Gigaset SX763 First Steps page 182

Glossary
Network
A network is a group of devices connected in wired or wireless mode so that they can
share resources such as data and peripherals. A general distinction is made between
local networks (LANs) and wide-area networks (WANs).
Network adapter
The network adapter is the hardware device that creates the connection between a net-
work component and a local network. The connection can be wired or wireless. An Eth-
ernet network card is an example of a wired network adapter. The Gigaset PC Card 108
and the Gigaset USB Adapter 108 are examples of wireless network adapters.
A network adapter has a unique address, the MAC address.
Public IP address
The public IP address (also known as the global IP address) is a network component's
address on the Internet. It is assigned by the Internet service provider. Devices that cre-
ate a link from a LAN to the Internet, such as the Gigaset SX763 WLAN dsl, have a public
and a Private IP address.
PBX
Private Branch Exchange
PBX is the English acronym for a public branch exchange, which allows connection and
configuration of extensions and telephone functions.
Port
Data is exchanged between two applications in a network across a port. The port
number addresses an application within a network component. The combination of IP
address/port number uniquely identifies the recipient or sender of a data packet within
a network. Some applications (e.g. Internet services such as HTTP or FTP) work with
fixed port numbers; others are allocated a free port number whenever they need one.
Port forwarding
In port forwarding, the Gigaset SX763 WLAN dsl directs data packets from the Internet
that are addressed to a particular Port to the corresponding port of the appropriate net-
work component. This enables servers within the local network to offer services on the
Internet without them needing a Public IP address.
See also: Virtual server
PPPoA
Point-to-Point Protocol over ATM
PPPoA is a Protocol for connecting network components in a local Ethernet network to
the Internet via an ATM network.
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