Introduction
Definitions of commonly used networking terms used in various TTU networking documents are found below.
Explanation
| Static address | A manually configured IP address assigned by the TTUnet NOC to a registered network interface card. The address will also have an Internet name assigned and loaded into the domain name server. |
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| Fixed address | A dynamically configured (via DHCP) IP address assigned by the TTUnet NOC to a registered network interface card within a predetermined LAN on campus. The address will also have an Internet name assigned and loaded into the domain name server. Although dynamically configured over the network, this address is always the same within its registered LAN. |
| Unregistered address | A dynamically configured (via DHCP) IP address drawn from a pool of addresses for the LAN. This address is leased to a NIC and may not remain the same between computing system reboots. |
| DHCP | Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is used to dynamically configure network information to devices on the network. This can allow almost immediate functionality on the network. Most individuals should be using DHCP. |
| Supported LAN | A physical Local Area Network (LAN) which is designed, installed*, maintained and operated by Telecommunications, and is directly connected to the TTUnet backbone. *Cable plants which conform to TTUnet standards may be certified for inclusion as a Supported LAN. Contact the director of Telecommunications for further information. |
| Non-supported LAN | A physical Local Area Network (LAN) which has [1] in part or in whole been installed and/or operated by a department or entity other than Telecommunications, or [2] has not been directly connected to the TTUnet backbone. |
| Affiliated Network | A network (LAN or WAN) which is physically connected to TTUnet, whose traffic transits TTUnet, and which is administered by another agency or entity. Affiliate members are responsible for obtaining their own address space and DNS service. TTUnet provides network connectivity on a regional basis across the South Plains/Panhandle region of Texas. |
| NIC | Network interface controller (also sometimes called a network interface card) |
| NOC | Network Operations Center |
| Alias | A DNS name which points to another name. Aliases are used to name common network services like web servers. An example of an alias is "www.ttu.edu" which points to "ttu-vip.tosm.ttu.edu". The proper use of aliases allows for the migration of a service from system to system without the users of the service being affected by the change. |
| TTUnet Intranet | The high-speed network operated and maintained by Telecommunications. |
| VLAN, or Virtual LAN | A VLAN is a group of devices on one or more LANs that are configured to communicate as if they were attached to the same wire, when in fact they are located on a number of different LAN segments. Because VLANs are based on logical instead of physical connections, they are extremely flexible. |
| DNS | The Domain Name System (DNS) is a naming service that allows the use of names to identify servers on the Internet. DNS allows us to enter names, such as "www.ttu.edu" instead of the raw IP address when browsing. |