IT130 Chapter 8.1 Networking Vocabulary

802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5)

Wi-Fi standard that supports up to eight antennas and supports beamforming, which detects the locations of connected devices and increases signal strength in those directions; uses 5 GHz frequency only.

802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6)

Wi-Fi standard that is possible when using the 160 MHz channel spacing and the eight spatial streams; uses both 2.4 and 5 GHz frequencies.

802.11n (Wi-Fi 4)

Wi-Fi standard that uses multiple input/multiple output (MIMO), which means an access point can have up to four antennas to improve performance; uses both 2.4 and 5 GHz frequencies.

Bandwidth

In relation to analog communication, range of frequencies that a communications channel or cable can carry. Refers to the volume of data that can be transmitted on a bus or over cable.

Beamforming

Technique supported by IEEE 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard that can detect the location of connected devices and increase signal strength in that direction.

Bridge

A networking device that stands between two segments of a network and manages traffic between them.

Broadband

Transmission technique that carries more than one type of transmission on the same medium, such as voice and DSL on regular telephone line.

cable Internet

An Internet access technology that uses a cable TV (CATV) cable, normally used for video, to send and receive data.

cable tester

A tool used to test a cable to find out if it is good or to identify a cable that is not labeled.

CAT-5

A rating used for UTP cables and rated for Fast Ethernet, but seldom used today. 100 Mbps.

CAT-5e

A popular rating used for UTP cables and rated for Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet.

CAT-6

A rating used for twisted-pair cables that have less crosstalk than CAT-5e cables. CAT-6 cables might contain a plastic cord down the center that helps to prevent crosstalk, but they are less flexible and more difficult to install than CAT-5e.

CAT-6a

A rating used for twisted-pair cables that have higher standards to reduce alien and near-end crosstalk.

coaxial cable

Cable that has a single copper wire down the middle and a braided shield around it.

community cloud

A cloud that is open only to specific organizations that have common concerns. However not open in the public.

crossover cable

A cable used to connect two like devices such as a hub to a hub or a computer to a computer (to make the simplest network of all). The transmit connectors at one end of the cable are wired as the receiving connectors at the other end of the cable and vice versa.

cross-platform virtualization

installation of a different operating system in a VM than the one installed on your host machine supporting the VM.

DSL

A method of connecting to the Internet via a phone line. This connection uses copper telephone lines but is able to relay data at much higher speeds than modems and does not interfere with telephone use.

DSL modem

Device that converts a computer's digital signal to analog before sending it over telephone lines and converts incoming analog data to digital.

Fast Ethernet

An Ethernet technology that can transmit data at speeds of 100 Mbps.

fiber optic

As applied to Internet access technologies, a dedicated, leased line that uses fiber-optic cable from the ISP to a residence or place of business.

Gigabit Ethernet

A version of Ethernet that supports rates of data transfer up to 1 gigabit per second.

high latency

situations caused by high network use or due to the technology the network uses for Internet connectivity.

hypervisor

Software that creates and manages virtual machines on a server or on a local computer.

IaaS

A cloud computing technology useful for heavily utilized systems and networks. Organizations can limit their hardware footprint and personnel costs by renting access to hardware such as servers.

Internet of Things (IoT)

the term used to describe physical devices that are connected directly to a network and communicate directly to the Internet.

intrusion detection system (IDS)

Software that monitors all network traffic and creates alerts when suspicious activity happens. IDS software can run on a UTM appliance, router, server, or workstation.

intrusion protect system (IPS)

Software that monitors and logs suspicious activity on a network and can prevent the threatening traffic from burrowing into the system.

LAN

A network in which the nodes are located within a small geographic area.

LC (Lucent connector)

a fiber connector that has a locking clip that locks the cable into the port.

licensed frequency

the 7 and 13 GHz frequencies designed for point-to-point connections within the United States.

long-range fixed wireless (LRFW)

networks that provide low-cost, point-to-point connections.

MAN

Network that spans a metropolitan area, usually a city and its major suburbs. Its geographic scope falls between a WAN and a LAN.

managed switch

A switch that has firmware that can be configured to monitor, manage, and prioritize network traffic.

mobile hotspot

Location created by mobile device so that other devices or computers can connect by Wi-Fi to the device and to the Internet.

network jitter

fluctuations in latency on your network.