Network Hardware Flashcards
What is the purpose of a Network Interface Card (NIC)
provides a connection to the network
What does the NIC do
converts data from the nodes into a format that is compatible with the network - this is called network protocol
What does every NIC have
it has an unique address hard-wired or burned into it -This is called a Media Access Control (MAC Address)
What does having a MAC Address mean
it means that every node on the network can be uniquely identified so that the data can be sent to the right place
What are MAC Addresses represented as
they are represented as 12 digit hexadecimal numbers
What is a hub
It is a piece of hardware that allows nodes to be linked together and exchange data
What is a node connected by
it is connected by to the hub by a cable and is connected to a single port on the hub
How is data moved around
It is moved in the form of data packet
What is a data packet
Small chunks of data that has a destination address included
What happens to the data packet when it arrives at the hub port
it is transmitted to to every other port and to every node on the network
How does a data collision happen
if two or more computers want to place a data packet on to the network at the same time then a data collision happens
What happens if a data collision happens
the collided data is mark unusable and the two computers are forced to send their data packets again at different times
Why can using a hub to connect a network cause a security threat
because a hub receives data it will forward it to every device it connects to regardless of whether it was only meant for that device
What does a switch do
it allows computers to be linked together and exchange data
How does a switch differ from a hub
unlike a hub, a switch does not broadcast every data packet to every device which mean there is better security
How does a switch make a network more efficient
it reduces the amount of data collisions and helps speed up the running of the network.
What are the advantages of a hub
-Less expensive than a switch
What are the disadvantages of a hub
- The data packets are transmitted to every node on the network
- It connects nodes on the network together. It is not intelligent
- Higher risk of data collisions
- Security risk
What are the advantages of a switch
- It connects nodes on the network together. It is intelligent
- Data packets are only transmitted to the node for which it is intended
- Less risk of data collisions
What are the disadvantages of a switch
-More expensive than a node
What is a router
A device that transfers data packets by the most efficient route from one network to another
When a data packet arrives a router does what
- Reads the data packet destination address
- Looks up all the paths it has available to get to that address
- Checks how busy each path is
- Sends the packet along the least congested route
What other tasks can the router perform
- Exchange of protocol information across networks
- Filter traffic- helps prevent unauthorised intrusion by malware
How do you connect a Wi-Fi device to a wired network
Use a Wireless access point (WAP)
Why is wireless technology so helpful
it makes it easy for people to use the network and transmit data without being physically connected
Where are WAP’s commonly found
in public areas (Airport, Cafes, Offices)
What does a WAP do
it doesn’t read the destination MAC address of a data packet and so the data is broadcast to ever one connected to it
