Acronym Flashcards
ACL
Access Control List: Rules that control network access based on IP addresses or other criteria
APIPA
Automatic Private IP Addressing: Automatically assigns IP addresses in the 169.254.x.x range when no DHCP server is available.
ARP
Address Resolution Protocol: Resolves IP addresses to MAC addresses for communication on a network.
BGP
Border Gateway Protocol: Exterior gateway protocol used to exchange routing information between autonomous systems on the internet.
CIDR
Classless Inter-Domain Routing: IP addressing scheme that replaces classful addressing with variable-length subnet masks.
CSMA/CD
Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection: Ethernet protocol that detects and handles collisions in shared media networks.
CSMA/CA
Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance: Protocol used in wireless networks to avoid collisions by waiting for a clear channel before transmitting.
DHCP
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol: Assigns IP addresses and related configuration information to network devices automatically.
DNS
Domain Name System: Resolves human-readable domain names to IP addresses.
EIGRP
Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol: Cisco-proprietary distance-vector routing protocol that supports multiple network layer protocols.
FTP
File Transfer Protocol: Protocol used to transfer files over a TCP/IP network.
HTTP
Hypertext Transfer Protocol: Protocol used for transmitting web content over the internet.
HTTPS
Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure: Encrypted version of HTTP that uses SSL/TLS for secure data transmission.
ICMP
Internet Control Message Protocol: Network layer protocol used to send error messages and operational information about IP networks.
IGP
Interior Gateway Protocol: Routing protocol that operates within an autonomous system, such as OSPF or RIP.
IP
Internet Protocol: Network layer protocol responsible for addressing and routing packets across networks.
ISP
Internet Service Provider: Company that provides internet access to customers.
LAN
Local Area Network: Network that connects devices in a limited geographical area, such as a home or office.
MAC
Media Access Control: Unique hardware address assigned to network interfaces for communication on a physical network.
MPLS
Multi-Protocol Label Switching: High-performance networking technique that directs data between nodes based on short path labels.
MTU
Maximum Transmission Unit: Largest size of a data packet that can be transmitted over a network.
NAT
Network Address Translation: Translates private IP addresses to public IP addresses for communication over the internet.
OSPF
Open Shortest Path First: Link-state routing protocol that uses Dijkstra’s algorithm to calculate the shortest path to each network.
PoE
Power over Ethernet: Standard that allows Ethernet cables to deliver both data and power to devices.
POP
Post Office Protocol: Protocol used to retrieve emails from a mail server.
QoS
Quality of Service: Techniques used to manage network resources and prioritize traffic to improve performance.
RIP
Routing Information Protocol: Distance-vector routing protocol that uses hop count as its metric.
RSTP
Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol: Improvement over STP that provides faster convergence and better performance.
SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol: Protocol used to send email between mail servers.
SNMP
Simple Network Management Protocol: Protocol used to monitor and manage network devices.
SSH
Secure Shell: Encrypted protocol used for secure remote login and other network services.
STP
Spanning Tree Protocol: Layer 2 protocol that prevents network loops by creating a loop-free logical topology.
TCP
Transmission Control Protocol: Connection-oriented transport layer protocol that provides reliable data transmission.
TFTP
Trivial File Transfer Protocol: Simplified version of FTP that uses UDP for file transfers without authentication.
TLS
Transport Layer Security: Cryptographic protocol that provides secure communication over a network, often used with HTTPS.
UDP
User Datagram Protocol: Connectionless transport layer protocol that provides faster but less reliable data transmission than TCP.
VLAN
Virtual Local Area Network: Logical grouping of network devices that allows them to communicate as if they were on the same physical network.
VPN
Virtual Private Network: Encrypted connection over a public network that provides secure communication between remote devices and networks.
WAN
Wide Area Network: Network that connects devices over large geographical distances, often using leased lines or public networks.
WAP
Wireless Access Point: Device that allows wireless devices to connect to a wired network using Wi-Fi.
WPA
Wi-Fi Protected Access: Security protocol that provides encryption and authentication for Wi-Fi networks.
WPA2
Wi-Fi Protected Access 2: Improved version of WPA that uses stronger encryption and authentication methods.
AAA
Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting: Framework for controlling user access and managing network resources.
AES
Advanced Encryption Standard: Symmetric encryption algorithm used for secure data transmission.
AP
Access Point: A networking device that allows wireless devices to connect to a wired network.
BSSID
Basic Service Set Identifier: A unique identifier assigned to a wireless access point.
CDP
Cisco Discovery Protocol: Cisco proprietary protocol that discovers neighboring Cisco devices and shares information about them.
CLI
Command Line Interface: Text-based interface used for configuring and managing network devices.
CRC
Cyclic Redundancy Check: Error detection mechanism used to ensure data integrity during transmission.
DFS
Dynamic Frequency Selection: Feature that allows wireless devices to automatically switch channels to avoid interference.
DMZ
Demilitarized Zone: A network segment that sits between an organization’s internal network and the internet, providing a buffer zone for public-facing services.
DoS
Denial of Service: An attack that overwhelms a network or system, making it unavailable to users.
DSCP
Differentiated Services Code Point: A field in IP headers used for QoS traffic classification and prioritization.
FQDN
Fully Qualified Domain Name: A complete domain name that specifies the exact location of a resource within the DNS hierarchy.
GRE
Generic Routing Encapsulation: A tunneling protocol that can encapsulate a variety of network layer protocols inside virtual point-to-point links.
IDS
Intrusion Detection System: A security system that monitors network traffic for malicious activity and alerts administrators.
IPS
Intrusion Prevention System: A security system that actively blocks malicious traffic in addition to monitoring and alerting.
LACP
Link Aggregation Control Protocol: A protocol used to bundle multiple physical links into a single logical link for increased bandwidth and redundancy.
LLDP
Link Layer Discovery Protocol: A vendor-neutral protocol that discovers neighboring devices and shares information about them, similar to CDP.
MACsec
MAC Security: A security protocol that provides encryption and authentication at the data link layer.
MIMO
Multiple Input Multiple Output: A wireless technology that uses multiple antennas to transmit and receive data, increasing capacity and performance.
NAC
Network Access Control: A security approach that enforces policies on devices attempting to access a network.
NAPT
Network Address Port Translation: A type of NAT that translates both IP addresses and port numbers, allowing multiple devices to share a single public IP address.
NTP
Network Time Protocol: A protocol used to synchronize the clocks of computers and network devices over a network.
PAP
Password Authentication Protocol: A simple authentication protocol that sends plaintext passwords over the network.
PKI
Public Key Infrastructure: A framework for managing digital certificates and public key encryption.
RADIUS
Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service: A protocol that provides centralized authentication, authorization, and accounting for remote access.
RTT
Round-Trip Time: The time it takes for a packet to travel from the sender to the receiver and back.
SaaS
Software as a Service: A cloud computing model that provides software applications over the internet on a subscription basis.
SDN
Software-Defined Networking: An approach to networking that decouples the control plane from the data plane, allowing for centralized management and automation.
SFP
Small Form-factor Pluggable: A compact, hot-swappable transceiver used in network devices for connecting to various types of media, such as fiber or copper.
SLA
Service Level Agreement: A contract between a service provider and a customer that specifies the level of service to be provided, including performance metrics and remedies for non-compliance.
SMB
Server Message Block: A network file sharing protocol that allows applications to read and write to files and request services from server programs on a network.
SSO
Single Sign-On: An authentication process that allows a user to access multiple services with a single set of login credentials.
STS
Spanning Tree State: The operational state of a network device’s ports when using Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) to prevent loops in a network.
TACACS+
Terminal Access Controller Access-Control System Plus: A security protocol that provides centralized authentication, authorization, and accounting for remote access, similar to RADIUS but more extensible and secure.
UTM
Unified Threat Management: A network security appliance that combines multiple security functions, such as firewall, antivirus, intrusion prevention, and content filtering, into a single device.
VLSM
Variable Length Subnet Mask: A technique that allows subnets to have different subnet masks, making more efficient use of IP address space.
VoIP
Voice over Internet Protocol: A technology that allows voice calls to be made over IP networks, such as the internet, instead of traditional phone lines.
IaaS
Infrastructure as a Service: A cloud computing model that provides virtualized computing resources over the internet, such as virtual machines, storage, and networking.
PaaS
Platform as a Service: A cloud computing model that provides a platform for developers to build, deploy, and manage applications without worrying about the underlying infrastructure.
IGMP
Internet Group Management Protocol: A network-layer protocol used by hosts and adjacent routers to establish multicast group memberships.
QoE
Quality of Experience: A measure of the overall performance of a service from the user’s perspective, taking into account factors such as reliability, usability, and response time.
RAID
Redundant Array of Independent Disks: A data storage technology that combines multiple disk drives to improve performance, reliability, or both.
RPO
Recovery Point Objective: A metric that defines the maximum amount of data loss that can be tolerated in a disaster recovery scenario.
RTO
Recovery Time Objective: A metric that defines the maximum amount of time it takes to restore a system after a disaster or outage.
SIP
Session Initiation Protocol: A signaling protocol used to establish, modify, and terminate multimedia sessions, such as voice and video calls, over IP networks.
SONET
Synchronous Optical Networking: A standard for high-speed, fiber-optic communication that uses a synchronous, time-division multiplexing scheme.
SOHO
Small Office/Home Office: A term used to describe small businesses or remote workers operating from a home office.
URI
Uniform Resource Identifier: A string of characters that identifies a name or resource on the internet, such as a URL or URN.
URL
Uniform Resource Locator: A specific type of URI that provides the location of a resource on the internet and the protocol used to access it.
URN
Uniform Resource Name: A specific type of URI that provides a unique and persistent identifier for a resource without specifying its location.
VRRP
Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol: A protocol that allows multiple routers to work together to provide redundancy and load balancing for a network.
ZTNA
Zero Trust Network Access: A security model that requires strict verification and validation of every device, user, and application before granting access to network resources.
ICMP
Internet Control Message Protocol: A network-layer protocol used to send error messages and operational information, such as echo requests and replies (ping).
HSRP
Hot Standby Router Protocol: A Cisco proprietary protocol that allows multiple routers to work together to provide redundancy and load balancing for a network, similar to VRRP.
OSPF
Open Shortest Path First: A link-state, interior gateway routing protocol that uses a shortest-path-first algorithm to determine the best path for data transmission.
MPLS
Multiprotocol Label Switching: A protocol-agnostic switching technique that improves network performance by directing data from one node to the next based on short path labels.
DNSSEC
Domain Name System Security Extensions: A suite of extensions that adds security to the DNS protocol by providing origin authentication and data integrity.
MAN
Metropolitan Area Network: A network that spans a city or campus. MANs are larger than LANs but smaller than WANs. It is often used to connect a number of LANs together to form a larger network.
PAN
Personal Area Network: A network designed for personal or small workspace communication, often within a range of ten meters, such as within a home or office. Bluetooth is a common technology used in PANs.
SAN
Storage Area Network: A network designed to provide high-speed connection in server-to-storage and storage-to-storage environments. It’s used extensively in enterprise-level storage.
CAN
Campus Area Network: A network that spans multiple LANs but smaller than a MAN, such as in a university or local business campus.
