Networking Terminology

A Network is a collection of workstations (for example, IBM-compatible PCs) and other equipment (for example, printers), connected for the purpose of exchanging information or sharing resources. Networks vary in size, some are within a single room, others span continents.

A Local Area Network (LAN) is a network, usually in an office, that spans no more than a single site.

Ethernet is a type of LAN, referring to the technology used to pass information around the network. It operates at 10Mbps (megabits per second).

Fast Ethernet is a type of LAN that runs up to 10 times faster than standard Ethernet. It operates at 100Mbps.

10BASE-Tand 100BASE-TXare the names given to the Ethernet protocol that runs over Twisted Pair (TP) cable. 10BASE-T runs at 10Mbps whilst 100BASE-TX operates at 100Mbps. The OfficeConnect Hubs and Switches Use RJ-45 type connectors to connect your TP network.

A network loop occurs when two pieces of network equipment are connected to each other by two seperate connections.

A segment is the length of cable connected to a port.

Packets are the units of information your workstations and other equipment send to each other over the network. A frame is the data part of the packet and can be unicast (sent to a single device), multicast (sent to multiple devices), or broadcast (sent to all devices).

Bandwidth refers to the amount of network traffic the network can hold at any one time (information capacity) measured in bits per second (bps). Workstations or applications that use the network heavily are referred to as using high bandwidth. Fast Ethernet has a higher bandwidth than Ethernet, so it can cope with larger amounts of traffic, which results in faster operation.

Full duplex operation allows information to be transmitted and received simultaneously and, in effect, doubles the potential throughput of a link.