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MAC Address
A MAC address is a unique serial number burned into hardware adapters, giving the
adapter a unique identification.
Metric
A number that indicates how long a packet takes to get to its destination.
MTU
MTU (Maximum Transmission/Transfer Unit) is the largest packet size that can be sent
over a network. Messages larger than the MTU are divided into smaller packets.
NAT
NAT (Network Address Translation - also known as IP masquerading) enables an
organization to present itself to the Internet with one address. NAT converts the address
of each LAN node into one IP address for the Internet (and vice versa). NAT also
provides a certain amount of security by acting as a firewall by keeping individual IP
addresses hidden from the WAN.
(Network) Administrator
The network administrator is the person who manages the LAN within an organization.
The administrator's job includes ensuring network security, keeping software, hardware,
and firmware up-to-date, and keeping track of network activity.
NTP
NTP (Network Time Protocol) is used to synchronize the realtime clock in a computer.
Internet primary and secondary servers synchronize to Coordinated Universal Time
(UTC).
Packet
A packet is a portion of data that is transmitted in network communications. Packets are
also sometimes called frames and datagrams. Packets contain not only data, but also
the destination IP address.
Ping
Ping (Packet INternet Groper) is a utility used to find out if a particular IP address is
present online, and is usually used by networks for debugging.
Port
Ports are the communications pathways in and out of computers and network devices
(routers and switches). Most PCs have serial and parallel ports, which are external
sockets for connecting devices such as printers, modems, and mice. All network
adapters use ports to connect to the LAN. Ports are typically numbered.
PPPoE
PPPoE (Point-to-Point Protocol Over Ethernet) is used for running PPP protocol
(normally used for dial-up Internet connections) over an Ethernet.