Computer Network- A 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

Local Area Network (LAN)- Local area network (LAN) technologies connect many devices that are relatively close to each other, usually in the same building. The library terminals that display book information would connect over a local area network

Wide Area Network (WAN)-  Wide area network (WAN) technologies connect a smaller number of devices that can be many kilometers apart.

Node- A node is anything that is connected to the network. 

Media Access Control (MSC)- This is the physical address of any device -- such as the NIC in a computer -- on the network.

IP Address- IP address is short for Internet Protocol (IP) address. An IP address is an identifier for a computer or device on a TCP/IP network. 

Bus Topology- 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.

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.

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.

Star Topology-  All devices are connected to a central hub. Star networks are relatively easy to install and manage, but bottlenecks can occur because all data must pass through 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-Peer Architecture- Often referred to simply as peer-to-peer, or abbreviated P2P, a type of network in which each workstation has equivalent capabilities and responsibilities.

Client/Server Architecture- Client-server architecture (client/server) is a network architecture in which each computer or process on the network is either a client or a server.