Broadband Glossary "N" Definitions

# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Welcome to our Broadband Glossary. We compiled a comprehensive collection of Broadband and Internet related terms and definitions. To look for a definition or term, simply click on the letter that matches the first letter of the word you are searching for. If the term you want is a numeral, you will find it under the 0-9 listing.

We intend for our Broadband Glossary to be ever expanding. As new technology is released, we will add these definitions to our Glossary. If you cannot find the term you are searching for, please contact us and we will add it to the Broadband glossary as quickly as possible. We hope that you find this Broadband Glossary easy to navigate and that you find the term you're looking for.

Net

Short for Internet.

Netiquette

Network etiquette or Internet manners. With so much unwanted traffic on the Internet, demands are increasing for some form of standardization. Below are some examples of netiquette:
When sending messages, avoid using all caps. IT LOOKS & SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE SHOUTING! Chat rooms can be fun, but use discretion when providing comments.
Guard your personal and professional information when you are online by keeping a low profile and not giving out more personal information than necessary in your online address.
Keep in mind that anything you post to a newsgroup or type into a chat session is a public comment. You never know who's reading it, or who may copy it and spread it around.
Don't make the mistake of indiscriminately posting notices to every newsgroup or chat group. This practice, known as "spamming," does more harm than good. Not only do you waste precious bandwidth, but it's considered extremely poor netiquette to post any message where it is not explicitly welcome.
The practice of sending electronic hate mail, known as "flaming" is offensive and, in some places, illegal.
If you post an ad to a newsgroup, or in e-mail, clearly label it in the subject line. That way people who aren't interested can delete it.
Trademark owners, such as McDonald's and MTV have successfully protected the unauthorized use of their trademarks as domain names, so don't use them without permission. Companies vigorously enforce any unauthorized use of their trademarks.
Keep in mind that Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are useful documents to read before asking questions. You should always consult them whenever they are available.

Network

A network links devices together, such as computers and phones. There are many types of computer networks, including:

Local Area Networks (LANs): The computers are geographically close together (as in, the same building).

Wide Area Networks (WANs): The computers are farther apart and are connected by telephone lines or radio waves.

The following characteristics are also used to categorize different types of networks:

Topology: The geometric arrangement of a computer system. Common topologies include a bus, star, and ring.

Protocol: A common set of rules and signals that network computers use to communicate. One of the most popular protocols for LANs is called Ethernet. Another popular LAN protocol for PCs is the IBM token ring network.

Architecture: Networks can be broadly classified as using either a peer-to-peer or client/server architecture. Computers on a network are sometimes called nodes. Computers and devices that allocate resources for a network are called servers.

Network Interface Card or NIC

The circuit board that provides the interface between a computer and the network. The network can be a LAN or the IP connection through a DSL bridge or router. Common NIC LAN connector types are 10Base-T, Coaxial and AUI.