SECTION 5
GLOSSARY
5-6 SECTION
5,
GLOSSARY
physical network. The MTU places an upper bound limit on the
size of a message that can be transferred by the network in a
single frame. Messages exceeding the MTU must be fragmented
before transmission, and reassembled at the destination.
Multicast
A data transmission sent from one sender to multiple receivers.
See also
broadcast
and
unicast
.
N
NAT
Network Address Translation is an Internet standard for a LAN to
use one set of IP addresses for internal traffic and a second set
of IP addresses for external traffic. NAT provides some security
because the IP addresses of LAN computers are invisible on the
Internet.
Network
Two or more computers connected to communicate with each
other. Networks have traditionally been connected using some
kind of wiring.
NIC
A Network Interface Card converts computer data to serial data in
a packet format that it sends over the LAN. A NIC is installed in
an expansion slot or can be built-in. Every Ethernet NIC has a
MAC address permanently saved in its ROM.
P
Packet
The unit of data that is routed between the sender and
destination on the Internet or other packet-switched network.
PCMCIA
The Personal Computer Memory Card International Association
sets international standards for connecting peripherals to portable
computers. Laptop computers typically have a PCMCIA slot that
can hold one or two PC Cards to provide features such as
Ethernet connectivity.
PING
A network utility that tests host reachability by sending a small
packet to the host and waiting for a reply. If you PING a computer
IP address and receive a reply, you know the computer is
reachable over the network. It also stands for “Packet Internet
Groper.”
Port Triggering
A mechanism that allows incoming communication with specified
applications.
