Router: a
device or, in some cases,
software in a computer, that
determines the next network
point to which a packet should be
forwarded toward its final
destination. The router is
connected to at least two
networks and decides which way to send each information
packet based on its current understanding of the state of the
networks it is connected to. A router is located at any
juncture of networks or gateway, including each Internet
point-of-presence. A router is often included as part of a
network switch.
RJ45 wall plug: jack located in wall designed to allow
a connection between an individual piece of hardware and a
network. The jack itself consists of color-coded slots, into
which wires are "punched down" to make an electrical
connection. The plug itself looks like a standard phone jack, but
has eight pins instead of four.
Server: a computer used to manage file storage and
traffic in a network
SMDS: (Switched Multimegabit Data Service) is a public,
packet-switched service aimed at enterprises that need to
exchange large amounts of data with other enterprises over
the wide-area network on a nonconstant or "bursty" basis.
SMDS provides an architecture for this kind of data
exchange and a set of services. In general, SMDS extends
the performance and efficiencies of a company's local area
network (LANs) over a wide area on a switched, as-needed
basis.
TCP/IP: stands for Transmission Control Protocol /
Internet Protocol, and refers to the Internet suite of protocols,
or set of rules that govern interactions with a network and
determine how information is distributed. Originally developed
for the US. Department of Defense http://oac3.hsc.uth.tmc.edu/staff/snewton/tcp-tutorial/
Technical Training: giving people the skills to make
the equipment, software, and systems work.
Telnet: term for accessing information via the Internet
on a computer other than your own, whether that computer be
Universal Resource Locator (URL): the electronic
address of an on-line resource accessible through the World Wide
Web.
Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP): UTP cable is similar to
telephone cable, but has somewhat more stringent specifications
regarding its susceptibility to outside electro-magnetic
interference than common telephone wire. UTP is much more common
the STP (shielded twisted pair) wire.
WAN: see Wide Area Network:
Web: see World Wide Web.
Web browser: see browser.
Wide Area Network (WAN): links between two or more
computers that allow people and machines to exchange information.
A WAN is usually a collection of one or more LAN's, and will
often span large geographical distances. The Internet is one
example of such a wide-area network.
Wiring Closet: the room that contains the patch panel
and other equipment needed to connect various parts of the
network.
Wiring Plan: a diagram showing where the network
equipment and wires will go as well as displaying any special
instructions for installing it all.
Workstation: originally referred to a high-powered PC,
usually scientific or engineering-oriented; now coming to mean
any individual full-capability PC.
World Wide Web (WWW or the Web): a method, or protocol,
of displaying information that can be accessed over the Internet;
Web pages are "interactive billboards" that can contain
text, pictures, graphics, voice, video, and animation; Web pages
contain hypertext links to other material.