| Empower yourself with the language of insiders. We decipher
the arcane terms, epigrammatic abbreviations, and weird words used in the industry. |
10Base5 - 10 Mbps (The First Ethernet)
It uses a thick coaxial cable attached to the network nodes via transceivers that tap into the
cable and provide a line to a 15-pin plug in the adapter card called an AUI connector. Also
called thick Ethernet, ThickWire and ThickNet.
10Base2 - 10 Mbps (Thin Coax)
An Ethernet standard that uses a thin coaxial cable attached to the network nodes via BNC connectors.
It is also called thin Ethernet, ThinWire and ThinNet.
10BaseT - 10 Mbps (Telephone Wire)
All stations use twisted pair to connect in a star configuration to a central hub, also known
as a multiport repeater. 10BaseT is widely used due to the low cost and flexibility of the
wire.
100BaseT - 100 Mbps (Fast Ethernet)
100BaseTX uses two pairs of Category 5 UTP, 100BaseT4 uses four pairs of Category 3, and 100BaseFX
uses multimode optical fibers.
AUI
A name for the 15-pin D-type connector used to connect 10Base5 coaxial cable.
Backbone
A part of a network that links departmental LANs together. Backbones typically use high-speed
network designs such as 100BaseT or FDDI.
BNC
A name for the end of a 10Base2 Ethernet cable. BNC is often used as shorthand to refer to 10Base2
networks.
Category 5
A name given to cabling rated to carry transmissions of 100 Mbps or faster. Category 5 cabling
is required for 100BaseT networks. While Category 3 (and 4) wiring is acceptable for 10BaseT
networks, it is generally worthwhile to install Category 5 wiring now if there is any chance
you will need the higher speeds in the future.
EMI
Electromagnetic Interference. Any type of electromagnetic field that affects data traveling over
cables. Shielded wires are much more resistant to EMI. Also called RFI, or Radio Frequency
Interference.
Ethernet
Ethernet is the most widely used LAN technology. Most businesses installing a network today use
Ethernet technology. Ethernet connects up to 1,024 nodes at 10 Mbps over twisted pair, coax
and optical fiber. All stations share the total bandwidth within the network segment.
Gigabit Ethernet (1000 Mbps)
The newest version of Ethernet, which supports data transfer rates of 1 Gigabit (1,000 megabits)
per second. Ideal only for large businesses using a MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) or WAN
(Wide Area Network).
Hub
A type of hardware used in 10BaseT and 100BaseT networks that connects all the cabling from computers
and peripherals. In a star topology, the hub connects every station to every other station
in the network.
ISDN
(Integrated Services Digital Network) An international telecommunications standard for transmitting
voice, video and data over digital lines running at 64 Kbits/sec.
IPX
The protocol used by Novell NetWare to send data over a network.
LAN
A communications network that serves users within a confined geographical area (usually means
within the same office space).
LocalTalk
A proprietary type of network used with small numbers of Macintosh computers. LocalTalk is a
simple bus topology network that sends and receives signals through the Mac's serial port (the
printer or modem port). To install a LocalTalk network, you simply need a PhoneNet connector
for each computer, connected together by ordinary phone wire. The major drawback to LocalTalk
is that it is very slow, operating at a maximum speed of 0.23 Mbps.
MAN
(Metropolitan Area Network) A communications network that covers a geographic area such as a
city or suburb. See LAN and WAN.
MAU
Multi-station access unit. A type of hardware that connects cabling from computers and peripherals
in a Token Ring network. The term MAU is also sometimes used to describe an Ethernet hub.
Node
Each computer or peripheral in the network.
Protocol
Rules governing the transmitting and receiving of data.
RJ-45
The type of plug used to connect cabling used in 10BaseT networks. RJ-45 plugs look like a standard
modular phone jack, except they are a bit wider to accommodate four twisted pairs of wires.
Router
Hardware that allows any network user to connect with outside modems, networks, or other data
sources. A router can be used to connect an entire network with a branch office or an Internet
access provider.
Station
A generic name for a computer or a peripheral on a network.
Switches
Hardware used on (generally) high-speed networks to connect network segments without causing
collisions. Switches allow you to create large, flexible networks without compromising data
speeds.
T1, T2, T3
A T1 is a 1.544 Mbps point-to-point dedicated line provided by the telephone companies. The monthly
cost is typically based on distance. T1 lines are widely used for private networks and high-speed
links to and from Internet service providers. A T1 line provides 24 64-Kbps voice or data channels.
T2 provides 6.312 Mbps and 96 channels, and T3, 44.736 Mbps and 672 channels.
Token ring network
A LAN access method that uses the token passing technology in a physical ring. Each station in
the network passes the token on to the station next to it. Token Ring and FDDI LANs use the
token ring access method. Very few networks these days are token ring networks.
Transceiver
A small device used to connect a computer with a specific type of network cabling. For example,
a transceiver might connect an AUI (10Base5) port on a printer to 10BaseT twisted pair cables.
Transceiver comes from transmitter and receiver.
Twisted pair (TP)
The abbreviation TP is often used to indicate 10BaseT connections, since this type of network
uses twisted pair cabling.
WAN
(Wide Area Network) A communications network that covers a wide geographic area, such as state
or country. It requires the network facilities of common carriers.
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