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Networking is the practice of linking computing resources to provide systems, services, applications, data processing, analysis and communication. The following are a few networking basics.
A global network of interconnected networks. The largest network on the planet with about 4 billion users. The internal web sites of an organization deployed to a private network.An internet website that is restricted to authorized users. For example, a site that is only for employees, partners or customers.
A network that is secured such that outside devices can't connect.GANA global area network, or GAN, is a network that connects multiple locations in different countries.WANA wide area network, or WAN, is a network that connects multiple locations in different regions of a country.
MANA metropolitan area network, or MAN, is a network that connects multiple locations in a city.CANA campus area network, or CAN, is a network that connects multiple locations in the same area such as a university or corporate campus.LANA local area network, or LAN, is a network that connects multiple devices at the same location such as an office network.
Home NetworkA local area network that is shared by members of a household.A network that is established by an individual for their personal use. Typically connects electronics such as computers, mobile devices, televisions, printers, data storage and media devices.A network that is build on top of the internet using encryption and specialized networking protocols.
Another term for overlay network.A term for any web pages that are connected to the internet but that aren't indexed by search engines, typically because they require authorization to view.VPNA virtual private network, or VPN, is an overlay network that is used to extend a private network over the internet. For example, a VPN can allow an employee working at home to connect to an office LAN.
A human readable address that is used to locate resources on the internet.IPA machine readable address that is used to locate resources on the internet. IPv4The original format of IP addresses that includes the strings 0.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.255. This is less than 4.3 billion addresses. As such, these are in short supply.IPv6A successor to IPv4 with a length of 128 bits. This allows for 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456 addresses.DNSA global hierarchical decentralized service that is used to map URLs to IPs.A machine or device that is connected to a network.HostnameThe part of a URL that maps to an IP such as www.google.com.Domain NameThe part of a hostname that is owned by an individual or organization such as google.com.Host FileA file on most operating systems that allows you to override the IP returned by DNS. This can be used to test a service from your local machine.HTTPHypertext transfer protocol, or HTTP, is a data communication protocol for web content and services.WebThe web, or world wide web, is a term for the documents published on the internet that are accessed with the HTTP protocol using URLs.SMTPSimple mail transfer protocol, or SMTP, is an internet protocol for email transmission.TCPTransmission control protocol, or TCP, is a foundational communication protocol that underlies many internet-based networking technologies.SSLSecure socket layer, or SSL, is a security protocol for cryptographic data communication.TLSTransport Layer Security, or TLS, is a security protocol for cryptographic data communication. Essentially the more modern version of SSL.IPsecA secure networking protocol for mutual authentication based on cryptographic keys.The conversion of data to a smaller format.Cryptography is the science of coding data to prevent unauthorized access.The process of encoding data using cryptography.Data that is used to lock or unlock encrypted data.A cryptographic key that is openly published. Used to encrypt data for an entity that holds the corresponding private key.A cryptographic key that is kept secret. In some cases, a private key has a corresponding public key that allows anyone to encrypt but only those who hold the private key to decrypt.SSL CertificateA means of publishing the information required for SSL and TSL. Includes a public key and information about the organization that owns the corresponding private key.Certificate AuthorityThe services that are responsible for publishing SSL certificates. You need to trust these organizations as they are important to your security on the internet. A machine that provides content or services.ClientA device that uses content or services. A device can be both a client and a server.P2PA decentralized model of networking whereby clients interact without a central server coordinating things.Request/ResponseA model of networking whereby clients make requests to servers that respond.PushA model of networking whereby servers initiate exchanges with a client.SynchronousA mode of communication where a client makes a request and waits for a reply on the established connection.A mode of communication where a client makes a request but doesn't wait for the reply on the established connection. This is done for efficiency so that the client can work on other things while waiting for the reply.Web BrowserA client for accessing a broad array of open technologies.Mobile AppA client that is specifically constructed for a particular application to run on a particular mobile device.Cloud computing is a class of technologies for using many physical machines for a single operation, service, system or application.CDNA content delivery network, or CDN, is a service for delivering files such as video, images and static html from a location that is geographically close to each request.A class of technologies for performing computation at a location that is relatively close to each client. For example, a mobile app in Tokyo that connects to a server in Tokyo.The time it takes a message to travel from origin to destination.BandwidthThe amount of data that can be transferred in a period of time by a connection, device or technology. A theoretical limit of the technology set up.The actual amount of data successfully transmitted in a period of time.A high capacity data route that connects large networks of the internet.RouterA device that directs traffic on a network by forwarding data to a specified address.SwitchA device that connects devices to a network by forwarding data to a specified address.HubA device that connects devices to a network by forwarding data to every device connected to it. This allows all devices connected to the hub to see all data. Generally speaking, this isn't as efficient or secure as a switch.EthernetA family of standards for wired networking.WifiA family of standards for wireless networking.FirewallA network security device that monitors and controls network traffic based on a set of rules.Intrusion Detection SystemA security device that monitors a network or host for malicious activity or policy violations.|
Type | | Definition | The practice of linking computing resources to provide systems, services, applications, data processing, analysis and communication. | Related Concepts | |
Networking
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