CompTIA A+ 1101 Network Devices

Question 1

• routes traffic between IP subnets
• makes forwarding decisions based on IP addresses
• OSI layer 3 (network layer)
• often connection diverse (LAN, WAN, copper, fiber)

Answer 1

Routers

Question 2

• bridges devices together
• forwards traffic based on the data link address
• contains many ports and features
• may provide PoE (power over ethernet)
• OSI layer 2 (data link layer)

Answer 2

Switches

Question 3

• contains routing functionality
• OSI layer 3 (network layer)

Answer 3

Multilayer Switches

Question 4

• has very few configuration options (plug and play)
• fixed configuration (no VLANs)
• very little integration with other devices (no management protocols)
• low price point

Answer 4

Unmanaged Switches

Question 5

• provides VLAN support (interconnect with other switches via 802.1Q)
• traffic prioritization
• redundancy support using STP (Spanning Tree Protocol), which prevents loops between multiple switches
• port mirroring (capture packets to troubleshoot or analyze)
• external management options (for example, SNMP, or Simple Network Management Protocol)

Answer 5

Managed Switches

Question 6

• provides wireless connectivity for a local network
• provides a link between the wireless network and the wired network (a bridge)
• makes forwarding decisions based on the destination mac address (identical process to a switch)

Answer 6

Access Points

Question 7

• filters traffic based on the port number
• may be able to filter based on application traffic (OSI layer 7)
• OSI layer 4 (TCP/UDP layer)
• can encrypt traffic into and out of the network, to protect it between sites
• can proxy traffic
• may also have router functionality (OSI layer 3)

Answer 7

Firewalls

Question 8

• multi-port repeater
• becomes less efficient as network traffic increases
• half-duplex
• succeeded by switches
• speeds of 10 megabit and 100 megabits

Answer 8

Hubs

Question 9

• broadband communication
• transmission across multiple frequencies and different traffic types
• data over a “cable” network (using the DOCSIS, Data over Cable Service Interface Specification)
• provides high-speed networking, with speeds up to 1 gigabit per second
• can support multiple services such as data, voice, and video

Answer 9

Cable Modems

Question 10

• utilizes telephone lines
• asymmetric, as download speed is faster than the upload speed (hence the acronym, ADSL, or Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line)
• distance limitations of about 10000 feet from the central office
• common speeds of about 52 megabits per second downstream, and 16 megabits per second upstream
• faster speeds are possible the closer that you are to the central office

Answer 10

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) Modems

Question 11

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Answer 11

ONTs (Optical Network Terminal)