Glossary

See also Basic Network Glossary.

3G

4G

compression

congestion

data integrity

datagram

A self-contained, independent entity of data carrying sufficient information to be routed from the source to the destination computer without reliance on earlier exchanges between this source and destination computer and the transporting network (FOLDOC, retrieved 2013-08-10). (Compare with packet.)

deadlock

error checking

extranet

flow control

internet

Internet

intranet

LAN

LTE

MAC

network

node

Open Systems Interconnection (OSI)

A model of network architecture and a suite of protocols (a protocol stack) to implement it, developed by ISO in 1978 as a framework for international standards in heterogeneous computer network architecture. ¶The OSI architecture is split between seven layers, from lowest to highest: 1 physical layer, 2 data link layer, 3 network layer, 4 transport layer, 5 session layer, 6 presentation layer, 7 application layer. ¶Each layer uses the layer immediately below it and provides a service to the layer above. In some implementations a layer may itself be composed of sub-layers (FOLDOC, retrieved 2013-08-10).

P2P

packet

The unit of data sent across a network. Packet is a generic term used to describe a unit of data at any layer of the OSI protocol stack, but it is most correctly used to describe application layer data units (“application protocol data unit,” APDU) (FOLDOC, retrieved 2013-08-10). (Compare with datagram.)

PAN

protocol

SAN

standard

VLAN

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

The use of encryption in the lower protocol layers to provide a secure connection through an otherwise insecure network, typically the Internet. VPNs are generally cheaper than real private networks using private lines but rely on having the same encryption system at both ends. The encryption may be performed by firewall software or possibly by routers. ¶Link-level (layer 2 and 3) encryption provides extra protection by encrypting all of each datagram except the link-level information. This prevents a listener from obtaining information about network structure. While link-level encryption prevents traffic analysis (a form of attack), it must encrypt/decrypt on every hop and every path. ¶Protocol-level encryption (layer 3 and 4) encryption encrypts protocol data but leaves protocol and link headers clear. While protocol-level encryption requires you to encrypt/decrypt data only once, and it encrypts/decrypts only those sessions that need it, headers are sent as clear text, allowing traffic analysis. ¶Application (layer 5 up) encryption is based on a particular application and requires that the application be modified to incorporate encryption. (FOLDOC, retrieved 2013-08-10).

WAN

WiFi

WiMAX

WLAN

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