Frequently Used Terms
Written by Mitchell Ivany
Updated at March 14th, 2025
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Below are alphabetically sorted tables which list commonly used terms, along with the term's explanation, and any relevant link(s) to an article/video that provides further details on the subject and/or it's use in Sonar.
Use the Table of Contents (to the right) to quickly navigate to the section you are looking for.
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A
| Term | Explanation | Link(s), if available |
| API | Application Programming Interface; allows interactions between software intermediaries and endpoints, such as a 3rd party software and a database. | Sonar's API Docs |
| ARIN | American Registry for Internet Numbers; the regional Internet registry for Canada, the United States, and many Caribbean and North Atlantic islands. | ARIN home page |
| Avalara | Software for automated tax compliance; integrated with Sonar for automated tax calculation. | Avalara: Overview & Setup | KB Article |
B
| Term | Explanation | Link(s), if available |
| Baicells | LTE provider that we can provision for in Sonar. | LTE Integration | KB Article |
C
| Term | Explanation | Link(s), if available |
| Clutter Height | Refers to the height of above ground obstacles that can cause interference with wireless connections, such as buildings and trees. | Elevation Tool: Overview | KB Article |
| CoA |
Change of Authorization; a method by which authorization changes can be performed dynamically after the device or user is authenticated, without disconnecting the session. It is generated by a RADIUS server and sent to a NAS. Ex: slowing down a user’s throughput |
|
| CPE | Customer-Premises Equipment; communications equipment that is located on the customer's premises (physical location) rather than on the provider's premises or in between. |
D
| Term | Explanation | Link(s), if available |
| DHCP | Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol; a protocol used to provide quick, automatic, and central management for the distribution of IP addresses within a network. | Setting Up a DHCP Batcher | KB Article |
| DID | Direct Inward Dialing; used in VoIP communication to allow communication between traditional phone and VoIP phone numbers. | |
| DKIM | Domain Keys Identified Mail. This is an email authentication method designed to detect forged sender addresses in emails (email spoofing), a technique often used in phishing and email spam. It achieves this by affixing a digital signature, linked to a domain name, to each outgoing email message. | Setting up an Outbound Email Domain | KB Article |
| DNS | Domain Name System; naming system for computers, services, or other resources connected to the Internet or a private network. | |
| DOCSIS | Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification; an international telecommunications standard that allows for the addition of high-bandwidth data transfer to an existing coaxial cable TV system. | Cable Modem Provisioning | KB Article |
E
| Term | Explanation | Link(s), if available |
| EPC | Evolved Packet Core; a framework for providing converged voice and data on a 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network. | The Evolved Packet Core |
| Ethernet | A way of connecting computers together in wired local area networks (LANs). | What Is Ethernet & How Does It Work? |
F
| Term | Explanation | Link(s), if available |
| FCC | An independent agency of the United States government responsible for regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. | FCC Website |
| FCC Form 477 | All facilities-based broadband providers are required to file data with the FCC twice a year (Form 477) on where they offer Internet access service at speeds exceeding 200 kbps in at least one direction. | |
| Flapping | Used in monitoring; occurs when a device switches states in a quick sequence. | |
| FQDN |
Fully-Qualified Domain Name; the complete domain name for a specific computer, or host, on the internet (hostname + its domain name). Ex: a hostname might be “myserver” whereas its FQDN might be “myserver.example.com” |
|
| Fresnel Zone | The Fresnel Zone is the area around the visual line-of-sight that radio waves spread out into after they leave the antenna; a clear line of sight is needed to maintain signal strength. | Elevation Tool: Overview | KB Article |
G
| Term | Explanation | Link(s), if available |
| GeoFence | A GeoFence defines a geographical area that you want to contain some technicians within, and is used when setting up availability for jobs and scheduling, to limit where the jobs can be done. | |
| GraphQL | GraphQL is an open-source data query and manipulation language for APIs, and is used within Sonar to manage and manipulate your data. | |
| GraphiQL | A graphical interface available through [your instance].sonar.software/graphiql which allows manipulation of your data without the need for a 3rd-party program. | How To Use GraphiQL to Understand the Sonar API | KB Article |
H
I
| Term | Explanation | Link(s), if available |
| ICMP | Internet Control Message Protocol; an error-reporting protocol that network devices (like routers) used to generate error messages to the source IP address when network problems prevent delivery of IP packets. | |
| IMSI | International Mobile Subscriber Identity; a number that uniquely identifies every user of a cellular network. | |
| Inline Device | A device that sits in the path of customer traffic and performs some kind of action on the traffic. | MikroTik as an Inline Device: Integration With Sonar | KB Article |
| Instance | The customer’s footprint at Sonar: web front-end, databases, etc. Typically, named company.sonar.software where 'company' is the company's name (i.e., AwesomeISP.sonar.software) | |
| IP | Internet Protocol; the method or protocol by which data is sent from one computer to another on the Internet. Each computer (known as a host) on the Internet has at least one IP address that uniquely identifies it from all other computers on the Internet. | |
| IPAM | Internet Protocol Address Management; Used for planning and managing the assignment and use of IP addresses and closely related resources of a computer network. | |
| IPv4 | Internet Protocol Version 4; a 32-bit numeric address whose decimal values are separated by a dot (.). | |
| IPv6 | Internet Protocol Version 6; a 128-bit alphanumeric address whose hexadecimal values are separated by a colon (:). | |
| ISP | Internet Service Provider; an organization that provides services for accessing, using, or participating on the Internet. |
J
K
L
| Term | Explanation | Link(s), if available |
| LTE | Long-Term Evolution; a networking standard developed to provide increased speed and efficiency for mobile broadband. |
M
| Term | Explanation | Link(s), if available |
| MAC Address | Media Access Control Address; a hardware identification number that uniquely identifies each device on a network. | |
| MDU | Multi-Dwelling Unit; an "MDU property" is a real estate development or complex that includes multi-dwelling units, such as apartments or condominium units. | |
| MIB | A Managed Information Base is a database used for managing entities in a communication network, used frequently with the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). | |
| Middleware |
The software layer that lies between the operating system and the applications on each side of a distributed computer network, used to connect software components or enterprise applications. For Sonar purposes, this is software that sends or receives Sonar data but does not reside as part of your instance. |
|
| MikroTik | A network equipment manufacturer that develops and sells wired and wireless network routers, network switches, access points, as well as operating systems and auxiliary software. | MikroTik as an Inline Device: Integration With Sonar | KB Article |
| Mimosa | A provider of wireless broadband, fiber-based internet, disaster recovery and security solutions for businesses. | Mimosa Website |
N
| Term | Explanation | Link(s), if available |
| NAS | Network Access Server; network device that handles access into a system; usually relies on RADIUS for admitting a user onto the network. | |
| NAT | Network Address Translation; translates the IP addresses of computers in a local network to a single IP address. | |
| Netflow | A network protocol developed by Cisco that is used to collect IP traffic information and monitor network flow. | |
| NIC | Network Interface Card (or Network Interface Controller); a computer hardware component that connects a computer to a computer network. |
O
| Term | Explanation | Link(s), if available |
| OID | Object Identifiers; uniquely identify managed objects in a Management Information Base (MIB) hierarchy. | |
| OLT | Optical Line Terminal; the device that serves as your ISP's endpoint of the passive optical network (PON). It provides the interface between a PON and your ISP's core network. | Calix Integration: Overview | KB Article |
| ONT | Optical Network Terminal; his device connects the fiber that has been wired to the outside of your house, to your modem. | Calix Integration: Overview | KB Article |
| Option 82 | Provides additional security when DHCP is used to allocate network addresses. | |
| OUI | Organizational Unique Identifier; the part of the MAC address (the first 24 bits) that identifies the vendor of the network adapter. |
P
| Term | Explanation | Link(s), if available |
| Personal Access Token | An alternative to using a password for authentication purposes that grants an individual user access to a Sonar instance. Typically used by Sonar support members for monitoring and troubleshooting purposes, and also when creating an integration that will access Sonar through the API. | API Calls Using Third Party Applications - Personal Access Tokens | KB Article |
| Poller | A piece of software that sends a periodic request to an agent for management data. | Pollers: General Overview, Deployment Strategy, Build Out & Setup | KB Article |
| Pool (IP Pool) | A sequential range of IP addresses within the network. | |
| PPPoE | Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet; a specification for connecting multiple computer users on an Ethernet local area network to a remote site through common customer premises equipment (CPE). | |
| Preseem | A Quality of Experience monitoring and optimization platform that can be integrated with Sonar and is used to help WISPs make their network more efficient, effective and profitable. | |
| Procera (see Sandvine) | A networking equipment company that designs and sells Network Intelligence solutions based on deep packet inspection (DPI) technology. | |
| Provisioning | Involves the process of preparing and equipping a network to allow it to provide services to its users. | Network Provisioning - MDU Series | Sonar Cast |
| Pulse | A powerful and intelligent Sonar module that automatically learns the topology and state of your network using the data in your Sonar instance and network polling. |
| Term | Explanation | Link(s), if available |
| QoE | Quality of Experience; a measure of satisfaction of a customer's experiences with a service (i.e. web browsing, phone call, TV broadcast, etc). | |
| QoS | Quality of Service; the description or measurement of the overall performance of a service (i.e. a telephony, computer network, or cloud computing service), particularly the performance seen by the users of the network, used to measure key network performance metrics. |
R
| Term | Explanation | Link(s), if available |
| RADIUS | Remote Authentication Dial-in User Service; a networking protocol that provides centralized Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting management for users who connect and use a network service. | RADIUS: Build-Out & Integration with Sonar | KB Article |
S
| Term | Explanation | Link(s), if available |
| Saisei | A software company that develops network performance enforcement solutions for large enterprises and service providers worldwide. | Saisei Website |
| Sandvine | A network intelligence company that uses automation to enable operators to deliver a high-quality experience to their subscribers. | Sandvine Website |
| SNMP | Simple Network Management Protocol; an application-layer protocol used to manage and monitor network devices and their functions. | |
| Soft Assignment | Within Sonar, a soft assignment means that Sonar has learned an IP address from a DHCP or RADIUS server, rather than it being set by Sonar. | |
| Subnet | A logical partition of an IP network into multiple, smaller network segments. | |
| Supernet | The largest, contiguous subnet you have, either IPv4 or IPv6. |
Assigning an IP Address Using Sonar's IPAM: How to | KB Article |
| SPF | Sender Policy Framework. SPF is a type of Domain Name Service (DNS) TXT record that identifies which mail servers are permitted to send email on behalf of your domain. The purpose of an SPF record is to detect and prevent spammers from sending messages with forged From addresses on your domain. | Setting up an Outbound Email Domain | KB Article |
T
| Term | Explanation | Link(s), if available |
| Telrad | A company that provides LTE solutions for wireless internet service providers. | |
| Tokenization | Tokenization is the process of protecting sensitive data by replacing it with an algorithmically generated number called a token. Tokenization is often used to prevent credit card fraud. | Square blog explaining tokenization |
U
V
| Term | Explanation | Link(s), if available |
| VoIP | Voice over Internet Protocol; this protocol enables use of the internet to make phone calls across the world. |
W
| Term | Explanation | Link(s), if available |
| WISP | Wireless Internet Service Provider; an Internet service provider that allows users to connect to a server through a wireless connection, such as Wi-Fi. | |
| Webhooks | Webhooks allow events in Sonar to trigger programs and scripts that exist in other servers or devices. | How to: Using Webhooks in Sonar | KB Article |