Networking Terms, Definitions and Usage

In the networking and IP communications markets and solutions space, certain terms, labels and
designators can mean different things depending on usage and context.
We felt it might be helpful for visitors to our site for us to include definitions of some of these
terms, particularly as the terms relate to Systechs solutions and market view.
Network Environments
Throughout the industry, vendors and providers refer to office, business, industrial,
transportation, enterprise, and so on. In each case, the understanding of the term or label is not
always clear. With Systech solutions, we view networking environments in the context of the
facility environment where the network and systems/devices connected to it are located.
Administrative Facilities

Environments primarily for general office, clerical and

administrative process functions; conditions of temperature,
humidity, and cleanliness, are reasonably controlled.

Operating Facilities

Environments primarily for producing, treating, collecting,

handling and physically distributing materials and products;
conditions of temperature, humidity and cleanliness vary
widely from controlled to uncontrolled to harsh. Can be
referred to as industrial facilities.

Business Transaction
Facilities

Environments primarily for transacting and exchange with

customers, consumers and buyers; conditions of
temperature, humidity and cleanliness vary from reasonably
controlled to somewhat uncontrolled. Can be referred to as
commercial facilities.

Networks
Wide Area Networks (WAN) Provide communications between facilities. Examples are
the everyday telephone network and virtual private networks
(VPNs).
Local Area Networks (LAN)

Provide communications within facilities. Examples are

Ethernet, Token Ring and Arcnet.

Serial Data Transfer

Form of communications within facilities in which (with

limitations) computers, peripherals and special function
devices are connected together.

Broadband

Ethernet LANs and WAN networks that employ high

bandwidth, high speed communications technologies (xxx
mbs and greater), such as satellite, DSL, T-1, and T-3.

Protocol

A special set of rules that devices use when communicating

with each other.

Internet Protocol (IP)

IPv4
IPv6

A protocol by which data is sent from one network-enabled

device to another on the Internet. Each network-enabled
device has at least one IP address that identifies it from all
other devices on the network. An address may be either a
public address or a private address. Public Addresses
are generally unique. Private Addresses are only unique
within the context of the local network.
Internet Protocol Version 4. Most widely used version of
IP.
Internet Protocol Version 6. The latest level of the
Internet Protocol. IPv6 is also referred to as IPng (IP Next
generation). IPv6 provides an evolutionary set of
improvements to IPv4. The most obvious improvement is
that IP addresses are lengthened from 32 bits to 128 bits.
This extension anticipates considerable future growth of the
Internet, and provides relief for what was perceived as an
impending shortage of network addresses.

TCP/IP

A specification for computer network protocols. TCP/IP is

sometimes called the Internet Reference Model. TCP/IP
defines a set of rules by which network-enabled devices
communicate over a network.

SNMP (Simple Network

Management Protocol)

A protocol governing network management and the

monitoring of network-enabled devices and their functions.

Network-Enabled Devices

A computer, server, router, printer, firewall, switch, input/

output device, sensor or hub that is connected to an
Ethernet network or the Internet.

Dial-to-IP

Networks, in which the devices that communicate over a

telephone WAN using dial-up modems, are provided with a
common connection point to higher speed, IP-based local
(LAN) or wide area networks (WAN).

Serial-to-IP

Serial data transfer connections of devices are provided with

a common connection to higher speed, IP-based local area
networks (LAN) or wide area networks (WAN).

Network Devices
Client-server Model

An architecture (system design) that divides processing

between clients and servers such that processing tasks can
run on the same machine or on different machines on the
same network.

Client

A network-enabled device that accesses a remote service on

a server by way of a network.

Server

A network-enabled device that provides a specific kind of

service to client software running on other computers on a
network.

Communication Server

A hardware device that provides computers, printers,

terminals or other devices with a common connection point
to a local or wide area network. Hubs, Switches, Terminal
Servers, Device Servers, and Transaction Servers are all
types of communication servers.

Device Server

A Communication Server that converts serial transmission to

Ethernet IP packets, enabling serial-based devices to
communicate over an Ethernet LAN instead of a dedicated
cable. The devices connect to the device server from their
RS-232, RS422 or RS485 serial port. The other side of the
device server can connect through a network interface port
to an Ethernet local area network or wide-area network, or
through a modem to a telephone-based wide area network.
The use of a device server means that each device does not
need its own network interface port or modem. The
terminology terminal server has been replaced with
device server to reflect that serial to IP communication
now encompasses far more than the connection of dumb
terminals to a host computer.

Terminal Server

A Communication Server that converts serial transmission to

Ethernet IP packets, enabling serial-based terminals to
communicate over an Ethernet LAN instead of a dedicated
cable. The terminals connect to the terminal server from
their RS-232, RS422 or RS485 serial port. The other side of
the terminal server connects through a network interface
port to an Ethernet local area network or wide-area network,
or through a modem to a telephone-based wide-area
network. The use of a terminal server means that each
terminal does not need its own network interface port or
modem. The name terminal server originated during a
period when users logged onto and accessed computers
from dumb terminals. At that time, terminal servers
provided the connections from the dumb terminal to the
host computer.

Hub

A hardware device that serves as a central point for

connecting devices over a local area network. Hubs
broadcast frames to all network-enabled devices on the
Ethernet network and therefore create more collisions than a
switch. Hubs are rarely used today due to preferences for
switches.

Switch

A hardware device that serves as an efficient central point

for connecting network-enabled devices over a local area
network. A Switch has several advantages over hubs. For
example, switches allow the division of a network into
multiple segments to reduce the number of data collisions.
Further, a switch only forwards frames to the networkenabled device that connects to the intended destination of
the data.

Managed Switch

Provides additional control over the network than can be

provided over an unmanaged switch. A Managed Switch
also collects and reports information about the performance
of the switch. Additional functionality can include the ability
to set up broadcast domains; set up VLANs; limit the
bandwidth rate of a segment; and provide for QoS, SNMP;
Port Mirroring; and/or Trunk redundancy.

Transaction Server

A server designed to work in a financial transaction

environment. A card scanner, ATM or modem connects to
one side of the transaction server. The other side of the
transaction server can connect through a network interface
port to a local area network, WAN or modem.

Print Server

Software or hardware that manages one or more printers.

Commercial Server

A server designed to work in a standard administrative or

business transaction facility environment.

Industrial Server

A server designed to work in an operating facility

environment.

Gateway

A network point that acts as an entry point to another

network, or a connecting point between two dissimilar
networks.

Router

A network device that forwards packets from one network to

another. Based on internal routing tables, routers read each
incoming packet and determine how to forward it. The
destination address in the packet governs the line (interface)
to which the router directs an outgoing packet.

Serial-based Device

Devices that have a RS-232, RS-485 or RS-422 serial port

interfaces. Examples of serial-based devices include, but are
not limited to, printers, terminals, credit card readers, scales,
modems, scanners and sensors.