Computer Networking Fundamentals

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering fundamental computer networking concepts, hardware devices, physical topologies, network categories, transmission media, and communication protocols.

Computer Network

A collection of interconnected computers and hardware devices linked by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information, wherein at least one process on a device can exchange data with a process on a remote device.

ARPANET

Advanced Research Project Agency Network; the first network to come into existence (in 1969), created to connect computers across U.S. defense facilities and various universities.

NSFNET

National Science Foundation Network; a high-capacity network introduced in the mid-1980s (1980) designed strictly for academic and engineering research.

Internet

A global computer network and 'network of networks' formed in 1990 by interconnecting ARPANET, NSFNET, and other private networks using standardized communication protocols.

Intranet

A local, restricted communications network created with World Wide Web software and managed privately by an individual or organization; intranet users can access the Internet, but external Internet users cannot directly access the intranet.

Interspace

A client/server software program that enables multiple users to communicate online with real-time audio, video, and text chat in a dynamic 3D environment (such as online video conferencing).

Circuit Switching

A switching technique in which a complete end-to-end physical copper path between two computers is established before data is transmitted, keeping dedicated resources allocated for the entire duration of the communication until the connection is terminated.

Packet Switching

A switching technique where the message is divided at the source into fixed-size pieces called packets that travel independently along any available route without dedicated resource allocation, are stored in main memory, and are reassembled at the destination.

Message Switching

A store-and-forward switching technique where complete data messages with no upper bound on size are first stored on a hard disk by a node before being forwarded to the next node in the path.

Channel

The physical medium or transmission path (such as copper wire cables or broadcast radio waves) over which analog or digital signals and information are exchanged between systems.

Bandwidth

The data transfer capacity of a network, measured in Hertz ($\text{Hz}$, $\text{KHz}$, $\text{MHz}$) as the range of frequencies a composite signal contains or a channel passes, or in bits per second ($\text{bps}$, $\text{Kbps}$, $\text{Mbps}$) as transmission volume.

Data Transfer Rate

The number of data elements (bits) transmitted in $1\,\text{second}$, measured using units such as $\text{bps}$, $\text{Kbps}$, $\text{Mbps}$, $\text{Gbps}$, and $\text{Tbps}$.

Twisted Pair Cable

A wired transmission medium (also known as Ethernet Cable) containing four color-coded twisted pairs enclosed in an outer shield, connected using an RJ-45 connector and available in standards CAT1 through CAT6.

Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP)

A category of twisted pair cable consisting of color-coded wire pairs twisted together without individual metallic foil shielding.

Shielded Twisted Pair (STP)

A category of twisted pair cable wherein the individual twisted pairs are wrapped with metallic foil shielding to protect the signal from electromagnetic interference.

Coaxial Cable

A copper transmission cable built with a metal shield and insulating components to block signal interference, widely used by cable TV providers to connect satellite antennas to consumer locations.

Fiber Optic Cable

A high-speed communication medium made of long, thin glass strands about the thickness of human hair that transmits information modulated onto light waves over long distances with nil interference susceptibility.

Microwave Transmission

A wireless transmission method utilizing high-frequency waves that travel strictly in straight lines between elevated antenna towers, unable to penetrate solid obstacles; commonly used for mobile phone call routing.

Radio Waves

Omnidirectional electromagnetic waves capable of penetrating solid objects, widely used for television, radio broadcasting, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth data transfer.

Infrared Waves

Short-range ($5\,\text{m} - 10\,\text{m}$), line-of-sight wireless waves that cannot pass through solid walls, preventing interference with adjacent rooms; commonly found in cordless mice and remote controls.

Satellite Microwave Communication

Long-distance wireless communication using satellites to cover expansive regions of Earth, featuring an uplink frequency range of $1.6\,\text{GHz} - 30.0\,\text{GHz}$ and a downlink frequency range of $1.5\,\text{GHz} - 20.0\,\text{GHz}$.

Modem

Modulator-Demodulator; a network hardware component that converts computer-generated digital signals into analog signals to travel across telephone lines and demodulates incoming analog signals back into digital format.

RJ-45 Connector

Registered Jack 45; a standardized plastic modular connector attached to the ends of Ethernet twisted pair cables to plug into NIC slots and networking equipment.

Ethernet Card

Also called a Network Interface Card (NIC) or Network Interface Unit; a hardware board installed in a workstation or server featuring an RJ-45 slot and a hardcoded, unique identifying MAC Address.

Router

A networking device that links different networks (such as LANs and WANs) and directs data packets toward their proper destination using routing protocols and logical IP addresses.

Hub

A multiport electronic connection device that links multiple computers and operates in broadcast mode, unselectively repeating incoming signals to all connected nodes; categorized into Active (amplifying) or Passive (pass-through).

Switch

An intelligent networking device (Intelligent HUB) that inspects incoming data frames and consults an internal MAC address table to forward the packet solely to the intended recipient node.

Gateway

A network hardware device configured to connect disparate networks running dissimilar communication protocols, executing the protocol translations needed for mutual communication.

Wi-Fi Card

An internal (e.g., PCI-Express) or external network interface card equipped with a built-in wireless radio and antenna, enabling wireless connectivity to local access points and hotspots.

Network Topology

The physical layout, arrangement, or structure in which computers and communication devices are interconnected to form a network.

Bus Topology

A network layout where all computer nodes are attached to a single continuous main cable called a backbone, which is capped at both ends with terminators that absorb transmitted signals.

Star Topology

A network topology where each workstation is directly wired to a centralized hub or switch that routes or broadcasts incoming communication to connected nodes.

Tree Topology

A hybrid network structure created by combining multiple star-configured networks along a common central bus backbone cable.

Personal Area Network (PAN)

A small network formed by communicating personal devices (such as mobile phones, MP3 players, and PCs) spanning an operating radius of a few meters.

Local Area Network (LAN)

A network of computing devices located within a bounded geographical area like a single room, office, or campus (roughly $1\,\text{km} - 10\,\text{km}$ radius), typically owned by a single individual or organization.

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

A communication network extending across a city ($\text{few kilometers to a few hundred kilometers}$ radius), usually established by interconnecting multiple LANs owned by municipal governments or corporations.

Wide Area Network (WAN)

A network spanning vast distances beyond city, national, or continental boundaries (hundreds of kilometers), created by linking LANs, MANs, and other networks (e.g., the Internet and ATM banking networks).

Network Protocol

A formal set of rules that defines how and when network devices can format, transmit, route, and receive data packets across a network.

TCP/IP

Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol; a core protocol suite where TCP provides connection-oriented, handshake-verified packet segmentation and reassembly, while IP delivers logical addressing and packet routing.

HTTP

Hypertext Transfer Protocol; a stateless, client/server application-level protocol governing requests and transfers of web files and resources across the World Wide Web.

FTP

File Transfer Protocol; an application protocol and program used for uploading and downloading files between local systems and remote web servers.

SMTP

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol; a set of communication rules used to send electronic mail across the Internet, operating over Port $25$ (unencrypted/unsecure) and Port $465$ (encrypted/secure).

POP3

Post Office Protocol (Version-3.0); a client/server protocol used by email programs (e.g., Outlook) to retrieve and download incoming mail from a remote mail server, functioning via Port $110$ (unsecured) and Port $995$ (encrypted/secure).

VoIP

Voice over Internet Protocol; an Internet voice communication technology that compresses spoken audio into digital data packets sent using packet switching as an alternative to traditional telephone lines.

Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP)

A byte-oriented data link layer communication protocol used to carry multiprotocol data packets over direct point-to-point broadband connections subjected to high loads and high speeds.

Telnet

An early TCP/IP terminal emulation and remote login protocol that allows an administrator or user to log on to a remote host computer and operate with assigned account permissions.

Remote Login

A network application (such as Telnet, AnyDesk, or TeamViewer) that enables a user to access and interact with another computer system remotely over an active Internet connection using an assigned machine ID.