HP 7310 Network Guide - Page 31

Appendix b (continued) MAC address NIC RJ-45 connector SSID router switch Media Access Control (MAC) address that uniquely identifies the HP allin-one. This is a unique 12-digit identification number assigned to networking hardware for identification. No two pieces of hardware have the same MAC address. Network Interface Card. A card on your computer that provides an Ethernet connection so that you can connect your computer to a network. The connector on the ends of an Ethernet cable. Although standard Ethernet cable connectors (RJ-45 connectors) look similar to standard telephone cable connectors, they are not interchangeable. An RJ-45 connector is wider and thicker and always has 8 contacts on the end. A phone connector has between 2 and 6 contacts. Service Set Identifier. A unique identifier (up to 32 characters) that differentiates one wireless local area network (WLAN) from another. The SSID is also referred to as the network name. This is the name of the network to which the HP all-in-one is connected. A router provides a bridge between two or more networks. A router can link a network to the Internet, link two networks and connect both to the Internet, and help secure networks through the use of firewalls and assigning dynamic addresses. A router can also act as a gateway, while a switch cannot. A switch makes it possible for several users to send information over a network at the same time without slowing each other down. Switches allow different nodes (a network connection point, typically a computer) of a network to communicate directly with one another. 28