ICT Fundamentals: Networks and Applications Vocabulary

Vocabulary terms and definitions extracted directly from Unit 1 ICT Fundamentals covering networking principles, guided and unguided communication media, recognition systems, expert systems, and data technologies.

Computer Network

A collection of two or more computers linked together to share resources such as printers and folders, exchange files, and interact in a secure manner.

Internet

The network of networks; the power of connected computer networks all over the world.

Packets

Small parts into which data sent over a computer network is broken down for transmission.

Message

The core of a data communication system representing the data or piece of information to be communicated, which can be text, image, audio, or other forms.

Sender

The device (such as a computer, mobile phone, or tablet) that sends the message in a data communication system.

Receiver

The destination device (such as a computer, mobile phone, or tablet) where the sent message arrives.

Transmission Medium

The path that acts as a bridge between sender and receiver through which the message is transmitted, categorized as guided (wired) or unguided (wireless).

Protocols

A set of rules designed by communication system developers that govern the communication and represent an agreement between communicating devices.

PAN (Personal Area Network)

A network that connects devices within a user's personal area, covering distances from centimeters to meters.

LAN (Local Area Network)

A computer network contained within a small geographic area in the same building, such as a laboratory or university campus.

MAN (Metropolitan Area Network)

A computer network connecting devices within a metropolitan area, such as one large city or multiple cities and districts.

WAN (Wide Area Network)

A large telecommunication network covering large distances, commonly used by businesses to connect separate office LANs.

Private Network

A network connection with limited access where outside devices cannot access it except as authorized by encoding settings in routers and access points.

VPN (Virtual Private Network)

A private network that uses public telecommunication infrastructure like the internet to provide a secure and reliable link between networks.

Server

A computer responsible for managing network resources such as hardware, storage, and files to serve other client computers.

Client

A PC on a network that benefits from the services provided by a server.

Twisted Pair

Ordinary copper wire used for telephone communications and Ethernet networks, available in Unshielded (UTP) and Shielded (STP) forms.

Coaxial Cable

An electrical cable consisting of an inner conductor, an insulating layer, and conductive shielding, designed for fast data transmission without external interference.

Fiber Optics

A network cable containing strands of glass fibers inside an insulated casing that transmits data using pulses of light from lasers or LEDs over long distances.

Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity)

A high-speed wireless network connection method that uses radio waves to connect senders and receivers.

LiFi (Light Fidelity)

A wireless transmission system that sends data over visible light using LEDs and a chip at speeds around $100\,Gbps$.

Bluetooth Communication

A wireless technology using specific wavelengths to transmit data to connected devices over short distances.

Infrared (IR) Communication

A short-range wireless technology using wavelengths longer than visible light, making it invisible to the human eye.

Cellular Communication

A wireless network technology facilitating communication over geographic areas divided into cells serviced by transceivers known as cell sites.

Satellite Communication

The use of satellite technology involving ground stations and orbiting satellites to provide voice, video, internet, fax, TV, and radio services.

Expert Systems

Computer programs that mimic and imitate human expert behavior using artificial intelligence tools, concepts, and technologies to perform specialized tasks.

Biometrics

The measurement and calculation of an individual's physiological features (such as fingerprints, iris patterns, or facial features) used for authentication and access control.

MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition)

A character-recognition technology using magnetic ink printed at the bottom left of cheques to read bank codes, account numbers, and cheque numbers.

OMR (Optical Mark Recognition)

The process of capturing humanly marked data from documents, such as surveys or tests, by detecting markings or shadings with specialized scanners.

OCR (Optical Character Recognition)

The process of converting scanned text and characters from images or physical documents into an editable, machine-readable digital format.

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)

A technology using radio waves to capture digital data encoded in tags on objects to automatically track and identify their physical location.

Embedded Systems

Microprocessor-based hardware and software systems designed to perform dedicated functions within larger mechanical or electronic systems.

Edge Computing

A distributed computing architecture where data storage and processing occur near the data source to improve response times and bandwidth usage.

Data Analytics

The process of inspecting, cleansing, transforming, modeling, and examining datasets to discover trends, draw conclusions, and support decision-making.

Descriptive Analytics

A category of data analytics concerned with analyzing historical data to determine what happened.

Diagnostic Analytics

A category of data analytics focused on examining data to determine why something happened.

Predictive Analytics

A category of data analytics focused on evaluating data to project what is likely to happen in the near term.

Prescriptive Analytics

A category of data analytics concerned with suggesting a specific course of action based on data findings.

Big Data

Large, complex volumes of structured or unstructured data gathered by organizations that are analyzed for statistical insights, predictive modeling, and machine learning.

Blockchain

A specialized database structure that links data in sequential blocks in chronological order, rendering stored information difficult to alter or tamper with.

Cryptocurrency

A digital or virtual currency operating on a decentralized blockchain network, secured by cryptographic methods without reliance on central banking authorities.