Networking and communications
Terms related to networking and communications, including definitions about network protocols and words and phrases about data transmission.ELE - NET
- electric grid - An electric grid is a network of synchronized power providers and consumers that are connected by transmission and distribution lines and operated by one or more control centers.
- electromagnetic interference (EMI) - Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is unwanted noise or interference in an electrical path or circuit caused by an outside source.
- encapsulation (object-orientated programming) - In object-oriented programming (OOP), encapsulation is the practice of bundling related data into a structured unit, along with the methods used to work with that data.
- encoding and decoding - Encoding and decoding are used in many forms of communications, including computing, data communications, programming, digital electronics and human communications.
- end-to-end principle - The end-to-end principle is a network design method in which application-specific features are kept at communication end points.
- extranet - An extranet is a private network that enterprises use to provide trusted third parties -- such as suppliers, vendors, partners, customers and other businesses -- secure, controlled access to business information or operations.
- failover - Failover is a backup operational mode in which the functions of a system component are assumed by a secondary component when the primary becomes unavailable.
- fax - A fax -- short for 'facsimile' and sometimes called 'telecopying' -- is the telephonic transmission of scanned-in printed material, including text or images.
- FCoE (Fibre Channel over Ethernet) - FCoE (Fibre Channel over Ethernet) is a storage protocol that enable Fibre Channel (FC) communications to run directly over Ethernet.
- FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface) - FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface) is a network standard that uses fiber optic connections in a local area network (LAN) that can extend in range up to 200 kilometers (124 miles).
- fiber optics (optical fiber) - Fiber optics, or optical fiber, refers to the technology that transmits information as light pulses along a glass or plastic fiber.
- fiber to the home (FTTH) - Fiber to the home (FTTH), also called fiber to the premises (FTTP), is the installation and use of optical fiber from a central point to individual buildings to provide high-speed internet access.
- fiber to the x (FTTx) - Fiber to the x (FTTx) is a collective term for various optical fiber delivery topologies that are categorized according to where the fiber terminates.
- File Transfer Access and Management (FTAM) - File Transfer Access and Management (FTAM) is an OSI application Layer 7 protocol that standardizes how files are accessed and managed in a distributed network file system.
- filter (computing) - The term filter in computing can mean a variety of things, depending on the technology or technical discipline in question.
- FiOS (Fiber Optic Service) - FiOS (Fiber Optic Service) is a fiber to the premises (FTTP) telecommunications service offered by Verizon to consumers in the United States.
- fixed-length subnet mask (FLSM) - A fixed-length subnet mask (FLSM) refers to a type of enterprise or provider networking where a block of IP addresses is divided into multiple subnets of equal length (i.
- flow routing - Flow routing is a network routing technology that takes variations in the flow of data into account to increase routing efficiency.
- free-space optics (FSO) - Free-space optics (FSO), also called free-space photonics (FSP), refers to the transmission of modulated visible or infrared (IR) beams through the atmosphere to obtain broadband communications.
- frequency jammer - Frequency jamming is the disruption of radio signals through use of an over-powered signal in the same frequency range.
- frequency-shift keying (FSK) - Frequency-shift keying (FSK) is a method of transmitting digital signals using discrete signals.
- fronthaul - Fronthaul, also known as mobile fronthaul, is a term that refers to the fiber-based connection of the cloud radio access network (C-RAN), a new type of cellular network architecture of centralized baseband units (BBUs) and remote radio heads (RRHs) at the access layer of the network.
- FTP (File Transfer Protocol) - FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a network protocol for transmitting files between computers over TCP/IP connections.
- full-duplex - Full-duplex data transmission means that data can be transmitted in both directions on a signal carrier at the same time.
- Gbps (billions of bits per second) - Gbps stands for billions of bits per second and is a measure of bandwidth on a digital data transmission medium such as optical fiber.
- geostationary satellite - A geostationary satellite is an Earth-orbiting satellite placed at an altitude of approximately 22,300 miles or 35,800 kilometers directly above the equator.
- gigabit (Gb) - In data communications, a gigabit (Gb) is 1 billion bits, or 1,000,000,000 (that is, 10^9) bits.
- globalization - Globalization is the process by which ideas, goods and services spread throughout the world.
- graceful degradation - Graceful degradation is the ability of a computer, machine, electronic system or network to maintain limited functionality even when a large portion of it has been destroyed or rendered inoperative.
- green networking - Green networking is the practice of selecting energy-efficient networking technologies and products and minimizing resource use whenever possible.
- greenfield deployment - A greenfield deployment is the design, installation and configuration of computer infrastructure where none existed before, for example, in a new office.
- GUID (global unique identifier) - A GUID (globally unique identifier) is a 128-bit text string that represents an identification (ID).
- hairpinning - In general telecommunication, hairpinning is returning a message from an origin endpoint back in the direction it came from as a way to get it to its destination endpoint.
- HAProxy - HAProxy is a high-performance, open source load balancer and reverse proxy for TCP and HTTP applications.
- HDLC (High-level Data Link Control) - HDLC (High-level Data Link Control) is a group of protocols or rules for transmitting data between network points (sometimes called nodes).
- hop off - Hop off is a term used in telecommunications that refers to a point at which a signal or call leaves a network and moves to another network.
- host (in computing) - A host is a computer or other device that communicates with other hosts on a network.
- Hotspot 2.0 - Hotspot 2.0, also known as Wi-Fi Certified Passpoint, is a standard for public-access Wi-Fi that enables seamless roaming among Wi-Fi networks and between Wi-Fi and cellular networks.
- HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) - HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the set of rules for transferring files -- such as text, images, sound, video and other multimedia files -- over the web.
- IDSL - IDSL is a hybrid of a digital subscriber line (DSL) and integrated services digital network (ISDN) technology that transmits data slightly faster than ISDN but much slower than most DSL services.
- IEEE 802.3 - 802.3, or IEEE 802.
- incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) - An incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) is a type of U.
- Indefeasible Right of Use (IRU) - In telecommunications, the Indefeasible Right of Use (IRU) is a contractual agreement (temporary ownership) of a portion of the capacity of an international cable.
- InfiniBand - InfiniBand is an industry standard communications specification the InfiniBand Trade Association (IBTA) developed.
- infrared radiation (IR) - Infrared radiation (IR), sometimes referred to simply as infrared, is a region of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum where wavelengths range from about 700 nm to 1 mm.
- ingress filtering - Ingress filtering is a method used by enterprises and internet service providers to prevent suspicious traffic from entering a network.
- initialization vector - An initialization vector (IV) is an arbitrary number that can be used with a secret key for data encryption to foil cyber attacks.
- integration server - An integration server is a type of computer server that facilitates the interaction between different operating systems (OSes), services and applications across an enterprise IT environment.
- international private leased circuit (IPLC) - An international private leased circuit (IPLC) is a point-to-point private line used by an organization to communicate between offices that are dispersed throughout the world.
- Internet Key Exchange (IKE) - Internet Key Exchange (IKE) is a standard protocol used to set up a secure and authenticated communication channel between two parties via a virtual private network (VPN).
- internet metering - Internet metering is a service model in which an internet service provider (ISP) keeps track of bandwidth use and charges users accordingly.
- internet of things (IoT) - The internet of things, or IoT, is a network of interrelated devices that connect and exchange data with other IoT devices and the cloud.
- Internet Protocol (IP) - The Internet Protocol (IP) is the method or protocol by which data is sent from one computer to another on the internet.
- Internet Protocol suite (IP suite) - Internet Protocol suite (IP suite) is the standard network model and communication protocol stack used on the Internet and on most other computer networks.
- intranet of things - An intranet of things is a closed network that includes smart sensors and actuators.
- IoT middleware (Internet of Things middleware) - Internet of Things (IoT) middleware is software that serves as an interface between components of the IoT, joining elements that would not otherwise be able to connect and communicate.
- IoT security (internet of things security) - IoT security (internet of things security) is the technology segment focused on safeguarding connected devices and networks in IoT.
- IP PBX (private branch exchange) - An IP PBX is a private branch exchange (telephone switching system within an enterprise) that switches calls between VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol or IP) users on local lines while allowing all users to share a certain number of external phone lines.
- IPTV (Internet Protocol television) - IPTV (Internet Protocol television) is a service that provides television programming and other video content using the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite, as opposed to broadcast TV, cable TV or satellite signals.
- IPv4 address class - An IPv4 address class is a categorical division of internet protocol addresses in IPv4-based routing.
- IPv6 address - An IPv6 address is a 128-bit alphanumeric value that identifies an endpoint device in an Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) network.
- ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) - ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) is a standard bus (computer interconnection) architecture that was associated with the IBM AT motherboard.
- ISP (internet service provider) - An ISP (internet service provider) is a company that provides individuals and companies access to the internet and other related services.
- ITCH - ITCH is a direct data-feed interface that allows customers of the NASDAQ (National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations) to observe or disseminate information about stock trading activities.
- iterative DNS query - An iterative DNS query is a request for a website name or URL.
- jitter - Jitter is any deviation in, or displacement of, the signal pulses in a high-frequency digital signal.
- jumbo frames - A jumbo frame is an Ethernet frame with a payload greater than the standard maximum transmission unit (MTU) of 1,500 bytes.
- keystone jack - A keystone jack is a female connector used in audio, video and data communications.
- leaky bucket algorithm - The leaky bucket algorithm is a "traffic shaping" algorithm to reduce the load the transport layer places on the network layer and reduce congestion in the network.
- LEAP (Lightweight Extensible Authentication Protocol) - LEAP (Lightweight Extensible Authentication Protocol) is a Cisco-proprietary version of EAP, the authentication protocol used in wireless networks and Point-to-Point connections.
- leased line - A leased line is a bidirectional telephone line that has been rented for private voice, data exchange or telecommunication use.
- Link Control Protocol (LCP) - In computer networking, Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) provides a standard way to transport multiprotocol data over point-to-point links; within PPP, Link Control Protocol (LCP) establishes, configures and tests data link internet connections.
- link layer discovery protocol (LLDP) - The link layer discovery protocol (LLDP) is an open and extendable part of the Internet protocol suite used in IEEE 802 to advertise a device’s identity and abilities, as well as other devices connected within the same network.
- Linkerd - Linkerd is an open source network proxy installed as a service mesh for Kubernetes.
- load balancing - Load balancing is a technique used to distribute network traffic across a pool of servers known as a server farm.
- local area network (LAN) - A local area network (LAN) is a group of computers and peripheral devices that share a common communications line or wireless link to a server within a distinct geographic area.
- logical network - A logical network is a software-defined network topology or routing that is often different than the physical network.
- loose coupling - Loose coupling is an approach to interconnecting the components in a system, network or software application so that those components, also called elements, depend on each other to the least extent practicable.
- low earth orbit (LEO) satellite - A low earth orbit (LEO) satellite is an object, generally an electronic piece of equipment, that circles around the earth at lower altitudes than geosynchronous satellites.
- LTE (Long-Term Evolution) - LTE (Long-Term Evolution) is a fourth-generation (4G) wireless standard that provides increased network capacity and speed for cellphones and other cellular devices compared with third-generation (3G) technology.
- LZW compression - LZW compression is a method to reduce the size of Tag Image File Format (TIFF) or Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) files.
- MAC address (media access control address) - A MAC address (media access control address) is a 12-digit hexadecimal number assigned to each device connected to the network.
- machine-to-machine (M2M) - Machine-to-machine, or M2M, is a broad label that can be used to describe any technology that enables networked devices to exchange information and perform actions without the manual assistance of humans.
- managed file transfer (MFT) - Managed file transfer (MFT) is a type of software used to provide secure internal, external and ad-hoc data transfers through a network.
- Manchester encoding - In data transmission, Manchester encoding is a form of digital encoding in which a data bit's state -- 0 or 1 -- is represented by the transition from one voltage level to another.
- MDI/MDIX (medium-dependent interface/MDI crossover) - MDI/MDIX is a type of Ethernet port connection that uses twisted-pair cabling to link two networked devices.
- megabits per second (Mbps) - Megabits per second (Mbps) are units of measurement for network bandwidth and throughput.
- megahertz (MHz) - Megahertz (MHz) is a unit multiplier that represents one million hertz (106 Hz).
- Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit - Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit is a free utility IT can use to determine whether its infrastructure is prepared for a migration to a new operating system, server version or cloud-based deployment.
- Microsoft Azure - Microsoft Azure, formerly known as Windows Azure, is Microsoft's public cloud computing platform.
- Microsoft Teams - What is Microsoft Teams? Microsoft Teams is cloud-based team collaboration software that is part of the Microsoft 365 and Office 365 suite of applications.
- MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) - MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) is an antenna technology for wireless communications in which multiple antennas are used at both the source (transmitter) and the destination (receiver).
- Multipath I/O (MPIO) - Multipath I/O (MPIO) is a Microsoft framework designed to mitigate the effects of a host bus adapter (HBA) failure by providing an alternate data path between storage network devices.
- NACK (NAK, negative acknowledgment, not acknowledged) - NACK, or NAK, an abbreviation for negative acknowledgment or not acknowledged, is a signal used by computers or other devices to indicate that data transmitted over a network was received with errors or was otherwise unreadable.
- Nagios - Nagios is an open source IT system monitoring tool.
- NBASE-T Ethernet - NBASE-T Ethernet is an IEEE standard and Ethernet-signaling technology that allows existing twisted-pair copper cabling to exceed the cable's specified limit of 1 Gbps for distances of up to 100 meters.
- NBMA (non-broadcast multiple access) - Non-broadcast multiple access (NBMA) is one of four network types in the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) communications protocol.
- NDIS (Network Driver Interface Specification) - Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) is a Microsoft Windows specification for how communication protocol programs (such as TCP/IP) and network device drivers should communicate with each other.