Network components Definations

Network:

Network devices including switches and routers use a variety of protocols and algorithms to exchange information and to transport data to its intended endpoint. Every endpoint (sometimes called a host) in a network has a unique identifier, often an IP address or a Media Access Control address, that is used to indicate the source or destination of the transmission. Endpoints can include servers, personal computers, phones and many types of network hardware.

Switch:

In a network, a switch is a device that channels incoming data from any of multiple input ports to the specific output port that will take it toward its intended destination.

Router:

In packet-switched networks such as the internet, a router is a device or, in some cases, software on a computer, that determines the best way for a packet to be forwarded to its destination.

Protocol:

In information technology, a protocol is the special set of rules that end points in a telecommunication connection use when they communicate. Protocols specify interactions between the communicating entities.

Endpoint:

An endpoint device is an Internet-capable computer hardware device on a TCP/IP network. The term can refer to desktop computers, laptops, smart phones, tablets, thin clients, printers.

Host:

A host (also known as "network host") is a computer or other device that communicates with other hosts on a network. Hosts on a network include clients and servers -- that send or receive data, services or applicas.

IP address:

This definition is based on Internet Protocol Version 4. See Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) for a description of the newer 128-bit IP address. Note that the system of IP address classes described here, while forming the basis for IP address assignment, is generally bypassed today by use of Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) addressing.

TCP/IP:

TCP/IP, or the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, is a suite of communication protocols used to interconnect network devices on the internet. TCP/IP can also be used as a communications protocol in a private network (an intranet or an extranet).

Domain Name:

A domain name locates an organization or other entity on the Internet. For example, the domain name locates an Internet address for "totalbaseball.com" at Internet point 199.0.0.2 and a particular host server named "www." The "com" part of the domain name reflects the purpose of the organization or entity (in this example, "commercial") and is called the top-level domain name. The "totalbaseball" part of the domain name defines the organization or entity and together with the top-level is called the second-level domain name. The second-level domain name maps to and can be thought of as the "readable" version of the Internet address.