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| Protocol | 1.) Formal description of a set of rules and conventions that govern
how devices on a network exchange information.
2.) Field within an IP datagram that indicates the upper layer (Layer 4) protocol sending the datagram. |
| Routing Table | Table stored in a router or some other internetworking device that keeps track of routes to particular network destinations and, in some cases, metrics associated with those routes. |
| Scalability | The ability to expand and update without major changes in the overall design of the network. |
| Segmenting | Dividing a network into segments bounded by bridges, routers or switches. |
| Single-mode fiber | Fiber-optic cabling with a narrow core that allows light to enter only at a single angle. Such cabling has higher bandwidth than multimode fiber, but requires a light source with a narrow spectral width (for example, a laser). |
| Star Topology | LAN topology in which end points on a network are connected to a common central switch by point-to-point links. A ring topology that is organized as a star implements a unidirectional closed-loop star, instead of point-to-point links. |
| Subnets | 1.) In IP networks, a network sharing a particular subnet address. Subnets are networks arbitrarily segmented by a network administrator in order to provide a multilevel, hierarchical routing structure while shielding the subnetwork from the addressing complexity of attached networks. |
| Twisted-pair cable | Relatively low-speed transmission medium consisting of two insulated wires arranged in a regular spiral pattern. The wires can be shielded or unshielded. Twisted pair is common in telephony applications and is increasingly common in data networks. |
| VCC (Virtual Channel Connection) | Logical circuit, made up of VCLs, that carries data between two end points in an ATM network. |
| Vertical cabling | Cabling that provides interconnections between wiring closets, wiring closets and the POP, and between buildings that are part of the same LAN. |
| WAN (Wide-Area Network) | Data communications network that serves users across a broad geographic area and often uses transmission devices provided by common carriers. |
| Workgroup | Collection of workstations and servers on a LAN that are designed to communicate and exchange data with one another. |
| 10Base-T | 10-Mbps baseband Ethernet specification using two pairs of twisted-pair cabling (Cat 3, 4, or 5): one pair for transmitting data and the other for receiving data. 10BASE-T, which is part of the IEEE 802.3 specification, has a distance limit of approximately 100 meters per segment. |
| 100Base-FX | 100-Mbps baseband Fast Ethernet specification using two strands of multimode fiber-optic cable per link. To guarantee proper signal timing, a 100BASE-FX link cannot exceed 400 meters in length. |
| 100Base-TX | 100-Mbps baseband Fast Ethernet specification using two pairs of either UTP or STP wiring. The first pair of wires is used to receive data; the second is used to transmit. To guarantee proper signal timing, a 100BASE-TX segment cannot exceed 100 meters in length. |