internet(work) a group of connected networks. Connected by routers. IP binds them together.
collision In old/obsolete hub-based Ethernet and in WiFi,
a condition in which two computers transmit data at the same time
(in the half-duplex network), and their signals both occupy the same medium
(cable or frequency), resulting in garbled signal.
CSMA/CD Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection was the
decentralized protocol an Ethernet NIC would use to gain access to the
shared medium (waiting if any signal is detected), detect any collision
of its frame, and backoff a random amount of time before retrying to get
the medium. Turned off in switched Ethernet NICs.
CSMA/CA Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance
is used by WiFi nodes to reduce collisions.
Receiver sends an acknowledgement frame to sender.
If sender doesn't receive ACK, assumes its message never received, and sends again.
Optionally, explicit RTS (request to send, by the client) and CLS (clear to send, by the WAP)
frames to eliminate the hidden transmitter problem (a node within range of WAP but not
a transmitting node could listen to medium, sense it unused, transmit and collision occur at the WAP).
Obsolete terms:
collision domain all the nodes that share a half-duplex network,
in which any two nodes transmitting at the same time results in a collision.
Full-duplex switched Ethernet eliminates collision domain.
Segment referred to the LAN or collision domain.
Switch provides microsegmentation of a segment per port.