Glossary - GE Network Series Installation And Startup

12. GLOSSARY

DHCP Short for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, a protocol for assigning
dynamic IP addresses to devices on a network. With dynamic addressing, a
device can have a different IP address every time it connects to the network.
In some systems, the device's IP address can even change while it is still
connected. DHCP also supports a mix of static and dynamic IP addresses.
Dynamic addressing simplifies network administration because the software
keeps track of IP addresses rather than requiring an administrator to manage
the task. This means that a new computer can be added to a network without
the hassle of manually assigning it a unique IP address. Many ISPs use
dynamic IP addressing for dial-up users.
DHCP client support is built into Windows 95 and NT workstation. NT 4 server
includes both client and server support.
Short for electronic mail, the transmission of messages over communications
E-MAIL
networks. Another common spelling for e-mail is email. The messages can be
notes entered from the keyboard or electronic files stored on disk. Most
mainframes, minicomputers, and computer networks have an e-mail system.
Some electronic-mail systems are confined to a single computer system or
network, but others have gateways to other computer systems, enabling users
to send electronic mail anywhere in the world. The same message can be sent
to several users at once. This is called broadcasting. Companies that are fully
computerized make extensive use of e-mail because it is fast, flexible, and
reliable.
All online services and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offer e-mail, and most
also support gateways so that you can exchange mail with users of other
systems. Usually, it takes only a few seconds or minutes for mail to arrive at its
destination. This is a particularly effective way to communicate with a group
because you can broadcast a message or document to everyone in the group
at once.
Although different e-mail systems user different formats, there are some
emerging standards that are making it possible for users on all systems to
exchange messages. In the PC world, an important e-mail standard is MAPI.
The CCITT standards organization has develop the X.400 standard, which
attempts to provide a universal way of addressing messages. To date, though,
the de facto addressing standard is one used by the Internet system because
almost all e-mail systems have an Internet gateway.
NX-590E Internet Interface
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