Glossary

MIB II: A database containing performance information for each device in a network.

MIPS (Million Instructions Per Second): A measurement of processing speed.

NAT (Network Address Translation): An internet standard that enables a LAN to use one set of IP addresses for internal traffic and a second set for external traffic.

NIC (Network Interface Card): An expansion card that allows a computer can be connected to a network.

Packet: A block of data transferred together. Also called a frame or block.

Packet Filtering: Discarding unwanted network traffic based on its originating address or its type.

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect): A bus that is connected directly to the CPU.

PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) Card: Removable module that adds features to a portable computer.

Ping (Packet Internet Groper): An Internet utility used to determine whether a particular IP address is online.

Plug and Play: Hardware that, once installed (“plugged in”), can immediately be used (“played”), as opposed to hardware that requires manual configuration.

PoE (Power over Ethernet): A mechanism to send DC power to a device using a CAT5 Ethernet cable.

PPPoE (Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet): A specification for connecting users on an Ethernet line to the Internet through a common broadband medium.

Protocol: A standard way of exchanging information between computers.