To: Ms. Simpson, one of the best teachers there are at Meadowcreek.

Computer Network - A network is a group of computers connected together in a way that allows information to be exchanged between the computers.

Packet: A piece of a message transmitted over a packet-switching network.

Local Area Network (LAN): A computer network that links devices within a building or group of adjacent buildings.

Wide Area Network (WAN): A computer network in which the computers connected may be far apart, generally having a radius of half a mile or more.

Node - A node is anything that is connected to the network. While a node is typically a computer, it can also be something like a printer or CD-ROM tower.

Media Access Control (MAC) address - This is the physical address of any device -- such as the NIC in a computer -- on the network. The MAC address, which is made up of two equal parts, is 6 bytes long. The first 3 bytes identify the company that made the NIC. The second 3 bytes are the serial number of the NIC itself.

IP Address: Short for Internet Protocol (IP) address. An IP address is an identifier for a computer or device on a TCP/IP network. Networks using the TCP/IP protocol route messages based on the IP address of the destination

Bus Topology: A bus network is a network topology in which nodes are directly connected to a common linear (or branched) half-duplex link called a bus.

Ring Topology: A ring network is a network topology in which each node connects to exactly two other nodes, forming a single continuous pathway for signals through each node - a ring. Data travels from node to node, with each node along the way handling every packet.

Star Topology:  In a star network, each node is connected to a central device called a hub. The hub takes a signal that comes from any node and passes it along to all the other nodes in the network. A hub does not perform any type of filtering or routing of the data. It is simply a junction that joins all the different nodes together.

Network Token: In networking, a token is a special series of bits that travels around a token-ring network. As the token circulates, computers attached to the network can capture it. The token acts like a ticket, enabling its owner to send a message across the network. There is only one token for each network, so there is no possibility that two computers will attempt to transmit messages at the same time.

Tree Topology:  A tree topology combines characteristics of linear bus and star topologies. It consists of groups of star-configured workstations connected to a linear bus backbone cable.

Protocol: An agreed-upon format for transmitting data between two devices. The protocol determines the following:

• the type of error checking to be used
• data compression method, if any
• how the sending device will indicate that it has finished sending a message
• how the receiving device will indicate that it has received a message

Peer-to-Peer Architecture: Often referred to simply as peer-to-peer, or abbreviated P2P, a type of network in which each workstation has equivalent capabilities and responsibilities.

Client-Server Architecture: Client-server architecture (client/server) is a network architecture in which each computer or process on the network is either a client or a server.

Hub: A hub is a common connection point for devices in a network. Hubs are commonly used to connect segments of a LAN.