Module 1 - 03-1 Flashcards
Introduction to networks
Define Network
A group of connected devices
What are the names of the unique addresses, or identifiers, that devices use to locate each other on a network to establish communications?
- IP addresses
- MAC addresses
What two types of networks can devices use to communicate on?
- LAN
- WAN
What does LAN stand for?
Local Area Network (LAN)
What does WAN stand for?
Wide Area Network (WAN)
Define LAN
A network that spans a small area like an office building, a school, or a home
Define WAN
A network that spans a large geographical area like a city, state, or country
A _____ is a group of connected devices.
- network
- router
- media access control (MAC) address
- hub
network
A network is a group of connected devices. The devices on a network can communicate with each other over network cables or wireless connections.
Define Hub
A network device that broadcasts information to every device on the network
Think of a hub like a radio tower that broadcasts a signal to any radio tuned to the correct frequency.
Define Switch
A device that makes connections between specific devices on a network by sending and receiving data between them
A switch is more intelligent than a hub. It only passes data to the intended destination. This makes switches more secure than hubs, and enables them to control the flow of traffic and improve network performance.
Define Router
A network device that connects multiple networks together
Describe how a computer in one network sends information to a tablet on another network
1) The information travels from the computer to the router
2) The router reads the destination address, and forwards the data to the intended network’s router
3) The receiving router directs that information to the tablet
Define Modem
A device that connects your router to the internet, and brings internet access to the LAN
Describe how a computer from one network wants to send information to a device on a network in a different geographic location
1) The computer would send information to the router
2) The router would then transfer the information through the modem to the internet
3) The intended recipient’s modem receives the information and transfers it to the router
4) The recipient’s router forwards that information to the destination device
Fill in the blank: A ____ is a network device that broadcasts information to every device on the network.
- router
- modem
- hub
- switch
hub
A hub is a network device that broadcasts information to every device on the network.
Define and briefly explain Virtualization tools
Pieces of software that perform network operations.
Virtualization tools carry out operations that would normally be completed by a hub, switch, router, or modem, and they are offered by Cloud service providers (CSP). These tools provide opportunities for cost savings and scalability.
What does CSP stand for?
Cloud Service Providers (CSP)
Network Architecture is sometimes referred to as ___
Network Design
Describe how Network devices communicate with each other
Network devices maintain information and services for users of a network. These devices connect over wired and wireless connections. After establishing a connection to the network, the devices send data packets. The data packets provide information about the source and the destination of the data. This is how the information is sent and received via different devices on a network.
What does ISP stand for?
Internet Service Provider (ISP)
What is the advantage of having two or more routers connected to a switch?
Having two or more routers connected to the switch is for load balancing purposes which will improve the performance of the network
Define Firewall
A network security device that monitors traffic to or from your network.
Define Server
A device that provides information and services for devices like computers, smart home devices, and smartphones on the network.
The devices that connect to a server are called clients.
What are devices that connect to a server called?
Clients
Describe the Client-server model
In this model, clients send requests to the server for information and services. The server performs the requests for the clients. Common examples include DNS servers that perform domain name lookups for internet sites, file servers that store and retrieve files from a database, and corporate mail servers that organize mail for a company.
Define and briefly explain a Wireless access point
A device that sends and receives digital signals over radio waves creating a wireless network.
Devices with wireless adapters connect to the access point using Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi refers to a set of standards that are used by network devices to communicate wirelessly. Wireless access points and the devices connected to them use Wi-Fi protocols to send data through radio waves where they are sent to routers and switches and directed along the path to their final destination.
Define Wi-Fi
A set of standards that are used by network devices to communicate wirelessly
Define Network diagrams
Network diagrams are maps that show the devices on the network and how they connect.
Briefly explain a Firewall
It is like your first line of defense. Firewalls can also restrict specific incoming and outgoing network traffic. The organization configures the security rules of the firewall. Firewalls often reside between the secured and controlled internal network and the untrusted network resources outside the organization, such as the internet.
Briefly explain a Hub
It directs traffic on a local network. A device that provides a common point of connection for all devices directly connected to it. Hubs additionally repeat all information out to all ports. From a security perspective, this makes hubs vulnerable to eavesdropping. For this reason, hubs are not used as often on modern networks; most organizations use switches instead. Hubs are more commonly used for a limited network setup like a home office.
Briefly explain a Switch
It directs traffic on a local network. Switches are the preferred choice for most networks. A switch forwards packets between devices directly connected to it. They analyze the destination address of each data packet and send it to the intended device. Switches maintain a MAC address table that matches MAC addresses of devices on the network to port numbers on the switch and forwards incoming data packets according to the destination MAC address. Switches are a part of the data link layer in the TCP/IP model. Overall, switches improve performance and security.
Briefly explain a Router
Routers connect networks and direct traffic, based on the IP address of the destination network. Routers allow devices on different networks to communicate with each other. In the TCP/IP model, routers are a part of the network layer. The IP address of the destination network is contained in the IP header. The router reads the IP header information and forwards the packet to the next router on the path to the destination. This continues until the packet reaches the destination network. Routers can also include a firewall feature that allows or blocks incoming traffic based on information in the transmission. This stops malicious traffic from entering the private network and damaging the local area network.
Briefly explain a Modem
Modems usually connect your home or office with an internet service provider (ISP). ISPs provide internet connectivity via telephone lines or coaxial cables. Modems receive transmissions or digital signals from the internet and translate them into analog signals that can travel through the physical connection provided by your ISP. Usually, modems connect to a router that takes the decoded transmissions and sends them on to the local network.
Note: Enterprise networks used by large organizations to connect their users and devices often use other broadband technologies to handle high-volume traffic, instead of using a modem.
Briefly explain a Network Diagram
Network diagrams allow network administrators and security personnel to imagine the architecture and design of their organization’s private network.
Network diagrams use small representative graphics to portray each network device and dotted lines to show how each device connects to the other. By studying network diagrams, security analysts develop and refine their strategies for securing network architectures.
Define Cloud computing
The practice of using remote servers, applications, and network services that are hosted on the internet instead of on local physical devices
Define Cloud network
A collection of servers or computers that stores resources and data in a remote data center that can be accessed via the internet
A _____ is a collection of servers or computers that stores resources and data in remote data centers that can be accessed via the internet.
- local area network (LAN)
- modem
- cloud network
- virtualization tool
cloud network
A cloud network is a collection of servers or computers that stores resources and data in remote data centers that can be accessed via the internet.
Define On-premise networks
All of the devices used for network operations are kept at a physical location owned by the company
Traditional networks are called on-premise networks
Define Cloud Service Provider (CSP)
A company that offers cloud computing services
Briefly explain a CSP
These companies own large data centers in locations around the globe that house millions of servers. Data centers provide technology services, such as storage, and compute at such a large scale that they can sell their services to other companies for a fee. Companies can pay for the storage and services they need and consume them through the CSP’s application programming interface (API) or web console.
What does API stand for?
Application Programming Interface (API)
What main categories of services do CSPs provide (3)?
- Software as a service (SaaS)
- Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
- Platform as a service (PaaS)
What does SaaS stand for?
Software as a service (SaaS)
What does IaaS stand for?
Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
What does PaaS stand for?
Platform as a service (PaaS)
Define SaaS
Software suites operated by the CSP that a company can use remotely without hosting the software
Define and briefly explain IaaS
The use of virtual computer components offered by the CSP
These include virtual containers and storage that are configured remotely through the CSP’s API or web console. Cloud-compute and storage services can be used to operate existing applications and other technology workloads without significant modifications. Existing applications can be modified to take advantage of the availability, performance, and security features that are unique to cloud provider services.
Define PaaS
Tools that application developers can use to design custom applications for their company
Custom applications are designed and accessed in the cloud and used for a company’s specific business needs.
Define Hybrid cloud environment
When organizations use a CSP’s services in addition to their on-premise computers, networks, and storage
Define Multi-cloud environment
When organizations use more than one CSP
What does SDN stand for?
Software-defined network (SDN)
Define and briefly explain Software-Defined Networks (SDNs)
Software-defined networks (SDNs) are made up of virtual network devices and services.
Just like CSPs provide virtual computers, many SDNs also provide virtual switches, routers, firewalls, and more. Most modern network hardware devices also support network virtualization and software-defined networking. This means that physical switches and routers use software to perform packet routing. In the case of cloud networking, the SDN tools are hosted on servers located at the CSP’s data center.
What are the Benefits of cloud computing and software-defined networks (3)?
- Reliability
- Cost
- Scalability
Explain why Reliability in cloud computing is so attractive to businesses
Reliability in cloud computing is based on how available cloud services and resources are, how secure connections are, and how often the services are effectively running. Cloud computing allows employees and customers to access the resources they need consistently and with minimal interruption.
Explain why Cost in cloud computing is so attractive to businesses
Traditionally, companies have had to provide their own network infrastructure, at least for internet connections. This meant there could be potentially significant upfront costs for companies. However, because CSPs have such large data centers, they are able to offer virtual devices and services at a fraction of the cost required for companies to install, patch, upgrade, and manage the components and software themselves.
Explain why Scalability in cloud computing is so attractive to businesses
Another challenge that companies face with traditional computing is scalability. When organizations experience an increase in their business needs, they might be forced to buy more equipment and software to keep up. But what if business decreases shortly after? They might no longer have the business to justify the cost incurred by the upgraded components. CSPs reduce this risk by making it easy to consume services in an elastic utility model as needed. This means that companies only pay for what they need when they need it.
Changes can be made quickly through the CSPs, APIs, or web console—much more quickly than if network technicians had to purchase their own hardware and set it up. For example, if a company needs to protect against a threat to their network, web application firewalls (WAFs), intrusion detection/protection systems (IDS/IPS), or L3/L4 firewalls can be configured quickly whenever necessary, leading to better network performance and security.
To connect an entire city, the most effective network type would be a local area network (LAN).
- True
- False
False
To connect an entire city, the proper network type would be a WAN. A LAN is a network that spans a small area; a wide area network (WAN) spans a large geographical area.
A security professional wants to ensure information is being broadcast to every computer on their organization’s network. What device should they investigate?
- Hub
- Internet
- Router
- Modem
Hub
They would use a hub. A hub is a network device that broadcasts information like a radio tower.
What are some benefits of switches? Select all that apply.
- They control the flow of traffic.
- They can improve network performance.
- They automatically install device-protection software.
- They only pass data to the intended destination.
- They control the flow of traffic.
- They automatically install device-protection software.
- They only pass data to the intended destination.
Some benefits of switches include the following: They control the flow of traffic, they can improve network performance, and they pass data to the intended destination.
The practice of using servers, applications, and network services that are hosted on the internet is called _____ computing.
- uploadable
- cloud
- website
- connected
cloud
