CT320

CT320: Network and System Administration

Fall 2017

Definitions

See this page as a slide show

Networking definitions

Definition: definition

Definition: host

A host is a thing on a network; anything with an IP address. My house contains these hosts:

  • living-room Linux laptop
  • library Linux laptop
  • back room Linux laptop
  • CSU Mac laptop
  • wife’s Windows laptop
  • desktop Windows system
  • wife’s Android tablet
  • my Android phone
  • wife’s Android phone
  • NAS
  • Wi-Fi DD-WRT router
  • Wi-Fi DD-WRT repeater
  • Wi-Fi printer
  • cable modem
  • TV
  • DVR
  • Blu-ray player
  • Wi-Fi thermostat

Definition: medium

Singular: “medium”
Plural: “media”

Definition: network

A network is hosts connected by a single medium. Your laptop and eBay are not on the same network.

    ┌────────┐           ┌────────┐              ┌─────────┐
    │        │           │        │              │         │
    │ laptop │···········│ router │··············│ Blu-Ray │
    │        │   Wi-Fi   │        │   Wi-Fi      │         │
    └────────┘           └────────┘              └─────────┘

Definition: LAN

Variations on a theme

Definition: internet

What is a (lower-case “i”) internet(work)? It’s a collection of connected networks.

    ┌────────┐           ┌────────┐              ┌─────────┐
    │        │           │        │              │         │
    │ laptop │···········│ router │··············│ printer │
    │        │   Wi-Fi   │        │   ethernet   │         │
    └────────┘           └────────┘              └─────────┘

Definition: Internet

What is the (upper-case “I”) Internet? It’s all the connected networks in the world. There are many internets, but only one Internet.

    ┌────────┐           ┌────────┐              ┌──────┐
    │        │           │        │              │      │
    │ laptop │···········│ router │··············│ eBay │
    │        │   Wi-Fi   │        │   Internet   │      │
    └────────┘           └────────┘              └──────┘

or, more simply:

    ┌────────┐              ┌──────┐
    │        │              │      │
    │ laptop │··············│ eBay │
    │        │   Internet   │      │
    └────────┘              └──────┘

Definition: World-Wide-Web

What is the (World-Wide-)Web? It’s a use of the Internet.

Definition: End system

    ┌────────┐              ┌──────┐
    │ laptop │··············│ eBay │
    └────────┘   Internet   └──────┘

Definition: Client/Server

    ┌────────┐              ┌──────┐
    │ laptop │··············│ eBay │
    └────────┘   Internet   └──────┘

End systems may be classified as clients, servers, both, or neither.

Client vs. server depends on what programs the end system is running. A given host may be both. Most hosts are DNS clients.

Modified: 2017-10-15T16:35

User: Guest

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