Network roles are defined by the ways the components interact with each other.
client/server environment = request - reply
clear delineation of roles in client/server environment
peer-to-peer environments do not have a clear distinction of roles, often machines act as both a client and a server
media - the materials or components used to establish a communications link between devices
topology - the physical way computers are connected in a network.
attenuation - the weakening of a signal as it travels long distances over the media, repeaters combat this problem by repeating a signal with a stronger signal
A network can have one physical topology but operate as a different topology electrically (logically)
mesh - a topology where every node has a direct link to every other node, used in small
peer-to-peer groups or with supercomputers
most logical rings are physical stars
two common hybrid topologies - star-bus (is actually a bus of stars) and star-star
anything that acts as a bus logically, acts as a bus at all levels
plenum is the cable rating for wire run in the air space of ceilings
RJ-45 is the network connection for twisted pair (RJ-11 is the connector for normal standard POTS telephones)
baseband - digital, multidirectional
broadband - analog, unidirectional
point to point transmissions are always serial
access point - the broadcast and receiving point of a wireless network connection
NICs convert parallel data to serial data for transmission
both sending and receiving NICs must be set (or using) the same transmission speed)