Module 4 Flashcards
Q: What does a network switch do?
A: A network switch connects devices together on a computer network and uses packet switching to forward data to its destination.
Q: How does a network switch improve network performance?
A: A network switch improves network performance by reducing network congestion by allowing multiple devices to share a limited number of ports and providing a way to manage and organize the network.
Q: What are some examples of devices that can be connected to a network switch?
A: Examples of devices that can be connected to a network switch include computers, servers, printers, and other network devices.
Q: What is the difference between LAN and VLAN?
A: A LAN (Local Area Network) is a network that connects devices within a small geographical area, such as a single building or campus. A VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) is a logical grouping of devices on a LAN that are configured to act as if they are on a separate physical network.
Q: How does a switch differ from a router?
A: While both switches and routers are networking devices, a switch connects devices within a single network, while a router connects multiple networks together, directing traffic between them.
Q: What is circuit switching?
A: Circuit switching establishes a dedicated end-to-end connection between two devices before data transmission begins.
Q: What is packet switching?
A: In packet switching, data is divided into small packets, each with its own destination address, and then sent through the network. As each packet arrives at a router or switch, it is forwarded to its next hop based on the destination address.
Q: What is message switching?
A: Message switching is similar to packet switching, but the entire message is stored at each intermediate node until the entire message has been received.
Q: What is circuit-switched and packet-switched hybrid?
A: A hybrid of the circuit-switched and packet-switched method, where the network first establishes a dedicated circuit connection between the sender and receiver, and then sends the data packets over that circuit.
Q: What is content switching?
A: Content switching is used to route incoming traffic to different servers based on the content of the traffic, such as the URL, application protocol, or client IP address.
Q: What is flow-based switching?
A: Flow-based switching is based on the flow of traffic, where a flow is defined as a group of packets that have the same source and destination IP address and port number. This method is used in software-defined networking (SDN) to make real-time decisions about routing traffic based on network conditions.
Q: What is a Layer 2 switch?
A: A Layer 2 switch is a switch that operates at the Data Link Layer (layer 2) of the OSI model and is responsible for forwarding frames based on the MAC address.
Q: What is a Layer 3 switch?
A: A Layer 3 switch is a switch that operates at the Network Layer (layer 3) of the OSI model and is responsible for forwarding packets based on the IP address.
Q: What is a managed switch?
A: A managed switch is a switch that can be configured and managed using a management interface, such as a web interface or command-line interface.
Q: What is an unmanaged switch?
A: An unmanaged switch is a switch that does not have a management interface and cannot be configured.
Q: What are some characteristics of switches?
A: Characteristics of switches include high-speed data transfer, full-duplex communication, broadcast domain, and collision domain.
Q: What is a VLAN?
A: A VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) is a logical grouping of devices on a LAN that are configured to act as if they are on a separate physical network.
Q: Why are VLANs used?
A: VLANs are used to segment a LAN into smaller, more manageable networks and to provide a way to separate different types of traffic.
Q: How does a VLAN work?
A: A VLAN works by tagging packets with a VLAN ID, which identifies the VLAN to which the packet belongs. Switches and routers use this VLAN ID to forward the packet to the correct devices on the network.
Q: Can different VLANs communicate with each other?
A: Communication between different VLANs is typically achieved by using a router, which has the capability to route traffic between different VLANs.
Q: What are the benefits of using VLANs?
A: Some benefits of using VLANs include: improved network security, reduced network congestion, better network management, and increased scalability.
Q: What is a virtual switch?
A: A virtual switch is a software-based switch that is used to create virtual networks within a virtualized environment.
Q: How does a virtual switch work?
A: A virtual switch works by emulating the functionality of a physical network switch in software. It allows virtual machines (VMs) to communicate with each other and with the physical network just like physical network switches.
Q: Where is a virtual switch used?
A: Virtual switches are used in virtualized environments such as VMware, Hyper-V, and KVM to create virtual networks that allow communication between virtual machines.
Q: What are the benefits of using virtual switches?
A: Some benefits of using virtual switches include: increased network flexibility, improved network security, better scalability, and reduced hardware costs.
Q: What is the difference between virtual switch and physical switch?
A: A physical switch is a hardware-based device that connects devices in a physical network, while a virtual switch is a software-based device that connects virtual machines in a virtualized environment.
Q: What is routing?
A: Routing is the process of forwarding data packets from one network to another based on the destination network address.
