M - Get Rural Internet with Viasat

# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

MAC Address:

A Media Access Control (MAC) Address is a unique number found on any connected device. Your computer has one, your smartphone has one, and even our Viasat modem has one. Similar to a serial number, a MAC address identifies each individual device connected to a network, but unlike an IP address, the MAC address never changes.

MacOS:

The operating system (OS) that runs on Apple Macintosh computers. Pronounced, “mack-oh-es”, macOS, was formerly known as Mac OS X from 2001 to 2012 and OS X until 2016. The macOS has been around since the first Macintosh was introduced in 1984. Since then, it has been continually updated and many new features have been added to it. Each major OS release is signified by a new number (i.e. Mac OS X 8, Mac OS X 9, Mac OS X 10.9 and macOS 10.14) along with a codename Snow Leopard, Lion, Sierra and Mojave. Though the operating system is much more advanced than earlier versions of the Mac OS, it still has the same ease-of-use that people have come to expect from Apple software.

Malware:

Malicious software computer programs designed to infiltrate and damage computers without the users consent. This includes the many different types of threats to your computer safety such as viruses, spyware, worms, trojans, rootkits, etc. Viruses, for example, can wreak havoc on a computer’s hard drive by deleting files or directory information. Spyware can gather data from a user’s system without the user knowing it. This can include anything from the web page a user visits to personal information, such as credit card numbers or SS#. You can install anti-virus and anti-spyware utilities on your computer that will seek and destroy the malicious programs they find on your computer.

MANET:

Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) is a type of ad hoc network that can change locations and configure itself on the fly. Because MANETs are mobile, they use wireless connections to connect to various networks. This can be a standard WiFi connection or another medium, such as a cellular or satellite transmission. Some MANETs are restricted to a local area of wireless devices (such as a group of laptop computers), while others may be connected to the Internet. For example, A VANET (Vehicular Ad Hoc Network), is a type of MANET that allows vehicles to communicate with roadside equipment. While the vehicles may not have a direct internet connection, the wireless roadside equipment may be connected to the internet, allowing data from the vehicles to be sent over the internet. The vehicle data may be used to measure traffic conditions or keep track of trucking fleets. Because of the dynamic nature of MANETs, they are typically not very secure, so it is important to be cautious what data is sent over a MANET.

MapQuest:

The MapQuest website helps users look up driving directions, maps, live traffic updates and road conditions. Plus users can find nearby businesses, restaurants and hotels. MapQuest is available to use via the internet at the Official MapQuest.com website or as a mobile app.

Massively multiplayer online (MMO):

An online game with a large numbers of players, typically from hundreds to thousands, on the same server. MMOs usually feature a huge, persistent open world, although some games differ. Popular MMOs include Final Fantasy, Fortnite, The Elder Scrolls and World of Warcraft.

Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG):

An online role-playing video game that is played with a large crowd (sometimes thousands globally). The MMORG player takes on the persona of a character in a virtual or fantasy world and interacts with a large number of other players. Popular MMORPGs include Final Fantasy, Fortnite, The Elder Scrolls and World of Warcraft.

Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU):

A networking term that defines the largest packet size that can be sent over a network connection. The MTU is typically limited by the type of connection, but may sometimes be adjusted in a computer’s network settings. Because a higher MTU allows for more data to be transferred at once, connections with high MTUs typically have more bandwidth than connections with lower MTUs.

For example, the MTU of an Ethernet connection is 1500 bytes. If a system sends packets over an Ethernet network that are larger than 1500 bytes, the data will be fragmented into smaller packets. These packets will then need to be reassembled on the receiving computer. Fortunately, the receiving computer does this automatically. However, it may cause a slowdown in the overall data transfer. Since the majority of computers connected to the Internet go through an Ethernet connection at some point, most computers have a default MTU setting of 1500 bytes.

Mbps:

Short for “Megabits per second”, it’s a data rate used to measure internet speed and is computed by how many bits can move in a second. One megabit is equal to one million bits or 1,000 kilobits. A bit is the most basic unit of digital information. Mbps are used to measure data transfer speeds of high bandwidth connections, such as Ethernet and modems. The higher the bit rate, the faster the speed at which the data can be moved. The Viasat UNLIMITED Platinum 100 service has a download speed up to 100 Mbps.

McAfee VirusScan:

An antivirus program created and maintained by McAfee, Inc. McAfee AntiVirus secures your computers, endpoints, network and cloud from viruses, malware and other security threats. Users can protect unlimited devices with McAfee AntiVirus’ complete virus protection and internet security against the latest security threats.

Megabyte:

A megabyte (MB) is 2 to the 20th power, or 1,048,576 bytes. Large computer files are typically measured in megabytes. For example, a high-quality JPEG photo from a 6.3 megapixel digital camera takes up about 3MB of space. A four minute CD-quality audio clip takes up about 40MB of space and CDs can hold up to 700MB of space.

META Tags:

In HTML, META tags or META elements are tags placed within an HTML document. Metadata will not be displayed on the web page, but will be machine parsable. Meta elements are typically used to specify page description, keywords, author of the document, date page was last modified and other metadata. For example, a description meta tag is placed in the webpage’s head section and used by internet search engines to display a description of a webpage in their search results.

Metered Connection:

An internet connection where data usage counts toward a monthly allowance.

MIDI:

Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) is a connectivity standard that musicians use to hook together musical instruments (such as keyboards and synthesizers) and computer equipment. Using MIDI, a musician can easily create and edit digital music tracks. The MIDI system records the notes played, the length of the notes, the dynamics (volume alterations), the tempo, the instrument being played and hundreds of other parameters, called control changes. Because MIDI records each note digitally, editing a track of MIDI music is much easier and more accurate than editing a track of audio. The musician can change the notes, dynamics, tempo and even the instrument being played with the click of button. MIDI files are basically text documents, so they take up very little disk space. The only catch is that you need MIDI-compatible hardware or software to record and playback MIDI files.

MIMO (multiple input, multiple output):

Multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) is an antenna technology for wireless communications in which multiple antennas are used at both the source (transmitter) and the destination (receiver). The antennas at each end of the communications circuit are combined to minimize errors and optimize data speed.

MMO:

Massively multiplayer online (MMO) game is an online game with a large numbers of players, typically from hundreds to thousands, on the same server. MMOs usually feature a huge, persistent open world, although some games differ. Popular MMOs include Final Fantasy, The Elder Scrolls and World of Warcraft.

MMORPG:

Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) allow players to role-play in a story-driven online video game with thousands of players world wide. The player takes on the persona of a character in a virtual or fantasy world and interacts with a large number of other players. Popular MMORPGs include Final Fantasy, The Elder Scrolls and World of Warcraft.

Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET):

A type of ad hoc network that can change locations and configure itself on the fly. Because MANETs are mobile, they use wireless connections to connect to various networks. This can be a standard WiFi connection or another medium, such as a cellular or satellite transmission. Some MANETs are restricted to a local area of wireless devices (such as a group of laptop computers), while others may be connected to the Internet. For example, A VANET (Vehicular Ad Hoc Network), is a type of MANET that allows vehicles to communicate with roadside equipment. While the vehicles may not have a direct internet connection, the wireless roadside equipment may be connected to the internet, allowing data from the vehicles to be sent over the internet. The vehicle data may be used to measure traffic conditions or keep track of trucking fleets. Because of the dynamic nature of MANETs, they are typically not very secure, so it is important to be cautious what data is sent over a MANET.

Mobile App:

A mobile application or “app” is a type of application software specifically designed to run on a mobile wireless device, such as a smartphone, tablet or watch, rather than on a PC or laptop computer.

Mobile apps frequently serve to provide users with similar services to those accessed on a desktop but designed to be viewed on a smaller screen.

Mobile Hotspot:

Also known as a “hotspot” a mobile hotspot is an ad hoc wireless access point that is created by a dedicated hardware device or a smartphone feature that shares the phone’s cellular data.

Mobile Operating System (OS):

Software that allows smartphones, tablet PCs and other mobile devices to run applications and programs. A mobile operating system (OS) typically starts up when the device is powered on, presenting a screen with icons or tiles that provide mobile application access (also known as “mobile apps”). Mobile operating systems also manage cellular and wireless network connectivity, as well as phone access.

Examples of mobile device operating systems include Apple iOS, Google Android, Microsoft’s Windows OS and watchOS. Most mobile operating systems are tied to specific hardware, with little flexibility. Users can jailbreak or root some devices, which allows them to install another mobile OS or unlock restricted applications, however this will void any manufacturer warranty and you may no longer be able to get any system updates.

Modem:

A communications device that connects your computer to the internet. The word “modem” is actually short for Modulator/Demodulator. The modem allows a computer or smart device to connect to another computer or local area network (LAN) and transfer data over the internet. The original dial-up modems are becoming obsolete because of their slow speeds and are being replaced by the much faster cable, DSL & satellite modems. The Viasat WiFi Gateway Modem uses the 802.11ac and is connected through a coaxial cable to the transceiver in your satellite dish and to your computer or router via an Ethernet cable. To learn more about the Viasat WiFi Modem click here.

MP3:

MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3 (MP3) is a popular compressed audio file format that helped popularize digital music downloads beginning in the late 1990s. MP3 files are typically about one tenth the size of uncompressed WAVE or AIFF files, but maintain nearly the same CD-quality sound. Because of their small size and good fidelity, MP3 files have become a popular way to store music files on both computers and portable devices. To listen to MP3s on your computer, you’ll need an MP3 player like Apple iTunes (for Mac and Windows). Most MP3 players also allow you to create MP3 files from CD audio tracks or other from other audio file types. Once you have converted your favorite songs to MP3 files, you can transfer them to a portable music player. You can also burn the MP3 files to a CD, which can be played in MP3-compatible CD players.

MPEG:

A type of multimedia file, which is denoted by the file extension “.mpg” or “.mpeg”. These files are compressed movies that can contain both audio and video. Though they are compressed, MPEG files maintain most of the original quality of the uncompressed movie. This is why many videos on the internet, such as movie trailers and music videos, are available in the MPEG format.

MTU:

Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) is a networking term that defines the largest packet size that can be sent over a network connection. The MTU is typically limited by the type of connection, but may sometimes be adjusted in a computer’s network settings. Because a higher MTU allows for more data to be transferred at once, connections with high MTUs typically have more bandwidth than connections with lower MTUs.

Multimedia:

As the name implies, multimedia is the integration of multiple forms of media. This includes text, graphics, audio, video, etc. For example, a presentation involving audio and video clips would be considered a “multimedia presentation”. Educational software that involves animations, sound and text is called “multimedia software”. CDs & DVDs are often considered to be “multimedia formats” since they can store a lot of data and most forms of multimedia require a lot of disk space.

Multiple input, Multiple output:

Multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO):

A set of multiple-input and multiple-output technologies for wireless communication, in which a set of users or wireless terminals, each with one or more antennas, communicate with each other. The Viasat WiFi Gateway Modem is capable of 3×3 Multi-User, Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MU-MIMO). To learn more about the Viasat WiFi Modem click here.

Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI):

A connectivity standard that musicians use to hook together musical instruments (such as keyboards and synthesizers) and computer equipment. Using MIDI, a musician can easily create and edit digital music tracks. The MIDI system records the notes played, the length of the notes, the dynamics (volume alterations), the tempo, the instrument being played and hundreds of other parameters, called control changes. Because MIDI records each note digitally, editing a track of MIDI music is much easier and more accurate than editing a track of audio. The musician can change the notes, dynamics, tempo and even the instrument being played with the click of button. MIDI files are basically text documents, so they take up very little disk space. The only catch is that you need MIDI-compatible hardware or software to record and playback MIDI files.