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LAN: Local Area Network. A LAN is a group of computers and devices connected together
in a relatively small area (such as a house or an office). Your home network is considered
a LAN.
MAC Address: MAC stands for Media Access Control. A MAC address is the hardware
address of a device connected to a network. The MAC address is a unique identifier for a
device with an Ethernet interface. It is comprised of two parts: 3 bytes of data that
corresponds to the Manufacturer ID (unique for each manufacturer), plus 3 bytes that are
often used as the product’s serial number.
NAT: Network Address Translation. This process allows all of the computers on your
home network to use one IP address. Using the broadband access point’s NAT capability,
you can access the Internet from any computer on your home network without having to
purchase more IP addresses from your ISP.
Port: Network Clients (LAN PC) uses port numbers to distinguish one network
application/protocol over another. Below is a list of common applications and
protocol/port numbers:
PPPoE: Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet. Point-to-Point Protocol is a secure data
transmission method originally created for dial-up connections; PPPoE is for Ethernet
connections. PPPoE relies on two widely accepted standards, Ethernet and the
Point-to-Point Protocol. It is a communications protocol for transmitting information over
Ethernet between different manufacturers
Protocol: A protocol is a set of rules for interaction agreed upon between multiple parties