5-6
SECTION 5, GLOSSARY
IP Address
A unique 32-bit value that identifies each host on a TCP/IP
network. TCP/IP networks route messages based on the
destination IP address.
For a Class C network, the first 24 bits are the network address
and the final 8 bits are the host address; in dotted-decimal format
it appears “network.network.network.host.”
ISDN
Integrated Services Digital Network
ISP
Internet Service Provider
L
LAN
Local Area Network. A local area network provides a full-time,
high-bandwidth connection over a limited area such as a home,
building, or campus. Ethernet is the most widely used LAN
standard.
M
MAC Address
The Media Access Control address is a unique, 48-bit value
permanently saved in the ROM at the factory to identify each
Ethernet network device. It is expressed as a sequence of 12
hexadecimal digits printed on the unit’s label. You need to
provide the MAC Address to the cable service provider. Also
called an Ethernet address, physical address, hardware address,
or NIC address.
MB
One megabyte; equals 1,024 x 1,024 bytes, 1,024 kilobytes, or
about 8 million bits.
Mbps
Million bits per second (megabits per second). A rate of data
transfer.
MTU
The Maximum Transmission Unit is the largest amount of data
that can be transmitted in one discrete message on a given
physical network. The MTU places an upper bound limit on the
size of a message that can be transferred by the network in a
single frame. Messages exceeding the MTU must be fragmented
before transmission, and reassembled at the destination.