The client / server model is the core of networking basics. A client computer is used to communicate with servers and other host computers such as a file server, web server, media server, and even your Tomato router. In theory, a client is a client when it accesses one of the above. But a server can also be a client in relation to other servers.

Another fundamental of networking basics lies at the subnet. A subnet is a group of computers, separate from another network. A subnet can be extremely large or very small, harboring just one machine. Your ISP uses a large subnet to serve the needs of residential customers with Internet service. Your home network is a smaller subnet.

One of the most misunderstood concepts in networking is bandwidth and latency. The term “band-width” refers to how wide your data pipe is. The term “late-n-cy” refers to time, but more specifically –delay. All too often, it is the misinformation (or lack of information), that hinders a persons understanding of minor networking basics such as this.