{"id":4993,"date":"2020-09-06T12:47:56","date_gmt":"2020-09-06T10:47:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/?p=4993"},"modified":"2020-09-06T12:47:57","modified_gmt":"2020-09-06T10:47:57","slug":"a-glossary-of-home-network-basics-for-the-networking-novice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/a-glossary-of-home-network-basics-for-the-networking-novice\/","title":{"rendered":"A glossary of home network basics for the networking novice"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time-approximately:<\/span> 4<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

A remote employee’s home network requires basics such as routers, modems and VPN services. For the networking novice, this glossary explains and defines these terms and more.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Michaela<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By Michaela Goss<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For businesses and employees alike, it’s crucial to understand how every home network also becomes an office network amid social distancing orders and increases in remote work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Home, or residential, networks weren’t developed to support the same capacity or capabilities as office networks, which can make the transition from on-premises work to remote work difficult for newly remote employees. For\u00a0employees who struggled or continue to struggle\u00a0with this transition or for employees who struggle to explain their technical issues to IT teams, this glossary of home network basics can foster that technical understanding and streamline communication between groups.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The following 15 terms and phrases explore key aspects of home network basics, including the hardware required for network connectivity and different types of networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

15 essential home network basics<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Access point.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0If one looks up inside any business — a Starbucks, a company headquarters, etc. — that person is likely to see a small box installed near the ceiling, perhaps with an antenna or two; that’s an AP. APs send and receive data over wireless LANs (WLANs), providing Wi-Fi clients, or devices, with Wi-Fi connectivity. APs physically connect into routers to receive wired connections they convert into wireless connectivity. \u00a0APs cover larger geographic areas, which enables them to better suit larger business scenarios rather than home networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bandwidth.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bandwidth is generally synonymous with capacity. If an employee has sufficient bandwidth, then that person’s network connection link can support large amounts of data per second as traffic moves from the employee’s device to another point on the network. Bandwidth may decrease or become less sufficient if one or more employees who work from home simultaneously are both on video conference calls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This diagram shows the difference between AP and router functionalities<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ethernet.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0Before Wi-Fi existed, Ethernet ruled network connectivity, although\u00a0Ethernet is still used\u00a0in modern networks. Ethernet enables network connectivity across a LAN or WAN through devices connected by a physical Ethernet cable on which data passes. Ethernet is a staple of wired network connectivity, whereas Wi-Fi is a staple of wireless network connectivity. Employees may use Ethernet to achieve more reliable network speeds or enhance network security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Latency.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Latency is generally synonymous with delay. If a network connection has low latency, the connection has a low delay time as packets — or units of data — travel from one network point to another. High latency means higher delay times, which lead to longer load times and buffering video or audio streams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Local area network.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LANs comprise a group of computers and devices connected in the same geographic area. A LAN could be a company’s headquarters or a home network. Basic LAN equipment includes\u00a0routers and switches, and either Ethernet or Wi-Fi can provide network connectivity to LANs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modem.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A modem is a device that modulates and demodulates — or translates — signals that computers and other devices send and receive. Modems receive\u00a0analog\u00a0signals from physical network links and translate them into digital signals an internet-connected device can understand and vice versa. In home networks, modems provide connections to internet service providers, enabling internet connectivity. They also control internet connections that routers require to connect a LAN device to the internet. Also, some home networks may have a device that combines modem and router functionalities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Networking.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Computer networking enables communication and data transportation between network nodes, or different points on a network that can send or receive data. From home networks to global enterprises, networking enables endpoints and devices to communicate and share information across distances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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