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.