Building a Network
A machine that can run a program, including computers, tablets, servers, routers, and smart sensors
Computing Device
An agreed-upon set of rules that specify the behavior of some system
Protocol
A type of computer that forwards data across a network
Router
Information passed through the internet in packets.
Datastream
the capacity for the system to change in size and scale to meet new demands
Scalability
a group of computing devices and programs working together for a common purpose
Computing System
The unique number assigned to each device on the Internet.
IP Address
the inclusion of extra components so that a system can continue to work even if individual components fail, for example by having more than one path between any two connected devices in a network.
Redundancy
A chunk of data sent over a network. Larger messages are divided into packets that may arrive at the destination in order, out-of-order, or not at all.
Packet
a system of linked pages, programs, and files
World Wide Web
a group of interconnected computing devices capable of sending or receiving data.
Computing Network
a protocol for sending data across the Internet that assigns unique numbers (IP addresses) to each connected device
Internet Protocol (IP)
Can continue to function even in the event of individual component failures. This is important because elements of complex systems like a computer network fail at unexpected times, often in groups.
Fault Tolerant
Data added to packets to help route them through the network and reassemble the original message.
Packet Metadata
the system responsible for translating domain names like example.com into IP addresses
The Domain Name System (DNS)
the series of connections between computing devices on a network starting with a sender and ending with a receiver.
Path
A protocol for sending packets that does error-checking to ensure all packets are received and properly ordered
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
a protocol for computers to request and share the pages that make up the world wide web on the Internet
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
the maximum amount of data that can be sent in a fixed amount of time, usually measured in bits per second.
Bandwidth
A protocol for sending packets quickly with minimal error-checking and no resending of dropped packets
User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
differing access to computing devices and the Internet, based on socioeconomic, geographic, or demographic characteristics
Digital Divide