The ability of a system, application, or endpoint to establish and maintain communication with other nodes. It encompasses the physical link, the routing path, and the successful negotiation of network protocols. When technicians troubleshoot a network, verifying this basic communication is always the first step before checking application performance.
Heard on the job
We have basic IP connectivity to the remote router, but the firewall is blocking the management ports.
Related terms
Local loop
The physical wiring connecting a customer premises to the nearest telephone exchange.
Last mile
The final segment of a telecommunications network that physically reaches the customer premises.
Endpoint
An endpoint is a specific destination or source on a network, often referring to a user device or API URL.