Network Resources

Question 1

what does a network consist of?

Answer 1

a number of computers linked together by a cable or wireless technology. computers on a network can share resources and can communicate with each other

Question 2

what are the different networks?

Answer 2

LAN
WAN
MAN

they differ in scale, method of connection and purpose

Question 3

what is a LAN?

Answer 3

Local Access Network

that is spread over a relatively small geographical area such as a single building. the devices on a cable are close enough to be connected physically by wire cables or wirelessly

Question 4

what is WAN?

Answer 4

Wide Area Network

spread over a larger geographical area, typically a global scale and requires telecommunications links provided by public telephone systems. its usually used organisations on national or global scale

Question 5

what is MAN?

Answer 5

Metropolitan Area Network

spread over a highly populated area such as city. it provides services for a community of users, rather than for a particular organisation , using fibre optic or wirelessly

Question 6

what are the network resoures?

Answer 6

Server

Network Interface Card (NIC)

Switched Hub

Repeater

Wireless Access Point (WAP)

Media Converter

IP Address

Media Access Control (MAC Address)

Client Server Network

Peer to Peer Network

Question 7

what is a server?

Answer 7

manages network resources such as files, hardware devices, storage and emails

Question 8

what is a NIC Card?

Answer 8

is an electronic device which enables a computer to connect with the file server and to share data with other computers on a network

Question 9

what is a switched hub?

Answer 9

it acts as a single connection point for a number of networks by forwarding data packets to the appropriate destination using each packet address using IP

Question 10

what is a repeater?

Answer 10

used in network transmission to regenerate or amplify signals which may be weakened or distorted particularly when transmitted over long distances

Question 11

what is WAP?

Answer 11

its a hardware device that allows a wireless capable device to connect to a network using radio transmitters and antennae. it create a hotspot- provides network connectivity to offices

Question 12

what is a media converter?

Answer 12

is a device that makes it possible to connect together networks using dissimilar media such as copper cable and fibre optic cable

Question 13

what is IP address?

Answer 13

it enables the device to identify itself and communicate with other device in the network

IP address can either be static or dynamic
static- permanent
dynamic- temporary and are assigned each time a device connects to a network

IP consists of 32 bits

Question 14

what is MAC Address?

Answer 14

its allocated to a network interface card usually when it is manufactured. it coded onto the computer NIC and is unique to it

MAC consists of 48 bits

Question 15

what is a client server network?

Answer 15

at least one computer acts as a server controlling file storage and backup, providing application software and printer management

Question 16

how can you access the server in client server network?

Answer 16

user must log onto one of the clients computers using username and password

this will give them access to resources such as dedicated data storage area, hardware resources such as printers and application software

Question 17

what is peer-to-peer?

Answer 17

all computers on a peer-to-peer network have equal status. it allows computers hardware and software to function without the need for any dedicated a server device

each computer on this network is defined as supplier and a consumer of resources

Question 18

what resources are available on a computer on peer-to-peer network?

Answer 18

processing power and disk storage available, in turn they can request a resource from another computer

Question 19

what is ring network?

Answer 19

ring consists of a number of nodes connected together without the need for a fileserver. each node is connected to two other nodes adjacent

Question 20

how does ring travel in a computer?

Answer 20

a special message called a token is passed from node to node. while node has possession of the token it can add a message data to the network. this is passed from node to node until it arrives at its destination

all data travels in one direction only, therefore avoiding any potential collisions

Question 21

why is it difficult adding new nodes to the ring network?

Answer 21

the network and existing cable has to be served and join to either end of the new node

Question 22

what happens if the connection is broken in the main cable in the ring network?

Answer 22

cause the network to fail but in some cases it is possible to isolate a faulty node

Question 23

what happens when data travels large distances within ring network?

Answer 23

it can lead to problems with the data signal, it tends to degenerate and weaken

special boosters are used to prevent this

Question 24

what is a bus network?

Answer 24

in this network all nodes are connected onto the main cable. data can be transmitted in both directions on its main cable

Question 25

impact of cable failure on star and bus network?

Answer 25

star- each device is connected to a central hub by its own cable, if cable fails only single device is affected

bus- all devices are connected to a common cable, if backbone fails all communications is affected

Question 26

how does data travel on a bus network?

Answer 26

at both ends of the main cable terminators are used. every node can transfer directly to any other node by sending it onto the main cable.

if one of the nodes is not functioning properly the network can still operate. its easier to add new nodes on this network compared to other topologies such as ring

Question 27

what is the downside of adding nodes to bus network?

Answer 27

adding nodes to the backbone can slow the transmission speeds due to increased volumes of traffic

Question 28

what happens when messages are sent at the same time and how can we solve this?

Answer 28

problems arise as this can lead to collisions. to avoid collisions a protocol known as CSMA/CD is used on a bus network

this involves checking whether or not the main cable is busy. if it is busy the terminal will wait

Question 29

what is star network?

Answer 29

it this network there is a central fileserver and each node is connected to the fileserver by its own cable. the host controls all communications of network

Question 30

what happens when a fileserver malfunctions in star network?

Answer 30

the whole network will fail. but if a node fails then the network can still operate as normal

Question 31

what is advantages of star network?

Answer 31

each node has its own connection to the hub there is no contention for pathways.

adding a new node is only a matter of connecting it to the hub if there is capacity

Question 32

what is the difference between MAC and IP?

Answer 32

IP is set up by the ISP. its linked to the physical location of the device, this will update with the location of the device. each device has permanent MAC address set up by manufacturer, embedded on the network card.

IP uses 32 bits

MAC uses 48 bits