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100VG-AnyLAN
100VF-AnyLAN is a 100-Mbps LAN technology standard that directly competes with 100BaseT Ethernet. The IEEE 802.12 committee is currently investigating this standard. The access method used by this standard is different from the CSMA/CD method used by 10-Mbps Ethernet and Fast Ethernet. However, the MAC frame format stays the same. The new access method is called "demand priority."
address
An address is a unique value that identifies the source or the destination of data being transmitted across a communication link. A single item of data may have different addresses that identify a station's place in a network, the computer hardware itself, and the address of a software process.
Address Resolution Protocol (ARP)
ARP is a protocol that allows a host to use a logical (network) address to obtain the hardware (NIC or MAC) address for a remote station. ARP is used only across a single physical network, and is limited to networks that support hardware broadcasts.
American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
ANSI is a U.S. voluntary organization that develops and publishes standards for data communications, programming languages, magnetic storage media, office systems, and encryption. ANSI represents the United States as a member of ISO and IEC.
American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII)
ASCII is one of the most widely used codes for representing keyboard characters on a computer system. ASCII uses 7 bits to represent 128 elements. For example, when the character "A" is pressed on the keyboard, the ASCII binary representation is 100 0001. The other major encoding system is EBCDIC. See Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code (EBCDIC).
amplitude
Amplitude is the height of a wave, or how far from the center it swings.
analog
A signal transmitted as a pattern of continually changing electromagnetic waves is referred to as an analog signal.
architecture
The design and method of construction of a particular entity is referred to as its architecture. Different computer network architectures were developed for particular purposes. Examples of network architectures include IBM's SNA and Apple's AppleTalk.
asynchronous
Asynchronous operation means that bits are not transmitted on any strict timetable. Transmitting a start bit indicates the start of each character. After the final bit of the character is transmitted, a stop bit is sent, indicating the end of the character. The sending and receiving modems must stay in synchronization only for the length of time it takes to transmit the 8 bits. If their clocks are slightly out of synch, data transfer will still be successful.
Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)
An ATM is a connection-oriented cell relay technology based on small (53-byte) cells. An ATM network consists of ATM switches that form multiple virtual circuits to carry groups of cells from source to destination. ATM can provide high-speed transport services for audio, data, and video.
authentication
Authentication is the process of accurately identifying a computer user, usually done through passwords.
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