Networking

Question 1

**What is a Network?

Answer 1

Two or more devices, somehow connected for purposes of sharing information and resources

Question 2

**What is a Node?

Answer 2

Each individual device within a network

Question 3

What is a MAC address?

Answer 3

The unique network address of every node
This Media Access Control address is our physical distinguishing property between all nodes.

hexadecimal format 
six groups of two hex digits 
(ex. 00:OD:56:EB:DO:9E)
Nmbrs - 0-9
Letters - A-F

first half of MAC address usually identifies manufacturer

Question 4

What is a Network Interface Card (NIC)?

Answer 4

the expansion card placed inside of the computer to communicate with other devices on the network

This is the physical gateway to join the network

Whether wired or wireless you must have a NIC to join a network

Question 5

**What are Hubs?

Answer 5

makes 1 internet jack connection into multiple jacks

Detriment to using a hub - doesn’t control “sniffing”

Question 6

**What are Switches?

Answer 6

main job is to subdivide a network, subdivision is up to the network administrator
Usually divided by Geography

Eliminates the “sniffing” issues involved with Hubs

Question 7

**What are Routers?

Answer 7

connect one network to another

Question 8

What type of Cabling is used for networks?

Answer 8

Unshielded coaxial, shielded coaxial, twisted pair (most common), fiber optic

Question 9

What 3 elements are networks described by?

Answer 9

Purpose (Peer to Peer v. Client/Server)
Protocols (Open Standard v. Proprietary)
Geography (LAN, WAN, MAN)

Question 10

**What is a Peer to Peer Network?

Answer 10

two devices directly connected to each other with no other infrastructure involved

Can be temp or long term

Question 11

**What is a Client/Server Network?

Answer 11

Any dedicated resource that will receive, transmit or transfer information from the clients or end user

Question 12

What are Protocols?

Answer 12

Pre-defined set of common standards (that need to be fulfilled for a certain activity to take place)

Question 13

What are Open Standards?

Answer 13

Protocols that are not owned by anyone, no intellectual property issues, they are in the public domain

Question 14

What are Proprietary Protocols?

Answer 14

Covered by intellectual property (ex. Skype)

Question 15

What does LAN, MAN and WAN mean and refer to?

Answer 15

Geographical connotations for a network
LAN - Local area network (most home networks)
MAN - Metropolitan Area Network
WAN - Wide Area Network (ex. the SS network)

Question 16

What does “throughput” refer to?

Answer 16

the amount of data that can be transmitted in a fixed amount of time

Question 17

What is “sniffing”?

Answer 17

“listening in on computer traffic in networks, eavesdropping in on network comms

Question 18

What is Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)?

Answer 18

3 way handshake: Call out, response, then request for info. Allows you to make sure that all packets are received from point A to point B.

Quality Control - If packet gets corrupt, TCP identifies and gets that packet again

Question 19

What is User Datagram Protocol (UDP)?

Answer 19

3 way handshake: Call out, response, request for info, then a fire hose of information goes out.

No Quality Control infrastructure like TCP

Advantage - Speed
Disadvantage - No Quality Control