Wide Area Information Server

Distributed database protocol developed to search for information over a network. WAIS supports full-text databases, which allow an entire document to be searched for a match (as opposed to other technologies that only allow an index of key words to be searched).

Wide Area Network

A network which covers a larger geographical area than a single end user location, and in which telecommunications links are implemented, normally leased from service provider(s).

Wireless Application Protocol

Standard to enable mobile device users to view web pages easily. It is intended to simplify wireless access to e-mail and enable web transactions to be carried out.

Wideband Code Division Multiplex Access

One of two 3G standards that makes use of a wider spectrum than CDMA and therefore can transmit and receive information for faster and more efficiently. Co-developed by NTT DoCoMo, it is being backed by most European mobile operators and is expected to compete with cdma2000 to be the de facto 3G standard.

Wideband Digital Crossconnect System

SONET DCS capable of cross-connecting DS-1 and VT1.5 signals.

Wavelength Division Multiplexing

Optical transmission technique in which two or more wavelengths (each carrying its own information), are combined for transmission over a single optical fibre. At the receiving end, the wavelengths are separated and directed to separate receivers.

A service designed to allow customers to establish a presence on the web without the overhead normally associated with maintaining their own server and network connection. By placing their information on a provider's server, customers receive all the benefits of a high speed network connection, high performance server, round the clock monitoring and emergency facilities at a fraction of what it would cost them to acquire these resources on their own.

Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance

Wired Equivalent Privacy

WEP data encryption is defined by the 802.11 standard to prevent (i) access to the network by "intruders" using similar wireless LAN equipment and (ii) capture of wireless LAN traffic through eavesdropping. WEP allows the administrator to define a set of respective "Keys" for each wireless network user based on a "Key String" passed through the WEP encryption algorithm. Access is denied by anyone who does not have an assigned key.

Weighted Fair Queuing

Congestion management algorithm that identifies conversations (in the form of traffic streams), separates packets that belong to each conversation, and ensures that capacity is shared fairly between these individual conversations. WFQ is an automatic way of stabilizing network behaviour during congestion and results in increased performance and reduced retransmission.