2. The evolution of the purpose and benefits of networking Flashcards
What is LAN and WAN? What are their benefits?
LAN - Local Area Network. . It was called a local area network because it typically connected PCs that were in one room or in one building or on one site. Benefits:
The expense of installing application software on each individual PC could be saved by installing the
software on an application server attached to the LAN instead,
The transmission medium would be twisted pair cable or WiFI,
There will be end-systems connected which will be user systems or servers.
WAN - Wide Area Network.
Benefits:
Networked computers can be thousand kilometers apart and the transmission medium is often fibre-optic cable,
There will not be any end-systems connected directly to the WAN.
WANs and LANs connected together describe what we call ‘‘internet’’
What is a Client-server model?
Client-server model is a system that partitions workload between providers (servers) and requesters, also known as users.
What are the difference between thin-client and thick-client?
Thin-client simply request something and gets a response, whereas thick-client carries some preprocessing before running an application on the server and possibly downloads the application, moreover runs the application itself.
What is an application program ?
An application program is a computer program designed to carry out a specific task other than one relating to the operation of the computer itself
How can data be sent through medium?
Simplex mode where data flow is one-way only
Half duplex where data can flow either way but not simultaneously
Full duplex where simultaneous both-ways data flow is possible
What is a message?
A ‘message’ is any type of data, which can be sent as either:
A broadcast, which is a one-to-all communication (as used traditionally for radio and television)
A multicast, which is from one source to many destinations
A unicast, which is a one-to-one communication.
What is a topology and what kinds of it are there?
Topology is the physical and logical arrangement of nodes in a computer network.
There are:
Point-to-point topology - two computers are connected to one another,
Bus topology - all computers are connected to one wire, which is called a bus,
Mesh topology - every user is connected to every other user
Start topology - every user is connected to a router/gateway and they are linked this way.
What is bandwidth?
Bandwidth is the maximum rate of data transfer across a given path.
Give 3 examples each of cable and wireless transmission ways.
Cable transmission: twisted pair of cables, coaxial, fibre-optic
Wireless transmission: infrared, microwaves, radiowaves.
What is a server?
Server - computer device that can accept requests and give responses, store centralized data, serve special functions and provide other functionality to the user. There are virtual and physical servers
What is a router?
Router - a device to which computers are connected with point-to-point topology and is used to connect two network and find the best route for transmission.
What is a buffer?
Buffer- temporary storage for a data that is being transferred from one place to another.
What is an IP address?
IP addressing - a unique string of characters that identifies each computer using the Internet Protocol to communicate over a network.
What is a gateway?
Gateway - a device that connects networks with different protocols together. For the connection to the internet the gateway would either first connect to a router or have the capability to act as a router itself
What is NAT
NAT - network address translation - this happens in the router when your private IP address is translated to public IP address by taking host ID and adding it to network ID
