PAT VOCAB

1. (Wide Area Network) A network that spans a large geographical distance, connecting multiple LANs across cities, countries, or the globe. The Internet is the most prominent WAN.
2. Address (Internet Protocol Address) A unique numerical label assigned to every device on a network (like a street address) used for device identification and location addressing to facilitate packet routing.
6. A device that connects multiple devices within a single LAN. It intelligently filters and forwards data only to the specific destination device, improving network efficiency.
7. Any active device connected to a network that is capable of sending, receiving, or forwarding information. Examples include computers, routers, and switches.
8. (Local Area Network) A network that connects devices within a small, restricted geographical area, such as a home, single office, or school.
11. The physical or logical layout that defines how nodes and links are arranged and connected in a network.
12. The standard family of protocols and cabling specifications used for creating a wired LAN.
14. All nodes are connected to a single, shared cable called the backbone.
15. Nodes are interconnected with multiple direct links to other nodes, providing high redundancy and fault tolerance.
16. All nodes are individually connected to a single central hub or switch (the most common modern topology).

1. A popular wireless networking technology that uses radio waves to connect devices to a network or the Internet, forming a Wireless LAN (WLAN).
3. The fundamental, small unit of data transmitted over a network. It consists of the actual data (the payload) plus control information (the header) like source and destination addresses.
4. Nodes are connected in a closed loop, with data traveling from one device to the next in one direction.
5. (Domain Name System) A hierarchical system that translates human-readable domain names (e.g., google.com) into their corresponding numerical IP addresses.
6. / Client A Server is a program or device that provides a resource or service (e.g., files, web pages) to a Client, which is the program or device that requests and uses the service.
9. A group of two or more interconnected computing devices (such as computers, servers, and printers) that can communicate and share resources.
10. A device that converts (modulates and demodulates) digital data from a computer into analog signals suitable for transmission over communication lines (like cable or phone lines), enabling connection to an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
13. A networking device that forwards data packets between different, distinct networks (e.g., connecting a home network to the Internet). It uses IP addresses to select the best path.