| A | B |
|---|
| ring | Connection of two or more stations in a logically circular topology. Information is passed sequentially between active stations. Token Ring, FDDI, and CDDI are based on this topology. |
| mesh | Network topology in which devices are organized in a manageable, segmented manner with many, often redundant, interconnections strategically placed between network nodes. |
| bus | . Common physical signal path composed of wires or other media across which signals can be sent from one part of a computer to another. Sometimes called highway. |
| star | LAN topology in which end points on a network are connected to a common central switch by point-to-point links. A ring topology that is organized as a star implements a unidirectional closed-loop star, instead of point-to-point links. |
| hierarchical | Extended star topology where a central hub is connected by vertical cabling to other hubs that are dependent on it. |
| repeater | Device that regenerates and propagates electrical signals between two network segments. |
| nic | .) Network interface card. Board that provides network communication capabilities to and from a computer system. |
| bridge | Device that connects and passes packets between two network segments that use the same communications protocol. Bridges operate at the data link layer (layer 2) of the OSI reference model. In general, a bridge will filter, forward, or flood an incoming frame based on the MAC address of that frame. |
| media | Plural of medium. The various physical environments through which transmission signals pass. Common network media include twisted-pair, coaxial and fiber-optic cable, and the atmosphere (through which microwave, laser, and infrared transmission occurs). |
| router | Network layer device that uses one or more metrics to determine the optimal path along which network traffic should be forwarded. Routers forward packets from one network to another based on network layer information. Occasionally called a gateway (although this definition of gateway is becoming increasingly outdated). |
| log-broadcast | Data packet that will be sent to all nodes on a network. Broadcasts are identified by a broadcast address. |
| logical-token | Frame that contains control information. Possession of the token allows a network device to transmit data onto the network. |
| hubs | 1. Generally, a term used to describe a device that serves as the center of a star-topology network. |
| switch | 1.) Network device that filters, forwards, and floods frames based on the destination address of each frame. The switch operates at the data link layer of the OSI model. |
