Reference Guide for the Model RT311 and RT314 Internet Access Gateway Routers
2Glossary
LAN See local area network.
local area network A communications network serving users within a limited geographical area,
such as one floor of a building, controlled by a network operating system and
using a transport protocol.
MAC address Media Access Control address. A unique 48-bit hardware address assigned to
every Ethernet node. Usually written in the form 01:23:45:67:89:ab.
MSB See Most Significant Bit or Most Significant Byte.
MRU See Maximum Receive Unit.
Maximum Receive
Unit The size in bytes of the largest packet that can be sent or received.
Most Significant Bit or
Most Significant Byte The portion of a number, address, or field that is farthest left when written as a
single number in conventional hexadecimal ordinary notation. The part of the
number having the most value.
NAT See Network Address Translation.
netmask A number that explains which part of an IP address comprises the network
address and which part is the host address on that network. It can be
expressedin dotted-decimal notation or as a number appended to the IP
address. For example, a 28-bit mask starting from the MSB can be shown as
255.255.255.192 or as /28 appended to the IP address.
Network Address
Translation A technique by which several hosts share a single IP address for access to the
Internet.
PPP See Point-to-Point Protocol.
PPP over Ethernet PPPoE. PPP over Ethernet is a protocol for connecting remote hosts to the
Internet over an always-on connection by simulating a dial-up connection.
PPTP Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol. A method for est abl i s hing a virtual private
network (VPN) by embedding Microsoft’s network protocol into Internet
packets.
PSTN Public Switched Telephone Network.
packet A block of information sent over a network. A packet typically contains a
source and destination network address, some protocol and length
information, a block of data, and a checksum.
Point-to-Point
Protocol PPP. A protocol allowing a computer using TCP/IP to connect directly to the
Internet.