Networking connects computers and devices to enable communication and data sharing. The internet — a global network of networks — has become the backbone of modern life, supporting communication, commerce, media, and services for billions of people. Read more
What is 'Cookies' in web browsing?
EasyCookies are small pieces of data (text files) sent from a website and stored on a user's computer by the user's web browser while the user is browsing. They are used to remember stateful information, such as items in a shopping cart or your login status.
The term "cookie" was coined by web pioneer Lou Montulli, inspired by the term "magic cookie" used by Unix programmers to describe a token of data!
What does 'ICMP' stand for?
HardICMP stands for Internet Control Message Protocol. It is used by network devices (like routers) to send error messages and operational information. The most common use of ICMP is the "Ping" command, which checks if a computer is reachable.
If you "ping" a website and get a reply, you are seeing an ICMP Echo Reply message!
Which tag is used to create a link in HTML?
EasyThe <a> (anchor) tag is used to create a link in HTML. The most important attribute of this tag is "href," which specifies the URL of the page the link goes to.
"Anchor" was chosen as the name because the link "anchors" the current document to another resource on the internet!
Which type of cable is used for high-speed fiber-optic internet?
EasyFiber-optic cables use pulses of light to transmit data through thin strands of glass or plastic. Because they use light instead of electricity, they are much faster and can carry data over much longer distances without losing signal.
A single fiber-optic strand is about the thickness of a human hair, but it can carry enough data to stream thousands of HD movies at once!
What does 'WPA' stand for in Wi-Fi security?
MediumWPA stands for Wi-Fi Protected Access. It is a security standard for users of computing devices equipped with wireless internet connections. It was developed to replace the older, easily hackable WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) standard.
The current version, WPA3, was released in 2018 and makes it much harder for hackers to guess your Wi-Fi password even if it's a simple one!
Which protocol is used for sending emails?
MediumSMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is the standard protocol for sending emails across the internet. While SMTP is for "pushing" mail from one server to another, protocols like IMAP or POP3 are used for "pulling" the mail to your device so you can read it.
SMTP was first defined in 1982 and is still the foundation of email today!
What is the primary function of a router?
EasyThe primary function of a router is to connect multiple networks together and "route" data packets between them. In a home, it connects your devices (like phones and laptops) to the Internet.
Most "routers" people have at home are actually three devices in one: a router, a switch, and a wireless access point!
Which protocol is used to send emails?
HardSMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is the primary protocol used for sending emails across the internet. While SMTP is for sending, other protocols like POP3 and IMAP are used for receiving and retrieving emails.
SMTP was first defined in 1982 and is still the fundamental way we send emails today!
What is 'Bluetooth'?
EasyBluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices (like phones and headphones) over short distances.
The name "Bluetooth" comes from a 10th-century Scandinavian king, Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson, who united dissonant tribes, just as the technology was intended to unite the PC and cellular industries!
What is latency?
HardLatency is the time delay between a cause and the effect of some physical change in the system being observed. In networking, it refers to the time it takes for a data packet to travel from its source to its destination and back. High latency results in "lag," which is highly noticeable in online gaming or video calls where there is a delay between when you speak and when the other person hears you.
Even though data travels at nearly the speed of light through fiber-optic cables, it still takes about 0.13 seconds for a signal to travel all the way around the Earth. While this seems fast, in the world of high-frequency stock trading, a delay of even a few milliseconds can mean the difference between making or losing millions of dollars.
What is the maximum number of IP addresses in IPv4?
HardIPv4 has a maximum of approximately 4.3 billion (2 to the power of 32) unique addresses. Because there are now more devices in the world than that, we are slowly switching to IPv6, which has 340 undecillion addresses (enough for every atom on Earth to have its own IP address!).
The world officially "ran out" of new IPv4 addresses to assign to regional registries in 2011!
Which protocol secures web traffic?
HardSSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and its more modern successor, TLS (Transport Layer Security), are the cryptographic protocols designed to provide communications security over a computer network. They encrypt the data sent over the internet so that only the intended recipient can read it. When a website uses these protocols, a "padlock" icon appears in the browser's address bar.
Although we still often call it "SSL," the original SSL protocol was officially retired in 2015 because it had security flaws. Today, almost every "secure" website is actually using the much safer TLS protocol, but the name "SSL" stuck because people were so used to it.
What does 'VPN' stand for?
MediumVPN stands for Virtual Private Network. It creates a secure, encrypted connection between your device and the internet, hiding your IP address and protecting your data from hackers or prying eyes.
Many people use VPNs to watch movies that are only available in other countries by making it look like their computer is located there!
Which port number is used by the 'SSH' protocol?
HardPort 22 is the standard port number used by the Secure Shell (SSH) protocol. SSH is used to provide a secure, encrypted way to log into and manage a remote computer or server over an unsecured network.
The inventor of SSH, Tatu Yl?nen, chose Port 22 because it was free and sat right between Port 21 (FTP) and Port 23 (Telnet), which were the protocols he was trying to replace!
What does 'LTE' stand for?
MediumLTE stands for Long-Term Evolution. It is a standard for high-speed wireless communication for mobile devices, offering much faster speeds than the older 3G networks.
While many companies marketed it as "4G," true 4G speeds were technically higher than the first versions of LTE could provide, which is why you often see the term "4G LTE" used together!
Which device is used to connect different networks?
EasyA Router is the device used to connect different networks. For example, your home router connects your local home network (LAN) to the global Internet (WAN). It works by looking at the destination IP address of data and "routing" it to the correct path.
Most people call it a "Wi-Fi box," but the Wi-Fi is actually just one feature of the router!
What is used to browse internet?
EasyA Web Browser is a software application used for accessing information on the World Wide Web. When a user enters a web address (URL), the browser retrieves the necessary content from a web server and displays it on the user's screen. Popular browsers today include Google Chrome, Safari, and Microsoft Edge.
The first widely popular web browser, Mosaic (released in 1993), was revolutionary because it was the first to display images inline with text; before Mosaic, pictures had to be downloaded and opened in a separate window.
What is the term for a network that spans a whole city?
MediumA MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) is a computer network that connects users with computer resources in a geographic area larger than a single building (LAN) but smaller than a whole country (WAN)-typically covering a whole city.
Many cities now provide free "City Wi-Fi" which is a type of public Metropolitan Area Network!
What does 'DNS' stand for?
HardDNS stands for Domain Name System. It acts as the "phonebook" of the internet, translating human-friendly domain names (like www.google.com) into the numerical IP addresses (like 142.250.190.46) that computers use to find each other.
Without DNS, you would have to memorize a long string of numbers for every single website you wanted to visit!
Which protocol is used for email?
MediumSMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is the primary protocol used to send emails from one server to another over the internet. To receive emails, most people use either IMAP (which leaves the email on the server) or POP3 (which downloads it to your device).
SMTP was first defined in 1982 and is still the foundation for almost all email sent today. This makes it one of the oldest parts of the internet that is still in daily use, largely unchanged since the early 80s.
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