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Computer Science > Fundamentals of Communication and Networking > Flashcards

Fundamentals of Communication and Networking Flashcards

1
Q

What is serial transmission?

A

Sending and receiving data one bit at a time in sequence down a single wire.

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2
Q

What is parallel transmission?

A

Sending and receiving multiple bits of data simultaneously using multiple wires.

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3
Q

What are examples of things that use serial transmission?

A

Ethernet
USB
Peripherals

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4
Q

What are the advantages of serial transmission?

A

Cheap
Reliable for long distances, as no synchronisation issues.
Less interferance

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5
Q

What are the advantages of parallel transmission?

A

Faster data transfer
Better for large amounts of data
Better for short distances

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6
Q

What are the disadvantages of serial transmission?

A

Slower for short distances

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7
Q

What are the disadvantages of parallel transmission?

A

Expensive
Signal degrades over long distances
Synchronisation is harder the more wires there are.
Interference.

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8
Q

What is synchronous data transmission?

A

When the pulse of the sending and receiving devices clocks are synchronised.

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9
Q

What is asynchronous data transmission?

A

When the two devices clock’s signals aren’t synchronised and only synchronise for the duration of the transmission by sending start and stop bits.

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10
Q

What are advantages of synchronous data transmission?

A

Faster transmission rates
Less overhead
Good for large data transfers

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11
Q

What are disadvantages of synchronous data transmission?

A

Complex
Expensive
If not perfectly synchronized results in data loss.
Requires a continuous connection

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12
Q

What are advantages of asynchronous data transmission?

A

Simple
Cheap
Good for small data transfer

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13
Q

What are disadvantages of asynchronous data transmission?

A

Slower
Greater overhead
More prone to timing issues

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14
Q

What does a start bit in asynchronous transmission do?

A

Causes the receivers clock to synchronise to the same rate as the senders.

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15
Q

What does a stop bit in asynchronous transmission do?

A

Indicates the data has arrived and allows the receiving computer to identify when the next start bit arrives.

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16
Q

What is bandwidth?

A

The range of frequencies that can be transmitted across a network connection.

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17
Q

What is bandwidth related to?

A

The range of frequencies available on the carrier wave that carries the data.

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18
Q

How do you increase bandwidth?

A

Increase the range of frequencies, as more data can be transferred in a given time.

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19
Q

What is bandwidth measured in?

A

Hertz (Hz)

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20
Q

What is bit rate?

A

The rate at which data is being transmitted.

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21
Q

What is bit rate measured in?

A

Bits per second.

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22
Q

What is the link between bit rate and bandwidth?

A

They are directly proportional.

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23
Q

What is baud rate?

A

The rate at which data can be transmitted.
Number of signal changes in a given amount of time.

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24
Q

What does one baud mean?

A

That there is one electronic state change per second.

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25
Q

What is an electronic state change?

A

A change in the frequency of carrier wave.
Change in voltage
Shift in waveform.

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26
Q

How can more than one bit be sent per state change?

A

By varying voltage levels to represent multiple bits, symbols worth multiple bits are transmitted.

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27
Q

What is latency?

A

The time delay when any component within a computer system is responding to an instruction.

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28
Q

What are the 3 causes of latency?

A

Propagation
Transmission
Processing

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29
Q

What is propagation latency caused by?

A

The time taken for a logic gate to transmit data.

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30
Q

What is transmission latency caused by?

A

The time taken for data to pass through a cable.

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31
Q

What is processing latency caused by?

A

The time taken for data to travel around a network.

32
Q

What does PING do?

A

When data is sent to another device on the network it calculates how long it takes to come back.

33
Q

What is a network?

A

Devices connected together in order to share and manage data and resources.

34
Q

What is a Network Interface Card (NIC)?

A

A device that enables devices to connect to a network.

35
Q

What is a Peer-to-Peer network?

A

A network methodology where all devices in a network share resources between themselves.

36
Q

What are the advantages of a Peer-to-Peer networks?

A

Cheap
Easy to set up
Works well for small offices/homes
No central point of failure

37
Q

What are the disadvantages of a Peer-to-Peer networks?

A

Less security
No centralized management

38
Q

What is a Client-Server network?

A

A network methodology where one computer has the main processing power and storage and the other devices act as clients requesting services from the server.

39
Q

What are the advantages of a Client-Server network?

A

Centralized updates
Clients failing doesn’t affect the network
Easy to add new clients
Security

40
Q

What are the disadvantages of a Client-Server network?

A

Expensive set up
Requires specialist maintenance
Network traffic
If server fails whole network fails

41
Q

What is a network topology?

A

The conceptual layout of a network.

42
Q

How does a bus topology work?

A

It uses one main cable as a backbone to transmit data. Data is sent to every device and only accepted by the intended receiver. Contains terminators which prevent signal deflection down the wire.

43
Q

What are the advantages of the bus topology?

A

Easy to set up and install
Works if a client switches off
Cheaper

44
Q

What are the disadvantages of the bus topology?

A

Main cable failing means whole network fails
Slows down if more devices are added
Less secure
Less reliable

45
Q

How does a star topology work?

A

All devices are connected to a central hub or switch which sends data to the intended recipient, by controlling the flow of data or by sending data to all devices.

46
Q

What are the advantages of the star topology?

A

More reliable
No collisions
Easy to add new clients
More clients doesn’t affect speed
More secure

47
Q

What are the disadvantages of the star topology?

A

Expensive
Difficult to install
If switch/ hub fails network fails
Can get congested

48
Q

What is a physical topology?

A

The way in which devices are physically connected, how the hardware is set up.

49
Q

What is a logical topology?

A

How data is transmitted around a network.

50
Q

How would a physical star topology configured as a logical bus topology be set up?

A

Hardware set up as a star topology with all devices connected to a central node. The central node being a hub which sends data to all the clients and the receiver accepts. (Bus logical topology)

51
Q

How do wireless networks work?

A

Instead of using physical cables to connect devices data is transmitted using radio waves.

52
Q

What does a Wireless Access Point do?

A

Enables devices to wirelessly connect to a wired network by providing a Wi-Fi signal and acting as a bridge.

53
Q

What is a Media Access Control Address (MAC address)?

A

A unique code that identifies a particular device on a network.
Hexadecimal number

54
Q

What is a LAN?

A

A network that connects devices within a limited area, allowing them to share resources.

55
Q

What is a WAN?

A

A network that covers a large geographic area, connecting multiple LANs, allowing communication and sharing resources.

56
Q

What is a WLAN?

A

Wireless Local Area Network
A LAN that uses radio waves.

57
Q

Where are WLAN’s used?

A

In a home or small office.

58
Q

What is WWAN?

A

Wireless Wide Area Network
WAN that uses radio waves.

59
Q

How does a WLAN work?

A

A wireless router connects to the internet using physical cabling while providing wireless access to devices, allowing them to connect to the internet.

60
Q

How do WWAN’s work?

A

Uses mobile phone networks which use satellites and transmitters and receivers to transmit signals over long distances.

61
Q

What is Wi-Fi?

A

A method for connecting devices wirelessly to a network and to the internet.
WWAN

62
Q

How does Wi-Fi work?

A

Uses a generic international standard ensuring all devices are compliant and can connect and transmit data around a network.

63
Q

What is a protocol?

A

A set of rules allowing devices to communicate with each other.

64
Q

What does CSMA/CA do?

A

Enables networked devices to transmit data at high speeds without interference.
By checking if the transmission channel is being used before sending any data.

65
Q

How is data transmitted around networks?

A

It is sent around in frames which are re-assembled when received.

66
Q

How does CSMA/CA work?

A

Checks if the transmission channel is being used.
If the channel is idle data is sent
If the channel isn’t the device waits a random amount of time before trying again to prevent collisions.

67
Q

What does RTS/CTS stand for?

A

Request To Send/ Clear To Send

68
Q

How does the RTS/CTS protocol work?

A

Sends a RTS message to the receiving node and only sends data frames once the CTS message is sent back by the receiving device.

69
Q

What is SSID?

A

A 32-character unique code that identifies a device on a wireless network.
Seen on the header of every frame.

70
Q

What does the SSID do?

A

Identifies the correct WLAN being used so devices connect to the right network.

71
Q

What is required for a SSID to work?

A

For the NIC to have the same code so the device can connect.

72
Q

What are disadvantages of wireless networks?

A

Less secure as radio signals are easy to intercept.
More interference
Limited range

73
Q

What are advantages of wireless networks?

A

Easy installation
Flexable

74
Q

What is WPA (WiFi Protected Access)?

A

A protocol for encrypting data and ensuring security on Wi-Fi networks.

75
Q

How can security be improved on wireless networks?

A

Change and hide the SSID
Ensure all devices are WPA compliant
Create a whitelist of trustworthy MAC addresses.

Computer Science (10 decks)

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