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Terminologies Simplified

Multiplexer A device that accepts multiple electronic transmission signals and combines them into one high-speed transmission. A multiplexer, also known as a mux, is often used to allow remote terminals to communicate with front-end processor ports over a single circuit.

Multiplexing A method allowing a single communications circuit to take the place of several parallel communications circuits.

Multiport Repeater An Ethernet network repeater that connects multiple network nodes in parallel.

Multiprotocol Encapsulation A method used by protocols on the Network Layer (Layer 3) of the OSI Reference Model, in which a layer adds control information to the protocol data unit (PDU) from the preceding layer. Multiprotocol encapsulation is also sometimes used to envelop one protocol inside another to facilitate transmission.

Multiprotocol over ATM An effort of the ATM Forum to standardize protocols to run multiple network layers over Asynchronous Transfer Model (ATM) networks.

Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) A specification that enables Internet users to send multipart and multimedia messages. E-mail applications that have MIME can send PostScript images, binary files, audio messages, and digital video over the Internet.

Multiserver Network A single network with two or more NetWare servers, where users can access any other server.

Multicastation Access Unit (MAU) A multiport wiring hub used on Token Ring networks that can connect as many as eight nodes (or lobes) to a ring network. An MAU is also known as a Controlled Access Unit (CAU).

MUX Multiplexer A telecommunications device used to funnel multiple signals onto a single channel.

Nagale's Algorithm A combination of two congestion-control algorithms used in Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) networks. One algorithm reduces a sending window and another limits small datagrams.

Name Binding Protocol (NBP) An AppleTalk protocol that converts entity names into their corresponding Internet addresses. For example, the Macintosh Chooser Desk Accessory and the ATCON NetWare Loadable Module (NLM) use NBP to locate AppleTalk entities.

Name Caching A method of using a router to store remotely discovered host names for future use in packet-forwarding decisions.

Name Resolution The process of associating a network location with a name assigned by a NetWare administrator.

Name space NLMs A set of NetWare Loadable Modules (NLMs) that allow storage of non-DOS files on a NetWare

server under a folder name or filename where a user expects to see them, even if the files were created on a platform different from that of the viewing workstation. NetWare uses a different name space for different platforms.

Named Pipe The means by which a client communicates with advanced client-server applications such as Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Comm Server software. NetWare Client workstations most frequently communicate with client-server applications by using the Interprocess Communications (IPC) protocol for named pipes.

Names Directory (ND) A database that contains the mappings of all Network Visible Entities (NVEs) with their Internet addresses.

Names Table A table in each network node that contains the mappings of all Network Visible Entities (NVEs) in that node, complete with their Internet addresses.

Naming Service A network service that names resources on the network to access the resources by that name. This enables correspondence between a network entity and a name, rather than the need to remember network addresses.

Narrowband Analog Mobile Phone Service (NAMPS) A communications standard from Motorola that combines the Advanced Mobile Home Service (AMPS) cellular standard with digital-signaling information.