COMPUTER NETWORK

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

Local area network (LAN) technologies connect many devices that are relatively close to each other, usually in the same building.

Wide Area Network

Wide area network(WAN) technologies connect a smaller number of devices that can be many kilometers apart.

Node

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

Media Access Control (MAC) address - This is the physical address of any device -- such as the NIC in a computer -- on the network.

IP Adress

 An IP address is an identifier for a computer or device on a TCP/IP network. 

Bus Topology

 Each node is daisy-chained (connected one right after the other) along the same backbone, similar to Christmas lights. 

Ring Topology

Ring - Like a bus network, rings have the nodes daisy-chained. The difference is that the end of the network comes back around to the first node, creating a complete circuit.

NETWORK TOKEN

a token is a special series of bits that travels around a token-ring network.

STAR TOPOLOGY

 In a star network, each node is connected to a central device called a hub.

TREE TOPOLOGY

 A tree topology combines characteristics of linear bus and star topologies.

PROTOCOL

An agreed-upon format for transmitting data between two devices.

PEER-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. This differs from client/server architectures, in which some computers are dedicated to serving the others.

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.

HUBS

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