1.5 Network Topologies, Protocols And Layers Flashcards

1
Q

What’s a computer network?

A

It’s a 2 or more computers linked together to allow the exchange of resources.

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2
Q

What can networked computers share?

A
  • hardware
  • software
  • data
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3
Q

What’s a star network?

A
  • Each device is connected by an individual cable(generally to a switch).
  • Star networks are usually the network of choice in schools and offices because they tend to be the most reliable of the topologies.
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4
Q

What’s a mesh network?

A
  • where some or all the devices are connected directly to each other.
  • most are usually connected to the node(connection point) that they exchange the most data with.
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5
Q

What are the two different frequencies of Wi-Fi channels?

A

Two frequency bands used for Wi-Fi technology, 2.4GHz and 5GHz

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6
Q

What are the characteristics of the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi frequency band?

A

-been around longer
-unregulated frequency
Adv
-vendors can manufacture 2.4GHz devices less expensively
Dis
-the unregulated factor meant that manufactures used it for everything e.g.microwaves, mobile phones(more interference)

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7
Q

What are the characteristics of the 5GHz Wi-Fi frequency band?

A

-regulated frequency
Adv
-less devices use it because it’s newer and less crowded
Dis
-regulated frequency costs more money for the manufacturers to produce

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8
Q

What’s encryption?

A

A method of scrambling data with a key code which makes no sense

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9
Q

Why is encryption used for Wi-Fi networks?

A
  • on open or public Wi-Fi anyone can join and sniff out packets of data from other users
  • therefore encryption is used if data is intercepted it’ll have no meaning unless it was decrypted using the key
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10
Q

What’s Ethernet?

A

Ethernet is the protocol for data travelling down a cable.

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11
Q

How does Ethernet cables carry data?

A

By electrical signals down copper wires

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12
Q

What are the two categories of Ethernet cables?

A
Cat-5
-slower
-cheaper
Cat-6
-faster
-more expensive
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13
Q

What’re the characteristics of Ethernet?

A
  • stable connection
  • reduced possibility to be hacked
  • faster traffic speed
  • generally will have a good quality signal
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14
Q

What’s Wi-Fi?

A
  • a communication technology that makes use of radio waves in a LAN
  • widely used to connect to the internet
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15
Q

What are the characteristics of Wi-Fi?

A
  • cheap set up costs
  • user not set in a specific location
  • connect extra devices without needing more hardware
  • signal quality will reduce through obstacles, making it less stable, might ‘drop off’
  • tend to have slow transfer speeds
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16
Q

What’s IP addressing?

A

IP V4, IP V6 as a way of locating routers when going across TCP/IP networks. To be able to send data and know where it’s going.

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17
Q

What’s MAC addressing?

A

Assigning a MAC address to a device and identify a device within a network

  • MAC addresses are assigned to all network-enabled devices
  • MAC addresses are unique to the device and can’t be changed
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18
Q

What does TCP stand for and what is it?

A

TCP-Transmission Control Protocol
Sets the rules for how devices connect to a network, it splits data into packets and reassembles the packets back into the original data, also responsible for checking that data is correctly sent and delivered

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19
Q

What does IP stand for and what is it?

A

IP- Internet Protocol

It’s responsible for packet switching, uses a standard address to identify devices and networks(IP V4, IP V6)

20
Q

What does HTTP stand for and what is it?

A

HTTP-hyper text transfer protocol

Used by web browsers to access websites and communicate with web servers

21
Q

What does HTTPS stand for and what is it?

A

HTTPS-hyper text transfer protocol secure

A more secure version of HTTP, it encrypts all information sent and received

22
Q

What does FTP stand for and what is it?

A

FTP-file transfer protocol
Set of rules that allow the transfer of files to and from a server by a client. Used to access, edit and move files between devices on a network.

23
Q

What does POP stand for and what is it?

A

POP-post office protocol
POP3 is the latest version and it’s used to receive emails from a server, the server holds the email until you downloaded at which point it’s deleted from the server

24
Q

What does IMAP stand for and what is it?

A

IMAP-Internet message access protocol
Used to retrieve emails from a server, the server holds the email until you actually delete it-you only download a copy, used by most web based email clients

25
Q

What does SMTP stand for and what is it?

A

SMTP -simple mail transfer protocol

Used to send email, also used to transfer emails between servers

26
Q

What is a layer in computer networking?

A
  • A layer is a group of protocols that serve a similar function.
  • Layers aren’t physical things inside a computer or network, they’re just a way of categorising protocols.
27
Q

What are the four main layers in computer networks called?

A
  • application/process layer(4)
  • transport layer(3)
  • network/internet layer(2)
  • physical/data link layer(1)
28
Q

What are characteristics of layers in network protocols?

A
  • layers are self contained(protocols in each layer do their function without knowledge of the other layers)
  • each layer serves the layer above it
29
Q

What protocols does the application layer cover and what are examples of these protocols?

A

-turning data into websites and other applications and vice versa
E.g. HTTP, FTP, SMTP

30
Q

What protocols does the transport layer cover and what are examples of these protocols?

A

-controlling data flow e.g. splitting data into packets and checking packets are correctly sent and delivered
E.g. TCP

31
Q

What protocols does the network layer cover and what are examples of these protocols?

A

-making connections between networks, directing data and handling traffic. Used by routers.
E.g. IP

32
Q

What protocols does the physical/data link layer cover and what are examples of these protocols?

A

-passing data over the physical network, responsible for how bits are sent as electrical signals over cables, wireless and other hardware
E.g. Ethernet

33
Q

What’s the most important protocol and what does it do?

A

TCP/IP is the most important protocol

-the protocol which dictates how data is sent between networks, made up of two protocols

34
Q

What’s a data packet?

A

-equal sized piece of data sent between networks

35
Q

What does a data packet contain?

A
  • header(contains control information-destination address, source address and packet number)
  • payload(might be part of an email, document, web page, streamed video)
  • checksum number(a form of validation to check the data hasn’t been corrupted, it calculates a checksum value by performing a function e payload data this value is then checked when the data is received and if they are equal it’s job is finished)
36
Q

What’s packet switching?

A

Packet switching is used by routers to direct data packets on the internet and other IP networks.

37
Q

How does packet switching work?

A
  • the sending device splits the data into packets and gives it a packet number
  • each router reads the packet header and decides which way to send the packet according to the IP address
  • the way data is sent(routes)changes depending on network traffic,if a router gets too many packets it prioritise some over others
  • packets can arrive in the wrong order, so packet numbers are used to put them in the right number
  • sometimes packets go missing so the receiving device checks that all packets have come, if it hasn’t within a certain time it sends a timeout message back to the sending device
  • if all data is received and checksum matches, a receipt confirmation is sent to the sending device
38
Q

Why is packet switching so useful?

A

Packet switching is an efficient use of the network because there are so many possible routes that data can take - packets can reach their receiving device even if there’s heavy traffic.

39
Q

What’s static IP addressing?

A

IP addresses are permanent

  • used to connect printers on a LAN, and hosting websites on the internet
  • can be very expensive
40
Q

What’s dynamic IP addressing?

A

Dynamic IP addresses are assigned to the device by a network server, meaning your device may have a different IP address each time you log on to a network
-ISPs commonly use dynamic IP addresses because they’re cost effective and can be reused

41
Q

What are the pros and cons of a star topology?

A

Pros
-if a device fails or a cable is disconnected the rest of the network is unelected
-it’s simple to add more devices to the network
-good security(all interactions between workstations have to go through the server)
Cons
-in wired networks every device need a cable to connect to the central switch or server, this can be expensive
-if there’s a problem with the switch or server then the whole network is affected

42
Q

What’s a topology?

What are two types topologies?

A

Topology-is the shape of the network (how the computers are connected)
Star and mesh network topologies

43
Q

What’re pros and cons of a mesh topology network?

A

Advantages
-very robust network
-no central node to fail
-can handle very high data traffic rates
Disadvantages
-very expensive for a wired network due to cabling and switches needed
-needs complex coordination to be effective

44
Q

What’s Bluetooth?

A

Wireless data transfer

45
Q

What’s UDP?

A

UDP -user datagram program

-it’s an alternative to TCP, doesn’t check for errors so is slightly quicker

46
Q

What’s circuit switching?

A

Connecting two devices using the same network path, which is then reserved until the message is completed