Glossary
User’s Manual 247
IP
Internet Protocol. The IP part of the TCP/IP communications
protocol. IP implements the network layer (layer 3) of the protocol,
which contains a network address and is used to route a message
to a different network or subnetwork. IP accepts “packets” from the
layer 4 transport protocol (TCP or UDP), adds its own header to it and
delivers a “datagram” to the layer 2 data link protocol. It may also
break the packet into fragments to support the maximum
transmission unit (MTU) of the network.
IP Address
(Internet Protocol address) The address of a computer attached to
an IP network. Every client and server station must have a unique IP
address. A 32-bit address used by a computer on a IP network.
Client workstations have either a permanent address or one that is
dynamically assigned to them each session. IP addresses are
written as four sets of numbers separated by periods; for example,
204.171.64.2.
LAN
Local area network. A radio network that supports data
communication within a local area, such as within a warehouse of
building.
Laser
Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.The laser is
an intense light source. Light from a laser is all the same frequency,
unlike the output of an incandescent bulb. Laser light is typically
coherent and has a high energy density.