Vocabulary A computer that requests information from a server in a 1 Backward compatibility The accommodation of current devices being able to use previously issued software standards in addition to the current standards 2 Bandwidth data transfer rate The maximum speed at which data can be transmitted between two nodes on a network usually measured in megabits per second Mbps See also data transfer rate 3 Broadband A high speed Internet connection such as cable satellite or digital subscriber line DSL 4 Cat 6 cable A UTP cable type that provides more than 1 GB of throughput 5 Client client server network such as your computer when you are connected to the Internet 6 Client server model A way of describing typical network functions Client computers such as your desktop PC request services and servers provide serve up those services to the clients 7 Coaxial cable A single copper wire surrounded by layers of plastic insulation and sheathing used mainly in cable television and cable Internet service 8 Data transfer rate bandwidth The maximum speed at which data can be transmitted between two nodes on a network usually measured in megabits per second Mbps 9 Digital subscriber line DSL A type of connection that uses telephone lines to connect to the Internet and that allows both phone and data transmissions to share the same line 10 Ethernet network A network that uses the Ethernet protocol as the means or standard by which the nodes on the network communicate 11 Fiber optic cable A cable that transmits data at close to the speed of light along glass or plastic fibers 12 Fiber optic service FiOS Internet access that is enabled by transmitting data at the speed of light through glass or plastic fibers 13 Firmware System software that controls hardware devices 14 Gigabit Ethernet The most commonly used wired Ethernet standard deployed in devices designed for home networks which provides bandwidth of up to 1 Gbps 15 Hacker Anyone who unlawfully breaks into a computer system whether an individual computer or a network 16 Home area network HAN A network located in a home that is used to connect all of its digital devices 17 Home network server A device designed to store media share media across the network and back up files on computers connected to a home network 18 Internet appliance A device used for easy access to the Internet social networking sites e mail video news and entertainment These devices fall into a category somewhere between smartphones and full blown computers 19 Internet service provider ISP Companies that specialize in providing Internet access ISPs may be specialized providers like Juno or companies that provide other services in addition to Internet access such as phone and cable television 20 Local area network LAN A network in which the nodes are located within a small geographic area 21 Metropolitan area network MAN A wide area network WAN that links users in a specific geographic area such as within a city or county 22 Multiple Input Multiple Outputs MIMO A design in routers that provides for faster wireless data transmission by utilizing more than one antenna to transmit and receive data 23 Network A group of two or more computers or nodes that are configured to share information and resources such as printers files and databases 24 Network adapter A device that enables the computer or peripheral to communicate with the network using a common data communication language or protocol 25 Network administration Involves tasks such as 1 installing new computers and devices 2 monitoring the network to ensure it is performing efficiently 3 updating and installing new software on the network and 4 configuring or setting up proper security for a network 26 Network architecture The design of a computer network includes both physical and logical design 27 Network attached storage NAS device Specialized computing devices designed to store and manage network data 28 Network interface card NIC An expansion card that enables a computer to connect other computers or to a cable modem to facilitate a high speed Internet connection 29 Network navigation device A device on a network such as a router hub and switch that moves data signals around the network 30 Network operating system NOS Software that handles requests for information Internet access and the use of peripherals for the rest of the network nodes 31 Network ready device A device such as a printer or external hard drive that can be attached directly to a network instead of needing to attach to a computer on the network 32 Node A device connected to a network such as a computer a peripheral such as a printer or a communications device such as a modem 33 Packet data packet A small segment of data that is bundled for sending over transmission media Each packet contains the address of the computer or peripheral device to which it is being sent 34 Peer to peer P2P sharing The process of users transferring files between computers 35 Piggybacking The process of connecting to a wireless network without the permission of the owner of the network 36 Router A device that routes packets of data between two or more networks 37 Server A computer that provides resources to other computers on a network 38 Service set identifier SSID A network name that wireless routers use to identify themselves 39 Switch A device for transmitting data on a network A switch makes decisions based on the media access control MAC address of the data as to where the data is to be sent 40 Throughput The actual speed of data transfer that is achieved It is usually less than the data transfer rate and is measured in megabits per second Mbps 41 Transceiver In a wireless network a device that translates the electronic data that needs to be sent along the network into radio waves and then broadcasts these radio waves to other network nodes 42 Transmission media The radio waves or cable that transport data on a network 43 Twisted pair cable Cables made of copper wires that are twisted around each other and are surrounded by a plastic jacket such as traditional home phone wire 44 Unshielded twisted pair UTP cable The most popular transmission media option for Ethernet networks UTP cable is composed of four pairs of wires that are twisted around each other to reduce electrical interference 45 Wide area network WAN A network made up of local area networks LANs connected over long distances 46 Wireless fidelity WiFi The 802 11 standard for wireless data transmissions
View Full Document
Unlocking...