AP Computer Science Principles - Networking + TCP/IP Terms/Definitions

firewall

A section of a computing system or a network that blocks unauthorized access and still allows outward communication. It monitors incoming and outgoing network traffic based on a set of predetermined rules.

NAT (Network Address Translation)

A small network of devices, each with their own private IP address, that share a public IP address at the same time.

IP address

A unique sequence of numbers separated into dotted quad that identifies each computer using Internet Protocol to communicate over a network.

data packet

A unit of data made into a single package that travels a given network path.

TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) Packet

Allows computer applications to exchange data within a network. One of the most basic forms of packaging information; provides for reliable, ordered, and error-checked delivery of information between applications communicating over an IP network. Numbered packets are sent and tracked while receiver sends a confirmation message back. Known for its reliability and guaranteed form of transmission.

ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) Packet

Allows the source of a sent packet to be notified when the receiver is missing some of the pieces.

IAB (Internet Architecture Board)

Charged by ISOC with engineering and technical developments (ex: Internet standards, security, networking protocol, RFC documents, namespace).

Intranet/Local Area Network (LAN)

Computers in proximity to each that communicate via a shared network; usually not publicly accessible to the greater internet.

DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)

Devices on the same network reuse IP addresses; multiple devices share the same IP address at different times.

processes/applications

Layer Four of the TCP/IP Reference Model: Provides the user's interface for applications and data. Establishes and terminates connections. HTTP, FTP, DHCP, and email, among others, work at this layer.

network/physical

Layer One of the TCP/IP Reference Model: Controls transmissions/reception of electrical signals according to physical specifications, moves the bits (in 1s and 0s) from one device to another.

transport (TCP)

Layer Three of the TCP/IP Reference Model: Provides reliable, full duplex transfer of information between applications; provides unacknowledged messaging between applications. Multiplexes communication between applications.

Internet (IP)

Layer Two of the TCP/IP Reference Model: Packets have IP addresses associated with them, provides best effort of delivery of this data between hosts.

TLD (Top-Level Domain)

One of the domains at the highest level in the hierarchical DNS, the right-most part of a URL. Example: the ".org" in "spx.org"

IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force)

Open standards organization appointed by the IAB, focuses on short-term engineering issues; oversees TCP/IP and the Internet Protocol Suite.

IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority)

Oversees/assigns IP addresses.

ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers)

Oversees/assigns domain names.

SSL/TSL (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security)

Protocols that provide communication security over a computer networks, aim to provide privacy/data integrity between communicating computers.

IP (Internet Protocol) Suite

Provides end-to-end data communication specifying how data should be packetized, addressed, transmitted, routed and received.

ISOC (Internet Society)

Provides oversight on Internet policy matters, standards, and education.

mainframe

Room-sized computers used primarily by large organizations for critical applications, bulk data processing, enterprise and resource planning, and transaction processing.

UDP (User Datagram Protocol) Packet

Used to send messages with a simple, connection-less transmission. Used where error checking is not necessary but speed is prioritized.

TCP/IP

Used together to transfer data between two networks on the Internet - one establishes and maintains the connection while the other controls the information flow.

Shut off the old protocols

What did Vint Cerf do in 1982 to force everyone to use the newer TCP/IP protocols?

UCLA and Stanford

What universities were the first two "nodes" on the Internet connection?

Vint Cerf

Who is considered the "Father of the Internet?"

5 parts of a URL; protocol://host [:port] [/path [#tag] ]

- What are the following? 1. protocol 2. host 3. port 4. path 5. tag - What is the proper formatting for these terms?

Ping of Death

A Denial of Service (DoS) attack caused by sending a malformed packet to a server. Some systems can crash, freeze, or reboot when they receive an improper packet.

ISP (Internet Service Provider)

A company that provides subscribers with access to the Internet.

web server

A computer system which uses HTTP to process requests.

proxy server

A computer that acts as a gateway between a local network (e.g., all the computers at one company or in one building) and a larger-scale network such as the Internet.

DNS (Domain Name System)

A decentralized service that associates a domain name with its IP address.

router

A device that forwards data packets between different networks, directing traffic on the Internet.

switch

A device that switches direct and filter network traffic within a single network, switching transfers the packets from its source to its destination using its physical device (MAC) address.

TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) Ports

A direct connection between ports, numbered/assigned to specific services.

WWW (World Wide Web)

A network of online content accessed via HTTP or HTTPS.

ping (Packet Internet Groper)

A networking utility program or a tool to test if a particular host is reachable; sends data packets to a server and if it receives data packets back, then there is a connection; used by network administrators to determine if a specific computer is online and accessible.

1977

In what year did the Internet expand to include three different types of networks?

1982

In what year was the Internet switched over to the newer TCP/IP protocols?

1973

In what year was the TCP system invented?

1969

In what year was the first computer connection made on the Internet?

ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency)

The agency that underwrote the development for the precursor of the Internet (the ARPANET), a government and military experiment in data and packet transfer.

W3C (World Wide Web Consortium)

The international standards organization for the World Wide Web.

bandwidth

The maximum capacity of data transferred between two connections or the rate data travels from one point to another.

CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research)

The organization that invented the World Wide Web in 1989.

NIU/NIC (Network Interface Unit/Connection/Card)

The point of interconnection between a computer and a private/public network.

IPv6

The replacement for IPv4 addresses (not interoperable), 3.4 x 10^38 available IP addresses.

HTTP/HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol/Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure)

The standard network protocol used for information systems; the foundation of data communication for the World Wide Web.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

The standard network protocol used for the transfer of files between computers.

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)

The standard protocol used to send and deliver emails, uses TCP Port #25.

backbone

The term for the high-speed Internet connections spanning across the country.

URL/URI

The textual address of a World Wide Web page, or a web address; it is a reference to a web resource that specifies its location on a computer network and the means to retrieve it.