Toast Networking Glossary

Take a look at the table below for commonly used terms for Toast Networking.

Networking Term		Definition
Acronyms	ISP	Internet Service Provider The company that provides access to the Internet for customers. Think Verizon, Spectrum, Comcast, Cox, AT&T, etc.
	LAN	Local Area Network A local network (LAN) allows devices to communicate and share information through a central hub, typically managed by a router. This communication can occur even without internet access, enabling features like offline printing, where a computer sends a print job directly to a printer's static IP address via the router. For local synchronization to function correctly, all on-premise devices must be connected to the same LAN.
	WAN	Wide Area Network A WAN is a network that can span a large distance. The internet itself is an example of a WAN, it connects many different computers and servers from around the world and allows them to transfer data. The Internet port of the router is sometimes referred to as the “WAN” port because it provides access to this umbrella network.
	DHCP / Dynamic IP Address	Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol DHCP stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. IP addresses are assigned by one of two methods, the most common one being DHCP. DHCP addresses are assigned by the router, which oversees the network. It is often referred to as a Dynamic signal; IP addresses assigned via this method will provide the device with the first available IP address that a router has not used yet. Since our routers are assigned the IP address 192.168.192.1, the next available address will be 192.168.192.2, and it counts up from there.
	ARP Table	Address Resolution Protocol The ARP table on a router tracks IP addresses of devices it can see, retaining these entries for up to 300 seconds (five minutes) after the last interaction. The table has two main sections: Client ARP entries: This section lists devices connected to the router's LAN ports. For a specific setup (likely "Toast"), only devices with IP addresses following the 192.168.192.xxx scheme (assigned by "Meraki" routers) should appear here. Different IP schemes in this section may indicate a network loop. Internet ARP entries: This section shows IP addresses detected through the router's WAN (Internet) port. Typically, only one or two entries are expected, representing the internet source (e.g., modem) and sometimes the router itself. If IP addresses matching the "Toast" scheme (192.168.192.xxx) appear here, it could signify a loop bridging "Toast" hardware to the modem's network.
	WAP	Wireless Access Point Wireless Access Points (WAPs), such as the indoor Unifi AC Pro or outdoor AC Mesh, are used to broadcast a Wi-Fi network. Multiple WAPs can be deployed across a site, each broadcasting the same network, with their placement limited only by the maximum length of an Ethernet cable. This setup enables extensive Wi-Fi coverage. These WAPs create a "mesh network," which allows devices moving between the coverage areas of different WAPs to automatically switch to the one with the stronger signal without interrupting the connection. This seamless handover makes them well-suited for environments like restaurants, where handheld devices require continuous Wi-Fi access while in motion.
	POE	Power Over Ethernet Wireless Access Points (WAPs) receive power through their Ethernet cables, a technology known as Power over Ethernet (PoE). This requires the WAP to be connected to an Ethernet port with PoE capability, either on a PoE-supporting switch or through a PoE injector. The WAPs mentioned in the text are sold with PoE injectors, which have a power cable, a LAN port for connecting to the network (switch or router), and a PoE port for connecting to the WAP to provide both power and internet. For Unifi WAPs: A solid blue LED light indicates the WAP has been connected to a network and is attempting to broadcast Wi-Fi. However, this doesn't always mean it's fully functional. A solid white LED light means the WAP is pending adoption and is not yet broadcasting. If a WAP shows a blue light but devices cannot connect to Wi-Fi, it might be receiving power but no internet. In such cases, the connection on the LAN port of its PoE injector should be checked to ensure it's properly connected to the network.
	dBm	An abbreviation for the power ratio in decibels (dB) of the measured power referenced to one milliwatt (mW). Decibel-milliwatts (dBm) is an absolute measure of signal strength relative to electrical power level.
	VLAN	A group of devices on one or more LANs that are configured to communicate as if they were attached to the same wire, when in fact they are located on different LAN segments. Because VLANs are based on logical instead of physical connections, they are extremely flexible. VLANs are typically used with larger networks where traffic needs to be.
Equipment	Modem	A modem is a network appliance that takes digital information provided by the ISP and translates it into something you can use and interact with, like radio signals or the wires used by the rest of the network. It bridges the customer’s network to the internet as a whole, so the customer’s network needs to pull data from it in some form to stay online. If the modem is offline, everything else will be.
	Router / Gateway	A network appliance that takes the internet in (usually from the modem) and passes it on to other hardware connected to it. It also assigns and manages IP addresses for hardware connected to it. Devices connected to the router are part of a LAN or Local Area Network, which means devices connected through the router communicate with each other. You will sometimes hear someone refer to routers as the “Gateway”, since all data must pass through this device before it can move further up or down a network.
	Ethernet Cable	Ethernet cables are the cords that connect devices to the network and pass data back and forth across it. The cables have an RJ-45 pinout, which can be identified by eight wires being present in the termination.
	Ethernet Termination	Ethernet terminations are the end caps of the Ethernet cable, which plug into the ports on routers or switches.
	Uplink	The Ethernet cable that provides internet to a device is often referred to as the “uplink”. Aside from a router configured to have a dual-WAN setup, there should only ever be one uplink per device.
	Switch	A switch is a network hardware device that extends the network and provides additional Ethernet ports which can provide internet to more devices. The five-port TP Link switches we sell are “unmanaged” or often called “dummy” switches, which means that all the ports on the switch are always active for use as either an uplink source or as a LAN port, to send the internet out to any devices connected downstream of it.
Common Terms	Bridge Mode	When an ISP technician or IT representative asks if a customer's modem/router needs to be put into "bridge mode," they are referring to a setting that disables the device's Network Address Translation (NAT) feature. In bridge mode, the modem/router functions more like a switch, providing direct port access to connected devices. This allows any routers connected to it, such as the "Meraki routers" mentioned, to act as DHCP servers without risking IP conflicts. It is generally recommended to enable bridge mode (with a stated 99% certainty) when using these Meraki routers. Bridge mode is also important when a customer wants to connect multiple routers to the modem, as it enables these routers to manage their independent subnetworks.
	Dual WAN	Some routers (in the case of Toast’s routers, this is the Meraki MX64) have what is called “Dual WAN” capability. What this means is that two ports on the router are able to accept an internet connection. When WAN 1’s internet connection drops, the device automatically fails over to the second connection to maintain internet access. Dual WAN for the MX64 needs to be configured either from the Meraki dashboard or from the local status page stored within the router itself. The second port that is converted to WAN 2 is the one normally labeled “4”.
	IP Address	There are two types of IP addresses, but for our networks, Toast representatives really only need to be concerned with IPv4 addresses, which are four sets of numbers between 0-255. The default configuration we use for Toast’s routers assigns IP addresses with the 192.168.192.xxx subnet, with the “xxx” being either set manually or assigned by the router.
	Static IP Address	A static IP address is manually assigned directly to a device and remains unchanged, regardless of the network it's on. This rigidity ensures consistent targeting, unlike DHCP addresses, which can change. For example, Toast printers use static IPs so terminals can reliably send print jobs to a specific, unchanging address, preventing failures.
	Subnet / Subnetwork	The range of IP addresses that interact with each other is limited to a specific pool of numbers. This is meant to keep devices from one subnet from accepting commands issued by devices from a different subnet. If you have multiple local networks or subnets, information cannot be shared between them when offline.
	Latency	The term “lag” may also be interchangeable with latency, depending on the context. These terms refer to the delay experienced before data is transferred. The higher the latency, the longer it takes for the desired result to take place. Most of the time, data is being sent between devices, so a high latency results in a slower network.
	Ping	When you ping something, what you are doing is sending a data packet to a specific location and waiting for the data packet to be sent back. This is a method to test for latency.
	Link Lights	Ethernet ports on switches or routers have two LED lights. The upper left light is solid green for an active LAN connection to a powered device. It's off if the connected device is off. The upper right light blinks green or yellow with data activity; fast blinking often indicates internet traffic, while slow or no blinking can mean the device/switch is offline. If all link lights blink simultaneously, it may signal a network loop.
	Network Loop	A network loop occurs when data circulates endlessly within a network without an exit, often caused by an Ethernet cable connecting a switch back to itself. This intensifies traffic until the router overloads and shuts down. Another type of loop happens when a secondary modem or router connected downstream from the primary router (e.g., a Meraki) improperly assigns IP addresses or bridges other devices onto the main network. This can occur if, for instance, a modem is connected to both the primary router's internet port and its switch, or via multiple modem-to-router connections.
	Broadband Internet	The high-speed Internet connection you pay for from your cable or telephone provider.
	Access Point	In a wireless local area network, an access point is a station that transmits and receives data. Each access point can serve multiple users within a defined network area. As people move beyond the range of one access point, they are automatically handed over to the next one.
	Cable Drop	A connection point in a network. Cable drops are typically wall outlets with an Ethernet jack that a computer or other network device can plug into.

Toast Networking Glossary

Toast Networking Glossary

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