Network Management Strategies for the CIO
Would you like to know what networking terminology your peers have been searching for the most in 2004? We were curious, too. Check out our top 10 searched networking terms. Here we include our Whatis.com definition as well as some of our best resources that correspond with each term.
No. 1 --
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LAN: A local area network (LAN) is a group of computers and associated devices that share a common communications line or wireless link and typically share the resources of a single processor or server within a small geographic area (for example, within an office building).
- View our Guide to network administration
- Chapter download: LAN Switching First-Step: How a switch works
- Guidelines for designing a LAN
No. 2 -- Kilo,
mega, giga, tera, peta, and all that: Kilo, mega, giga, tera, and peta are among the list
of prefixes that are used to denote the quantity of something, such as, in computing and
telecommunications, a byte or a bit. Sometimes called prefix multipliers, these prefixes are also
used in electronics and physics. Each multiplier consists of a one-letter abbreviation and the
prefix that it stands for.
You may also find these helpful:
No. 3 -- VLAN:
A virtual (or logical) LAN is a local area network with a definition that maps workstations on some
other basis than geographic location (for example, by department, type of user, or primary
application).
No. 4 -- Router:
In packet-switched networks such as the Internet, a router is a device or, in some cases, software
in a computer, that determines the next network point to which a packet should be forwarded toward
its destination.
No. 5 -- Ethernet: Ethernet is the most widely-installed local area network (LAN) technology. Specified in a standard, IEEE 802.3, Ethernet was originally developed by Xerox from an earlier specification called Alohanet (for the Palo Alto Research Center Aloha network) and then developed further by Xerox, DEC, and Intel.
No. 6 -- TCP/IP:
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is the basic communication language or
protocol of the Internet. It can also be used as a communications protocol in a private network
(either an intranet or an extranet).
No. 7 -- MDI/MDIX:
MDI/MDIX is a type of Ethernet port connection using twisted pair cabling. The MDI (for medium
dependent interface) is the component of the media attachment unit (MAU) that provides the physical
and electrical connection to the cabling medium.
No. 8 -- Gateway:
A gateway is a network point that acts as an entrance to another network. In the network for an
enterprise, a computer server acting as a gateway node is often also acting as a proxy server and a
firewall server.
No. 9 -- OSI:
OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) is a standard description or "reference model" for how messages
should be transmitted between any two points in a telecommunication network. Its purpose is to
guide product implementors so that their products will consistently work with other products.
No. 10 -- Wi-Fi:
Wi-Fi (short for "wireless fidelity") is a term for certain types of wireless local area network
(WLAN) that use specifications in the 802.11 family. The term Wi-Fi was created by an organization
called the Wi-Fi Alliance, which oversees tests that certify product interoperability.
New networking terms
With technology changing daily, keeping up with terms that define processes, devices and concepts is a challenge. Here's help with some new terms we added to our glossary.
| Computer
forensics |
Network
perimeter |
| Gatekeeper |
Port
knocking |
| Hairpinning |
RFID
tagging |
| Integrated
T1 |
Smart
antenna |
| Intelligent
switch |
SpIT |
MORE INFORMATION:
The
10 Most Misunderstood Terms in IT
Here are the ten terms that our users report as 'most misunderstood' by those who work in
information technology.
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