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Network, Routing, Firewall, and Cabling Basics C-1

August 2003

Appendix C

Network, Routing, Firewall, and Cabling Basics

This chapter provides an overview of IP networks, routing, and wireless networking.

As you read this document, you may be directed to various RFC documents for further

information. An RFC is a Request For Comment (RFC) published by the Internet Engineering

Task Force (IETF), an open organization that defines the architecture and operation of the Internet.

The RFC documents outline and define the standard protocols and procedures for the Internet. The

documents are listed on the World Wide Web at www.ietf.org and are mirrored and indexed at

many other sites worldwide.

Basic Router Concepts

Large amounts of bandwidth can be provided easily and relatively inexpensively in a local area

network (LAN). However, providing high bandwidth between a local network and the Internet can

be very expensive. Because of this expense, Internet access is usually provided by a slower-speed

wide-area network (WAN) link such as a cable or DSL modem. In order to make the best use of the

slower WAN link, a mechanism must be in place for selecting and transmitting only the data traffic

meant for the Internet. The function of selecting and forwarding this data is performed by a router.

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Netgear ME103 User Manual Page 83