Any internet connection can be wireless. You just need a computer with the right technology and the right router or modem.

The term Wi-Fi is commonly used to refer to devices that work wirelessly over a Wi-Fi network, or more accurately a wireless local area network (WLAN).

Webmail services store emails online, instead of downloading them to your computer. The most common webmail services in the UK are Hotmail, Yahoo! and Gmail, but there are many others, and most of them free.

Video on demand enables viewers to download or stream video content whenever they choose.

Voice over internet protocol allows you to talk online, in much the same way as you would over the phone, using a broadband connection. Skype is probably the most well known VoIP system, combining video and audio.

The opposite of downloading, uploading is when you send information from your computer to the internet. For example, when you send an email or a photo to a website. It is sometimes referred to as upstreaming.

Many broadband packages come with a monthly usage allowance, which sets out the amount of data you can upload or download in any one month. It is typically given in GB.

If you watch videos or listen to music over the internet without first downloading it onto your computer, you are ‘streaming’.

Your ISP might deliberately slow down or ‘throttle’ your internet connection if you breach your download limit, or if there is unusually heavy traffic.

There is no limit on the amount of data you can upload and download with an unlimited broadband contract. However, most contracts are subject to a fair usage policy – see above.