# Glossary terms from Course 3, Week 1 # ## Terms and definitions from Course 3, Week 1 **Bandwidth:** The maximum data transmission capacity over a network, measured by bits per second **Cloud computing:** The practice of using remote servers, application, and network services that are hosted on the internet instead of on local physical devices **Cloud network:** A collection of servers or computers that stores resources and data in remote data centers that can be accessed via the internet **Data packet:** A basic unit of information that travels from one device to another within a network **Hub:** A network device that broadcasts information to every device on the network **Internet Protocol (IP):** A set of standards used for routing and addressing data packets as they travel between devices on a network **Internet Protocol (IP) address:** A unique string of characters that identifies the location of a device on the internet **Local Area Network (LAN):** A network that spans small areas like an office building, a school, or a home **Media Access Control (MAC) address:** A unique alphanumeric identifier that is assigned to each physical device on a network **Modem:** A device that connects your router to the internet and brings internet access to the LAN **Network:** A group of connected devices **Open systems interconnection (OSI) model:** A standardized concept that describes the seven layers computers use to communicate and send data over the network **Packet sniffing:** The practice of capturing and inspecting data packets across a network **Port:** A software-based location that organizes the sending and receiving of data between devices on a network **Router:** A network device that connects multiple networks together **Speed:** The rate at which a device sends and receives data, measured by bits per second **Subnetting:** The subdivision of a network into logical groups called subnets **Switch:** A device that makes connections between specific devices on a network by sending and receiving data between them **TCP/IP model:** A framework used to visualize how data is organized and transmitted across a network **Transmission Control Protocol (TCP):** An internet communication protocol that allows two devices to form a connection and stream data **User Datagram Protocol (UDP):** A connectionless protocol that does not establish a connection between devices before transmissions **Wide Area Network (WAN):** A network that spans a large geographic area like a city, state, or country