Take the misery out of trying to comprehend the latest onslaught of technobabble delivered from the local IT nerd across the street. Here you’ll find some of the most common IT nerd-words reduced to familiar language complimented by big pictures where words don’t seem to cut it.

Wired
Network

Use of specialist computer cabling (known as network cabling or Ethernet cabling) to connect devices together.
Advantages: Very reliable and network speed is generally fixed; once in, network cabling is rarely the cause of connection problems.
Disadvantages: It’s fixed in one place, takes time effort and a certain amount of DIY and mess to put in, is cut to length and difficult to extend without the use of additional devices and further DIY disruption.

Wireless
Network

Use of radio waves to connect devices together; minimum cabling and minimum fuss.
Advantages: Mobility, minimum of fuss, no (or very little) DIY wide range of application and ease of sharing.
Disadvantages: More savvy required, potential and significant security flaws, security setup is fickle and requires compatible devices. Signal strength and network speed can be unreliable.