Term | Definition |
local area network (LAN) | A type of network where connected devices are located within the same room or building, or in a few nearby buildings. |
server | Any combination of hardware and software that provides a service, such as storing data, to a client, such as your computer. |
wireless LAN (WLAN) | A local area network that uses wireless technology. |
metropolitan area network (MAN) | A type of network that connects networks within a city or other populous area to a larger high-speed network; typically made up of several LANs that are managed by a network provider. |
wide area network (WAN) | A type of network that serves larger geographic areas. WANs, such as the Internet, are used to share data between networks around the world. WANs might use leased T1/T3 lines, satellite connections, radio waves, or a combination of communications media. |
network architecture | The design and layout of the communications system; how computers in a network share resources. |
client/server network | A network architecture in which a computer (called the server) stores programs and files that any connected device (called a client) can access. |
client | A computer or other device capable of sending data to and receiving data from a server on a network. |
distributed application architecture | A network architecture that distributes tasks between client computers and server computers. |
peer-to-peer (P2P) network | A network architecture in which each computer in the network can act as both server and client. |
Internet peer-to-peer (P2P) network | A modification of the peer-to-peer network architecture, used on the Internet to share files. |
topology | How devices in a network are physically arranged and connected to each other. |
bus topology | An arrangement where all the computers and other devices on a network, such as printers, are connected by a single cable. |
ring topology | An arrangement that has computers and other devices connected, one after the other, in a closed loop. Data transmitted on a ring network travels from one computer to the other until it reaches its destination. |
star topology | An arrangement where all the devices on the network, called nodes, connect to a central device that is a hub or a switch. |