Network hardware (networks)

Question 1

What is a network interface card?

Answer 1

Allows a computer to connect to a network
- Depending on the NIC, it connects a computer to a network via the ethernet protocol or the Wi-Fi protocols

Built into the motherboard

Question 2

What is a router

Answer 2

This is a device to connect networks to the internet
- It receives and forwards data packets to the correct IP addresses
- When directing packets to the next device, it uses a table or algorithm to decide on the route

Question 3

What is a hub

Answer 3

This device connects other devices to form a network
- It broadcasts data to all possible destinations
- The correct destination will accept the data

Question 4

What is a switch

Answer 4

This device connects other devices to form a network
- It has a number of physical ports
- It keeps track of the addresses of devices connected to each port
- It directs data only through the port to which the destination device is connected

Question 5

What is a wireless access point

Answer 5

A device that is connected to a wired network and then provides a wireless signal
- Other devices can then use wireless to connect to a Wi-Fi network

Question 6

What is a gateway

Answer 6

This is used when protocols are not the same between networks
- It translates the protocols so that networks can communicate with each other
- They work by removing the header from packets before adding data to packets using the new protocol

Question 7

What transmission media is used for short distances

Answer 7

Copper cables
- Cheap to implement

Question 8

What transmission media is used for longer distances

Answer 8

Fibre optic
- Carries signals across greater distances and has a greater data capacity than a copper wire

Question 9

Wireless connections as a transmission media

Answer 9

They are made using radiowaves for part of the network
- This allows greater flexibility but is slower than physical cable and poses different security threats