This glossary lists the IT terms and abbreviations used across the blog’s articles. It is regularly updated as new content is published.
A#
AP - Access Point. A Wi-Fi access point that allows devices to connect to a wireless network.
ASN - Autonomous System Number. A unique number assigned to an autonomous network on the Internet, used for BGP routing.
B#
BGP - Border Gateway Protocol. Routing protocol used between autonomous systems on the Internet to exchange routing information.
C#
CGNAT - Carrier-Grade NAT. A NAT technique used by ISPs to share a single public IP address between multiple subscribers.
CI/CD - Continuous Integration / Continuous Delivery. A DevOps practice that automates code testing and deployment.
CLI - Command Line Interface.
D#
DAC - Direct Attach Cable. A cable with built-in SFP+ connectors for short high-speed links (10G, 25G).
DHCP - Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. A protocol that automatically assigns IP addresses to devices on a network.
DNS - Domain Name System. A system that translates domain names (e.g. kentrow.fr) into IP addresses.
DPI - Deep Packet Inspection. In-depth analysis of network packet content for filtering or monitoring.
G#
gRPC - Google Remote Procedure Call. A high-performance communication protocol developed by Google.
H#
HSTS - HTTP Strict Transport Security. A security mechanism that forces browsers to use HTTPS.
I#
IDS/IPS - Intrusion Detection System / Intrusion Prevention System. Systems for detecting and preventing network intrusions.
IETF - Internet Engineering Task Force. The organisation that develops and promotes Internet standards (RFCs).
IoT - Internet of Things. Everyday connected devices such as sensors, smart bulbs, thermostats, etc.
IP - Internet Protocol. The fundamental Internet protocol that enables addressing and routing of data packets.
IPv4 - Internet Protocol version 4. The current version of the IP protocol, using 32-bit addresses (e.g. 192.168.1.1).
IPv6 - Internet Protocol version 6. The newer version of the IP protocol, using 128-bit addresses to address the exhaustion of IPv4 addresses.
ISP - Internet Service Provider. A company that provides Internet access.
J#
JWT - JSON Web Token. A standard for authentication tokens used to secure communication between services.
L#
LCP - Largest Contentful Paint. A web performance metric that measures the loading time of the largest visible element.
M#
MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology (licence). A widely used permissive open source licence.
N#
NAT - Network Address Translation. A technique that allows multiple devices to share a single public IP address.
NTP - Network Time Protocol. A protocol for synchronising device clocks across a network.
O#
ONT - Optical Network Terminal. A device that converts the fibre optic signal into an Ethernet signal.
Q#
QoS - Quality of Service. A bandwidth management mechanism to prioritise certain types of network traffic.
R#
RFC - Request for Comments. A standards document published by the IETF that defines Internet protocols and conventions.
REST - Representational State Transfer. An architectural style for web APIs.
RSS - Really Simple Syndication. A feed format for following website updates.
S#
SEO - Search Engine Optimization.
SFP+ - Small Form-factor Pluggable Plus. An optical/copper module format for 10 Gbps network connections.
SSH - Secure Shell. A protocol for secure remote connection to a server.
SSID - Service Set Identifier. The name of a Wi-Fi network.
SSL/TLS - Secure Sockets Layer / Transport Layer Security. Encryption protocols that secure Internet communications (HTTPS).
T#
TLD - Top-Level Domain. A domain name extension (.com, .fr, .ovh, etc.).
V#
VLAN - Virtual Local Area Network. A virtual local network that segments a physical network into multiple isolated logical networks.
VM - Virtual Machine. An operating system running in a virtualised environment.
VPN - Virtual Private Network. An encrypted tunnel that secures the connection between two points on the Internet.
VPS - Virtual Private Server. A virtual private server hosted by a cloud provider.