Glossary-23
network address
Every node on a local area network (LAN) Ethernet network has one or more
addresses associated with it.
Every node has what is called a
hardware address
that is unique across every
network everywhere, at any time. If you know a node's hardware address,
you should be able to identify the exact piece of equipment to which it
belongs. Hardware addresses are generally set up by the company that
manufactured the equipment and should never change. This address is
usually specified as a list of six hexadecimal numbers separated by dashes,
such as ae342c1d69f1. The hardware address for the LAN module is
shown on a label on the back panel of the module. In the case of TCP/IP
networks, each node also has a
software
or
IP
address.
Every node also has a
software address
for each network protocol that node
uses. The software address is configured by the network administrator. The
software address format varies according to the network protocol:
D
For TCP/IP, the software address is specified as four decimal numbers
separated by periods (for example, 197.49.155.247). In this case, each
number must be between 0 and 255, and each segment of the number
corresponds to a different network or subnetwork.
D
For IPX, the software address is a combination of the LAN segment or
WAN network number plus the node's own network number. IPX
network numbers are in the range 1 to FFFFFFFE hexadecimal.
D
For AppleTalk, the software address is assigned dynamically from a
range of addresses configured into the network's seed router.
D
For DECnet, the software address is a combination of the network
area number plus the node's own network number, expressed in the
form
area.node
".
node
1) Any unit or MICOM mux in an Integration network. Each node has a
unique name (id) and number. 2) In local area network (LAN) technology,
any intelligent device physically connected to the network. A LAN node can
be thought of as any device that has a hardware address.
nonvolatile
A term used to describe a data storage device (memory) that retains its
contents when power is lost.
null character
A character (usually all bits set to mark) used to allow time for a printer's
mechanical actions to take place so that the printer will be ready to print the
next data character. Sometimes called idle character.