Learning Aim B Flashcards
What is Ethernet?
Technology which uses a physical cable to speedily transmit data from a device into a LAN. It is the standard technology for connecting to LANs and uses protocols or a set of rules to transmit data.
What is a fibre optic cable?
A cable made of glass that becomes flexible when it is thin. It causes digital info to travel faster than Coptic cables.
What do copper cables look like?
They come in the form of a twisted pair.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of copper cables?
+ excellent conductivity
+ good
durability
+ resistant to heat
-expensive
-heavy weight
-difficult to install
What are the advantages and disadvantages of fibre optic cables?
+ greater bandwidth
+ faster speeds
+ can cover longer distances
-fragile so is vulnerable to damage
- expensive to install and maintain
- difficult to repair when damaged
What is LAN (local area network)?
A collection of devices connected together in one physical location, such as a building, office, or home.
What is WAN (wide area network)?
A large computer network that connects groups of computers over large distances, typically used by businesses.
What is PAN (personal area network)?
A computer network for interconnecting electronic devices within an individual person’s workspace like a wireless mouse.
What is bandwidth?
The range of frequencies a transmission can carry.
What is broadband?
A high-speed connection to the internet.
What are the advantages to user needs
Sharing files-
once computers are networked, files can either be stored on the server, and any authorised person on the network can download them to their own computer.
Sharing resources -
printers, scanners, hard drives and other resources can all be shared. Sharing an Internet connection is one of the main reasons many networks are set up.
Centralised backup -
files saved on the server can be backed up on an automatic schedule, for example daily, onto tape or other removeable device. The backup copy will be kept offsite.
What are some decisions user needs will need to make
• what type of network to set up
• suitability of different connection types
• security measures
• compatibility with existing systems
what is peer to peer
A P2P network is a decentralized system where each device (peer) acts as both a client and a server. This means any peer can request or provide services (like file sharing or computing power) directly to other peers.
What is a client server
is a network architecture where a server provides resources, data, or services, and a client accesses these services by sending requests to the server. The server processes the requests and sends the required responses back to the client.
Advantages and disadvantages of client server
Advantages
1.Centralised Control: Easy to manage and secure resources in one place.
2.Scalability: Servers can be upgraded to handle more requests.
3.Efficiency: Servers specialize in processing and providing resources.
Disadvantages
1.Single Point of Failure: If the server goes down, clients cannot access services.
2.High Costs: Setting up and maintaining powerful servers can be expensive.
3.Limited Scalability: Overloaded servers may struggle to handle high demand.
Advantages and disadvantages to peer to peer server
Advantages
•Decentralised, reducing reliance on a single point of failure.
•Scalable as peers contribute resources.
Disadvantages
•Can be less secure if not properly managed.
•Difficult to maintain quality and consistency across all peers.
What is a leased line
A leased line is a private, high-speed internet connection that is always active and used only by one customer. It provides a reliable and dedicated link for businesses to connect to the internet or other offices.
Advantages and disadvantages to leaded lines
Advantages of a leased line
• It gives very fast upload and download speeds of up to 10 Gbps.
• It is not shared with anybody else, so speeds won’t fluctuate.
• With most leased lines, you can change your bandwidth whenever you want, meaning you pay less in
quiet periods.
• It is more secure than a shared line.
Disadvantages of a leased line
• It is a very expensive option.
• It can take up to three months to get a leased line installed, whereas regular business broadband can
normally be installed in about two weeks.
What is a VPN
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a service that creates a secure connection between your device and the internet. It encrypts your data to protect it from hackers and hides your IP address.
What are the issues with VPN
VPNs require a connection with high bandwidth for both uploads and downloads, and low latency (see to function efficiently. Satellite Internet services normally suffer high latencies due to the long distance satellite signals must travel, and satellite bandwidth for uploads is much slower than for downloads.
There are other compatibility issues which may prevent connection to a VPN. In some cases, a firewall may block the VPN when a user tries to connect to the VPN server. If the user is trying to connect to the VPN from home, their router may need a router firmware update to be compatible with the VPN.
What is a protocol
A protocol is a set of rules defining common methods of data communication. These rules need to be standard across all devices in order for them to communicate with each other. A protocol will specify, for example:
• the format of data packets
• the addressing system
• transmission speed
• error-checking procedures being used
What does an email protocol do
A mail server acts as a virtual post office for all incoming and outgoing emails. The server routes mail according to its database of local network users’ email addresses as it comes and goes, and stores it until it can be retrieved
what are the three main protocols used in an email protocol and what they each do
• Post Office Protocol (v3) (POP3) is responsible for retrieving emails from a mail server that temporarily stores your incoming mail. When emails are retrieved, they are transferred to your device , and deleted from the server.
• Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) is an email protocol that is designed to keep emails on the server, thus maintaining synchronicity between devices.
• Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is used to transfer outgoing emails from one server to another or from an email client to the server when sending an email.
What is VoIP
allows users to make free, or very low cost, telephone calls over the Internet. In a business using VolP, an employee can call any telephone in the world and anyone can call the VolP telephone regardless of what equipment or network the person uses.
