Netgear FVS318v1 – Prosafe Wireless N VPN Firewall Reference Manual

10

Glossary

Network Basic Input Output System. An application programming interface (API) 

for sharing services 

and information on l

ocal-area networks (LANs). Provides for communication between stations of a 

network where each station is given a name. These names are alphanumeric names, 16 characters in length. 

Combined with the IP address, the IP Subnet Mask allows a device to know which other addresses are local 
to it, and which must be reached through a gateway or router. 
A number that explains which part of an IP address comprises the network address and which part is the host 
address on that network. It can be expressed in dotted-decimal notation or as a number appended to the IP 
address. For example, a 28-bit mask starting from the MSB can be shown as 255.255.255.192 or as /28 
appended to the IP address.

Sometimes referred to as Transparent Proxying, IP Address Overloading, or IP Masquerading. Involves use 
of a device called a Network Address Translator, which assigns a contrived, or logical, IP address and port 
number to each node on an organization's internal network and passes packets using these assigned 
addresses.

Network Interface Card. An adapter in a computer which provides connectivity to a network.

Network Interface Device. The point of demarcation, where the telephone line comes into the house.

Operating System.

A block of information sent over a network. A packet typically contains a source and destination network 
address, some protocol and length information, a block of data, and a checksum.

Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS) provides additional security by means of a Diffie-Hellman shared secret 
value. With PFS, if one key is compromised, previous and subsequent keys are secure because they are not 
derived from previous keys.