User Manual for the NETGEAR PS121 Mini Print Server
4 Glossary
 
Network Address Translation
NAT. A technique by which several hosts share a single IP address for access to the Internet.
NIC
Network Interface Card. An adapter in a computer which provides connectivity to a network.
packet
A block of information sent over a network. A packet typically contains a source and destination network 
address, some protocol and length information, a block of data, and a checksum.
router
A device that forwards data between networks. An IP router forwards data based on IP source and 
destination addresses.
Routing Information Protocol
RIP. A protocol in which routers periodically exchange information with one another so that they can 
determine minimum distance paths between sources and destinations.
Subnet Mask
A mask used to determine what subnet an IP address belongs to. Subnetting enables a network administrator 
to further divide an IP address into two or more subnets.
TCP/IP
The main internetworking protocols used in the Internet. The Internet Protocol (IP) used in conjunction with 
the Transfer Control Protocol (TCP) form TCP/IP.
WAN
A long distance link used to extend or connect remotely located local area networks. The Internet is a large 
WAN.
WEB Proxy Server
A Web proxy server is a specialized HTTP server that allows clients access to the Internet from behind a 
firewall. 
The proxy server listens for requests from clients within the firewall and forwards these requests to remote 
Internet servers outside the firewall. The proxy server reads responses from the external servers and then 
sends them to internal client clients. 
wide area network
WAN. A long distance link used to extend or connect remotely located local area networks. The Internet is a 
large WAN.