| A | B |
|---|
| Node | any device connected to a network |
| LAN | nodes are close to each other, usually in the same building |
| WAN | nodes are connected over long distances using phone lines, fiber optics, or satellites |
| MAN | nodes are spread over a large city |
| Topology | the structure of a network |
| Bus | a single cable (trunk) that connects all computers in a single line |
| Star | nodes connect to a centralized hub via cable segments |
| Ring | connects all nodes on a single cable. Forms a full loop connecting the last node to the first node. |
| Mesh | Commonly used in WAN configurations. |
| Protocol | a standard set of rules and conditions for a network language |
| Mbps | the rate at which information is measured in a network |
| Coaxial | cable used in bus and ring topologies |
| Shielded/Unshielded Twisted Pair | Comes in 4 categories: Cat 2, Cat 3, Cat 4, Cat 5 |
| Fiber-optic | carries light pulse signals through a glass core |
| Attenuation | the degrading of a signal the further it travels from its source |
| Crosstalk | signal overflow from one wire to another adjacent wire |
| Jitter | instability in a signal wave |
