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Glossary

ADSL requires a special ADSL modem. ADSL is growing in popularity as more areas around the world

gain access.

DHCP

An Ethernet protocol specifying how a centralized DHCP server can assign network configuration

information to multiple DHCP clients. The assigned information includes IP addresses, DNS addresses, and

gateway (router) addresses.

DNS

Short for Domain Name System (or Service), an Internet service that translates domain names into IP

addresses.

Because domain names are alphabetic, they're easier to remember. The Internet however, is really based on

IP addresses. Every time you use a domain name, therefore, a DNS service must translate the name into the

corresponding IP address. For example, the domain name www.example.com might translate to

198.105.232.4. The DNS system is, in fact, its own network. If one DNS server doesn't know how to

translate a particular domain name, it asks another one, and so on, until the correct IP address is returned.

Domain Name

A descriptive name for an address or group of addresses on the Internet. Domain names are of the form of a

registered entity name plus one of a number of predefined top level suffixes such as .com, .edu, .uk, etc. For

example, in the address mail.NETGEAR.com, mail is a server name and NETGEAR.com is the domain.

DSL

Short for digital subscriber line, but is commonly used in reference to the asymmetric version of this

technology (ADSL) that allows data to be sent over existing copper telephone lines at data rates of from 1.5

to 9 Mbps when receiving data (known as the downstream rate) and from 16 to 640 Kbps when sending data

(known as the upstream rate).

ADSL requires a special ADSL modem. ADSL is growing in popularity as more areas around the world

gain access.

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol

DHCP. An Ethernet protocol specifying how a centralized DHCP server can assign network configuration

information to multiple DHCP clients. The assigned information includes IP addresses, DNS addresses, and

gateway (router) addresses.

Gateway

A local device, usually a router, that connects hosts on a local network to other networks.

IETF

Internet Engineering Task Force. Working groups of the IETF propose standard protocols and procedures for

the Internet, which are published as RFCs (Request for Comment) at

www.ietf.org

.

An open international community of network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers concerned with

the evolution of the Internet architecture and the smooth operation of the Internet.

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Glossary

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IP

Internet Protocol is the main internetworking protocol used in the Internet. Used in conjunction with the

Transfer Control Protocol (TCP) to form TCP/IP.

IP Address

A four-byte number uniquely defining each host on the Internet, usually written in dotted-decimal notation

with periods separating the bytes (for example, 134.177.244.57).

Ranges of addresses are assigned by Internic, an organization formed for this purpose.

IPX

Short for Internetwork Packet Exchange, a networking protocol used by the Novell NetWare operating

systems.

Like UDP/IP, IPX is a datagram protocol used for connectionless communications. Higher-level protocols,

such as SPX and NCP, are used for additional error recovery services.

ISP

Internet service provider.

Internet Protocol

The main internetworking protocol used in the Internet. Used in conjunction with the Transfer Control

Protocol (TCP) to form TCP/IP.

LAN

A communications network serving users within a limited area, such as one floor of a building.

local area network

LAN. A communications network serving users within a limited area, such as one floor of a building.

A LAN typically connects multiple personal computers and shared network devices such as storage and

printers. Although many technologies exist to implement a LAN, Ethernet is the most common for

connecting personal computers.

MAC address

The Media Access Control address is a unique 48-bit hardware address assigned to every network interface

card. Usually written in the form 01:23:45:67:89:ab.

Mbps

Megabits per second.

NetBIOS

The Network Basic Input Output System is an application programming interface (API) for sharing services

and information on local-area networks (LANs).

Provides for communication between stations of a network where each station is given a name. These names

are alphanumeric names, up to 16 characters in length.

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Glossary

Network Address Translation

NAT. A technique by which several hosts share a single IP address for access to the Internet.

NIC

Network Interface Card. An adapter in a computer which provides connectivity to a network.

packet

A block of information sent over a network. A packet typically contains a source and destination network

address, some protocol and length information, a block of data, and a checksum.

router

A device that forwards data between networks. An IP router forwards data based on IP source and

destination addresses.

Routing Information Protocol

RIP. A protocol in which routers periodically exchange information with one another so that they can

determine minimum distance paths between sources and destinations.

Subnet Mask

A mask used to determine what subnet an IP address belongs to. Subnetting enables a network administrator

to further divide an IP address into two or more subnets.

TCP/IP

The main internetworking protocols used in the Internet. The Internet Protocol (IP) used in conjunction with

the Transfer Control Protocol (TCP) form TCP/IP.

WAN

A long distance link used to extend or connect remotely located local area networks. The Internet is a large

WAN.

WEB Proxy Server

A Web proxy server is a specialized HTTP server that allows clients access to the Internet from behind a

firewall.

The proxy server listens for requests from clients within the firewall and forwards these requests to remote

Internet servers outside the firewall. The proxy server reads responses from the external servers and then

sends them to internal client clients.

wide area network

WAN. A long distance link used to extend or connect remotely located local area networks. The Internet is a

large WAN.

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Glossary

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Windows Internet Naming Service

WINS. Windows Internet Naming Service is a server process for resolving Windows-based computer names

to IP addresses.

If a remote network contains a WINS server, your Windows PCs can gather information from that WINS

server about its local hosts. This allows your PCs to browse that remote network using the Windows

Network Neighborhood feature.

WINS

WINS. Windows Internet Naming Service is a server process for resolving Windows-based computer names

to IP addresses.

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Glossary