Network Services, Ports, Wi-Fi, and Configuration

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Vocabulary lab

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DHCP: Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol automatically supplies IP configuration such as address, mask, gateway, and DNS information. Example: A laptop joins Wi-Fi and receives a valid private IPv4 address without manual entry. Do not confuse it with: Do not confuse DHCP with DNS; DHCP assigns configuration while DNS resolves names.
DNS: Domain Name System resolves human-readable names to network addresses and other records. Example: A client resolves example.org before connecting to its server address. Do not confuse it with: Do not confuse successful DNS resolution with proof that the destination service is reachable.
NAT: Network address translation rewrites address information as traffic crosses a network boundary. Example: A SOHO router translates many private client addresses to a public-facing address. Do not confuse it with: Do not confuse NAT with a firewall rule; translation and traffic policy are different functions.
VLAN: A virtual LAN logically separates Layer-2 broadcast domains on shared switching infrastructure. Example: Staff and lab devices are placed in different VLANs on the same managed switch. Do not confuse it with: Do not confuse a VLAN with a VPN; VLANs segment local switching while VPNs protect traffic across networks.
VPN: A virtual private network creates a protected logical connection across another network. Example: A remote technician securely connects to an authorized internal network over the internet. Do not confuse it with: Do not confuse a VPN with VLAN segmentation inside a switch.
TCP: Transmission Control Protocol provides connection-oriented, ordered, reliable transport between applications. Example: A web client establishes a TCP connection before exchanging HTTPS traffic. Do not confuse it with: Do not confuse TCP with IP; TCP is transport-layer while IP handles addressing and routing.
UDP: User Datagram Protocol provides connectionless transport with low overhead and no built-in delivery guarantee. Example: A real-time application sends short datagrams where low delay is important. Do not confuse it with: Do not confuse UDP with TCP reliability behavior.
SSID: A service set identifier is the name used to identify a Wi-Fi network. Example: A laptop selects the classroom SSID before authenticating. Do not confuse it with: Do not confuse the SSID with the Wi-Fi password or encryption method.
WPA3: WPA3 is a modern Wi-Fi security standard for protecting wireless access. Example: A new wireless network is configured with WPA3-Personal when supported. Do not confuse it with: Do not confuse WPA3 with the SSID; one is security and the other is the network name.
port number: A transport-layer port number identifies an application endpoint on a host. Example: HTTPS commonly uses TCP port 443. Do not confuse it with: Do not confuse a port number with a physical Ethernet port.

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