EtherFast
®
Cable/DSL Router with QoS and 8-Port Switch
Unlike e-mail programs in which graphics and program files have to be
“attached,” FTP is designed to handle binary files directly and does not add the
overhead of encoding and decoding the data.
Full Duplex - The ability of a device or line to transmit data simultaneously in
both directions.
Gateway – A device that interconnects networks with different, incompatible
communications protocols.
Half Duplex - Data transmission that can occur in two directions over a single
line, but only one direction at a time.
Hardware - Hardware is the physical aspect of computers, telecommunications,
and other information technology devices. The term arose as a way to distinguish
the “box” and the electronic circuitry and components of a computer from the
program you put in it to make it do things. The program came to be known as the
software.
Hub - The device that serves as the central location for attaching wires from
workstations. Can be passive, where there is no amplification of the signals; or
active, where the hubs are used like repeaters to provide an extension of the cable
that connects to a workstation.
HTTP (HyperText Transport Protocol) - The communications protocol used to
connect to servers on the World Wide Web. Its primary function is to establish a
connection with a Web server and transmit HTML pages to the client browser.
IEEE - The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The IEEE describes
itself as “the world's largest technical professional society—promoting the devel-
opment and application of electrotechnology and allied sciences for the benefit
of humanity, the advancement of the profession, and the well-being of our mem-
bers.”
The IEEE fosters the development of standards that often become national and
international standards. The organization publishes a number of journals, has
many local chapters, and has several large societies in special areas, such as the
IEEE Computer Society.
IP Address - In the most widely installed level of the Internet Protocol (IP) today,
an IP address is a 32-binary digit number that identifies each sender or receiver
of information that is sent in packets across the Internet. When you request an
Instant Broadband
®
Series
76
75
Dynamic Routing - The ability for a router to forward data via a different route
based on the current conditions of the communications circuits. For example, it
can adjust for overloaded traffic or failing lines and is much more flexible than
static routing, which uses a fixed forwarding path.
Ethernet - IEEE standard network protocol that specifies how data is placed on
and retrieved from a common transmission medium. Has a transfer rate of 10
Mbps. Forms the underlying transport vehicle used by several upper-level proto-
cols, including TCP/IP and XNS.
Fast Ethernet - A 100 Mbps technology based on the 10Base-T Ethernet
CSMA/CD network access method.
Firewall - A firewall is a set of related programs, located at a network gateway
server, that protects the resources of a network from users from other networks.
(The term also implies the security policy that is used with the programs.) An
enterprise with an intranet that allows its workers access to the wider Internet
installs a firewall to prevent outsiders from accessing its own private data
resources and for controlling what outside resources to which its own users have
access.
Basically, a firewall, working closely with a router, examines each network pack-
et to determine whether to forward it toward its destination.
Firmware - Code that is written onto read-only memory (ROM) or programma-
ble read-only memory (PROM). Once firmware has been written onto the ROM
or PROM, it is retained even when the device is turned off.
Fragmentation - Breaking a packet into smaller units when transmitting over a
network medium that cannot support the original size of the packet.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) - A protocol used to transfer files over a TCP/IP
network (Internet, UNIX, etc.). For example, after developing the HTML pages
for a website on a local machine, they are typically uploaded to the Web server
using FTP.
FTP includes functions to log onto the network, list directories, and copy files. It
can also convert between the ASCII and EBCDIC character codes. FTP opera-
tions can be performed by typing commands at a command prompt or via an FTP
utility running under a graphical interface such as Windows. FTP transfers can
also be initiated from within a Web browser by entering the URL preceded with
ftp://.
