Networking Terminology Glossary
A comprehensive glossary of common networking terms and acronyms for quick reference.
A list of rules applied to a router's interface that specifies which packets are permitted or denied to pass through.
A protocol used to map a known IP address to a physical MAC address on a local network.
A special IP address in a subnet that is used to send a message to all hosts on that subnet simultaneously. It's always the last address in the subnet range.
The current method for allocating IP addresses and routing Internet Protocol packets. It replaces the older classful system and allows for more efficient use of IP addresses.
A network management protocol used on IP networks whereby a DHCP server automatically assigns an IP address and other network configuration parameters to each device on a network.
The internet's phonebook. It translates human-readable domain names (like www.google.com) into machine-readable IP addresses (like 172.217.10.142).
A network security device that monitors incoming and outgoing network traffic and decides whether to allow or block specific traffic based on a defined set of security rules.
A node (router) on a TCP/IP network that serves as an access point to another network. In a home network, the gateway is the router that connects the local network to the internet.
The two versions of the Internet Protocol. IPv4 is a 32-bit address, while IPv6 is a 128-bit address designed to replace IPv4.
A unique hardware identifier assigned to a network interface controller (NIC) for use as a network address in communications within a network segment.
A method used by routers to allow multiple devices on a private network to share a single public IP address for internet access.
The first address in a subnet range. It represents the network itself and cannot be assigned to a host.
A small segment of a larger message. Data sent over computer networks, such as the internet, is divided into packets.
A networking device that forwards data packets between computer networks. Routers perform the traffic directing functions on the Internet.
A 32-bit number that divides an IP address into its network and host portions.
A core protocol of the Internet Protocol suite. It provides reliable, ordered, and error-checked delivery of a stream of octets between applications running on hosts communicating over an IP network.
An alternative to TCP that provides connectionless and unreliable communication. It's faster than TCP and often used for time-sensitive applications like video streaming or online gaming.
A technique that allows network administrators to divide an IP address space into subnets of different sizes, unlike traditional subnetting.
An inverted subnet mask used in ACLs and some routing protocols to specify a range of IP addresses.