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• top-of-rack switching

  Top-of-rack switching is a data center architecture design in which computing equipment like servers, appliances and other switches located within the same or adjacent rack connect to an in-rack network switch. Continue Reading

• edge device

  An edge device is any piece of hardware that controls data flow at the boundary between two networks. Continue Reading

• 6 types of quantum network topologies

  Quantum networks require efficient architectures to optimize communication and enable large-scale quantum information processing. Learn about the main quantum network topologies. Continue Reading

• Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)

  Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is a standard that defines how to establish and maintain a network conversation by which applications can exchange data. Continue Reading

• Network simulation vs. emulation: What's the difference?

  Network engineers use simulation and emulation to test changes, which ensures reliable post-change performance. Network simulators create models, while emulators mimic networks. Continue Reading

• Definitions to Get Started

  • top-of-rack switching
  • edge device
  • Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
  • network interface card (NIC)

  • User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
  • Telnet
  • big-endian and little-endian
  • single-user multiple input, multiple output (SU-MIMO)

  View All Definitions

• network interface card (NIC)

  A network interface card (NIC) is a hardware component, typically a circuit board or chip, installed on a computer so it can connect to a network.Continue Reading

• User Datagram Protocol (UDP)

  User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is a communications protocol primarily used to establish low-latency and loss-tolerating connections between applications on the internet.Continue Reading

• Telnet

  Telnet is a network protocol used to virtually access a computer and provide a two-way, collaborative and text-based communication channel between two machines.Continue Reading

• big-endian and little-endian

  The term endianness describes the order in which computer memory stores a sequence of bytes.Continue Reading

• Address Resolution Protocol (ARP)

  Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) is a protocol that maps dynamic IP addresses to permanent physical machine addresses in a local area network (LAN).Continue Reading

• single-user multiple input, multiple output (SU-MIMO)

  Single-user multiple input, multiple output (SU-MIMO) is a multitransmitter and receiver technology that lets a wireless access point send multiple, simultaneous data streams to one compatible endpoint at a time.Continue Reading

• ternary content-addressable memory (TCAM)

  Ternary content-addressable memory (TCAM) is a specialized type of high-speed memory that searches its entire contents in a single clock cycle.Continue Reading

• SASE vs. NaaS: What's the difference?

  SASE and NaaS are network models with different goals. SASE combines SD-WAN with cloud-based security, while NaaS lets businesses outsource network management via a subscription model.Continue Reading

• 5G standalone (5G SA)

  5G standalone (5G SA) is a cellular infrastructure built specifically for 5G services by implementing 5G standards and protocols in the radio network and controller core.Continue Reading

• Cisco IOS (Cisco Internetwork Operating System)

  Cisco IOS (Internetwork Operating System) is a collection of proprietary operating systems (OSes) that runs on Cisco hardware devices, including Cisco Systems network devices, routers and network switches.Continue Reading

• What is 6G? Overview of 6G networks & technology

  6G (sixth-generation wireless) is the successor to 5G cellular technology. 6G networks will be able to use higher frequencies than 5G networks and provide substantially higher capacity and much lower latency.Continue Reading

• carrier cloud

  A carrier cloud is a cloud computing environment that is owned and operated by a traditional telecommunications service provider.Continue Reading

• data link layer

  The data link layer is the protocol layer in a program that handles how data moves in and out of a physical link in a network.Continue Reading

• How to build a private 5G network architecture

  A private 5G network could provide organizations with greater control over their wireless environments. But cost and complexity could be critical deterrents.Continue Reading

• CPRI (Common Public Radio Interface)

  CPRI (Common Public Radio Interface) is a specification for wireless communication networks that defines the key criteria for interfacing transport, connectivity and control communications between baseband units (BBUs) and remote radio units (RRUs),...Continue Reading

• network hub

  A network hub is a node that broadcasts data to every computer or Ethernet-based device connected to it.Continue Reading

• router

  A router is a physical or virtual appliance that passes information between two or more packet-switched computer networks.Continue Reading

• An introduction to cloud network architecture

  Enterprises have three main options when it comes to cloud network architecture: Use built-in CSP tools, buy virtual networking appliances or use a multi-cloud management platform.Continue Reading

• Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE)

  Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) is a protocol that encapsulates packets in order to route various protocols over Internet Protocol (IP) networks.Continue Reading

• What are licensed and unlicensed wireless frequency bands?

  Licensed frequency bands are reliable and offer better performance than unlicensed frequency bands, which are low cost and easy to deploy but interference is common.Continue Reading

• network assurance

  Network assurance is the method of validating whether services and policies configured on and across network appliances appropriately align with operational goals.Continue Reading

• application delivery controller (ADC)

  An application delivery controller (ADC) is a network component that manages and optimizes how client machines connect to web and enterprise application servers.Continue Reading

• Open Shortest Path First (OSPF)

  Open Shortest Path First, often shortened to OSPF, is an IP routing protocol used to find the best path to distribute packets as they pass through IP networks.Continue Reading

• 5G vs. 4G: Learn the key differences between them

  5G and 4G network architectures have some significant differences. See how the two technologies differ and what the new capabilities mean for business communications.Continue Reading

• Ethernet

  Ethernet is the traditional technology for connecting devices in a wired local area network (LAN) or wide area network.Continue Reading

• 5G NSA vs. SA: How do the deployment modes differ?

  Non-standalone 5G uses a combination of existing 4G LTE architecture with a 5G RAN. Standalone 5G, on the other hand, uses a 5G RAN and a cloud-native 5G core.Continue Reading

• data plane

  The data plane -- sometimes known as the user plane, forwarding plane, carrier plane or bearer plane -- is the part of a network that carries user traffic.Continue Reading

• fiber optics (optical fiber)

  Fiber optics, or optical fiber, refers to the technology that transmits information as light pulses along a glass or plastic fiber.Continue Reading

• Macrocell vs. small cell vs. femtocell: A 5G introduction

  Small cells provide fast connectivity speeds for 5G networks and capable devices, but 5G won't stop there. Macrocells and femtocells are also key to connect 5G networks.Continue Reading

• The essential 5G glossary of key terms and phrases

  To understand 5G, delve into the terminology that shapes the technology. This glossary of 14 5G keywords explains what 5G is and how its features work.Continue Reading

• The 3 different types of 5G technology for enterprises

  5G isn't a single flavor of cellular technology; it's three flavors, and each one can enable advanced capabilities, such as ultrareliable low latency and IoT connectivity.Continue Reading

• Wi-Fi 6 vs. 5G: What's the difference?

  Some of the major differences between Wi-Fi 6 and 5G include frequency, authentication, licensing and use cases. But the two technologies can also work well together.Continue Reading

• network engineer

  A network engineer is a technology professional who has the necessary skills to plan, implement and oversee the computer networks that support in-house voice, data, video and wireless network services.Continue Reading

• mean time to innocence

  Mean time to innocence is the average elapsed time between when a system problem is detected and any given team's ability to say the team or part of its system is not the root cause of the problem.Continue Reading

• jumbo frames

  A jumbo frame is an Ethernet frame, or data packet, with a payload greater than the standard size of 1,500 bytes.Continue Reading

• OFDMA (orthogonal frequency-division multiple access)

  Orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) is a technology of Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) that lets access points serve multiple clients at the same time.Continue Reading

• Building data center networks for GenAI fabric enablement

  Network scalability, throughput and orchestration are some of the key elements that enterprises need to consider as they build out generative AI data centers.Continue Reading

• telecommunications (telecom)

  Telecommunications, also known as telecom, is the exchange of information over significant distances by electronic means and refers to all types of voice, data and video transmission.Continue Reading

• remote infrastructure management

  Remote infrastructure management, or RIM, is a comprehensive approach to handling and overseeing an organization's IT infrastructure, systems and services from a remote location.Continue Reading

• port address translation (PAT)

  Port address translation (PAT) is a type of network address translation (NAT) that maps a network's private internal IPv4 addresses to a single public IP address.Continue Reading

• Use Angry IP Scanner to audit the network

  Angry IP Scanner provides a network scanner alternative to Nmap that is simple, user-friendly and versatile across OSes. Scan types include ping scans, UDP scans and TCP scans.Continue Reading

• What's the difference between Wi-Fi and the internet?

  The internet connects users to the outside world. Wi-Fi connects devices within a business, which then connect to other network devices and out to the internet.Continue Reading

• An introduction to quantum networks and how they work

  Quantum networks hold potential for faster and more secure communication. But true quantum networks are still experimental and require more engineering and scientific research.Continue Reading

• Networking vs. telecom: What's the difference?

  Networking describes how devices interconnect to share resources with each other. Telecom, which includes networking, broadly refers to the exchange of data across long distances.Continue Reading

• An introduction to Git for network engineers

  Git can be a useful tool for network engineers who manage complex infrastructure, especially as networking increasingly overlaps with software, automation and DevOps.Continue Reading

• An introduction to smartNICs and their benefits

  SmartNICs offload packet processing tasks from server CPUs, freeing up resources for application performance. They can run packet capture and load balancing, among other tasks.Continue Reading

• Network engineer vs. software engineer: What's the difference?

  Despite potential overlaps in software skills, the roles of network engineers and software engineers vary in terms of skill sets, salaries, certifications and more.Continue Reading

• What are the elements of modern network security architecture?

  Modern network security is a mix of several elements, including secure access service edge, virtualization technologies, segmentation and zero-trust models.Continue Reading

• network fabric

  'Network fabric' is a general term used to describe underlying data network infrastructure as a whole.Continue Reading

• Traditional networks vs. IoT networks: What's the difference?

  An enterprise network is a system of interconnected devices that share information, while IoT is a system of devices connected to the internet that provides key analytics.Continue Reading

• 10 edge computing quiz questions

  Edge computing isn't new, but it has grown in popularity due to 5G and the influx of IoT devices. This quiz covers edge computing basics, such as pros, cons and differentiators.Continue Reading

• loose coupling

  Loose coupling is an approach to interconnecting the components in a system, network or software application so that those components, also called elements, depend on each other to the least extent practicable.Continue Reading

• Nessus

  Nessus is a platform developed by Tenable that scans for security vulnerabilities in devices, applications, operating systems, cloud services and other network resources.Continue Reading

• logical network

  A logical network is a software-defined network topology or routing that is often different than the physical network.Continue Reading

• peer-to-peer (P2P)

  Peer-to-peer (P2P) is a decentralized communications model in which each party has the same capabilities and either party can initiate a communication session.Continue Reading

• Evaluate top 5G fixed wireless access benefits

  Fixed wireless access, when enabled by 5G, makes wireless network connectivity accessible to users at affordable rates. Learn the benefits FWA brings to operators and enterprises.Continue Reading

• Cisco Live 2023 conference coverage and analysis

  Use this guide to Cisco Live 2023 -- a five-day in-person and online conference -- to learn about networking trends, including news from keynote speeches and education sessions.Continue Reading

• CAPWAP (Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points)

  CAPWAP (Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points) is a protocol that enables an access controller to manage a collection of wireless termination points.Continue Reading

• network performance monitoring (NPM)

  Network performance monitoring (NPM) is the process of measuring and monitoring the quality of service of a network.Continue Reading

• infrared radiation (IR)

  Infrared radiation (IR), sometimes referred to simply as infrared, is a region of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum where wavelengths range from about 700 nm to 1 mm.Continue Reading

• BGP (Border Gateway Protocol)

  BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) is the protocol that enables the global routing system of the internet.Continue Reading

• How to interact with network APIs using cURL, Postman tools

  Network engineers can use cURL and Postman tools to work with network APIs. Use cases include getting interface information and manipulating device configuration data.Continue Reading

• Modular network design benefits and approaches

  Modular network design is a strategic way for enterprises to group network building blocks in order to streamline network maintenance, additions and troubleshooting.Continue Reading

• An overview of 802.1X authentication methods and EAP

  Enterprises use 802.1X authentication to manage their wireless LANs, and that process relies on the Extensible Authentication Protocol and its various types.Continue Reading

• CSU/DSU (Channel Service Unit/Data Service Unit)

  A CSU/DSU (Channel Service Unit/Data Service Unit) is a hardware device about the size of a modem. It converts a digital data frame from local area network (LAN) communication technology into a frame appropriate for a wide area network (WAN) and ...Continue Reading

• data streaming

  Data streaming is the continuous transfer of data from one or more sources at a steady, high speed for processing into specific outputs.Continue Reading

• secure access service edge (SASE)

  Secure access service edge, also known as SASE and pronounced sassy, is a cloud architecture model that bundles network and cloud-native security technologies together and delivers them as a single cloud service.Continue Reading

• Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF)

  The Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF) is an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) network management protocol that provides a secure mechanism for installing, manipulating and deleting the configuration data on a network device such as a ...Continue Reading

• geo-blocking

  Geo-blocking is blocking something based on its location.Continue Reading

• 12 common network protocols and their functions explained

  Networking makes the internet work, but neither can succeed without protocols. Common network protocols and their functions are key for communication and connection across the internet.Continue Reading

• RS-232C

  RS-232C is one of the earlier versions of the long-established standard RS-232, which defines a physical interface for relatively low-speed serial data communication between computers and related devices.Continue Reading

• frequency band

  In telecommunications, a frequency band -- sometimes called a band -- refers to a specific range of frequencies in the electromagnetic frequency spectrum assigned to certain applications.Continue Reading

• operational support system (OSS)

  An operational support system (OSS) is a set of programs that helps a communications service provider monitor, control, analyze and manage a telephone or computer network.Continue Reading

• Python interpreter vs. IDE: What network engineers should know

  When using Python for network automation, network engineers often work with interpreters and integrated development environment tools to test modules and debug code.Continue Reading

• mutual exclusion (mutex)

  In computer programming, a mutual exclusion (mutex) is a program object that prevents multiple threads from accessing the same shared resource simultaneously.Continue Reading

• fault management

  Fault management is the component of network management that detects, isolates and fixes problems.Continue Reading

• graceful degradation

  Graceful degradation is the ability of a computer, machine, electronic system or network to maintain limited functionality even when a large portion of it has been destroyed or rendered inoperative.Continue Reading

• 7 characteristics of next-generation networking

  Network modernization has become important for many organizations. Discover which technologies -- such as SASE, AI, automation and more -- can help build next-generation networks.Continue Reading

• Synchronous Optical Network (SONET)

  Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) is a North American standard for synchronous data transmission over optical fibers.Continue Reading

• SDN controller (software-defined networking controller)

  A software-defined networking controller is an application in SDN architecture that manages flow control for improved network management and application performance.Continue Reading

• fax

  A fax -- short for 'facsimile' and sometimes called 'telecopying' -- is the telephonic transmission of scanned-in printed material, including text or images.Continue Reading

• Clos network

  A Clos network is a type of nonblocking, multistage switching network used today in large-scale data center switching fabrics.Continue Reading

• collision in networking

  In a half-duplex Ethernet network, a collision is the result of two devices on the same Ethernet network attempting to transmit data at the same time.Continue Reading

• keystone jack

  A keystone jack is a female connector used in audio, video and data communications. It serves as a receptacle for a matching plug, which is a male connector of the same type as the jack.Continue Reading

• encapsulation (object-orientated programming)

  In object-oriented programming (OOP), encapsulation is the practice of bundling related data into a structured unit, along with the methods used to work with that data.Continue Reading

• baseband

  Baseband in the transmission of communications signals means only one path is available to send and receive digital signals between devices.Continue Reading

• broadband

  Broadband refers to telecommunications in which a wide band of frequencies is available to transmit information.Continue Reading

• fiber to the home (FTTH)

  Fiber to the home (FTTH), also called fiber to the premises (FTTP), is the installation and use of optical fiber from a central point to individual buildings to provide high-speed internet access.Continue Reading

• Manchester encoding

  In data transmission, Manchester encoding is a form of digital encoding in which a data bit's state -- 0 or 1 -- is represented by the transition from one voltage level to another.Continue Reading

• nslookup

  Nslookup is the name of a program that lets users enter a host name and find out the corresponding IP address or domain name system (DNS) record.Continue Reading

• Examine a captured packet using Wireshark

  Wireshark is a useful tool for capturing network traffic data. Network pros can make the most of the tool by analyzing captured packets to see what that data means for troubleshooting.Continue Reading

• CDN (content delivery network)

  A CDN (content delivery network), also called a content distribution network, is a group of geographically distributed and interconnected servers.Continue Reading

• session layer

  The session layer is Layer 5 of the OSI communications model. It is the long-lived logical connection that persists between endpoints over time.Continue Reading

• transport layer

  The transport layer is Layer 4 of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) communications model. It is responsible for ensuring that the data packets arrive accurately and reliably between sender and receiver.Continue Reading

• HAProxy

  HAProxy is a high-performance, open source load balancer and reverse proxy for TCP and HTTP applications.Continue Reading