Network

A piece of a message transmitted over a packet-switching network. See under packet switching. One of the key features of a packet is that it contains the destination address in addition to the data. In IP networks, packets are often called datagrams.

Packet

 Technologies connect many devices that are relatively close to each other, usually in the same building. 

Local area network

 Technologies connect a smaller number of devices that can be many kilometers apart.

Wide area network

Node

Media Access Control address

Address is an alphanumeric label assigned to computers and other devices that connect to a network using an internet protocol. 

Internet Protocol

Each node is daisy-chained (connected one right after the other) along the same backbone, similar to Christmas lights. Information sent from a node travels along the backbone until it reaches its destination node.

Bus

Like a bus network, rings have the nodes daisy-chained. The difference is that the end of the network comes back around to the first node, creating a complete circuit. 

Ring 

In programming languages, a single element of a programming language. For example, a token could be a keyword, an operator, or a punctuation mark.

Network Token

In a star network, each node is connected to a central device called a hub. The hub takes a signal that comes from any node and passes it along to all the other nodes in the network.

Star 

Tree Topology

An agreed-upon format for transmitting data between two devices. 

Protocol

 a type of network in which each workstation has equivalent capabilities and responsibilities.

 Peer-Peer Architecture

a network architecture in which each computer or process on the network is either a client or a server.

Client-server architecture