TLU4 - Local Area Network

Flashcards for all important definitions in Chapter 4 of the IT theory textbook Local Area Networks.

Network

Connected computing devices called nodes.

LAN

The networking capabilities of a group of computers which are found near each other.

Node

Any device on a network that can send and/or receive data.

Twisted-Pair cable

A cable consisting of two insulated strands of copper wire twisted around each other.

Eavesdropping

Signals travelling along copper cables can be intercepted by outsiders.

Attenuation

Copper cables lose signal strength over a distance.

Crosstalk

Signals from one line interfering with signals from another line.

Electro-Magnetic Interference

Nearby signals from other sources such as machinery can corrupt the signals traveling in copper cables.

Fibre optic cable

Optical fibres carry digital data signals in the form of pulses of light.

Bluetooth

A wireless technology standard for sending data over short distances. (Creating PAN network with high levels of security).

Near Field Communication

Provides wireless connection between two devices within close proximity.

Radio Waves

A type of electromagnetic wave known, for its use in communication technologies and data transfer.

Broadcast communication

A communication channel that is shared by all the devices in the network.

Point to Point

Directly connects two nodes of a network.

Topology

The physical setup of a network.

Star Topology

The cable that is connected to the NIC in each computer and has its other end in a port on a switch.

Bus Topology

All nodes connect to or hang off a single cable which has a terminator at each end.

Ring Topology

All the nodes are connected to each other in a closed loop.

Hybrid Topology

A combination of two or more different network topologies.

Ethernet

A technology that connects nodes in a local area network and enables them to communicate with each other through a common protocol.

IP Address

A numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network so that the device can communicate on the Internet.

MAC Address

A hardware identification number that uniquely identifies each device on a network.

Internet protocols

Protocols define how data is transmitted between computing devices and over networks.

Address Resolution Protocol

Each device in the network has a unique MAC address which needs to be linked to the computer’s IP address in an ARP table.

Domain Host Configuration Protocol

Takes all the manual work out of IP addressing.

Domain Name Servers

The Internet’s equivalent of a phone book.

TCP/IP

A communication protocol for the Internet, it defines the rules computers must follow in order to communicate with each other over the Internet.

User Datagram Protocol

A transportation protocol that is one of the important protocols of the Internet protocols.

Network Interface Card (NIC)

The physical interface between the computer and the network. Handles data transmission & reception by packaging data from the CPU into network frames.

Repeater

Hardware device used to boost the degraded signal between network segments.

Bridge

Strengthens and looks at the MAC addresses of signals only forwarding data packets to a different network segment.

Switch

Boosts signals and inspects the source & destination MAC addresses.

Router

Routes TCP/IP traffic between devices and the internet or other networks.

Wireless Access Point

A networking device that allows wireless capable devices to connect to a wired network.

Hotspots

A physical site that offers Internet access with the use of a router/ wireless access point connected to a link to an ISP.

Wi-FI Router

A hybrid device that enables multiple computers to connect to the same network and access the Internet.

Wireless Mesh Network

Comprises of multiple wireless nodes with access points that collectively share the network connection over a large area.