Computer Networking Glossary

10 Base 2:  A type of Ethernet that supports the speed of 10mbps.

10 Base 5:  10base is an Ethernet standard that supports the speed of 10mbps and within a distance limit of 500 meters per segment.

Apple Talk:  A type of the computer network protocol by Apple.

ATM:  Asynchronous Transfer Mode.

Authentication:  A process in which user’s identify is checked.

Access Point:  Access points are the central transmitters and receivers of the radio signals.  They have built in antennal, dedicated hardware and radio transmitter.

Backbone:  Backbone is the communication channel that is used to carry the heady load traffic between the ISPs.

BPS:  Bits per second.

Bandwidth:  Capacity of a medium. Information carrying capacity of a network.

Broadband:  Broadband is a type of the internet connection that provides the simultaneous transmission of the data, voice and video signals over a high bandwidth medium.

BootP Protocol:  A type of the internet protocol that is used to discover the IP address on the network.

Byte:  A group of the bits.

Bridge:  A bridge is a network device that operates at the data link layer and is used for transmitting the network packets in network segment that uses the same protocol.

CDDI:  Copper distributed data interface.

Cookie: A cookie is a small code that contains the information, which is sent by the web server to the web browser.

Compression:  Compression is a technique that is used to reduce the bandwidth that is required to encode the block of information.

Congestion:  Excessive traffic in a network causes congestion.

CSMA/CD: Carrier Sense Multiple Access Collision Detection.

CPU:  Central Processing Unit.

CHAP: Chap is a protocol that is used to authenticate the user name and password.

DHCP:  Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol.  DHCP is a network service that is used to assign the IP addresses automatically to the client computers.

Domain Identifier:  Domain identifier is the last portion of the domain and it is used to identify the Host type.

DCE:  DCE is a service that is used to support the distributed applications.

Domain Name:  A domain name identifies the website on the internet.

Ethernet:  A Local Area Network communication standard.

EGP:  Exterior Gateway Protocol.

Encryption:  Encryption is a type of the network security that is  used to encode the information so that only the intended user can access it.

Filter:  Filter is a set of rules that defines that which packets pass the network.

Firewall:  A firewall is of two types i.e. software and hardware and it is a line of defense for the computer networks.  It protects it from the internal and external threats.

FTP:  File Transfer Protocol.

Frame Relay:  Frame relay is a packet switching technique that is used for the WAN communication.

Frame:  A frame is a collection of information that is sent over the network.

Gateway: In a computer network a gateway is a device that connects the local network to the internet.

Host:  A host is a computer in a network.

IEEE:  Institutes of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Internet Gateway:  A gateway that is used to access the internet.

IP: IP is a type of the internet protocol that is used on the Ethernet and Internet.

LAN:  Local Area Network.

LDAP:  Light Weight Directory Access Protocol.  It is used for accessing the directory services.

Leased Line:  It is a type of the permanent network connection between the two points.

MAC Address:  Media Access Controller Address.

MBPS:  Mega Bits per Seconds.

MAN:  Metropolitan Area Network.  A type of computer network that exists between the two locations within a city.

Multiplexing:  It is a technique that allows the multiple logical signals to be transmitted over the single physical channel.

Modem:  A communication device that is used for the modulation and demodulation.

Network Administrator:  A person who is responsible for managing, maintaining and troubleshooting the computer network.

Network:  A collection of communication devices, cables and systems that are used for data transmission from one computer to another.

OSI: Open System Interconnectivity.

PAP:  PAP is a protocol that is used to identify a user and password.

PING:  A network diagnostic utility that is used to check the connectivity between two systems.

Protocol:  Protocol is a communication standard and agreed upon ways that must be followed by the two communicating devices.

POP:  Post office Protocol.  It is used to transfer the emails.

RIP: Routing Information protocol. 

Router:  A network device that is used to connect two logically different, LANs and WANs.

SMTP: A protocol that is used to send the emails.

SLIP:  Serial Line Internet Protocol.

Session:  A session is a state of connection and when it gets established both the devices can communicate with each other.

Subnet Mask:  A subnet mask is used to identify the network within the large network.

TCP/IP:  Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. TCP/IP is a stack of more than 65000 protocols.

Telnet:  Telnet is a protocol that is used to check the connectivity with the remote computer.

WAN:  Wide Area Network:  A type of computer network that covers a larger geographical area between two cities, two countries or two continents.

WINS:  Windows Internet Naming Service.

WAP:  Wireless Application Protocol.

Wi-MAX:  Wi-MAX is a type of a long range and mobile wireless network.

Zone: A logical group of the devices and the services.