Chapter 2

Question 1

Ethernet

Answer 1

A series of LAN standards defined by the IEEE, originally invented by Xerox Corporation and developed jointly by Xerox, Intel, and Digital Equipment.

Question 2

IEEE

Answer 2

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. A professional organization that develops communications and network standards, among other activities.

Question 3

Wired Lan

Answer 3

A local-area network (LAN) that physically transmits bits using cables, often the wires inside cables. A term for local-area networks that use cables, emphasizing the fact that the LAN transmits data using wires (in cables) instead of wireless radio waves. See also wireless LAN.

Question 4

Wireless Lan

Answer 4

A local-area network (LAN) that physically transmits bits using radio waves. The name “wireless” compares these lans to more traditional “wired” LANs, which are LANs that use cables (which often have copper wires inside).

Question 5

Ethernet Frame

Answer 5

A term referring to an Ethernet data link header and trailer, plus the data encapsulated between the header and trailer.

Question 6

10BASE-T

Answer 6

The 10-Mbps baseband Ethernet specification using two pairs of twisted-pair cabling (Categories 3, 4 and 5): One pair transmits data and the other receives data. 10BASE-T, which is part of the IEEE 802.3 specification, has a distance limit of approximately, 100 m (328 feet) per segment.

Question 7

100BASE-T

Answer 7

A name for the IEEE Fast Ethernet Standard that uses two-pair copper cabling, a speed of 100 Mbps, and a maximum cable length of 100 meters.

Question 8

1000BASE-T

Answer 8

A name for the IEEE Gigabit Ethernet standard that uses four-pair copper cabling, a speed of 1000 Mbps (1 Gbps), and a maximum cable length of 100 meters.

Question 9

Fast Ethernet

Answer 9

The common name for all the IEEE standards that send data at 100 megabits per second.

Question 10

Gigabit Ethernet

Answer 10

The common name for all the IEEE standards that send data at 1 gigabit per second.

Question 11

Ethernet Link

Answer 11

A generic term for any physical link between two Ethernet nodes, no matter what type of cabling is used.

Question 12

RJ-45

Answer 12

A popular type of cabling connector used for Ethernet cabling. It is similar to the RJ-11 connector used for telephone wiring in homes in the United States. RJ-45 allows the connection of eight wires.

Question 13

Ethernet Port

Answer 13

A generic term for the opening of the side of an Ethernet NIC or LAN switch, into which an Ethernet cable can be connected.

Question 14

Network Interface Card (NIC)

Answer 14

A computer card, sometimes an expansion card and sometimes integrated into the motherboard of the computer, that provides the electronics and other functions to connect to a computer network. Today, most NICs are specifically Ethernet NICs, and most have an RJ-45 port, the most common type of Ethernet port.

Question 15

Straight-Through Cable

Answer 15

In Ethernet, a cable that connects the wire on pin 1 on one end of the cable to pin 1 on the other end of the cable, pin 2 on one end to pin 2 on the other end, and so on.

Question 16

Crossover Cable

Answer 16

An Ethernet cable that swaps the pair used for transmission on one device to a pair used for receiving on the device on the opposite end of the cable. In 10BASE-T and 100BASE-TX networks, this cable swaps the pair at pins 1,2 to pins 3,6 on the other end of the cable, and the pair at pins 3,6 to pins 1,2 as well.

Question 17

Ethernet Address

Answer 17

A 48-bit (6-byte) binary number, usually written as a 12-digit hexadecimal number, used to identify Ethernet nodes in an Ethernet network. Ethernet frame headers list a destination and source address field, used by the Ethernet devices to deliver Ethernet frames to the correct destination.

Question 18

MAC Address

Answer 18

A standardized data link layer address that is required for every device that connects to a LAN. Ethernet MAC addresses are 6 bytes long and are controlled by the IEEE. Also known as a hardware address, a MAC layer address and a physical address.

Question 19

Unicast Address

Answer 19

Generally, any address in networking that represents a single device or interface, instead of a group of addresses (as would be represented by a multicast or broadcast address).

Question 20

Broadcast Address

Answer 20

Generally, any address that represents all devices, and can be used to send one message to all devices. In Ethernet, the MAC address of all binary 1’s or FFFF.FFFF.FFFF in hex. For IPv4, see subnet broadcast address.

Question 21

Subnet Broadcast Address

Answer 21

A special address in each IPv4 subnet, specifically the largest numeric address in the subnet, designed so that packets sent to this address should be delivered to all hosts in that subnet.

Question 22

Frame Check Sequence

Answer 22

A field in many data link trailers used as part of the error detection process.