Tech jargon explained
The terms you'll see in our reviews, in plain English.
- 2.5GbE / 10GbE
- Wired network speeds: 2.5 or 10 gigabits a second, compared with the usual 1 (gigabit). Faster file copies to and from a NAS.
- Bay
- A slot in a NAS for one drive. A 2-bay NAS holds two drives.
- CMR / SMR
- Two ways hard drives record data. CMR drives behave better in a NAS; SMR drives can be very slow when rebuilding.
- CVE
- A public ID for a known security flaw, like CVE-2026-31431. Products with fixed CVEs are fine; unfixed ones are a risk.
- DDR4 / DDR5
- Generations of computer memory. They aren't interchangeable: use the one your computer supports.
- Docker
- A way to run apps (like a media server or ad blocker) in self-contained packages, popular on NAS boxes and home servers.
- Endurance (TBW)
- Terabytes written: how much data an SSD is rated to write over its life. Higher means it's built to last longer.
- FIDO2 / passkey
- Standards for signing in without a password, using your phone or a security key. Much harder to phish than passwords.
- Firmware
- The software built into a device, like a router or NAS. Makers release firmware updates to fix bugs and security flaws.
- Gen4 / Gen5 (PCIe)
- Generations of the connection an SSD or graphics card uses. Each is about twice as fast as the last.
- Hardware transcoding
- Converting video on the fly using a dedicated chip, so a NAS or server can stream films smoothly to any device.
- Idle power
- How much electricity a device uses when switched on but not busy, which is most of the time for things left on 24/7.
- IDS / IPS
- Intrusion detection or prevention: a firewall feature that spots and blocks known attack traffic.
- M.2
- The small slot on a motherboard that NVMe SSDs plug into.
- Managed switch
- A network switch you can configure, for example to split the network into separate groups (VLANs). Unmanaged switches just work out of the box.
- Mesh Wi-Fi
- Several Wi-Fi units placed around a home that work as one network, for even coverage in large or thick-walled houses.
- NAS
- Network-attached storage: a box of drives on your home network that every device can save to and play from.
- NFC
- Near-field communication: tap-to-connect, as used by contactless cards and some security keys with phones.
- NVMe
- The fast kind of SSD that plugs into an M.2 slot, rather than connecting by cable.
- OpenWrt
- Free, open router software you can install on some routers in place of the maker's own, often with longer security support.
- PoE / PoE+
- Power over Ethernet: the network cable carries power too, so devices like access points and cameras need no plug socket.
- Pure sine wave
- Smooth mains-like power from a UPS during a cut. Some modern power supplies need it.
- Quick Sync
- The video engine in Intel processors, used for hardware transcoding in Plex and Jellyfin.
- SFP / SFP+
- Slots for plug-in network modules, often used for fibre or 10GbE connections.
- Single-board computer
- A small, cheap computer on one circuit board, like a Raspberry Pi.
- SSD
- Solid-state drive: storage with no moving parts. Much faster and tougher than a hard drive.
- UPS
- Uninterruptible power supply: a battery that keeps equipment running briefly in a power cut.
- USB 3.2 Gen 2 / USB4
- USB speeds. Gen 2 is about 1,000MB/s, Gen 2x2 about 2,000MB/s, and USB4 or Thunderbolt up to about 4,000MB/s.
- VA / W (UPS)
- Two ways a UPS's capacity is quoted. Check the watts (W) against what your equipment uses.
- VLAN
- A way to split one network into separate groups, for example keeping smart-home gadgets away from your computers.
- Wi-Fi 6 / 6E / 7
- Wi-Fi generations. Each is faster and copes better with many devices; 6E and 7 add the less crowded 6GHz band.
- WireGuard
- A modern, fast VPN, used to reach your home network securely when you're away.
- WPA3
- The current Wi-Fi security standard. More secure than the older WPA2.