Quality of Service. This term refers to any of a number of different traffic-prioritization schemes that allow the network to treat different streams of data differently.
See QoS.
A device that amplifies, restores, and propagates network signals. In Ethernet networks, a repeater effectively extends a segment including both broadcasts and collisions. This extention is different from a bridge, which relays broadcasts, but not collisions. See also Bridge.
Request For Comments. The IETF publishes its standards, proposed standards, and recommended practices in the form of RFC documents. Each document is given a sequential-order number that is used when referring to the document.
Routing Information Field. Primarily in bridged networks, but also to a lesser extent in routed networks, it is possible for a frame to specify a RIF that indicates the path that it would like to take.
As a basic network topology, an architecture in which devices are connected to each of an upstream and a downstream neighbor device. These devices are connected in this way to form a circle so that following these neighbor-to-neighbor connections eventually leads back to the original device.
Routing Information Protocol. There are actually two distinct protocols called RIP discussed in this book. Both protocols are distance vector routing protocols. One is used for distributing TCP/IP routing information, and the other for IPX routing information.
Registered Jack Type 45. RJ45 is standard modular jack and socket used for connecting network cables. In LAN applications, these jacks are primarily used with Category 3 and higher twisted-pair cabling, although there are other applications.
Remote Monitoring. Originally described in RFC 1271, RMON is a set of SNMP MIB extensions that are useful for many remote network management functions.
In wireless technology, describes the ability to change association from one BSS or ESS to another.
In Spanning Tree, the device at the center of the network. Every bridging device in the network looks for the shortest path to the Root Bridge to eliminate loops.
A Router is a device that connects segments with different Layer 3 network addressing. It is able to forward packets between these segments based on Layer 3 information.
Remote Procedure Call. An intermediate network layer that allows client-server applications to have a consistent framework. Two distinct popular implementations of this concept share the same name. One was developed by Sun Microsystems and the other by Microsoft.
One of the main standards for low-speed serial interfaces.
Resource Reservation Protocol. This protocol, described in RFC 2205, allows applications to request particular network resources such as bandwidth or latency characteristics.
Remote Who. A broadcast-based protocol developed for the early BSD UNIX platform that allowed each server on a segment to keep track of which users were logged in on which server.