Technical Corner > The PC Glossary - Definitions of Computer and Internet Terms

Computer Terms Beginning with "N"

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Source : PC.net


Name Server

A name server translates domain names into IP addresses. This makes it possible for a user to access a website by typing in the domain name instead of the website's actual IP address. For example, when you type in "www.microsoft.com," the request gets sent to Microsoft's name server which returns the IP address of the Microsoft website.

Each domain name must have at least two name servers listed when the domain is registered. These name servers are commonly named ns1.servername.com and ns2.servername.com, where "servername" is the name of the server. The first server listed is the primary server, while the second is used as a backup server if the first server is not responding.

Name servers are a fundamental part of the Domain Name System (DNS). They allow websites to use domain names instead of IP addresses, which would be much harder to remember. In order to find out what a certain domain name's name servers are, you can use a WHOIS lookup tool.

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NAS

Example: "The printing business used an NAS device to share project information between multiple workstations."

NAS is short for "Network Attached Storage." It refers to a network storage system in which shared data is stored in a central location, using an NAS server. The NAS server contains one or more hard drives that can be accessed by multiple computers on the network. Most NAS systems allow the network administrator to configure the file sharing settings, including which computers can access the data. NAS systems are used in both business and home networks.

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NAT

Stands for "Network Address Translation." NAT translates the IP addresses of computers in a local network to a single IP address. This address is often used by the router that connects the computers to the Internet. The router can be connected to a DSL modem, cable modem, T1 line, or even a dial-up modem. When other computers on the Internet attempt to access computers within the local network, they only see the IP address of the router. This adds an extra level of security, since the router can be configured as a firewall, only allowing authorized systems to access the computers within the network.

Once a system from outside the network has been allowed to access a computer within the network, the IP address is then translated from the router's address to the computer's unique address. The address is found in a "NAT table" that defines the internal IP addresses of computers on the network. The NAT table also defines the global address seen by computers outside the network. Even though each computer within the local network has a specific IP address, external systems can only see one IP address when connecting to any of the computers within the network.

To simplify, network address translation makes computers outside the local area network (LAN) see only one IP address, while computers within the network can see each system's unique address. While this aids in network security, it also limits the number of IP addresses needed by companies and organizations. Using NAT, even large companies with thousands of computers can use a single IP address for connecting to the Internet. Now that's efficient.

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Native File

When you save a file using a certain program, the file is often saved in a proprietary format only that program can recognize. For example, if you save a Microsoft Word document, it is saved as a Word document (i.e. mydocument.doc). This is a native Word file -- that is, the file format is native to the Microsoft Word application and may not be recognized by other programs.

When you use the "Save As..." command to save a file, you may be given the option to save the file in a different format. For example, you might be able to save a Word document as a plain text (.txt) file or a rich text (.rtf) file. These formats are not native to Microsoft Word, but can still be opened by the Microsoft Word program. Similarly, Adobe Photoshop saves files as Photoshop documents (.psd files), but can also save them in .jpg and .gif formats, among others.

It is usually best to save a file in a program's native file format because you can be sure it will store all the data you have created with the program. While other formats may be more compatible with other programs, they might not save all the information in the file. For example, if you save a Word document as a plain text file, all the text formatting you had added will be removed. Saving a Photoshop document in JPEG format will reduce the image quality and flatten all the image's layers.

So if you're planning on editing a file after you've saved it, saving it as a native file is the best choice. If you want to save the most compatible version of the file, saving a copy of the file in a more generic format is a good idea.

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NetBIOS

Stands for "Network Basic Input/Output System." NetBIOS was introduced in 1983 by IBM as an improvement to the standard BIOS used by Windows-based computers. The BIOS provides an interface between the computer's operating system and the hardware. As the name implies, NetBIOS adds support for networking, including the ability to recognize other devices connected to the network.

NetBIOS provides an API (Application Program Interface) for software developers to use. The NetBIOS API includes network-related functions and commands, which can be incorporated into software programs. For example, a programmer can use a prewritten NetBIOS function to enable a software program to access other devices on a network. This is much easier than writing the networking code from scratch. In other words, NetBIOS prevents programmers from having to "reinvent the wheel" just to get their program to connect to a network.

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