Appendix A
Glossary
Routers
Devices which direct network traffic among LANs or WANs until the data reaches its destination. To do this, routers communicate with one another using dedicated protocols such as IGRP (Interior Gateway Routing Protocol) and BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) to transfer information on network addressing, status, and configuration.
TCP/IP
Abbreviation for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. The suite of communications protocols used to connect hosts on the Internet. TCP/IP uses several protocols, the two main ones being TCP and IP. TCP/IP is built into the UNIX operating system and is used by the Internet, making it the de facto standard for transmitting data over networks. Even network operating systems that have their own protocols, such as Netware, also support TCP/IP.
Tunneling
Technology that lets a network transport protocol carry information for other protocols within its own packets. For example, by encapsulating NetBEUI packets, IP can route them across the Internet, which is not normally possible.
Virtual Private Network (VPN)
An extension of a company’s private network that uses the resources of the public Internet. While most private networks use dedicated lines and equipment that are company property, a virtual private network “borrows” resources from the Internet on an
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