Computer Network

A  Computer Network is a group of computers connected together in a way that allows information to be exchanged between the computers.

Packet

 A piece of a message transmitted over a packet-switching network. 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.

Local area network

Local area network technologies connect many devices that are relatively close to each other, usually in the same building. 

Wide area network

Wide area network technologies connect a smaller number of devices that can be many kilometers apart.

Node

A node is anything that is connected to the network. While a node is typically a computer, it can also be something like a printer or CD-ROM tower.

Media Access Control Address

The Media Access Control Address, commonly abbreviated as a MAC address, is the physical address of any device on the network.

Internet Protocol Address

An IP Address is an alphanumeric label assigned to computers and other devices that connect to a network. This address allows these devices to send and receive data over the internet. 

Network Token

In networking, a token is a special series of bits that travels around a token-ring network. As the token circulates, computers attached to the network can capture it. The token acts like a ticket, enabling its owner to send a message across the network.

Bus Topology

Each node is daisy-chained along the same backbone. Information sent from a node travels along the backbone until it reaches its destination node. Each end of a bus network must be terminated with a resistor.

Ring Topology

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

Star Topology

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.

The Center ==> Dot Is The Hub

Tree Topology

A tree topology combines characteristics of linear bus and star topologies. It consists of groups of star-configured workstations connected to a linear bus backbone cable.

Protocol

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

Peer-To-Peer Architecture

A type of network in which each workstation has equivalent capabilities and responsibilities. This differs from client/server architectures, in which some computers are dedicated to serving the other machines in the system.

Client-server architecture

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