Networking and TCP/IP Fundamentals Practice Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering networking terminology, protocols, addressing schemas (IPv4/IPv6), and DNS record types based on the MindTap Cengage Learning transcript.

client/server application

An application where a client program installed on one computer requests information from a server program installed on another computer on the network or Internet.

web server

A server application using HTTP protocols that sends webpages to a browser or other client application when the client requests the page.

host

A device, such as a desktop computer, laptop, or printer, on a network that requests or serves up data or services to other devices.

node

Any device that connects to the network, such as a computer, printer, or router.

IP address

A $32$-bit (IPv4) or $128$-bit (IPv6) address used to uniquely identify a device or interface on a network that uses TCP/IP protocols.

IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4)

Version $4$ of the TCP/IP protocols and standards that define $32$-bit IP addresses and how they are used.

IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6)

Version $6$ of the TCP/IP protocols and standards that define $128$-bit IP addresses and how they are used.

MAC address

A $48$-bit ($6$-byte) hardware address unique to each NIC or onboard network controller, assigned by the manufacturer and embedded on the device; also called a physical address, adapter address, or hardware address.

host name

A name that identifies a computer, printer, or other device on a network; can be used instead of the computer’s IP address to address the computer on the network.

domain name

A name that identifies a network and appears before the period in a website address, such as microsoft.com.

fully qualified domain name (FQDN)

The host name together with the domain name.

TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)

The group or suite of protocols used for almost all networks; TCP is responsible for error-checking transmissions and IP is responsible for routing.

TCP/IP model

In networking theory, a simple model used to divide network communication into four layers.

intranet

Any private network that uses TCP/IP protocols; a large enterprise might support an intranet made up of several local networks.

IP (Internet Protocol)

The primary TCP/IP protocol, used by the Internet layer, that is responsible for getting a message to a destination host.

protocol data unit (PDU)

A message sent over a network; it may have a header or trailer depending on which OSI layer protocol sent the message.

OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model

A conceptual model for understanding networking functions among seven layers: Physical, Data Link, Network, Transport, Session, Presentation, and Application.

router

A device that manages traffic between two or more networks, directs data packets between them, and helps find the best path for traffic.

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)

The TCP/IP protocol used for the World Wide Web and used by web browsers and web servers to communicate.

HTTPS (HTTP secure)

The HTTP protocol working with a security protocol such as Transport Layer Security (TLS) to create a secured socket that includes data encryption.

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)

A TCP/IP protocol used to send and relay email messages between email servers and by email clients to an email server.

POP3 (Post Office Protocol, version 3)

The TCP/IP protocol that an email server and client use when the client requests the downloading of email messages.

IMAP (Internet Mail Access Protocol)

A TCP/IP protocol used by an email server and client that allows the client to manage email stored on the server without downloading it.

file server

A computer dedicated to storing and serving up data files and folders.

Server Message Block (SMB)

A protocol used by Windows to share files and printers on a network.

CIFS (Common Internet File System)

A file access protocol and early, cross-platform implementation of Microsoft’s SMB protocol used between Windows, Linux, and macOS.

NetBIOS (Network Basic Input/Output System)

A legacy suite of protocols used by Windows that allows applications on different computers to communicate over a local network.

NetBT (NetBIOS over TCP/IP)

A feature of SMB protocols that allows legacy NetBIOS applications to communicate on a TCP/IP network.

print server

Hardware or software that manages and controls print jobs sent from computers on a network to one or more printers.

static IP address

An IP address that is manually assigned to a computer or other device and remains unchanged until modified manually.

DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server

A computer or device that runs the DHCP service to provide IP addresses and configuration settings from a defined pool to requesting clients.

dynamic IP address

An IP address assigned by a DHCP server for the current session only and leased when the computer first connects to a network.

DHCP client

A computer or other network device (such as a printer or smartphone) that requests IP address configuration from a DHCP server.

DHCPv6 server

A DHCP server that serves up IPv6 addresses and related configuration parameters to clients using the DHCPv6 protocol.

DNS server

A Domain Name Service server that uses a DNS protocol to find an IP address for a computer when the fully qualified domain name is known.

name resolution

The process of converting a human-readable, character-based hostname into its corresponding IP address.

proxy server

A computer that intercepts requests made by a client of a server, potentially serving requests from a cache to improve performance or filtering requests for security.

authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server

Application software or a computer used to secure and control access by authenticating users, authorizing actions, and accounting for resource usage in logs.

Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)

A protocol used for accessing and maintaining distributed directory information services over an IP network.

Syslog

A protocol that collects event information about network devices, such as errors and failures, and sends it to a syslog server.

syslog server

A server that receives and analyzes syslog data to monitor network devices and create alerts when problems arise.

database server

A specialized server that stores, organizes, and manages data for users, applications, and other services on a network.

structured query language (SQL)

A popular scripting and programming language designed primarily to query a database.

Network Time Protocol (NTP)

A standard Internet protocol used to synchronize the clocks of computers and network devices to a time source.

NTP server

A device or computer that provides an accurate time source to other systems on a network, synchronizing with higher-level sources like GPS or atomic clocks.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

A TCP/IP protocol and application used to transfer files between a client and server over a network.

Telnet

A TCP/IP protocol and application used to allow a user to control a computer remotely using a command-line interface (CLI).

Secure Shell (SSH)

A protocol and application that encrypts communication between a client and a remote system, often used to control Linux computers over a network.

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)

The Windows protocol used by Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) to control a remote computer using a graphical user interface (GUI).

TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)

A connection-oriented protocol that works at the OSI Transport layer, establishes a session, and guarantees packet delivery.

UDP (User Datagram Protocol)

A connectionless TCP/IP protocol that works at the OSI Transport layer and does not guarantee packet arrival; commonly used for speed-critical applications like streaming.

Trivial FTP (TFTP)

A lightweight protocol used to transfer files over a network without authentication, often used for firmware or boot files.

octet

In TCP/IP version 4, each of the four groups of numbers (8 bits each) separated by periods that make up a $32$-bit IP address.

loopback address

An IP address used to test a computer's TCP/IP configuration; in IPv4 it is commonly $127.0.0.1$ and in IPv6 it is $::1$.

broadcast message

A message sent over a TCP/IP version $4$ local network to all devices on the network simultaneously.

subnet

A group of local networks tied together in a subsystem of a larger intranet.

subnet mask

In IPv4, $32$ bits where 1s identify the network portion and 0s identify the host portion of an IP address; example: $255.255.240.0$.

default gateway

The network device (usually a router) that a networked computer sends traffic to when the destination IP is outside its local network.

network ID

The leftmost bits in an IP address that identify the specific network or subnet to which a device belongs.

CIDR notation

A shorthand notation for IPv4 addresses where the IP is followed by a slash ($/$) and the number of network bits; example: $15.50.35.10/20$.

public IP addresses

In TCP/IP version $4$, IP addresses that are globally unique and routable on the Internet.

private IP addresses

In TCP/IP version $4$, IP addresses used on a private network that are not directly reachable from the public Internet.

Automatic Private IP Address (APIPA)

In IPv4, an address in the range $169.254.x.y$ used by a computer when it cannot lease an address from a DHCP server.

NAT (Network Address Translation)

A technique that substitutes the public IP address of a router for the private IP address of a computer when it needs to communicate on the Internet.

interface ID

In TCP/IP version $6$, the last $64$ bits or four blocks of an IP address that identify the interface.

neighbor

Any device (node) on the same IPv6 local link that can be reached directly without going through a router.

multicast address

An IPv6 address used when packets are delivered to a group of destination nodes on a network simultaneously.

anycast address

An IPv6 address used by routers identifying multiple destinations; packets are delivered to the closest destination.

unicast address

An IPv6 address assigned to a single node on a network, delivering packets to one specific interface.

unique local address

An IPv6 address used to identify a specific site within a large organization, working on multiple links.

subnet ID

In IPv6, the last block ($16$ bits) in the $64$-bit prefix used to identify the subnet.

network interface card (NIC)

An integrated hardware component or add-in expansion card that provides connectivity to a network; also called a network adapter.

Wake-on-LAN (WoL)

A feature that allows a computer to respond to network activity when the computer is in a sleep state.

Quality of Service (QoS)

A network feature or set of technologies that manage and prioritize data traffic to improve performance for specific applications like VoIP.

switch

A device used to connect nodes in a star topology; it uses a table of MAC addresses to decide which port to send a received frame.

cable modem

A device that converts a computer's digital signal to analog for transmission over cable TV lines and vice versa.

wireless access point (WAP)

A device that connects wireless devices to a wired network using Wi-Fi, managing a wireless local area network (WLAN).

firewall

Hardware and/or software that monitors and controls traffic between trusted and untrusted networks based on predefined rules.

Service Set Identifier (SSID)

The name of a wireless access point and wireless network.

address reservation

The act of a DHCP server assigning a static IP address to a specific DHCP client so it maintains a consistent address.

namespace

The entire collection of DNS databases stored on DNS servers (name servers) around the globe.

resource record (RR)

An individual entry in a DNS database that associates a host name with an IP address.

zone file

A file that holds resource records for the DNS namespace, often for a single domain.

A record

A DNS record that points a host name to its IPv4 address.

AAAA record

A DNS record that points a host name to its IPv6 address.

CNAME (Canonical Name) record

A DNS record that redirects from one host name to another.

MX (Mail Exchanger) record

A DNS record that specifies the mail server responsible for receiving email for a domain.

TXT (Text) record

A general-purpose DNS record used to insert text into the DNS namespace.

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) record

A TXT record used to authenticate that an email message came from a trusted source using a domain identifier.

SPF (Sender Policy Framework) record

A TXT record used to combat email spoofing by listing which email servers are authorized to send email for a domain.

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) record

A TXT record that tells a recipient's mail server what to do when it receives a fraudulent email, designed to work with DKIM and SPF.