Computer Networks: Design, Components and Security Flashcards
What is a PAN (Personal Area Network)?
A small network (~10m) connecting personal devices like smartphones, laptops, and headphones, often using Bluetooth.
What is a LAN (Local Area Network)?
A network connecting devices in a small area (home, office, school), either wired (Ethernet) or wireless (Wi-Fi).
What is a WLAN (Wireless LAN)?
A type of LAN that uses Wi-Fi to connect devices wirelessly.
What is a MAN (Metropolitan Area Network)?
A network covering a city or metropolitan area, connecting multiple LANs.
What is a CAN (Campus Area Network)?
A network used within a university or corporate campus.
What is a WAN (Wide Area Network)?
A network covering a large geographical area, such as a country or the entire world (e.g., the internet).
What is a SAN (Storage Area Network)?
A high-speed network designed for data storage, connecting servers to storage devices.
What is a VPN (Virtual Private Network)?
A secure, encrypted connection that allows access to a private network over the internet while masking the IP address.
What is a System-Area Network (SAN)?
A high-speed network focusing on fast connections between servers, storage, and processors, used in high-performance computing.
What is a POLAN (Passive Optical LAN)?
A LAN that uses fiber optics and optical splitters for high bandwidth and reliability.
What is an EPN (Enterprise Private Network)?
A private network used by businesses to securely connect different locations.
What is a Point-to-Point topology?
The simplest topology with a direct link between two devices.
What is a Bus topology?
A topology where all devices are connected to a single central cable (bus). Simple but prone to congestion.
What is a Star topology?
A topology where all devices connect to a central hub or switch, making it efficient and easy to troubleshoot.
What is a Ring topology?
A topology where devices are connected in a circular manner, and data travels in one direction.
What is a Mesh topology?
A topology with multiple paths between devices.
Full Mesh: Every device connects to every other. Partial Mesh: Some devices have direct connections while others rely on intermediates.
What is a Tree topology?
A hierarchical topology with a root node and branches. Often used in large networks.
What is a Daisy Chain topology?
A topology where devices are connected in a linear sequence. Simple but unreliable if one device fails.
What is a Hybrid topology?
A combination of two or more network topologies to meet specific needs.
What is the function of a modem?
Converts digital signals to analog for transmission over telephone lines and vice versa.
What is the function of a router?
Directs data between networks and connects local networks to the internet.
What is the function of a hub?
A simple device that connects multiple devices on a network, broadcasting data to all connected devices.
What is the function of a bridge?
Connects two separate LANs, forwarding data only when necessary.
What is the function of a switch?
More intelligent than a hub; forwards data only to the intended recipient by learning MAC addresses.
What is a NIC (Network Interface Card)?
A hardware component that provides the physical interface between a computer and a network.
What are network cables used for?
Used to physically connect devices in a wired network, such as Ethernet or fiber optic cables.
What is a firewall?
A security device (hardware or software) that monitors network traffic and blocks unauthorized access.
What is a Network Operating System (NOS)?
Software that runs on servers to manage network services like file sharing, security, and printing.
What are network protocols?
Rules governing how data is transmitted over a network (e.g., TCP/IP, HTTP, FTP).
What are switching techniques?
Methods used to forward data across a network:
Packet Switching (breaks data into packets) Circuit Switching (establishes a dedicated path) Message Switching (stores and forwards entire messages)
