Networking Flashcards
What is a network?
• Network is a collection of computers or other devices connected to one another to allow sharing of data
Devices share data with each other using connections (data links), which are established over physical cables or wireless media such as WiFi
What is a packet?
A formatted unit of data carried as a packet-switched network
Contains 2 types of data:
- Control information
a. Source, destination network address - User data
What is a switch?
Forwards packets to devices within a network
What is a router?
Forwards packets between networks using routing tables, which as a set of rules to determine where to send the packets travelling over an internet protocol (IP)
What is an IP address?
Used to identify a computer on a network and provides a location of the host in the network
IPv4 (32 bit) or IPv6 (128 bit)
What is a Mac address?
Media access control address
Hardware identification number that uniquely identifies each device on a network
Name 3 types of network
- LAN
a. A network that connect computers and devices in a limited geographical area such as a home, school or office
b. Most likely based on ethernet, but can be WiFi-based
c. Limited geographical range - MAN
a. Metropolitan area network is a large network that spans a city or a large campus - WAN
a. Wide area network is a computer network that covers a large geographical area such as a city, countries or intercontinental distances
b. Communications combine many types of media such as telephone lines and cables.
c. Make use of transmission facilities provided common carriers, such as telephone companies
What is bandwidth?
The amount of data that can be transmitted in a fixed time
a. Expressed in bits per second (bps)
b. 1kbit =1024 bits, 1Mbit 1024 Kbits etc
What is the OSI model?
A network protocol
Characterises and standardises the communication functions of computers
Its goal is to provide interoperability of diverse communication systems with a standard communication protocol
Enables one host to interact with a corresponding entity at the same layer in another host
What are the 7 layers of the OSI model?
- Physical
- Data link
- Network
- Transport
- Session
- Presentation
- Application