A permanent ID number assigned to a device’s network card when it’s manufactured.

A Local Area Network. A small network confined to one area, like your home or office.

The wireless alternative to Ethernet. The 802.11 family of radio-based networking standards.

Routes data between networks. Most home “routers” are actually routers, switches, and wireless access points in one unit.

Converts signals between analog (like cable or phone lines) and digital (like Ethernet). The bridge between your home network and the internet.

Connects multiple wired devices on a network so they can talk to each other.

A virtual endpoint for network communication. Different services use specific port numbers, like 80.

Your Internet Service Provider. The company you pay to get internet access, like Comcast or AT&T.

A web address specifying the location of a resource on the internet.

Visual data like photos and graphics. JPG, PNG, and GIF are typical formats.