Technical data

206 Agilent Connectivity Guide
8 Glossary
local-area networks (LANs): The computers are geographically close
together (that is, in the same building).
wide-area networks (WANs): The computers are farther apart and are
connected by telephone lines or radio waves.
campus-area networks (CANs): The computers are within a limited
geographic area, such as a campus or military base.
metropolitan-area networks MANs): A data network designed for a
town or city.
home-area networks (HANs): A network contained within a user's
home that connects a person's digital devices.
In addition to these types, the following characteristics are also used
to categorize different types of networks:
topology: The geometric arrangement of a computer system.
Common topologies include a bus, star, and ring. See the Network
topology diagrams in the Quick Reference section of Webopedia.
protocol: The protocol defines a common set of rules and signals that
computers on the network use to communicate. One of the most
popular protocols for LANs is called Ethernet. Another popular LAN
protocol for PCs is the IBM token-ring network.
architecture: Networks can be broadly classified as using either a
peer-to-peer or client/server architecture.
Computers on a network are sometimes called nodes. Computers and
devices that allocate resources for a network are called servers
network protocols
The protocol defines a common set of rules and signals that
computers on the network use to communicate. One of the most
popular protocols for LANs is called Ethernet. A description of the
ARP, DHCP, DNS, FTP, HTTP, ICMP, and RPC
protocols follows.
ARP: Short for Address Resolution Protocol, a TCP/IP protocol used
to convert an IP address into a physical address (called a DLC
address), such as an Ethernet address.
DHCP: See DHCP
DNS: See DNS