Network Basics Flashcards
A connection between machines.
Network
An end-user device that has access to the network.
Examples include:
- Workstation
- Laptop
- Tablet
- Smartphone
- Television
- Server
- Other terminal device
Client
A device that provides resources to the rest of the network.
Server
Examples include:
- E-mail server
- Web server
- File server
- Chat server
- Print Server
Older technology that connects networked devices receiving information in one port and rebroadcasts it out to all other ports.
Issue however is because this can be daisy-chained to open up more ports, network errors may occur.
Hub
Device that allows wireless devices to connect with wired network.
Common use cases include:
- Homes
- Small businesses
- some large companies
Wireless Access Point (WAP)
Connects networked devices like clients and servers (like a hub).
Use Cases:
- Learns which devices are on which port
- Forwards traffic received from a port to a destination port based on the device’s MAC address
- Provides more security and efficiently uses available bandwidth
Switch
Connects two different networks together by using Internet Protocol (IP) address to determine where traffic goes.
Router
Used to connect two devices or a device to a port.
Each has its strengths and limitations like bandwidth, distance, and cost to install/maintain.
Made from:
- Copper cable
- Fiber optic cable
- Radio frequency waves (WiFi)
Media
Physically connects networks together so home networks have access to the outside world.
Examples include:
- Leased lines
- DSL
- Cable
- Fiber Optic
- Satellite
- Cellular
- Microwave
Wide Area Network (WAN) Link
Network resource model that dedicates a device to provide customers access to a business resources.
Client/Server Model
Opposite of peer-to-peer.
Benefits:
- Centralized administration
- Easier to manage
- Better to scale
Drawbacks:
- Higher cost
- Requires dedicated resources
- Requires network operating system
A network model that is used to share resources between users directly.
Peer-to-Peer Model
Opposite of client/server.
Benefits:
- Low cost
- No dedicated resources required
- No specialized operating system required
Drawbacks:
- Decentralized management
- Inefficient for large networks
- Poor scalability
Smallest wired/wireless network that covers the least amount of area.
Examples:
- Bluetooth
- USB hard drive to laptop
- Firewire videocamera to computer
Personal Area Network (PAN)
Use Cases:
- Listening to music from phone to the car via Bluetooth
- Retrieving files via flashdrive
Connects devices in a limited distance.
Examples:
- Small office
- 1 floor of the office
Consists of:
- Ethernet (IEEE 802.3)
- WiFi Networks (IEEE 802.11)
Local Area Network (LAN)
Use Cases:
- Playing video games amongst each other at home
- Connecting work computers amongst each other to share files
- Getting software updates from home Wi-Fi to the car
Connects building-centric LANs.
Examples:
- University
- Industrial Park
- Business Park
Campus Area Network (CAN)
Use Cases:
- Cal Poly Wi-Fi
Connects scattered locations across a city.
Examples:
- City departments like a police department
- Community college with campuses spread across a county
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
Use Cases:
- Cal Poly Wi-Fi and extensions that reach to the farmland
Connects geographically separate internal networks.
Examples:
- The Internet
- Leased lines or Virtual Private Networks tunneled over the Internet
- Covers distances around country or the world
Wide Area Network (WAN)
Use Cases:
- Businesses in one state/country connected with another office from a different state/country
- Being able to connect to cellular satellite to listen to music in the car
Topology that describes how networks are physically connected by media.
Physical Topology
Topology that describes the actual traffic flows in the network.
Logical Topology
Outdated way of connecting devices by using cables running through an area that required network connectivity.
Easy for traffic to collide with each other because they enter into a single domain.
Bus Topology
Uses a cable running in a circular loop.
Each device is connected to the ring however collisions were avoided by each device having a turn to communicate.
Ring Topology
Use Case:
- FDDI (Fiber Networks) = uses two counter-rotating rings creating redundancy
Most popular physical LAN topology that has devices connect to a single point.
Commonly used with Ethernet cabling but can be wireless/fiber as well.
If central device fails, then entire network fails.
Star Topology
Used to connect multiple sites.
Similar to Star but with WAN links instead of LAN connections.
Not redundant, if central office fails, the whole network fails.
Hub-and-Spoke Topology
Most redundant topology where every device is connected to each other.
Optimal routing is available however this is very expensive to maintain and operate.
Full-Mesh Topology
Hybrid of full-mesh and hub-and-spoke topologies.
Provides optimal routes between some sites, while avoiding the expense of connecting every site.
Need to know network traffic patterns to design it effectively.
Partial-Mesh Topology
Most common type of wireless network.
Requires centralized management.
Uses a wireless access point as a centralized point like a star topology.
Supports wireless security controls.
Infrastructure Mode
Decentralized wireless network.
No routers or access points are required.
Forwarding decisions for data on the network are made dynamically.
Allows creation/joining of networks “on-the-fly”.
Creates peer to peer connections.
Ad Hoc Mode
A wireless network architecture that interconnects different types of nodes and devices.
Consists of clients, routers, and gateways.
Utilizes different radio frequencies to extend and expand access.
Reliable and redundant connections.
Wireless Mesh Topology
The interconnection of devices through the internet.
Internet of Things
Type of internet of things that can operate as infrastructure or ad hoc.
802.11 (WiFi)
Uses a small amount of battery to connects devices amongst each other creating a mesh network
Bluetooth
Uses electromagnetic field to read data stored in embedded tags.
Radio Frequency ID
Use Cases:
- Entering a room with a card without inserting the card
Internet of things that enables two electronic devices to communicate within a 4cm range.
Near-Field Communication (NFC)
Use Cases:
- Apple Pay
Internet of things that operates with line of sight.
Infrared (IR)
Internet of things that provides short-range, low-latency data transfer at rates and power consumption lower than Wi-Fi.
Z-Wave
Use Cases:
- Home automation like turning off the lights, lowering the volume manually.
Internet of things that collects and transfers sensor based data.
Ant+
Use Cases:
- Remote control systems using the phone (TV’s, lights)
