Glossary
N
78 terms.
- NACK
A negative acknowledgement, sent by a receiver to report that data is missing so the sender or another agent can repair the loss.
Like I'm five A message saying 'I did not get that part, please say it again.'
- Nagle algorithm
A TCP technique that holds back small segments while earlier data is unacknowledged, so that many tiny writes are combined into fewer packets.
Like I'm five Waiting to fill the envelope instead of mailing one word at a time.
Used in RFC 896 RFC 1122 RFC 2126 RFC 3539 RFC 3821 RFC 4172 RFC 4653 RFC 5044 RFC 6897 RFC 7805 RFC 8303 RFC 8490 RFC 8831 RFC 9648 RFC 9923
- NAI (Network Access Identifier)
A user identity in the form user@realm, used for roaming authentication in wireless networks.
Like I'm five Like an email address for your phone so the network knows who you are.
Used in RFC 2794 RFC 2977 RFC 2989 RFC 3141 RFC 3846 RFC 4283 RFC 5216 RFC 5729 RFC 6572 RFC 7542 RFC 8559 RFC 9140 RFC 9190 RFC 9427 RFC 9965
- NAL unit
A Network Abstraction Layer unit is the packet-sized chunk in which H.264 video data is organized. Each starts with a header byte that gives its type.
Like I'm five A labeled box that holds one piece of the video.
Used in RFC 3984 RFC 6184 RFC 6190 RFC 7798 RFC 9328 RFC 9584 RFC 10034
- Name compression
A DNS message scheme in which a repeated name suffix is replaced by a 2-byte pointer to an earlier occurrence within the same message.
Like I'm five Writing "same as page 3" instead of writing the long name again.
Used in RFC 883 RFC 1002 RFC 1035 RFC 3361 RFC 3397 RFC 3597 RFC 5855 RFC 8618 RFC 9139 RFC 9665
- Name constraint
A limit in a CA certificate that restricts which names the certificates beneath it may contain. Path validation checks each name against these limits.
Like I'm five A rule that says an ID-card issuer may only vouch for certain websites.
- Name server
A server that holds DNS data for some part of the name space, or knows where to refer queries.
Like I'm five A helper who keeps one page of the big phone book, or knows who has the other pages.
Used in RFC 620 RFC 621 RFC 623 RFC 811 RFC 812 RFC 814 RFC 819 RFC 830 RFC 878 RFC 881 RFC 882 RFC 883 RFC 897 RFC 920 RFC 921 RFC 955 RFC 973 RFC 1001 RFC 1002 RFC 1031 RFC 1032 RFC 1033 RFC 1034 RFC 1386 and 67 more
- name-list
An SSH data type: a comma-separated list of algorithm names, ordered from most to least preferred, such as the list of ciphers in a KEXINIT message.
Like I'm five A list of choices written in order of favourite first.
- Named Data Object (NDO)
An addressable unit of data in an information-centric network that has a name bound to it, usually with a way to check that binding.
Like I'm five A piece of data you ask for by its name instead of by where it lives.
- Nameprep
A profile of stringprep designed for domain names and used in IDNA (Internationalized Domain Names in Applications).
Like I'm five A special version of the stringprep recipe used for internet domain names.
- Namespace
A named region of a larger naming space, identified by a prefix. In IMAP, a namespace groups mailboxes such as a user's own, other users' or shared ones.
Like I'm five A labelled section of a big filing cabinet.
Used in RFC 2342 RFC 3085 RFC 4910 RFC 5226 RFC 7061 RFC 7076 RFC 8126
- Namespace ID
The first component of a URN identifying which organization or standard manages that URN space. For example, 'urn:geant:' has the namespace ID 'geant'.
Like I'm five The prefix that says which group is in charge of handing out names in this space.
- Namespace Identifier
A short code that identifies a specific URN namespace and appears after 'urn:' in a URN, such as 'fipa' in urn:fipa:language:acl.
Like I'm five The part of a URN that tells you which organization or group it belongs to.
Used in RFC 2141 RFC 3616 RFC 6061 RFC 6588 RFC 8057 RFC 8141 RFC 9517
- Namespace Specific String (NSS)
The part of a URN after the namespace identifier, containing the actual name assigned to a resource within that namespace.
Like I'm five In urn:mace:school:document, the NSS is school:document.
An organization or group responsible for assigning unique names within a branch of the namespace and ensuring that those names are not reused.
Like I'm five The person or group that hands out names in their section of the directory.
- NAPT (Network Address Port Translation)
A form of NAT that maps (private address, TCP/UDP port or ICMP query ID) tuples onto one public address with assigned ports, letting many hosts share a single public IP address.
Like I'm five Everybody shares one house number, and each person gets their own room number.
Used in RFC 2663 RFC 2993 RFC 3022 RFC 3027 RFC 3235 RFC 3303 RFC 3715 RFC 4008 RFC 4787 RFC 5135 RFC 5508 RFC 5571 RFC 6056 RFC 6146 RFC 6619 RFC 6736 RFC 7596 RFC 7597 RFC 8676 RFC 9109 RFC 9313
- NAPTR
The Naming Authority Pointer, a DNS resource record type that holds DDDS rules. Each record carries order, preference, flags, services, regexp and replacement fields.
Like I'm five A little rule card stored in the DNS that says how to turn one thing into another.
- NAPTR Record
A DNS record type that holds a service name and a rewrite rule. ENUM uses it to turn a telephone number into a URI.
Like I'm five A phone-book entry that tells you how to turn a number into an internet address.
Used in RFC 2168 RFC 2916 RFC 3263 RFC 3401 RFC 3403 RFC 3404 RFC 3405 RFC 3761 RFC 3764 RFC 3824 RFC 3953 RFC 3958 RFC 4002 RFC 4095 RFC 4114 RFC 4355 RFC 4415 RFC 4759 RFC 4769 RFC 4848 RFC 4969 RFC 4979 RFC 5278 RFC 5679 and 4 more
- NAS (Network Access Server)
The device that gives users access to a network, such as a modem pool or a VPN gateway. In RADIUS it is the client: it collects the credentials, asks the server, and enforces the answer.
Like I'm five The guard at the door who asks the office and then does what the office says.
Used in RFC 2058 RFC 2139 RFC 2284 RFC 2341 RFC 2548 RFC 2607 RFC 2618 RFC 2619 RFC 2637 RFC 2805 RFC 2809 RFC 2865 RFC 2866 RFC 2867 RFC 2868 RFC 2869 RFC 2882 RFC 2989 RFC 3127 RFC 3162 RFC 3169 RFC 3539 RFC 3573 RFC 3579 and 44 more
- NAT (Network Address Translation)
A method where a border router rewrites IP addresses, and sometimes ports, in packets so that hosts with private addresses can communicate with the external Internet. RFC 3022 describes the traditional forms, Basic NAT and NAPT.
Like I'm five A doorkeeper who changes the return address on your mail so replies find their way back.
Used in RFC 959 RFC 1335 RFC 1347 RFC 1597 RFC 1621 RFC 1627 RFC 1669 RFC 1754 RFC 1917 RFC 1918 RFC 1958 RFC 2008 RFC 2071 RFC 2072 RFC 2101 RFC 2182 RFC 2194 RFC 2391 RFC 2428 RFC 2505 RFC 2549 RFC 2647 RFC 2663 RFC 2694 and 356 more
- NAT binding
An association of two IP address and port pairs, typically one private and one public, that lets a NAT device translate traffic for one flow or endpoint.
Like I'm five A note that says 'this inside address matches that outside address', so replies find their way back.
- NAT traversal
The IKE and ESP techniques for working through a NAT, mainly detecting it with hashed address notifications and moving to UDP port 4500 with UDP-encapsulated ESP.
Like I'm five A trick that lets secret packets still find their way home through a device that rewrites addresses.
Used in RFC 3235 RFC 3424 RFC 3489 RFC 3519 RFC 3581 RFC 3605 RFC 3723 RFC 3904 RFC 3947 RFC 3948 RFC 4008 RFC 4306 RFC 4380 RFC 4555 RFC 4787 RFC 4961 RFC 5128 RFC 5164 RFC 5189 RFC 5207 RFC 5245 RFC 5265 RFC 5266 RFC 5382 and 118 more
- NAT64
A translation mechanism that lets client devices using IPv6 communicate with servers that have only IPv4 connectivity.
Like I'm five A translator that lets new-style devices talk to old-style servers.
Used in RFC 6147 RFC 6312 RFC 6889 RFC 7050 RFC 7051 RFC 7225 RFC 7269 RFC 7849 RFC 8305 RFC 8512 RFC 8781 RFC 8880 RFC 8925
- NBMA (Non-Broadcast, Multi-Access)
A network link technology that supports multiple connected devices but does not provide broadcast or multicast capabilities, such as ATM, SMDS, or X.25 networks.
Like I'm five A network where you cannot shout and have everyone hear you.
- NBMA network
A Non-Broadcast Multiple Access network, such as ATM, SMDS or X.25, where many stations attach to one network but a message cannot simply be broadcast to all of them.
Like I'm five A big network where you cannot shout to everyone at once, so you need each person's exact address.
- NCP
A Network Control Protocol. PPP has one NCP per network-layer protocol, and each sets up and configures its protocol, for example the address, once the link is open.
Like I'm five A helper that gets one kind of conversation, such as IP, ready to use on the link.
Used in RFC 1 RFC 33 RFC 36 RFC 39 RFC 40 RFC 42 RFC 44 RFC 48 RFC 54 RFC 55 RFC 57 RFC 60 RFC 66 RFC 74 RFC 78 RFC 80 RFC 91 RFC 97 RFC 98 RFC 100 RFC 101 RFC 102 RFC 105 RFC 107 and 119 more
- Negative acknowledgment
A message from a receiver saying that a particular piece of data did not arrive. The sender only has to react to losses, not to every success.
Like I'm five Instead of saying yes to everything you heard, you only speak up to say what you missed.
- Negative caching
Remembering that a name or record does not exist, so the same question need not be asked again until a stored timer runs out.
Like I'm five Writing down "they don't have that" so you don't ask the librarian twice.
Used in RFC 1536 RFC 2308 RFC 2505 RFC 4074 RFC 4388 RFC 4697 RFC 5518 RFC 6303 RFC 6651 RFC 7535 RFC 7945 RFC 8020 RFC 8145 RFC 8198 RFC 8686 RFC 8749 RFC 8766 RFC 8767 RFC 9077 RFC 9301 RFC 9437 RFC 9520 RFC 9567
- Neighbor Cache
A table of recently contacted on-link neighbors that maps each IPv6 address to its link-layer address and tracks a reachability state (INCOMPLETE, REACHABLE, STALE, DELAY or PROBE). It is IPv6’s counterpart to the ARP cache.
Like I'm five A little address book of neighbors with a note saying how recently you checked each one was home.
Used in RFC 1971 RFC 2461 RFC 2491 RFC 2590 RFC 2641 RFC 3122 RFC 3756 RFC 3964 RFC 3971 RFC 4293 RFC 4311 RFC 4389 RFC 4429 RFC 4861 RFC 5568 RFC 5648 RFC 5942 RFC 5949 RFC 6059 RFC 6106 RFC 6164 RFC 6583 RFC 6706 RFC 6775 and 21 more
- Neighbor Discovery
The IPv6 protocol that nodes on a link use to find routers, learn each other's link-layer addresses and track whether neighbors are reachable.
Like I'm five How devices on the same street find out who lives next door and how to reach them.
Used in RFC 2466 RFC 3146 RFC 3756 RFC 5121 RFC 5909 RFC 6583 RFC 6775 RFC 6980 RFC 8929 RFC 9898 RFC 9926
- Neighbor Unreachability Detection
The part of Neighbor Discovery that checks whether a neighbor is still reachable, using hints from upper-layer protocols or unicast Neighbor Solicitations, but only for neighbors the node is sending to.
Like I'm five Checking that a friend still answers the phone before you keep writing their number down.
Used in RFC 823 RFC 2461 RFC 3756 RFC 4191 RFC 4213 RFC 4294 RFC 4429 RFC 4861 RFC 4943 RFC 5180 RFC 5214 RFC 5534 RFC 5798 RFC 5942 RFC 6434 RFC 6550 RFC 6583 RFC 6775 RFC 6820 RFC 6957 RFC 7048 RFC 7066 RFC 7219 RFC 7400 and 4 more
- netascii
The text mode in TFTP: 8-bit ASCII with the modifications from the Telnet specification. The receiver converts it to its own text format.
Like I'm five A standard way of writing plain letters so any computer can read them.
- NetBIOS
An older network protocol used by Windows systems for name resolution and file sharing, predating modern TCP/IP-based approaches.
Like I'm five An old system that Windows computers used to find each other and share files.
- NETCONF
The Network Configuration Protocol, defined in RFC 6241, used to configure network devices and read their datastores.
Like I'm five A standard way to send settings to a network device.
Used in RFC 4743 RFC 4744 RFC 5381 RFC 5717 RFC 6020 RFC 6022 RFC 6087 RFC 6110 RFC 6242 RFC 6470 RFC 6536 RFC 6643 RFC 6728 RFC 7277 RFC 7317 RFC 7407 RFC 7589 RFC 7803 RFC 7921 RFC 7923 RFC 7950 RFC 8071 RFC 8242 RFC 8341 and 30 more
- NETCONF capability
A named piece of functionality that supplements the base NETCONF protocol, identified by a URI and announced in the hello message at the start of a session.
Like I'm five A trick a device says it knows when a session begins.
- Netsplit
The loss of a link between two servers in a chat network, which divides the network into separate parts. Each side then sees only the users who are connected to servers on its own side.
Like I'm five When a hallway between two buildings is blocked, so each building can only talk to itself.
- Network Access Server
A device that aggregates subscriber traffic from many access nodes. It enforces policy and IP quality of service and is also called a BNG or BRAS.
Like I'm five The traffic manager that decides who gets how much of the road.
- Network Control Protocol
A PPP protocol that sets up and configures one particular network-layer protocol on a link. Each network protocol that PPP carries has its own.
Like I'm five A short chat two computers have to agree on the rules for one kind of message before sending it.
- Network Function
A component of the 5G System's service-based architecture, specified by 3GPP. Each type of network function is identified by a short ASCII string such as AMF.
Like I'm five One machine or program in a 5G network that has its own specific job.
- Network Management
The process of overseeing, monitoring, and controlling network devices and their performance using protocols and systems such as SNMP.
Like I'm five Watching and controlling computers and routers on a network from a central location.
- Network Mobility (NEMO)
A protocol that allows an entire mobile network to maintain connectivity while moving. Mobile routers establish tunnels with home agents to continue receiving traffic even when away from home.
Like I'm five A way to keep a whole moving network (like on a train) connected to the Internet.
- Network Resource Partition (NRP)
A set of network resources (buffers, bandwidth, routing state) reserved for a group of network slices, enabling isolation and predictable service delivery.
Like I'm five A bucket of network resources reserved to prevent one slice from starving another.
- Network Security Function (NSF)
A packet-processing engine that inspects and optionally modifies packets traversing a network, such as a firewall, intrusion detection system, or deep packet inspection engine.
Like I'm five A security guard that watches and controls traffic on the network.
- Network Service Header
The NSH is the encapsulation used in the Service Function Chaining architecture to carry packets and metadata along a chain of services.
Like I'm five A special envelope that tells a packet which helper stops to visit, in order.
Used in RFC 8595 RFC 8677 RFC 8979 RFC 9015 RFC 9451 RFC 9452 RFC 9516
- Network Slice
An isolated logical network tailored to support specific service requirements, such as guaranteed bandwidth or low latency, using shared physical infrastructure.
Like I'm five A dedicated lane on a shared road for a specific type of traffic.
- Network Time Protocol
A protocol for synchronizing clocks on computer networks to a common time within milliseconds.
Like I'm five A way for computers to agree on what time it is.
Used in RFC 1165 RFC 1291 RFC 1708 RFC 5906 RFC 5908 RFC 8633 RFC 8915
- Network Virtual Terminal
The basic terminal that every Telnet implementation must support: 7-bit ASCII text with escape sequences for control functions, used when no fancier options are negotiated.
Like I'm five A plain, simple pretend-screen that every computer agrees to use if they cannot agree on anything fancier.
Used in RFC 137 RFC 139 RFC 318 RFC 354 RFC 357 RFC 435 RFC 495 RFC 513 RFC 529 RFC 596 RFC 658 RFC 764 RFC 855 RFC 856 RFC 857 RFC 858 RFC 860 RFC 937 RFC 1041 RFC 1079 RFC 1091 RFC 1096 RFC 1123 RFC 1184 and 5 more
- Network Virtual Terminal (NVT)
The imaginary standard terminal that both ends of a Telnet connection pretend to be: a seven-bit USASCII printer and keyboard, line-buffered by default. Each host maps its real devices to the NVT.
Like I'm five A pretend plain screen and keyboard that every computer agrees to act like, so nobody has to learn everyone else's gadgets.
Used in RFC 15 RFC 106 RFC 110 RFC 158 RFC 216 RFC 295 RFC 327 RFC 328 RFC 377 RFC 407 RFC 452 RFC 470 RFC 524 RFC 542 RFC 560 RFC 563 RFC 730 RFC 735 RFC 749 RFC 782 RFC 854 RFC 930 RFC 1043 RFC 1205 and 7 more
- Network Virtualization Edge
The first-hop device that encapsulates packets from tenant systems and tunnels them to a remote edge, which decapsulates them before delivery.
Like I'm five The mailroom that puts letters in bigger envelopes and opens them at the other end.
Used in RFC 7364 RFC 7365 RFC 8293 RFC 8365 RFC 8394 RFC 9574
- Network Virtualization Edge
The boundary point where tenant traffic enters and leaves the overlay network. It encapsulates outgoing packets into tunnels and decapsulates arriving tunnel packets. Can be implemented on a hypervisor, switch, or appliance.
Like I'm five The device that wraps customer packets into tunnels and unwraps them at the destination.
- Newsgroup
A named category of news articles, such as net.unix-wizards, that readers can select and read, and to which articles are posted.
Like I'm five A labeled bulletin board for one topic.
Used in RFC 977 RFC 3977 RFC 4707 RFC 5536 RFC 5537 RFC 6048
- Next Header
A field in an IPv6 header or extension header that says what comes next. The value 58 means the next thing is an ICMPv6 message.
Like I'm five A label on each part of a package that says what kind of part is inside the next one.
Used in RFC 2402 RFC 2406 RFC 2460 RFC 2780 RFC 3173 RFC 3843 RFC 4443 RFC 4727 RFC 5095 RFC 5858 RFC 6282 RFC 7045 RFC 7112 RFC 7280 RFC 7676 RFC 8754 RFC 9837 RFC 9947
- Next hop
The address of the next router to which a packet for a destination should be sent.
Like I'm five The next door on the way.
Used in RFC 827 RFC 1267 RFC 1322 RFC 1388 RFC 1403 RFC 1716 RFC 1722 RFC 1723 RFC 1745 RFC 2080 RFC 2332 RFC 2333 RFC 2335 RFC 2453 RFC 2545 RFC 2598 RFC 2603 RFC 2677 RFC 2735 RFC 2858 RFC 2991 RFC 2992 RFC 3561 RFC 3626 and 39 more
- NFS
Network File System, a protocol that allows computers on a network to access files on remote servers as if they were local.
Like I'm five A way to use files on another computer like they are on yours.
Used in RFC 2755 RFC 5662 RFC 6641 RFC 7204 RFC 7532 RFC 7862
- NHRP
The Next Hop Resolution Protocol, defined in RFC 2332, in which NHRP clients (NHCs) ask NHRP servers (NHSes) to resolve addresses on a non-broadcast network.
Like I'm five A helper that tells a computer the best shortcut to reach another one.
- Nibble
A group of four bits, which is exactly one hexadecimal digit. Two nibbles make one byte.
Like I'm five A tiny piece of a number, just one digit of the special counting that computers use.
- Nickname
A short 16-bit name that identifies a TRILL switch in the TRILL header, used instead of a long hardware address.
Like I'm five A short name given to each switch so people do not have to say its full name.
- NLPID
The Network Level Protocol ID is a one-octet field that tells the receiver which protocol or encapsulation follows in the frame.
Like I'm five A small label on the envelope that says what kind of mail is inside.
Used in RFC 1294 RFC 1356 RFC 1490 RFC 1598 RFC 2363 RFC 2427 RFC 6328
- NLRI
Network Layer Reachability Information: the list of IP prefixes, each encoded as a length in bits followed by just enough octets to hold the prefix, that an UPDATE message advertises as reachable via its path attributes.
Like I'm five The list of places the news message says you can now reach.
Used in RFC 1771 RFC 1772 RFC 1774 RFC 2439 RFC 2545 RFC 2858 RFC 3107 RFC 4271 RFC 4272 RFC 4364 RFC 4659 RFC 4684 RFC 4724 RFC 4760 RFC 4761 RFC 4781 RFC 5195 RFC 5565 RFC 5575 RFC 6074 RFC 6396 RFC 6514 RFC 6515 RFC 7267 and 34 more
- NMDA
The Network Management Datastore Architecture. A model that conforms to it keeps operational state in the same tree as configuration, rather than in a separate state tree.
Like I'm five A rule that says the settings and the live facts about a device are kept side by side.
- NNTP
The Network News Transfer Protocol, used by clients and servers to read, post and exchange Netnews articles.
Like I'm five The way news-reading programs talk to news servers.
Used in RFC 977 RFC 2980 RFC 4642 RFC 4644 RFC 5538 RFC 8054
- NODATA
A DNS answer with RCODE NOERROR but no records of the type asked for. The name exists, but not with that kind of record. It is inferred from the answer, not signalled by a code.
Like I'm five The answer "that person lives here, but they have no phone."
- Nomcom
The nominations committee that nominates the members of the IESG and the IAB. Its nominees are then approved by another body.
Like I'm five A small group that suggests who should be the leaders.
Used in RFC 2028 RFC 3677 RFC 3797 RFC 8713 RFC 9281 RFC 9389
- Nominating Committee
A committee formed annually to review open IESG and IAB positions, propose candidates to fill them, and manage the confirmation process. Often shortened to NomCom.
Like I'm five The group that picks candidates for the Internet's leadership jobs.
- Non-repudiation
Evidence that lets someone prove a fact, such as that data existed at a certain time, so that it cannot credibly be denied later.
Like I'm five Proof so solid that nobody can say it did not happen.
Used in RFC 2025 RFC 2479 RFC 2807 RFC 3039 RFC 3335 RFC 3552 RFC 4130 RFC 4810 RFC 4823 RFC 4998
- Nonce
A random value used once. IKE peers exchange nonces so that keys and signatures are tied to this specific exchange and cannot be replayed.
Like I'm five A random number you make up so old messages cannot be reused.
Used in RFC 1969 RFC 2006 RFC 2069 RFC 2409 RFC 2412 RFC 2419 RFC 2420 RFC 2510 RFC 2560 RFC 2617 RFC 2660 RFC 2759 RFC 2930 RFC 2943 RFC 2951 RFC 2985 RFC 3097 RFC 3118 RFC 3161 RFC 3168 RFC 3310 RFC 3540 RFC 3610 RFC 3686 and 216 more
- Nonce Misuse-Resistant
A property of encryption schemes where catastrophic failure is avoided if a nonce is reused. Under reuse, only the equality of identical plaintexts is revealed.
Like I'm five A way of encoding that doesn't completely break if you use the same one-time number twice.
- Normalization
The transformation of text to a standard form so that different character sequences representing the same visual string can be reliably compared for equivalence.
Like I'm five Making sure two ways of writing the same letter are treated as the same thing.
- Normative reference
A reference to a document that is essential to implementing or understanding an RFC. Other references, which only provide additional information, are called informative.
Like I'm five A book you must read to understand this one, as opposed to extra reading.
- NREN
National Research and Education Network. A U.S. initiative starting in the 1980s to create high-speed networking infrastructure for research and education. The network evolved into the modern Internet.
Like I'm five A plan for the U.S. government to build a very fast network for schools and scientists.
- NSAP Address
A Network Service Access Point address used in OSI networks to identify a computer and transport service, analogous to an IP address in the Internet.
Like I'm five An address used by a different kind of network system, similar to but different from regular Internet addresses.
Used in RFC 926 RFC 986 RFC 994 RFC 1237 RFC 1277 RFC 1561 RFC 1608 RFC 1629 RFC 1637 RFC 1706
- NSAP address
A 20-octet Open Systems Interconnection network address made of an Initial Domain Part and a Domain Specific Part.
Like I'm five A long address code with a front part that says what kind of address it is and a back part with the details.
Used in RFC 941 RFC 982 RFC 995 RFC 1069 RFC 1348 RFC 1707 RFC 1888 RFC 4548
- NSEC
Next Secure. A signed record that links an existing name to the next one in canonical order and lists the types present, allowing authenticated proof that a name or type does not exist.
Like I'm five A sealed note that says nothing exists between these two names.
Used in RFC 3755 RFC 3845 RFC 4033 RFC 4034 RFC 4035 RFC 4470 RFC 4471 RFC 4592 RFC 4956 RFC 4969 RFC 5074 RFC 5155 RFC 5702 RFC 5933 RFC 6605 RFC 6672 RFC 6781 RFC 6840 RFC 6841 RFC 6944 RFC 7129 RFC 7477 RFC 8020 RFC 8027 and 9 more
- NSEC3
A DNSSEC record type that proves a name does not exist by chaining hashed names instead of clear-text names. It makes it harder to list all the names in a zone.
Like I'm five A scrambled list of names that proves a name is missing without showing the whole list.
- NSIS
Next Steps in Signaling, a framework for signaling protocols that allows applications to request network services such as QoS reservations across networks.
Like I'm five A system for applications to ask the network for special treatment like faster delivery.
- NTP timestamp
A 64-bit time value with 32 bits of unsigned seconds and 32 bits of fraction, counted from 0 h on 1 January 1900 UTC. Era 0 ends in 2036 when the seconds field wraps.
Like I'm five A very exact count of time since the start of 1900.
Used in RFC 957 RFC 958 RFC 1059 RFC 1305 RFC 1361 RFC 1769 RFC 2002 RFC 2030 RFC 2327 RFC 2626 RFC 2745 RFC 2783 RFC 3432 RFC 3520 RFC 3611 RFC 3643 RFC 4285 RFC 4330 RFC 4442 RFC 4656 RFC 4710 RFC 4712 RFC 4765 RFC 5450 and 35 more
- Number Portability
The ability of a telecommunications customer to keep the same telephone number when changing service providers or location.
Like I'm five Keeping your phone number when you switch companies or move.
- NXDOMAIN
The DNS "Name Error" response code: the domain name asked about does not exist at all.
Like I'm five The answer "there is nobody with that name."
Used in RFC 1536 RFC 2136 RFC 2308 RFC 4074 RFC 5617 RFC 6303 RFC 6731 RFC 6761 RFC 7208 RFC 7686 RFC 8020 RFC 8198 RFC 8767 RFC 8914 RFC 9156 RFC 9476 RFC 9567 RFC 9660 RFC 9824