Networking and communications

Terms related to networking and communications, including definitions about network protocols and words and phrases about data transmission.
  • 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, knowledge, information, goods and services spread around 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).
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 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.
  • intranet of things - An intranet of things is a closed network that includes smart sensors and actuators.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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, or data packet, with a payload greater than the standard size 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, commonly known as TCP/IP, used in the IEEE 802.
  • 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 are connected together within a distinct geographic area, such as an office building or campus.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 Teams - Microsoft Teams is cloud-based team collaboration software that offers core capabilities, including business messaging, calling, video meetings and file sharing.
  • 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 enables existing twisted-pair copper cabling to exceed the cable's specified limit of 1 gigabit per second (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.
  • NetBIOS (Network Basic Input/Output System) - NetBIOS (Network Basic Input/Output System) is a network service that enables applications on different computers to communicate with each other across a local area network (LAN).
  • Network as a Service (NaaS) - Network as a service, or NaaS, is a business model for delivering enterprise WAN services virtually on a subscription basis.
  • network convergence - Network convergence is the efficient coexistence of telephone, video and data communication within a single network.
  • network drive - A network drive is a shared storage device on a local area network (LAN) within a business or home.
  • network fabric - 'Network fabric' is a general term used to describe underlying data network infrastructure as a whole.
  • Network File System (NFS) - Network File System (NFS) is a networking protocol for distributed file sharing.
  • Network layer - Located at Layer 3 of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) communications model, the primary function of the network layer is to move data into and through other networks.
  • network load balancing (NLB) - Network load balancing (NLB) is a feature in multiple versions of the Microsoft Windows Server operating system (OS), Amazon Web Services (AWS) and other cloud service providers that distribute network traffic among multiple servers or virtual machines (VMs) within a cluster to avoid overloading any one host and improve performance.
  • network management system - A network management system, or NMS, is an application or set of applications that lets network engineers manage a network's independent components inside a bigger network management framework and performs several key functions.
  • network operating system (NOS) - A network operating system (NOS) is a computer operating system (OS) that's designed primarily to support workstations, PCs and, in some instances, older terminals that are connected on a local area network (LAN).
  • network operations center (NOC) - A network operations center (NOC) is a centralized place from which enterprise information technology (IT) administrators -- either internal or third party -- supervise, monitor and maintain a telecommunications network.
  • network performance monitoring (NPM) - Network performance monitoring (NPM) is the process of measuring and monitoring the quality of service of a network.
  • network protocol - A network protocol is a set of established rules that specify how to format, send and receive data so that computer network endpoints, including computers, servers, routers and virtual machines, can communicate despite differences in their underlying infrastructures, designs or standards.
  • network service provider (NSP) - A network service provider (NSP) is a company that owns, operates and sells access to internet backbone infrastructure and services.
  • network switch - A network switch connects devices in a network to each other, enabling them to talk by exchanging data packets.
  • Next Hop Resolution Protocol (NHRP) - Next Hop Resolution Protocol (NHRP) is an automated configuration technology that routes data on a distributed network by discovering the best routing path between endpoints.
  • NFVi (network functions virtualization infrastructure) - NFVi (network functions virtualization infrastructure) encompasses all of the networking hardware and software needed to support and connect virtual network functions in carrier networks.
  • nibble - In computing and digital technology, a nibble is four consecutive binary digits or half of an 8-bit byte.
  • nslookup - Nslookup is the name of a program that lets users enter a host name and find out the corresponding IP address or domain name system (DNS) record.
  • OAuth (Open Authorization) - OAuth (Open Authorization) is an open standard authorization framework for token-based authorization on the internet.
  • ONC (Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology) - The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, abbreviated ONC, is an entity within the U.
  • ONOS (Open Network Operating System) - Open Network Operating System (ONOS) is an OS designed to help network service providers build carrier-grade software-defined networks architected for high scalability, availability and performance.
  • operational support system (OSS) - An operational support system (OSS) is a set of programs that helps a communications service provider monitor, control, analyze and manage a telephone or computer network.
  • orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) - Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) is a method of data transmission where a single information stream is split among several closely spaced narrowband subchannel frequencies instead of a single wideband channel frequency.
  • OSI model (Open Systems Interconnection) - OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) is a reference model for how applications communicate over a network.
  • packet coalescing - Packet coalescing involves using a computer's network interface card (NIC) to reduce the number of generated receive interrupts the adapter issues.
  • packet filtering - Packet filtering is the process of passing or blocking data packets at a network interface by a firewall based on source and destination addresses, ports or protocols.
  • payload (computing) - In computing, a payload is the carrying capacity of a packet or other transmission data unit.
  • peer-to-peer network (P2P network) - A peer-to-peer (P2P) network is a network in which each computer functions as a client or server for other computers in the network.
  • Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe, PCI-E) - Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe or PCI-E) is a serial expansion bus standard for connecting a computer to one or more peripheral devices.
  • persistent connection - A persistent connection, also known as an HTTP persistent connection, refers to a network communication channel that remains open for further HTTP requests and responses instead of closing after a single exchange.
  • physical layer - The physical layer is the first and lowest layer of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) communications model.
  • plane (in networking) - A plane is an integral component of telecommunications architecture and networks.
  • Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) - Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) refers to a suite of computer communication protocols that provide a standard way to transport multiprotocol data over point-to-point links.
  • Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE) - Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE) is a network protocol that facilitates communication between network endpoints.
  • preamble - A preamble is a signal used in network communications to synchronize transmission timing between two or more systems.
  • presentation layer - The presentation layer resides at Layer 6 of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) communications model and ensures that communications that pass through it are in the appropriate form for the recipient application.
  • private branch exchange (PBX) - A private branch exchange is a telephone system within an enterprise that switches calls between users on local lines, while enabling all users to share a certain number of external phone lines.
  • private IP address - A private IP address is a range of non-internet facing IP addresses used in an internal network.