Definitions for teachers by teachers

Gateway

by Sarah Barnett

A computer system for exchanging information across incompatible networks that use different protocols. For example, many commercial services have e-mail gateways for sending messages to Internet addresses. A deprecated term for a device that enables data to flow between different networks.

Preferred terms are "protocol converter" (connects networks that use different protocols), "router" (connects two broadcast networks at layer 3 network layer). Another example is a mail gateway,

An interface between an information source and a World-Wide Web server. Common Gateway Interface is a standard for such interfaces. The information source can be any system that can be accessed by a program running on the web server. A typical example is a relational database.

Necessary? Yes
I have had to change gateway settings on computers in my building so different files could be downloaded.  It is good know exactly what I was doing!

by Zan Brixey

Gateway (gat' wa): A gateway is a combination of hardware and software that allows incompatible networks to exchange information. Gateways are necessary because they allow computers using different protocols (i.e. PPP, PPTP, SLIP) to communicate. The gateway can actually convert the protocol (between different types of networks or applications) rather than just support one protocol from within another. Many commercial services have email gateways for sending messages between Internet addresses.

A gateway can also be a computer that acts as a go-between for two or more networks that use the same protocol. In this case, the gateway functions as an entry/exit point to the network. The protocol may not need to be converted but other forms of processing may occur.

Gateway is also an earlier name for a router.

by Becky Trieger

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