MIS Appendix B

Coaxial Cable

A cable that can carry a wide range of frequencies with low signal loss. It consists of a metallic shield with a single wire placed along the center of a shield and isolated from the shield with an insulator

Network interface card

A card that plugs into the back or side of your computers and lets them send and receive messages from other computers

Network

A communications system created by linking two or more devices and establishing standard methodology in which they can communicate

Server

A computer that is dedicated to providing information in response to external requests

Client

A computer that is designed to request information from a server

Ethernet

A physical and data layer technology for LAN networking

Protocol

A standard that specifies the format of data as well as the rules to be followed during transmission (Ethernet and TCP/IP)

Bus

All devices are connected to a central cable, called the bus or backbone. Bus networks are relatively inexpensive and easy to install for small networks

Star

All devices are connected to a central device, called a hub. Star networks are relatively easy to install and manage, but bottlenecks can occur because all data must pass through the hub.

Ring

All devices are connected to one another in the shape of a closed loop, so that each device is connected directly to two other devices, one on either side of it. Ring topologies are relatively expensive and hard to install, but they offer high speed and can span large distances.

Router

An intelligent connecting device that examines each packet of data it receives and then decides which way to send it onward toward its destination

Peer-to-Peer Network

Any network without a central file server and in which all computers in the network have access to public files located on all other workstations, A computer network that relies on the computing power and bandwidth of the participants in the network rather than a centralized server.

Networks Differentiated By

Architecture, Topology, Protocols, and Media

Wireless

Devices are connected by signals between access points and wireless transmitters within a limited range.

Telecommunication System

Enable the transmission o data over public or private networks

TCP/IP Applications

File transfer protocol (FTP), Simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), Hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), Simple network management Protocol (SNMP)

Hybrid

Groups of star-configured workstations are connected to a linear bus backbone cable, combining the characteristics of the bus and star topologies

Client/server Network

Model for applications in which the bulk of the back-end processing takes place on a server, while the front-end processing is handled by the clients

Wireless Media

Natural parts of the Earth's environment that can be used as physical paths to carry electrical signals

Client/server Networks

Network operating system, packet switching, and router

Packet switching

Occurs when the sending computer divides a message into a number of efficiently sized unites called packets, each of which contains the address of the destination computer

Architecture

Peer-to-peer and client/server network

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

Provides the technical foundation for the public interest as well as for large numbers of private network

Twisted Pair Wiring

Refers to a type of cable composed of four or more copper wires twisted around each other within a plastic sheath

Network topology

Refers to the geometric arrangement of the actual physical organization of the computers and other network devices in a network (bus, star, ring, hybrid, and wireless)

Fiber Optic

Refers to the technology associated with the transmission of information as light implulses along a glass wire or fiber

Network Transmission Media

Refers to the various types of media used to carry the signal between computers

Network transmission media

Refers to the various types of media used to carry the signal between computers (wire media guided and wireless media non guided)

Interoperability

The capability of two or more computer systems to share data and resources, even though they are made by different manufacturers

Hub

The hardware to perform traffic control

Cable

The medium to connect all the computer

Network operations system

The operating system that runs a network, steering information between computers and managing security and users

Wire Media

Transmission material manufactured so that signals will be confined to a narrow path and will behave predictably (twisted-pair wiring, coaxial cable, and fiber optic/optical fiber)

Voice over IP (VoIP)

Uses TCP/IP technology to transmit voice calls over long-distance telephone lines