Network Terms Flashcards
Packet
- small amount of data sent over a computer network
- when something is transmitted over a network, it’s broken down into packets to be sent. At the final destination it is reassembled
Switch
- lots of Ethernet ports to connect devices in LAN
- forwards packets to the intended destination - uses MAC address of each device
(Learns the MAC addresses and is told the MAC adress in the metadata)
MAC address
media access control address is a unique identifier each hardware device on a Network has.
It is manufactured into every network card (a piece of hardware that allows network connectivity) and do cannot be changed.
Hub
- connects devices together
- packets are sent to everything (except sender) - less efficient/private
Router
- Forwards packets to make sure they reach their destination
- Pass data through different networks
- may be used to forward packets from LAN to ISP (internet service provider) then the internet
- Learns fastest ways to get to certain places
Wireless Access point
- allows connection to a wired network using Wi-Fi
- can be standalone or part of a router, making it a wireless router
Server
A provider of a service our resource
Client
A requestor of a service from a server
Protocol
Threse are rules that define data transitions.
In order for devices to communicate, they need to ‘agree’ on certain properties. Otherwise errors would frequently occur and nothing would be able to communicate.
IP addressing
Assignment of an Internet protocol address. Unique identifier each node on a network has.
Networks (internet) using the protocols TPC/IP transmit data based on the destinations IP address.
IP addresses are unique to a network but can be changed.