Network & APN Glossary
Every term you'll encounter on an APN settings screen, explained in plain English.
A
- APNNetworkAccess Point NameAn APN, or Access Point Name, is the setting your phone uses to find and connect to your carrier's mobile data network.
- Authentication TypeNetworkAuthentication type is the APN setting that controls how your phone proves it's allowed to use the carrier's data connection, usually None, PAP, or CHAP.
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- ICCIDDeviceIntegrated Circuit Card IdentifierThe ICCID, or Integrated Circuit Card Identifier, is the unique serial number that identifies a SIM card or eSIM profile.
- IMEIDeviceInternational Mobile Equipment IdentityThe IMEI, or International Mobile Equipment Identity, is a unique 15-digit number that identifies your specific phone hardware.
- IMSIStandardInternational Mobile Subscriber IdentityThe IMSI, or International Mobile Subscriber Identity, is a unique number stored on your SIM that identifies you to the mobile network.
M
- MCCStandardMobile Country CodeThe MCC, or Mobile Country Code, is a three-digit number that identifies the country a mobile network belongs to.
- MMS ProxyNetworkAn MMS proxy is an intermediate server some carriers route picture messages through, specified by a host address and a port number in your APN settings.
- MMSCNetworkMultimedia Messaging Service CenterThe MMSC, or Multimedia Messaging Service Center, is the server address your phone uses to send and receive picture and group messages.
- MNCStandardMobile Network CodeThe MNC, or Mobile Network Code, is a two- or three-digit number that identifies a specific carrier within a country.
- MNOCarrier-typeMobile Network OperatorAn MNO, or Mobile Network Operator, is a carrier that owns and runs its own cellular network and towers.
- MVNOCarrier-typeMobile Virtual Network OperatorAn MVNO, or Mobile Virtual Network Operator, is a carrier that rents capacity from a larger network instead of owning its own towers.
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Mobile connectivity has a vocabulary problem. Every settings screen and support article throws acronyms at you — MMSC, MCC, bearer, VoLTE — and assumes you already know what they mean. Most people don't, and there's no reason they should.
This glossary fixes that. Each term gets a short, plain-English definition with a bit of context on where you'll actually run into it. No circular explanations that define one acronym using three others. Use the search and the letter index below to jump to what you need.