protocol
a set of rules for data communication over a network
data
anything in the form suitable for use with a computer, such as binary
packet
a small unit of data used in network communication
data integrity
the overall completeness, accuracy and consistency of data
flow control
the mechanism that ensures the rate at which a sender is transmitting is in proportion with the receiver’s receiving capabilities
deadlock
a situation where two nodes or processes are trying to access the same node at exactly the same moment, causing neither to be able to proceed
congestion
a network state where a node or link carries so much data that it may deteriorate network service quality, resulting in queueing delay, frame or data packet loss and the blocking of new connections
error checking / detection
the techniques used to detect noise or other impairments introduced into data while it is transmitted from source to destination
bandwidth of a network
the maximum amount of data that can be transmitted over the network in a given time period
data compression
encoding information to use fewer bits than the original data entity
packet
a unit of data that is routed between an origin and a destination on the Internet or any other packet-switched network
packet switching
the type of network in which packets are routed through a network based on the destination address contained within each packet
router
a device that connects different networks and routes packets to their destination