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Chapter 6
Network Hardware, Switching, and Routing
62
Computer Networking
Undergraduate 1
07/19/2015

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Term
802.1D
Definition
The IEEE standard that describes, among other things, bridging and STP (Spanning Tree Protocol).
Term
802.1Q
Definition
The IEEE standard that specifies how VLAN and trunking information appear in frames and how switches and bridges interpret that information.
Term
802.1W
Definition
he IEEE standard that describes RSTP (Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol), which evolved from STP (Spanning Tree Protocol)
Term
access port
Definition
The interface on a switch used for an end node. Devices connected to access ports are unaware of VLAN information.
Term
application switch
Definition
A switch that provides functions between Layer 4 and Layer 7 of the OSI model.
Term
backplane
Definition
A synonym for motherboard, often used in the context of switches and routers.
Term
best path
Definition
The most efficient route from one node on a network to another. Under optimal network conditions, the best path is the most direct path between two points. However, when traffic congestion, segment failures, and other factors create obstacles, the most direct path might not be the best path.
Term
BGP (Border Gateway Protocol)
Definition
A distance-vector routing protocol capable of considering many factors in its routing metrics. BGP, an Exterior Gateway Protocol, is the routing protocol used on Internet backbones.
Term
BID (Bridge ID)
Definition
A combination of a 2-byte priority field and a bridge's MAC address, used in STP (Spanning Tree Protocol) to select a root bridge.
Term
border router
Definition
A router that connects to autonomous LAN with an exterior network--for example, the router that connects a business to it's ISP.
Term
bridge
Definition
A connectivity device that operates at the Data Link layer (Layer 2) of the OSI model and reads header information to forward packets according to their MAC addresses. Bridges use a filtering database to determine which packets to discard and which to forward. Bridges contain one input and one output port and separate network segments.
Term
bus
Definition
A type of circuit used by a computer's motherboard to transmit data to components. Most new Pentium computers use buses capable of exchanging 32 or 64 bits of data. As the number of bits of data a bus handles increases, so too does the speed of the device attached to the bus.
Term
content switch
Definition
A switch that provides functions between Layer 4 and Layer 7 of the OSI model
Term
convergence time
Definition
The time it takes for a router to recognize a best path in the event of a change or network outage
Term
cost
Definition
In the context of routing metrics, the value assigned to a particular route as judge by the network administrator. The more desirable the path, the lower its cost.
Term
cut-through mode
Definition
A switching mode in which a switch reads a frame's header and decides where to forward the data before it receives the entire packet. Cut-through mode is faster, but less accurate, than the other switching method, store-and-forward mode.
Term
device driver
Definition
The software that enables an attached device to communicate with the computer's operating system.
Term
distance-vector
Definition
The simplest type of routing protocols, these determine the best route for data based on the distance to a destination. Some distance-vector routing protocols, like RIP, only factor in the number of hops to the destination, while others take into account latency and other network characteristics.
Term
dynamic routing
Definition
A method of routing that automatically calculates the best path between two nodes and accumulates this information in a routing table. If congestion or failures affect the network, a router using dynamic routing can detect the problem and reroute data through a different path. Modern networks primarily use dynamic routing.
Term
EGP (Exterior Gateway Protocol)
Definition
A routing protocol that can span multiple, autonomous networks. BGP and EIGRP are examples of Exterior Gateway Protocols.
Term
EIGRP (Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol)
Definition
A routing protocol developed in the mid-1980s by Cisco Sytems that has a fast convergence time and a low network overhead, but is easier to configure and less CPU-intensive than OSPF. EIGRP also offers the benefits of supporting multiple protocols and limiting unnecessary network traffic between routers.
Term
ethtool
Definition
A popular tool for viewing and modifying network interface properties on Linux computers.
Term
expansion board
Definition
A circuit board used to connect a device to a computer's motherboard.
Term
expansion card
Definition
see expansion board. Expansion slot A receptacle on a computer's motherboard that contains multiple electrical contacts into which an expansion board can be inserted.
Term
exterior router
Definition
a router that directs data between nodes outside a given autonomous LAN, for example, routers used on the Internet's backbone
Term
filtering database
Definition
A collection of data created and used by a bridge that correlates the MAC addresses of connected workstations with their locations. A filtering database is also known as a forwarding table.
Term
firewall
Definition
A device (either a router or a computer running special software) that selectively filters or blocks traffic between networks. Firewalls are commonly used to improve data security.
Term
gateway
Definition
A combbination of networking hardware and software that connects two dissimilar kinds of networks. Gateways perform connectivity, session management, and data translation, so they must operate at multiple layers of the OSI model.
Term
GBIC (Gigabit interface converter)
Definition
A standard type of modular interface designed in the 1990s for Gigabit Ethernet connectiosn. GBICs may contain RJ-45 or fiber-optic cable ports (such as LC, SC, or ST). They are inserted into a socket on a connectivity device's backplane.
Term
hot-swappable
Definition
The feature of a component that allows it to be installed or removed without disrupting operations.
Term
hub
Definition
A connectivity device that retransmits incoming data signals to its multiple ports. Typically, hubs contain one uplink port, which is used to connect to a network's backbone.
Term
IGP (Interior Gateway Protocol)
Definition
A routing protocol, such as RIP, that can only route data within an autonomous (internal) network.
Term
Interior router
Definition
A router that directs data between nodes on an autonomous LAN.
Term
IS-IS (Intermediate System to Intermediate System)
Definition
A link-slate routing protocol that uses a best-path algorithm similar to OSPFs. IS-IS was originally codified by ISO, which referred to routers as "intermediate systems," thus the protocol's name. unlike OSPF, IS-IS is deigned for use on interior routers only.
Term
Layer 3 switch
Definition
A switch capable of interpreting data at Layer 3 (Network layer) of the OSI model.
Term
Layer 4 switch
Definition
A switch capable of interpreting data at Layer 4 (Transport Layer) of the OSI model.
Term
link-state
Definition
A type of routing protocol that enables routers across a network to share information, after which each router can independently map the network and determine the best path between itself and a packet's destination node.
Term
loopback plug
Definition
A connector used for troubleshooting that plugs into a port (for example, a serial, parallel, or RJ-45 port) and crosses over the transmit line to the receive line, allowing outgoing signals to be redirected back into the computer for testing.
Term
on-board nic
Definition
A nic that is integrated into a computer's motherboard, rather than connected via an expansion slot or peripheral bus.
Term
on-board port
Definition
A port that is integrated into a computer's motherboard.
Term
OSPF (Open Shortest Path First)
Definition
A routing protocol that makes up for some of the limitations of RIP and can coexist with RIP on a network.
Term
PCIe (PCI component Interconnect Express)
Definition
A 32-bit bus standard capable of transferring data at up to 1 Gbps per data path, or lane, in full-duplex transmission. PCIe is commonly used for expansion board NICs.
Term
RIP (Routing Information Protocol)
Definition
The oldest routing protocol that is still widely used, RIP is a distance-vector protocol that uses hop count as its routing metric and allows up to only 15 hops. It is considered an IGP. Compared with older, more modern, routing protocols, RIP is slower and less secure.
Term
RIPv2 (routing Information Protocol version 2)
Definition
An updated version of the original RIP routing protocol, which makes up for some of its predecessor's overhead and security flaws. However, RIPv2's packet forwarding is still limited to a maximum 15 hops.
Term
root bridge
Definition
The single bridge on a network selected by the Spanning Tree Protocol to provide the basis for all subsequent path calculations.
Term
router
Definition
A multiport device that operates at Layer 3 of the OSI model and uses logical addressing information to direct data between networks or segments. Routers can connect dissimilar LANs and WANs running at different transmission speeds and using a variety of Network layer protocols. They determine the best path between nodes based on traffic congestion, available versus unavailable routes, load balancing targets, and other factors.
Term
routing metric
Definition
The method used by routing protocols to determine the best path for data to follow over a network. Routing metrics may be calculated using any of several variables, including number of hops, bandwidth, delay, MTU, cost, and load.
Term
routing protocols
Definition
The means by which routers communicate with each other about network status. Routing protocols determine the best path for data to take between nodes.
Term
routing switch
Definition
Layer 3 switch
Term
routing table
Definition
A database stored in a router's memory that maintains information about the location of hosts and best paths for forwarding packets to them
Term
RSTP (Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol)
Definition
As described in IEEE's 802.1W standard, a version of the Spanning Tree Protocol that can detect and correct for network changes much more quickly.
Term
runt
Definition
An erroneously shortened packet
Term
SFP (small form-factor pluggable) transceiver
Definition
A standard hot-swappable network interface used to link a connectivity device's backplane with fiber-optic or copper cabling. SFPs are known as mini GBICs because they perform a similar function as GBICs, but have a smaller profile. Current SFP standards enable them to send and receive data at up to 10 Gbps.
Term
static routing
Definition
A technique in which a network administrator programs a router to use specific paths between nodes. Because it does not account for occasional network congestion, failed connections, or device moves and requires manual configuration, static routing is not optimal.
Term
store-and-forward mode
Definition
A method of switching in which a switch reads the entire data frame into its memory and checks it for accuracy before transmitting it. Although this method is more time consuming than the cut-through method, it allows store-and-forward switches to transmit data more accurately.
Term
STP (Spanning Tree Protocol)
Definition
A switching protocol defined in IEEE 802.1d. STP operates in the Data Link layer to prevent traffic loops by calculating paths that avoid potential loops and by artificially blocking links that would complete a loop. Given changes to a network's links or devices, STP recalculates its paths.
Term
switch
Definition
A connectivity device that logically subdivides a network into smaller, individual collision domains. A switch operates at the Data Link layer of the OSI model and can interpret MAC address information to determine wheter to filter (discard) or forward packets it receives.
Term
trunk port
Definition
The interface on a switch capable of managing traffic from multiple VLANs
Term
trunking
Definition
The aggregation of multiple logical connections in one physical connection between connectivity devices. In the case of VLANs, a trunk allows two switches to manage and exchange data between multiple VLANs.
Term
uplink port
Definition
A port on a connectivity device, such as a hub or switch, used to connect it to another connectivity device.
Term
VLAN (virtual local area network)
Definition
A network within a network that is logically defined by grouping its devices' switch ports in the same broadcast domain. A VLAN can consist of any type of network node in any geographic location and incorporate nodes connected to different switches.
Term
VTP (VLAN trunking protocol)
Definition
Cisco's protocol for exchanging VLAN information over trunks. VTP allows one switch on a network to centrally manage all VLANs.
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