ing a point-of-sales device, entry point, or ticket gate. NGI (Next-Generation Internet) A U.S. government project that is intended to drastically increase the speed of the Internet. Note that there is a distinct difference between NGI and NGi; the former is a U.S. government initiative, and the latter is a generic movement. NGi (Next-Generation internet) A generic movement toward the future Internet, which will be so pervasive, reliable, and transparent that it will be a seamless part of life-like electric- ity or plumbing. NGi projects that are under way include Internet 2, Abilene, HOPI, NLR, MAN LAN, GÉANT2, and TEIN2. NIC (network interface card) A component that connects a station to a network (e.g., LAN). Also called a network adapter card. NIOD (Network Inward/Outward Dialing) A system that provides the capability for dialing both ways between a toll network and a local network. N-ISDN (Narrowband ISDN) A network architecture and set of standards for an all-digital network. N-ISDN was intended to provide end-to-end digital service using the public telephone networks worldwide and, therefore, to provide high-quality, error-free transmission. NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) A nonregulatory agency that promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology. NLSP (NetWare Link Services Protocol) A link-state protocol that offers low network overhead and fast convergence. NMC (network management center) A center used for control of a network. An may provide traffic analysis, call detail recording, configuration control, fault detection and diag- nostics, and maintenance. (Nordic Mobile Telephone) A Scandinavian wireless system that originally oper- ated at 450MHz, offered around 220 channels, and had a very large coverage area. node (1) A device on a network that can independently send or receive information and that has a network address. (2) The point at which a device is linked to a network. noise Unwanted electrical signals,