Chapter 03 — Key Terms and Definitions#

Local Area Network (LAN) — A private, high-speed network that connects devices within a limited area like an office or campus.

Wide Area Network (WAN) — A network spanning large geographic areas, linking multiple LANs via the internet or private systems.

Bandwidth — The maximum rate of data transfer across a network; influences speed and reliability.

Latency — The time delay in transmitting data; critical for real-time applications like video calls or trading.

Virtual Private Network (VPN) — An encrypted tunnel that secures data transmitted over public networks.

Cloud Computing — The delivery of computing resources (servers, storage, applications) over the internet.

Software as a Service (SaaS) — Cloud-delivered applications accessed via subscription.

Platform as a Service (PaaS) — Cloud platforms enabling developers to build and deploy applications without managing infrastructure.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) — Cloud services providing virtualized computing resources like servers and storage.

Edge Computing — Processing data closer to its source (e.g., IoT devices) to reduce latency and improve efficiency.