Network Interview Questions Flashcards

1
Q

Troubleshoot with a user over the phone who can’t log into their computer. (7)
Tier 1

A
  1. Check the power source and ensure it is properly plugged in and turned on.
  2. Verify user credentials, including username, password, and caps lock status.
  3. Check for error messages and use them to guide troubleshooting.
  4. Verify network connection is working properly.
  5. Restart the computer to see if it resolves the issue.
  6. Try logging in with a different account to determine if the problem is specific to the user’s account.
  7. Scan for malware and check for other security issues if none of the above steps work.
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2
Q

Troubleshoot a user who can’t log into their computer while over the phone?
Tier 2 (6)

A
  1. Verify user account status in AD.
  2. Check for relevant event logs or error messages.
  3. Reset password and retry login.
  4. Verify group membership and privileges.
  5. Review security policies and network configurations.
  6. Send a new device and perform a system restore if needed on old system.
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3
Q

Troubleshoot a user who calls and says they can’t print- what would you do to troubleshoot?

A
  • Ask basic questions to gather information about the issue to see if any errors could point me in the right direction.
  • Check printer network settings!
  • Check printer settings on the computer and ensure the correct printer is selected and set as default.
  • Restart both the computer and printer and check for software updates or driver issues.
  • Escalate the problem to a higher level of support or contact the printer manufacturer for assistance if the issue persists.
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4
Q

Can you tell me about a time you had trouble diagnosing a network error? What did you do?

A

To diagnose a network error, I would start by gathering as much information as possible to see if I hear an error or issue that can point in the right direction.

Could be a weak Wi-Fi signal, or the physical cable is worn or completely snapped, could be an application that’s hogging up the bandwidth, excessive CPU,

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5
Q

Explain LAN vs WAN

A

LAN stands for (Local Area Network) refers to a group of devices that are connected to each other within a small geographic area, such as an office or building.

WAN (Wide Area Network), on the other hand, refers to a larger network that spans across a wider geographic area, such as multiple buildings or even countries.

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6
Q

What goes into Wi-Fi management and configuration?

A
  • This includes configuring wireless access points, security settings.

It’s also important to consider factors such as signal strength, bandwidth, and interference when setting up and managing a Wi-Fi network.

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7
Q
  • Topographically where would you put a Firewall?
A
  • Firewall placement depends on network topology and security requirements
  • Typically placed at perimeter of network between internal network and internet
  • Can also be placed internally within a network
  • Monitors and filters incoming and outgoing network traffic
  • Blocks unauthorized or malicious access
  • Provides additional layers of protection and controls access between different network segments
  • Placement and configuration depend on organization’s needs, goals, network architecture, traffic patterns, and security policies
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8
Q

What is a VPN?

A

A VPN is Virtual Private Network which is a private WAN (Wide Area Network) built on the internet. It creates secured tunnels which allow secure connection between different networks. So by using a VPN a client can connect to the organization’s network remotely.

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9
Q

What is an IPv4 address? What are the different classes of IPv4 and what are Private and Special IP adresses?

A

An IPv4 address is a 32-bit dynamic address that is usually displayed in dotted decimal notation. It has 5 classes A, B, C, D, E.

A - Large Networks
B - Medium Networks
C - Local Area Networks
D - Reserved for multicasting
E - Reserved for research purposes

Special IP addresses range from 127.0.0.1 to 127.255.255.255 and are network testing addresses or known as loopback addresses.

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10
Q
  • On what device would you put DHCP on?
A
  • DHCP is typically put on a router or server
  • Responsible for managing the network and assigning IP addresses
  • Automatically assign IP addresses to devices as that connect to the network
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11
Q

Define and describe the 7 layers of the OSI model?

“All people seem to need data processing.”

A

Application (APDU) - Contains protocols commonly used by users.
Presentation (PPDU) - Concerned with syntax and semantics of information transmitted.
Session (SPDU) - Allows users on different machines to establish sessions with each other.
Transport (TPDU) - Uses TCP protocol to transport data.
Network (Packet) - Uses network addresses to route packets to a destination node. Uses IP protocol.
Data Link (Frame) - Provides means to transfer data between network entities and possible detect errors that may occur. Uses MAC addresses.
Physical (Bit) - Concerned with transmitting raw bits over communication channels.

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12
Q
  • What is NAT used for?
A
  • NAT (Network Address Translation) is used to translate private IP addresses to public IP addresses, allowing devices on a local network to communicate with the internet.
  • This is typically done through a router or firewall, which assigns a unique public IP address to each device on the network.
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13
Q

Describe the TCP/IP Reference Model

A

The TCP/IP Reference Model is a conceptual model that describes the communication protocols used on the internet.

Application - HTTP, SMTP, RTP, DNS
Transport - TCP, UDP
Internet - IP, ICMP
Network Interface / LInk - Ethernet, 802.11, DSL, SONET

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14
Q

What is HTTP and HTTPS Protocol?

A

HTTP is HyperText Transfer Protocol which defines a set of rules and standards on how information can be transmitted on the World Wide Web (WWW). Uses the TCP protocol and default port is 80.

HTTPS is HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure which is a secure version of HTTP. On top of HTTP it uses SSL/TLS protocol to provide the extra layer of security and uses port 443 by default.

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15
Q

What is the SMTP Protocol?

A

SMTP is Simple Mail Transfer Protocol which is a set of rules for communication between servers. These rules help software send emails over the Internet and the default port is 25.

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16
Q

What is DNS?

A

DNS stands for Domain Name Server. It serves as a directory of the internet that translates domain names to their corresponding IPs. Default port is 53.

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17
Q

What is UDP Protocol?

A

UDP stands for User Datagram Protocol and is based on Datagrams. Usually used for broadcasting or multicasting but does not use the three way handshake model and does not do any error checking.

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18
Q

What is the ICMP Protocol?

A

ICMP stands for Internet Control Message Protocol and is a network layer protocol which is used for error handling. ICMP does not have a default port since it was designed to communicate network-layer information not between application layer processes.

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19
Q

What is the ARP Protocol?

A

ARP stands for Address Resolution Protocol. It is a network-level protocol used to convert IP addresses to MAC addresses when devices are trying to communicate with each other over local networks.

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20
Q

What is the FTP protocol?

A

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It is an application layer protocol used to transfer files and data between hosts. Default port is usually 21.

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21
Q

What is Cryptography?

A

Cryptography is the study of techniques for securing information for communication to prevent third parties from reading the data.

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22
Q

What is the difference between IDS and IPS?

A

IDS is Intrusion Detection System which only detects intrusion while IPS is Intrusion Prevention System which prevents and detects intrusions into the system.

23
Q

How is Encryption different from Hashing?

A

Encrypted data has a key which can convert data back to the original while hashed data cannot be converted back to the original.

24
Q

What is a three-way handshake?

A

The three-way handshake is the TCP protocol which creates a connection between the host and client.

  1. Client sends a SYN packet to server to see if server is up and to request for a connection
  2. Server sends a SYN-ACK package to the client to acknowledge the connection
  3. Client sends ACK packet back to the server
25
Q

What are the response codes than can be received from a Web Application?

A
1xx - Informational Response
2xx - Success
3xx - Redirection
4xx - Client-side error
5xx - Server-side error
26
Q

What is traceroute? What is it used for?

A

Traceroute is a tool that shows you the path of a packet. Usually used to check if packet is reaching its destination and to identify the point of failure.

27
Q

What is the difference between Symmetric Encryption and Asymmetric Encryption?

A

Symmetric encryption is when you use the same key to both decrypt and encrypt while Asymmetric encryption uses public key for encryption and private key for decryption.

28
Q

Explain SSL Encryption and SSL handshake.

A

SSL stand for Secure Socket Layer which encrypts connections between Web Servers and Browsers.

  1. Client browser requests for SSL certificate from server
  2. Server responds with its SSL certificate containing public key and who the certificate was signed by
  3. Client then process the certificate and check the signature of the certificate and then send its key encrypted by the public key.
  4. Server can now send messages encrypted with your key for secure communication.
29
Q

What are some common Cyberattacks?

A
  1. Malware
  2. Phishing
  3. Password Attacks
  4. DDoS
  5. Man in the Middle
30
Q

What is a Brute Force Attack? How can you prevent it?

A

A Brute Force Attack is when you repetitively trying different permutation of passwords for possible credentials

  1. Increase password length
  2. Increase password complexity
  3. Set login attempts
31
Q

What is Port Scanning?

A

Port Scanning is a technique used to identify open ports on a host.

Techniques may include:

  1. Ping Scan
  2. TCP Half-Open
  3. TCP Connect
  4. UDP
  5. Stealth Scanning
32
Q

What are the OWASP Top Ten

A
  1. Broken Access Control - Failure to prevent users from accessing sensitive information. For example user can see robots.txt file.
  2. Cryptographic Failures - Failure to encrypt data. For example not using HTTPS and using protocols such as HTTP or FTP.
  3. Injection - Failure to stop XSS, SQL Injection attacks.
  4. Insecure Design - Failure to design systems that are secure.
  5. Security Misconfiguration
  6. Vulnerable and Outdated Components
  7. Identification and Authentication Failures
  8. Software and Data Integrity Failures
  9. Security Logging and Monitoring Failures
  10. Server-Side Request Forgery
33
Q

SonicWall: firewall and network security appliance. What can you tell me about it? (3)

A
  • Firewall protection
  • Intrusion prevention
  • Anti-malware
  • Centralized management console for easy network management and monitoring
34
Q
  • Cisco: networking and telecommunications equipment, including what exaclty?
A
  • They make devices like switches and routers that help computers communicate with each other and share information
  • They also make VoIP phones, which allow people to make phone calls over the internet instead of traditional phone lines
35
Q

Fortinet: network security solutions, including (3)

A

firewalls, VPNs, and intrusion prevention systems

36
Q

What is a firewall?

A

A firewall is like a security guard for a computer network. It checks all the information going in and out of the network to make sure it’s safe and blocks any unauthorized or dangerous traffic. It’s an important tool in protecting a network from hackers and other security threats. Firewalls can be placed at different points in a network, but they’re usually put at the perimeter between the internal network and the internet.

37
Q

What is the TCP Protocol three way handshake model?

A

The three messages transmitted by TCP to negotiate and start a TCP session are nicknamed SYN, SYN-ACK, and ACK for SYNchronize, SYNchronize-ACKnowledgement, and ACKnowledge respectively

38
Q

What is TCP/IP

A

TCP stands Transmission Control Protocol which deals with establishing a connection beteween computers before any datea is sent.

Used by protocols like HTTP, HTTPS, & FTP

39
Q

What is a Proxy?

A

Proxy can block access to certain websites but can also act as a measure of hiding the true origin in point of access.

40
Q

What is the loopback IP adress and what is it used for?

A

The loopback IP address is a special IP address that represents your own computer. It’s like talking to yourself. It’s used for testing network settings and making sure your computer is working properly.

If you ping this IP address and it completes successfully it means your hardware is okay.

41
Q

How does DHCP assign IP addresses to a device?

A

They are assigned Dynamically. If you connect a PC to a network it will get leased an IP addr and if you disconnect that address becomes available again

42
Q

What is SSH and port used?

A

SSH (Secure Shell) is a secure way to connect to and control another computer over the internet. It uses encryption to keep your data safe and can be used to remotely manage servers, transfer files, and access other resources on a network over port 22.

43
Q

What is the Job of the network layer?

A

The job of the network layer is to manage and route data between different devices on a network. It’s like a traffic cop, making sure data goes where it needs to go and doesn’t get lost along the way. It’s essential to how devices communicate and shares information on a network.

44
Q

What is a subnet mask?

A

A subnet mask is a way to divide a larger network into smaller subnetworks. It’s like dividing a city into neighborhoods to make it easier to manage and navigate.

The subnet mask tells devices on the network which part of the address identifies the network and which part identifies the specific device. This helps prevent devices from sending data to the wrong place and ensures that data is delivered efficiently.

45
Q

Can you tell me the difference between a workgroup and a domain?

A

A workgroup is a collection of computers on a network that share resources, such as files and printers.

A domain is a group of computers and users that are managed by a central server. A domain provides centralized authentication and management, while a workgroup is more decentralized.

46
Q

Ping:

A

This command is used to test the connectivity between two devices on a network. It sends a small packet of data to the target device and waits for a response.

47
Q

Traceroute:

A

This command is used to trace the path that packets take from one device to another on a network. It shows the IP addresses of each device along the way.

48
Q

Ipconfig:

A

This command is used to view the IP address configuration of a device on a network. It shows the device’s IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway.

49
Q

Netstat:

A

This command is used to view active network connections and their status. It shows which ports are open and which programs are using them.

50
Q

Nslookup:

A

This command is used to query DNS servers to resolve domain names to IP addresses. It can be used to troubleshoot DNS issues and verify DNS configurations.

51
Q

The hostname command

A

displays the hostname of the system. The hostname command is much easier to use than going into the system settings to search for it.

52
Q

systeminfo command

A

can access the system’s hardware and software details, such as processor data, booting data, Windows version, etc.

53
Q

What are some RMS that you’ve used?

A

Teamviewer, Microsoft RDS & Quick Assist, LogMeIn