Networking Basics

cisco

Electrical Signals

Transmission by electrical pulses on copper wire

Optical Signals

Transmission by converting electrical signals into light pulses

Wireless signals

Transmission by infrared, microwave, or radio waves through the air

Bit (binary digit)

Basic unit of information that represents one of two discrete states, 0 & 1

Inferred Data

Data that you agree to share

Volunteered Data

Data that you create and input

Observed Data

Data captured by observing individuals

Bandwidth

The maximum amount of data transferred per second

Throughput

The actual amount of data transferred per second

Latency

The amount of time, including delays, it takes for data to travel from one point to the other

Network media

The cables and wires used in wired networks and the radio frequency waves used in wireless networks

Actuator

Device used to produce physical movement from input signals

Server

Hosts that have software installed, allowing them to transfer email to other hosts on the network

Client

Computer hosts with software installed, allowing the server to request and display information

peer to peer (P2P)

Network or application where computers function as both the server and client

End Device

The source or destination of transferred data

Cable

Internet data carried on the same coaxial cable as cable television

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)

High bandwidth, always on connection using existing land-line telephone wires

Internet Service Provider (ISP)

A company that connects users to the internet via cable, DSL, fiber, cellular, satellite, or dial-up

Tethering

Connection of a mobile device to another in order to share a network conneciton

Bluetooth

Device pairing process to communicate over short distances of 100 meters

NFC

Allows devices to communicate via radio waves in a very short distance, “hands free”

Ethernet Port

Ports connected to the interal switch portion of the router; all devices are on the same local network, including wireless

Internet Port

Ports used to connect a device to a different network

Category 5e Cable

Cable made of 4 pairs, twisted to reduce electrical interference; ethernet

Coaxial Cable

Inner wire surrounded by an insulating tubular layer; cable TV

Fiber-Optic Cable

Long distance, thin wire capable of very high bandwidth communication; underground fiber lines