3Com OfficeConnect 3CRWE51196 User Manual page 80

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LOSSARY
MAC Address Media Access Control Address. Also called the hardware or physical address. A
layer 2 address associated with a particular network device. Most devices that
connect to a LAN have a MAC address assigned to them as they are used to
identify other devices in a network. MAC addresses are 6 bytes long.
NAT Network Address Translation. NAT enables all the computers on your network to
share one IP address. The NAT capability of the Gateway allows you to access the
Internet from any computer on your home network without having to purchase
more IP addresses from your ISP.
Network A Network is a collection of computers and other computer equipment that are
connected for the purpose of exchanging information or sharing resources.
Networks vary in size, some are within a single room, others span continents.
Network Interface Card A circuit board installed into a piece of computing equipment, for example, a
(NIC) computer, that enables you to connect it to the network. A NIC is also known as
an adapter or adapter card.
Protocol A set of rules for communication between devices on a network. The rules dictate
format, timing, sequencing and error control.
PPPoE Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet. Point-to-Point Protocol is a method of
secure data transmission originally created for dial-up connections; PPPoE is for
Ethernet connections.
RJ-45 A standard connector used to connect Ethernet networks. The "RJ" stands for
"registered jack".
Server A computer in a network that is shared by multiple end stations. Servers provide
end stations with access to shared network services such as computer files and
printer queues.
SSID Service Set Identifier. Some vendors of wireless products use SSID interchangeably
with ESSID.
Subnet Address An extension of the IP addressing scheme that allows a site to use a single IP
network address for multiple physical networks.
Subnet mask A subnet mask, which may be a part of the TCP/IP information provided by your
ISP, is a set of four numbers configured like an IP address. It is used to create IP
address numbers used only within a particular network (as opposed to valid IP
address numbers recognized by the Internet, which must assigned by InterNIC).
Subnets A network that is a component of a larger network.
Switch A device that interconnects several LANs to form a single logical LAN that
comprises of several LAN segments. Switches are similar to bridges, in that they