1.

Address

-is any logical or physical address that uniquely distinguishes a network node or
device over a computer or telecommunications network. It is a numeric/symbolic
number or address that is assigned to any device that seeks access to or is part of a
network.

A network address is a key networking technology component that facilitates identifying

a network node/device and reaching a device over a network. It has several forms,
including the Internet Protocol (IP) address, media access control (MAC) address and
host address. It

Computers on a network use a network address to identify, locate and address other
computers. Besides individual devices, a network address is typically unique for each
interface; for example, a computer's Wi-Fi and local area network (LAN) card has
separate network addresses.

2. Cable modem

-is a device that modulates and demodulates an analog carrier signal to encode
and decode digital information that is transmitted, providing bi-directional data
communication via radio frequency channels using hybrid fibre-coaxial cable (HFC
cable) and radio frequency over glass (RFoG) architecture. This cable and architecture
provide the high bandwidth required for Internet access.

A cable modem provides a bridge between a customer's LAN and the coaxial cable
network of the ISP. In other words, it functions as a bridge as well as a modem.

The cable modem is necessarily complex in order to function in both these capacities. It
operates both in the physical layer (1) and the data link layer (2) with respect to the OSI
model of network design, in addition to having functionalities at other layers. The cable
modem has its own IP address as a network node and therefore operates in the
network layer (3), and it supports protocols in the transport layer (4) and the application
layer (7).

A cable modem may also incorporate a router, which is typically kept functionally
separate, within the same housing. The router is sometimes called a residential
gateway. Both the cable modem and the router have their own IP address and MAC
address to identify each component through their interfaces on the LAN and the WAN.

3. Client

-is the receiving end of a service or the requestor of a service in a client/server

model type of system. The client is most often located on another system or computer,

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which can be accessed via a network. This term was first used for devices that could
not run their own programs, and were connected to remote computers that could via a
network. These were called dumb terminals and they were served by time-sharing
mainframe computers.

A client can be a simple application or a whole system that accesses services being
provided by a server. A client can connect to a server through different means like
domain sockets, named, shared memory or through Internet protocols, which is the
most common method being used since the wide adoption of the Internet.

Clients are classified into three types:

 Thin Client: A client application with minimum functions that uses the resources
provided by a host computer and its job is usually just to display results processed by a
server. It simply relies on a server to do most or all of its processing.
 Thick/Fat Client: This is the opposite of the thin client. It can do most of its
processing and does not necessarily rely on a central server, but may need to connect
to one for some information, uploading, or to update data or the program itself. Anti-
virus software belong to this category because they do not really need to connect to a
server to do their job, although they must connect periodically to download new virus
definitions and upload data.
 Hybrid: Exhibits characteristics from the two above types. It can do most
processes on its own but may rely on a server for critical data or for storage.

4. Communication Protocol

-are formal descriptions of digital message formats and rules. They are required
to exchange messages in or between computing systems and are required in
telecommunications.

Communications protocols cover authentication, error detection and correction, and

signaling. They can also describe the syntax, semantics, and synchronization of
analogue and digital communications. Communications protocols are implemented in
hardware and software. There are thousands of communications protocols that are
used everywhere in analogue and digital communications. Computer networks cannot
exist without them.

Communications devices have to agree on many physical aspects of the data to

be exchanged before successful transmission can take place. Rules defining
transmissions are called protocols.

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5. Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)

-is a technology that transports high-bandwidth data over a simple telephone line
that is directly connected to a modem. This allows for file-sharing, and the transmission
of pictures and graphics, multimedia data, audio and video conferencing and much
more. DSL uses the analogue medium, which is reliable and prevents interruptions and
heavy packet loss. DSL is fast and provides low user subscription rates.

DSL was originally part of the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISD) specification
introduced in 1984. In the beginning, ISDN was being used for point-to-point
connections for different kinds of data sharing. With the passage of time and the
increasing size of networks, ISDN gave a low data speed because of various issues,
from interruptions in telephone lines to natural factors like fog and rain. After the failure
of ISDN, DSL emerged and started providing broadband connections over an analog
medium with an efficient network environment. DSL mainly uses copper wires and fiber
optic cables as its transmission medium.

6. DNS Server

-is a type of name server that manages, maintains and processes Internet
domain names and their associated records. In other words, a DNS server is the
primary component that implements the DNS (Domain Name System) protocol and
provisions domain name resolution services to Web hosts and clients on an IP-based
network.

Primarily designed to locate and deliver websites to end users over the Internet or a
private network, a DNS server is developed on typical hardware but runs specialized
DNS software. It is always connected to the Internet or a network.

A DNS server stores a database of different domain names, network names, Internet
hosts, DNS records and other related data. The most basic function of a DNS server is
to translate a domain name into its respective IP address. During a domain name
resolution query, DNS records are searched, and if found, the domain name record is
returned. If the domain name is not registered or added to that DNS server, the query is
then passed to other DNS servers until the domain name record is found.

DNS server software comes in dozens, if not hundreds of flavors. The best known
version is BIND, which is free and distributed with Linux/Unix systems. On Microsoft
systems, the Microsoft DNS is bundled as part of many Windows Server releases.

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7. Ethernet Cables

-is a common type of network cable used with wired networks. Ethernet cables
connect devices such as PCs, routers, and switches within a local area network. These
physical cables are limited by length and durability. If a network cable is too long or of
poor quality, it won't carry a good network signal. These limits are one reason there are
different types of Ethernet cables that are optimized to perform certain tasks in specific
situations. (https://www.lifewire.com)

8. Gateway
-is a data communication device that provides a remote network with connectivity
to a host network.

A gateway device provides communication to a remote network or an autonomous

system that is out of bounds for the host network nodes. Gateways serve as the entry
and exit point of a network; all data routed inward or outward must first pass through
and communicate with the gateway in order to use routing paths. Generally, a router is
configured to work as a gateway device in computer networks.

9. Hub (Networking)
A hub, in the context of networking, is a hardware device that relays
communication data. A hub sends data packets (frames) to all devices on a network,
regardless of any MAC addresses contained in the data packet.

A switch is different than a hub in that it keeps a record of all MAC addresses of all
connected devices. Thus, it knows which device or system is connected to which port.
When a data packet is received, the switch immediately knows which port to send it to.
Unlike a hub, a 10/100 Mbps switch will allocate the full 10/100 Mbps to each of its
ports, and users always have access to the maximum bandwidth – a huge advantage of
a switch over a hub.

Common types of hubs used in networking are network hubs, passive hubs, intelligent
and switching hubs.

10. An Internet Protocol address (IP address)

-is a logical numeric address that is assigned to every single computer, printer,
switch, router or any other device that is part of a TCP/IP-based network.

The IP address is the core component on which the networking architecture is

built; no network exists without it. An IP address is a logical address that is used to
uniquely identify every node in the network. Because IP addresses are logical, they can

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change. They are similar to addresses in a town or city because the IP address gives
the network node an address so that it can communicate with other nodes or networks,
just like mail is sent to friends and relatives.

The numerals in an IP address are divided into 2 parts:

 The network part specifies which networks this address belongs to and
 The host part further pinpoints the exact location.

An IP address is the most significant and important component in the networking

phenomena that binds the World Wide Web together. The IP address is a numeric
address assigned to every unique instance that is connected to any computer
communication network using the TCP/IP communication protocols.

Network nodes are assigned IP addresses by the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
server as soon as the nodes connect to a network. DHCP assigns IP addresses using a
pool of available addresses which are part of the whole addressing scheme. Though
DHCP only provides addresses that are not static, many machines reserve static IP
addresses that are assigned to that entity forever and cannot be used again.

11. Media Access Control Address (MAC Address)

-is a unique identifier for an Ethernet or network adapter over a network. It
distinguishes different network interfaces and is used for a number of network
technologies, particularly most IEEE 802 networks, including Ethernet. In the OSI
model, MAC addresses occur in the Media Access Control Protocol sub-layer. A MAC
address is also known as physical address, hardware address and burned-in address.

MAC addresses are generally assigned by the vendor/manufacturer of every network

interface card (NIC) developed. They are implemented in most network types, but unlike
IP address, MAC addresses are permanent and can’t be changed. A MAC address is
created using the specifications provided by IEEE.

Each MAC address consists of a 12-digit hexadecimal notation, which is embedded

within the NIC firmware and is composed of a six-digit manufacturer’s organization
unique identifier followed by a six-digit serialized or random unique identifier.

12. Modem

-is a network device that both modulates and demodulates analog carrier signals
(called sine waves) for encoding and decoding digital information for processing.
Modems accomplish both of these tasks simultaneously and, for this reason, the term
modem is a combination of "modulate" and "demodulate."

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The most common use for modems is for both sending and receiving of the digital
information between personal computers. This information used to be transmitted over
telephone lines using V.92, the last dial-up standard, to an analog modem that would
convert the signal back to a digital format for a computer to read.

13. Network Interface Card (NIC)

-is a computer hardware component that allows a computer to connect to a

network. NICs may be used for both wired and wireless connections. A NIC is also
known as a network interface controller (NIC), network interface controller card,
expansion card, computer circuit board, network card, LAN card, network adapter or
network adapter card (NAC).

Most new computers have either Ethernet capabilities integrated into the motherboard
chipset, or use an inexpensive dedicated Ethernet chip connected through the PCI or
PCI Express bus. A separate NIC is generally no longer needed. If the card or controller
is not integrated into the motherboard, it may be an integrated component in a router,
printer interface or USB device.

Typically, there is an LED next to the connector informing the user if the network is
active or whether or not data is being transferred on it. Depending on the card or
motherboard, transfer rates may be 10, 100, or 1000 Megabits per second. (

14. Packet Switching

-is a digital network transmission process in which data is broken into suitably-
sized pieces or blocks for fast and efficient transfer via different network devices. When
a computer attempts to send a file to another computer, the file is broken into packets
so that it can be sent across the network in the most efficient way. These packets are
then routed by network devices to the destination.

There are two major modes of packet switching

1. Connectionless Packet Switching: Each packet contains complete addressing or

routing information and is routed individually. This can result in out-of-order delivery and
different paths of transmission, depending on the variable loads on different network
nodes (adapters, switches and routers) at any given time. Also known as datagram
switching.

In connectionless packet switching, each packet has the following information written in
its header section:

o The destination address

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 o The source address
o Total number of pieces
o The sequence number (Seq#) needed to enable reassembly

After reaching the destination through different routes, the packets are rearranged to
form the original message.

2. Connection-Oriented Packet Switching: Data packets are sent sequentially over

a predefined route. Packets are assembled, given a sequence number and then
transported over the network to a destination in order. In this mode, address information
is not required. Also known as virtual circuit switching.

15. Packet Switched Network (PSN)

-is a type of computer communications network that groups and sends data in
the form of small packets. It enables the sending of data or network packets between a
source and destination node over a network channel that is shared between multiple
users and/or applications.

A packet switched is also known as a connectionless network, as it does not create a

permanent connection between a source and destination node.

A packet switched network is one of the most commonly used computer networks. It is
widely implemented on local networks and the Internet.

A PSN generally works on the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

protocol suite or the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) layer. For data to be
transmitted over a network, it is first distributed into small packets, which depend on the
data's protocol and overall size. Each packet contains various details, such as a source
IP address, destination IP address and unique data and packet identifiers.

16. Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)

-refers to the international telephone system that uses copper wires to carry
analog voice data. It consists of a collection of individual telephones that are hardwired
to a public exchange.

The public switched telephone network was formerly known simply as the public
telephone network. The public switched telephone network is a global system that has
developed over several decades. From the early research of Alexander Graham Bell,
telecommunications companies evolved the PSTN architecture that provided for
yesterday's landline voice communications.

One important distinction with the public switched telephone network is that it stands in
contrast to private exchange networks. Private branch exchanges and other

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technologies allowed companies and other parties to create more individual telephone
lines that were not represented in the PSTN and public landline architecture. One way
to explain this is that individual lines were built into private endpoint systems, so that an
individual recipient could have many different individual phone lines using the same
public switched telephone network trajectory.

17. Router

-is a device that analyzes the contents of data packets transmitted within a
network or to another network. Routers determine whether the source and destination
are on the same network or whether data must be transferred from one network type to
another, which requires encapsulating the data packet with routing protocol header
information for the new network type.

Based on designs developed in the 1960s, the Advanced Research Projects Agency
Network (ARPANET) was created in 1969 by the U.S. Department of Defense. This
early network design was based on circuit switching. The first device to function as a
router was the Interface Message Processors that made up ARPANET to form the first
data packet network.

The initial idea for a router, which was then called a gateway, came from a group of
computer networking researchers who formed an organization called the International
Network Working Group, which became a subcommittee of the International Federation
for Information Processing in 1972.

18. Server

-is a computer, a device or a program that is dedicated to managing network

resources. Servers are often referred to as dedicated because they carry out hardly any
other tasks apart from their server tasks.

There are a number of categories of servers, including print servers, file servers,
network servers and database servers.

In theory, whenever computers share resources with client machines they are
considered servers.

A computer that “serves” many different computers in a network by running specialized

software and storing information.

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19. Switch

A switch, in the context of networking is a high-speed device that receives

incoming data packets and redirects them to their destination on a local area network
(LAN). A LAN switch operates at the data link layer (Layer 2) or the network layer of the
OSI Model and, as such it can support all types of packet protocols. Essentially,
switches are the traffic cops of a simple local area network.

A switch in an Ethernet-based LAN reads incoming TCP/IP data packets/frames

containing destination information as they pass into one or more input ports. The
destination information in the packets is used to determine which output ports will be
used to send the data on to its intended destination.

Switches are similar to hubs, only smarter. A hub simply connects all the nodes on the
network -- communication is essentially in a haphazard manner with any device trying to
communicate at any time, resulting in many collisions. A switch, on the other hand,
creates an electronic tunnel between source and destination ports for a split second that
no other traffic can enter. This results in communication without collisions.
Switches are similar to routers as well, but a router has the additional ability to forward
packets between different networks, whereas a switch is limited to node-to-node
communication on the same network.

20. Leased Line

-is a dedicated communication channel that interconnects two or more sites. This
is a service contract between a customer and a provider. It acts as a dedicated tunnel
from one point to the other where data can continuously flow for a fixed monthly fee or
rent, hence the name. Leased lines are used for Internet, data and even telephone
services. They are typically run on fiber optic cables to provide large bandwidth and
speed.

A leased line is not really a dedicated physical connection, but a reserved circuit
between two designated points that is open at all times. This is unlike traditional
telephone services, which reuse the same circuit through switching. They are typically
rented by large companies to connect two or more sites that need constant fast
connection. These lines are leased by large telecommunication companies and are
generally quite expensive. The alternative to this is to use the public switched networks
while using security protocols, or to install and maintain their very own private lines,
which can be more expensive.

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21. Virtual Private Network (VPN)

-is a private network that is built over a public infrastructure. Security

mechanisms, such as encryption, allow VPN users to securely access a network from
different locations via a public telecommunications network, most frequently the
Internet.

In some cases, virtual area network (VAN) is a VPN synonym. VPN data security
remains constant through encrypted data and tunneling protocols. The key VPN
advantage is that it is less expensive than a private wide area network (WAN) buildout.
As with any network, an organization's goal is to provide cost-effective business
communication.

In a remote-access VPN, an organization uses an outside enterprise service provider

(ESP) to establish a network access server (NAS). Remote users then receive VPN
desktop software and connect to the NAS via a toll-free number, which accesses the
organization's network. In a site-to-site VPN, many sites use secure data encryption to
connect over a network (usually the Internet).

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