Glossary | Section 5 |
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MTU
The Maximum Transmission Unit is the largest amount of data that can be transmitted in one discrete message on a given physical network. The MTU places an upper bound on the size of a message that can be transferred by the network in a single frame. Messages exceeding the MTU must be fragmented before transmission, and reassembled at the destination.
Multicast
A data transmission sent from one sender to multiple receivers.
See also broadcast and unicast.
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NAT
Network Address Translation is an Internet standard for a LAN to use one set of IP addresses for internal traffic and a second set of IP addresses for external traffic. NAT provides some security because the IP addresses of LAN computers are invisible on the Internet.
Network
Two or more computers connected to communicate with each other. Networks have traditionally been connected using some kind of wiring.
NIC
A Network Interface Card converts computer data to serial data in a packet format that it sends over the LAN. A NIC is installed in an expansion slot or can be
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Packet
The unit of data that is routed between the sender and destination on the Internet or other
PCMCIA
The Personal Computer Memory Card International Association sets international standards for connecting peripherals to portable computers. Laptop computers typically have a PCMCIA slot that can hold one or two PC Cards to provide features such as Ethernet or wireless connectivity.
WPCI810 |