Glossaries

• Frame Alignment Signal (FAS)
• A distinctive set of bits that demarcate the beginning of a frame. May also contain other bits for control.
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• Fault, Configuration, Accounting, Performance, and Security (FCAPS)
• Term used to define the major functions of a network management system (NMS). Accounting can also mean Administration in non-billed networks.
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• Federal Communications Commission - USA (FCC)
• United States government agency that supervises, controls, and licenses companies related to the telecommunications, networks, electromagnetic field, broadband, and media.
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• Facility Data Link (FDL)
• A 4Kbps channel provided by the Extended Super Frame (ESF). It is not part of the payload capacity. It allows a service provider to check error statistics on customer equipment without intruding on the channel.
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• Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM)
• Technique where information from multiple channels can be sent over one channels by using different frequencies. Comparable to time division multiplexing (TDM) and code division multiplexing (CDM).
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• Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA)
• In the protocol layer, allocates different frequencies to different channels. Similar to FDM but not exactly the same. Term often used in the context of wireless communications such as mobile and satellites.
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• Full Duplex
• A mobile wireless transmission type that allows communication in both ways at the same time. Can use adjacent channels (frequency division duplex) or adjacent timeslots (time division duplex).
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• Fast Ethernet (FE)
• Ethernet that transmits at 100 Mbits per second. Fast in comparison to original Ethernet at 10 Mbits/second. Also called 100BASE-T when transmitted over copper.
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• First In, First Out (FIFO)
• Also called "first come, first served" or a queue/line. The first data packet recieved is the first packet sent out.
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• Foreign Exchange Office (FXO)
• Any device that can interact with the plain-old telephone system (POTS) and generate the appropriate ring signals. Examples include analog telephones, fax machines, and modems.
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• Foreign Exchange Station (FXS)
• A telephone exchange that provides the ring, voltage, and dial tone to an foreign exchange office (FXO). Can be a public network or a private branch exchange (PBX).
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