfer rate of 1Mbps is a rate of approximately 1 million bits or1000 kilobits per second.megabyte (MB)1 million bytes).1,048,576 bytes (or approximatelymesh grip A tool attached to the end of a cable tohelp pull cable.mesh topology A method of connecting users thatprovides alternative paths for data. If one path is severedor unusable, the data can take an alternativepath to its destination.microphoneAn audio input device.microphone jack A socket used to connect amicrophone used for audio input.microwave An electromagnetic wave that rangesfrom 1 to 30 GHz. Microwave-based networks are anevolving technology gaining popularity because oftheir high bandwidth and relatively low cost.mobile processor A CPU that is optimized to useless power, allowing laptop batteries to last longer.modem port An RJ-11 jack that connects a computerto a standard telephone line. The modem portcan be used to connect the computer to the Internet,to send and receive fax documents, and to answerincoming calls.modulator/demodulator (modem) A device thatconverts digital computer signals into a format that issent and received over an analog telephone line.Molex power connector A four-wire computerpower connector used to connect many devices, suchas optical drives and hard drives.monitor A display device that works with theinstalled video card to present output from a computer.The clarity of a CRT monitor is based on videobandwidth, dot pitch, refresh rate, and convergence.motherboard The main printed circuit board.Connects all the computer’s components, such as theCPU, BIOS, memory, mass storage interfaces, serialand parallel ports, expansion slots, and controllersrequired for standard peripheral devices.mouse port A PS/2 socket that is used to attach anexternal mouse.MSCONFIG A Windows utility designed to aid introubleshooting the operating system. Allows theuser to edit start-up applications and access theBOOT.INI, SYSTEM.INI, and WIN.INI files.multimeter A troubleshooting tool that measureselectrical voltage, resistance, and current.multimode Optical fiber that has a thicker corethan single-mode. It is easier to make, can use simplerlight sources (such as LEDs), and works wellover short distances. This type of fiber allows lightwaves to be dispersed into many paths as they travelthrough the fiber.multiprocessingor more CPUs.To enable programs to share twoMultipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME)A standard that extends the e-mail format to includetext in ASCII standard format, as well as other formats,such as pictures and word processor documents.Normally used in conjunction with SMTP.multitasksame time.To run two or more applications at the