1.3.1 Networks and topologies Flashcards
What is a network?
Connections between nodes enabling shared resources
What are the two main types of networks?
- Local Area Network (LAN)
- Wide Area Network (WAN)
What is a Local Area Network (LAN)?
A network that connects devices close to each other, e.g. in the same house or school
What is a Wide Area Network (WAN)?
A network over a broader geographic area, possibly in several locations, e.g. the Internet
In a WAN, what is notable about the infrastructure?
Some infrastructure is owned by someone else, e.g. an ISP
How is the Internet classified in terms of network types?
A WAN made up of many individual LANs
What are three common ways to measure a network’s performance?
Latency, Bandwidth, Error Rate
What is LATENCY in network performance?
The delay (how fast signals travel)
LATENCY measures the time it takes for a data packet to travel from the source to the destination.
What does BANDWIDTH refer to in network performance?
The maximum rate of data transfer (bits per second, bps)
BANDWIDTH indicates the capacity of a network connection to transmit data.
What does the ERROR RATE measure?
How often data is corrupted
ERROR RATE is an important metric for assessing the reliability of a network.
What type of connections are generally faster?
Wired connections
Wired connections typically provide higher speeds compared to wireless connections.
What happens to bandwidth in a network?
Bandwidth is shared across the network and can become congested
Congestion occurs when multiple devices are using the available bandwidth simultaneously.
How do signals degrade in wireless transmission?
Signals degrade quickly over distance and may be blocked by obstacles
Thick concrete walls can significantly weaken wireless signals.
What effect does interference at the same wireless frequency have?
It increases the error rate
Interference can cause data loss and require retransmission.
What is the impact of physical layout (topology) on network performance?
It can create bottlenecks
Poor topology can lead to inefficient data flow and reduced speed.
What is a client-server network?
A network which separates computers into ‘clients’ and ‘servers’ - ‘clients’ request services from the server which the server then provides.
What are some advantages of using servers in a network?
Backup and store data centrally
What are some disadvantages of servers?
Can be expensive and difficult to run
What is a Peer-to-Peer network?
A network configuration with no central server.
In a Peer-to-Peer network, how are the computers configured?
Each computer is equal in responsibility and can work as both a client and a server.
What is a Network Interface Controller (NIC)?
A device that allows a computer to connect to a network
NICs are essential for network communication.
What is the unique identifier associated with all NICs?
Media Access Control (MAC) address
The MAC address ensures that each device can be uniquely identified on a network.
How long is a MAC address?
6 bytes long
This length allows for a vast number of unique addresses.
Why does every device on a network have a unique MAC address?
To ensure uniqueness worldwide
This prevents conflicts and allows proper routing of data.
