Network administration

Terms related to managing computer networks, including definitions about LANS or WANS and words and phrases about network design, troubleshooting, security and backups.
  • What is Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)? - Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is an application-layer protocol for monitoring and managing network devices on a local area network or wide area network.
  • What is SIP trunking (Session Initiation Protocol trunking)? - Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) trunking is a service a communications service provider offers that uses the protocol to provision voice over IP (VoIP) and multimedia connectivity between an on-premises phone system and the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
  • What is software-defined networking (SDN)? - Software-defined networking (SDN) is a networking approach in which software is used to easily configure and centrally manage IT networks.
  • What is SSH (Secure Shell) and How Does It Work? - SSH (Secure Shell or Secure Socket Shell) is a network protocol that gives users -- particularly systems administrators -- a secure way to access a computer over an unsecured network.
  • What is TCP/IP? - TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol and is a suite of communication protocols used to interconnect network devices on the internet.
  • What is Telnet? - Telnet is a network protocol used to remotely access a computer for a text-based communication channel between two machines.
  • What is the data link layer in the OSI model? - The data link layer is the protocol layer in a program that handles how data moves in and out of a physical link in a network.
  • What is the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol? How does it work? - The Server Message Block (SMB) protocol is a client-server communication protocol used for sharing access to files, printers, serial ports and other resources on a network.
  • What is Wi-Fi Piggybacking? - Piggybacking, in the context of Wi-Fi, is the use of a wireless connection to gain access to the internet without proper authority.
  • Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) - Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) is a Windows server role that can plan, manage and deploy updates, service packs, patches and hotfixes for Windows servers, client operating systems (OSes) and other Microsoft software.
  • wireless ad hoc network (WANET) - A wireless ad hoc network (WANET) is a type of local area network (LAN) that is built spontaneously to enable two or more wireless devices to be connected to each other without requiring typical network infrastructure equipment, such as a wireless router or access point.
  • wireless distribution system (WDS) - A wireless distribution system (WDS) is a method of interconnecting access points (AP) in a wireless local area network (WLAN) without requiring that they connect through a wired backbone.
  • Wireshark - Wireshark is a widely used network protocol analyzer that lets users capture and view the details of network traffic in real time.
  • Zabbix - Zabbix is an open source monitoring software tool for diverse IT components, including networks, servers, virtual machines (VMs) and cloud services.
  • zero client - Zero client, also known as ultrathin client, is a server-based computing model in which the end user's computing device has no local storage.
  • zero-touch provisioning (ZTP) - Zero-touch provisioning (ZTP) is a method of setting up devices that automatically configures the device using a switch feature.