Information Technology ( IT )

A media access control address (MAC address) of a computer is a unique identifier assigned to network interfaces for communications at the data link layer of a network segment. MAC addresses are used as a network address for most IEEE 802 network technologies, including Ethernet and WiFi.

The Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) is an industry standard client/server interface that allows networked computers that are not yet loaded with an operating system to be configured and booted remotely by an administrator.

Windows Deployment Services  is a  server  technology from Microsoft for network-based installation of Windows operating systems. It is the successor to Remote Installation Services.

Distributed file System  ( DFS ) is a set of client and server services that allow an organization using Microsoft Windows servers to organize many distributed SMB file shares into a  distributed file system .

Network address translation ( NAT ) is a  method of remapping one IP address space into another by modifying network address information in Internet Protocol (IP) datagram packet headers while they are in transit across a traffic routing device.

1G ,  2G ,  3G ,  4G : The evolution of wireless generations. Posted: 01 Sep 2013, 17:24 , by Maxwell R. From the roots of analog based first generation service ( 1G ) to today's truly broadband-ready LTE networks (now accepted as  4G ), the wireless industry is on a path that promises some great innovation in our future.

General Packet Radio Service ( GPRS ) is a packet oriented mobile data service on the 2G and 3G cellular communication system's global system for mobile communications (GSM).

HTML  (Hypertext Markup Language) is the set of markup symbols or codes inserted in a file intended for display on a World Wide Web browser page. The markup tells the Web browser how to display a Web page's words and images for the user.

Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure  ( HTTPS ) is the secure version of  HTTP , the protocol over which data is sent between your browser and the website that you are connected to. The 'S' at the end of  HTTPS  stands for 'Secure'. It means all communications between your browser and the website are encrypted.

The World Wide Web ( WWW )  is  an information space where documents and other web resources are identified by URLs, interlinked by hypertext links, and can be accessed via the Internet. The World Wide Web was invented by English scientist Tim Berners-Lee in 1989.

Bus topology  is a specific kind of network  topology  in which all of the various devices in the network are connected to a single cable or line. In general, the term refers to how various devices are set up in a network.

A  tree topology  is a type of network  topology  that includes at least three specific levels in a  topology  hierarchy.  Tree  topologies are valued for their scalability and accessibility for troubleshooting.

Bus  Topology . Alternatively referred to as a  line topology , a bus  topology  is a network setup in which each computer and network device are connected to a single cable or backbone.

Fully Connected  NetworkTopology  Diagram. "A  fully connected  network, complete  topology , or  full  mesh  topology  is a network  topology  in which there is a direct link between all pairs of nodes. In a  fully connected  network with n nodes, there are n(n-1)/2 direct links.

A  star topology  is a  topology  for a Local Area Network (LAN) in which all nodes are individually connected to a central connection point, like a hub or a switch. A  star takes more cable than e.g. a bus, but the benefit is that if a cable fails, only one node will be brought down.

A  mesh  network is a network  topology  in which each node relays data for the network. All  mesh  nodes cooperate in the distribution of data in the network.  Mesh  networks can relay messages using either a flooding technique or a routing technique.

A  ring  network is a network  topology  in which each node connects to exactly two other nodes, forming a single continuous pathway for signals through each node - a  ring . Data travels from node to node, with each node along the way handling every packet.

In communication networks, a  topology  is a usually schematic description of the arrangement of a network, including its nodes and connecting lines. There are two ways of defining network geometry: the physical  topology  and the logical (or signal)  topology .

The Internet community originally defined five  address classes  to accommodate networks of varying sizes. Microsoft TCP/ IP  supports  class  A, B, and C  addresses  assigned to hosts. The  class  of  address  defines which bits are used for the network ID and which bits are used for the host ID.

A:  IPv6  is the sixth revision to the Internet Protocol and the successor to  IPv4 . It functions similarly to  IPv4  in that it provides the unique, numerical IP addresses necessary for Internet-enabled devices to communicate. However, it does sport one major difference: it utilizes 128-bit addresses.

An Internet Protocol  address  ( IP address ) is a numerical label assigned to each device (e.g., computer, printer) participating in a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. An  IP address  serves two principal functions: host or network interface identification and location addressing.

Infrared  (IR) is invisible radiant energy, electromagnetic radiation with longer wavelengths than those of visible light, extending from the nominal red edge of the visible spectrum at 700 nanometers (frequency 430 THz) to 1 mm (300 GHz) (although people can see  infrared  up to at least 1050 nm in experiments).

Bluetooth  is a wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances (using short-wavelength UHF radio waves in the ISM band from 2.4 to 2.485 GHz) from fixed and mobile devices, and building personal area  networks (PANs).

Wireless networks  are computer  networks  that are not connected by cables of any kind. The use of a  wireless network  enables enterprises to avoid the costly process of introducing cables into buildings or as a connection between different equipment locations.

An  antistatic wrist strap , ESD  wrist strap , or ground bracelet is an antistatic  device used to safely ground a person working on very sensitive electronic equipment, to prevent the buildup of  static electricity on their body, which can result in electrostatic discharge (ESD).

A  crimping tool  is a device used to conjoin two pieces of metal by deforming one or both of them in a way that causes them to hold each other. The result of the  tool's  work is called a  crimp . A good example of  crimping  is the process of affixing a connector to the end of a cable.

A  patch cable  or  patch cord  or  patch  lead is an electrical or optical  cable  used to connect (" patch -in") one electronic or optical device to another for signal routing. Devices of different types (e.g., a switch connected to a computer, or a switch to a router) are connected with  patch  cords.

RJ45 . An 8-pin/8-position plug or jack is commonly used to connect computers onto Ethernet-based local area networks (LAN). Two wiring schemes–T568A and T568B–are used to terminate the twisted-pair cable onto the  connector interface .

LAN cables  are a specific type of data  cable  used in computer networking. There are two different types of local area network  cables . The first is a standard  cable  that connects a computer to a router or hub, and the second is called a crossover  cable , connecting two computers together.

Magnifier , formerly Microsoft  Magnifier , is a screen  magnifier  app intended for visually impaired people to use when running Microsoft Windows. When it is run, it creates a bar at the top of the screen that greatly magnifies where the mouse is.

A  local area network  ( LAN ) is a group of computers and associated devices that share a common communications line or wireless link to a server. Typically, a  LAN  encompasses computers and peripherals connected to a server within a distinct geographic area such as an office or a commercial establishment.

A  wide area network  ( WAN ) is a telecommunications  network  or computer  network  that extends over a large geographical distance.  Wide area networks  are often established with leased telecommunication circuits.

A metropolitan area network is a computer network that interconnects users with computer resources in a geographic area or region larger than that covered by even a large local area network but smaller than the area covered by a wide area network.

Zener diodes  are widely used as voltage references and as shunt regulators to regulate the voltage across small circuits. When connected in parallel with a variable voltage source so that it is reverse biased, a  Zener diode  conducts when the voltage reaches the  diode's  reverse breakdown voltage.

The most common function of a  diode  is to allow an electric current to pass in one direction (called the  diode's  forward direction), while blocking current in the opposite direction (the reverse direction). Thus, the  diode  can be viewed as an electronic version of a check valve.

A  light-emitting diode  ( LED ) is a two-lead semiconductor light source. It is a p–n junction diode, which emits light when activated. When a suitable voltage is applied to the leads, electrons are able to recombine with electron holes within the device, releasing energy in the form of photons.

LCD  ( liquid crystal display ) is the technology used for displays in notebook and other smaller computers. Like light-emitting diode (LED) and gas-plasma technologies,  LCDs  allow displays to be much thinner than cathode ray tube (CRT) technology.

Short for thin film transistor, a type of LCD flat-panel display screen, in which each pixel is controlled by from one to four transistors. TheTFT technology provides the best resolution of all the flat-panel techniques, but it is also the most expensive. TFT screens are sometimes called active-matrix LCDs

A  cathode ray tube  ( CRT ) is a specialized vacuum tube in which images are produced when an electron beam strikes aphosphorescent surface. Most desktop computer displays make useof  CRTs . The  CRT  in a computer display is similar to the"picture tube" in a television receiver.

Cache memory , also called CPU  memory , is random access  memory  (RAM) that a computer microprocessor can access more quickly than it can access regular RAM. This  memory  is typically integrated directly with the CPU chip or placed on a separate chip that has a separate bus interconnect with the CPU.

A memory  card reader  is a device, typically having a  USB  interface, for accessing the data on a memory  card  such as a CompactFlash (CF), Secure Digital (SD) or MultiMediaCard (MMC). Most  card readers  also offer write capability, and together with the card , this can function as a pen drive.