Internet

Question 1

w.x.y.z

Answer 1

• IP address where each letter is 0-255

Question 2

DHCP

Answer 2

• short for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, a protocol for assigning dynamic IP addresses to devices on a network
• with dynamic addressing, a device can have a different IP address every time it connects to the network
• in some systems, the device’s IP address can even change while it is still connected
• DHCP also supports a mix of static and dynamic IP addresses.

Question 3

Cybersquatting

Answer 3

• is registering, trafficking in, or using a domain name with bad faith intent to profit from the goodwill of a trademark belonging to someone else
• the cybersquatter then offers to sell the domain to the person or company who owns a trademark contained within the name at an inflated price

Question 4

NAT

Answer 4

• short for Network Address Translation, an Internet standard that enables a local-area network (LAN) to use one set of IP addressesfor internal traffic and a second set of addresses for external traffic

Question 5

Wireless Access Point (AP)

Answer 5

• is a device that allows wireless devices to connect to a wired network using Wi-Fi, or related standards
• the AP usually connects to a router (via a wired network) as a standalone device, but it can also be an integral component of the router itself

Question 6

Firewall

Answer 6

• is a software or hardware-based network security system that controls the incoming and outgoing network traffic based on applied rule set
• a firewall establishes a barrier between a trusted, secure internal network and another network (e.g., the Internet) that is not assumed to be secure and trusted

Question 7

Proxy Server

Answer 7

• in computer networks, a proxy server is a server (a computer system or an application) that acts as an intermediary for requests from clients seeking resources from other servers
• your computer would connect to the proxy server and make a request for a resource (say a web page)
  
  • the proxy server then goes and gets the resource, and then passes it back to you

Question 8

VPN

Answer 8

• a virtual private network (VPN) is a computer network that uses a public telecommunication infrastructure such as the Internet to provide remote offices or individual users with secure access to their organization’s network
• you connect your computer (or network) to a remote network through a virtual network connection
  
  • this is effectively the same as running a cable from the remote network to your computer, but a lot cheaper
  • your computer is then a part of the remote network
  • requests for internet resources (or resources on the remote network) travel down the virtual connection and through the remote network to the internet as if it were the computer’s internet connection

Question 9

Proxy Server vs. VPN

Answer 9

• VPNs are more difficult to set up but any software can use the internet can use a VPN.
• Proxy servers are cheaper and often easier to set up for mass users, but they require specific software support at the user’s end to make the requests to the proxy server.
• In general a VPN can only support a connection between one computer or network and the remote network. To handle multiple users you need to set up multiple VPNs. (There are special-case exceptions to this but most of the time this is the case).
• A single proxy server can service hundreds or thousands of users.

Question 10

MAC Address

Answer 10

• short for Media Access Control address, a hardware address that uniquely identifies each node of a network

Question 11

WEP vs. WPA

Answer 11

• WEP stands for Wired Equivalent Privacy, and WPA stands for Wireless Protected Access. WPA2 is the second version of the WPA standard.
• WEP and WPA (along with WPA2) are names for different encryption tools used to secure your wireless connection. Encryption scrambles the network connection so that no one can “listen in” to it and look at which web pages you are viewing, for example.
• Using some encryption is always better than using none, but WEP is the least secure of these standards, and you should not use it if you can avoid it. WPA2 is the most secure of the three. If your wireless card and router support WPA2, that is what you should use when setting up your wireless network.

Question 12

Bandwidth

Answer 12

• is a measurement of bit-rate of available or consumed data communication resources expressed in bits per second or multiples of it (bit/s, kbit/s, Mbit/s, Gbit/s, etc.)

Question 13

Dongle

Answer 13

• is a small piece of hardware that attaches to computer, TV, or other electronic device, and that, when attached, enables additional functions such as copy protection, audio, video, games, data, or other services
• these services are available only when the dongle is attached

Question 14

Common Port Numbers

Answer 14

• 80: Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
• 443: HTTP Secure (HTTPS)
• 20 & 21: File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
• 25: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)