Networks Flashcards
What is a computer network?
A set of computers sharing resources located on or provided by network nodes.
Advantages and disadvantages of a computer networks
Advantages:
Sharing of resources such as printers, storage space
Managed/central backing up of data
Central installation and management of software by network admin
Monitoring of users and network activity centrally by network admin
Hot desking/users can login to any machine
Ability to use communication tools between computers
Disadvantages:
Security of data – requires correct settings or anyone can see restricted data
Spreading of malware
Cost of infrastructure
Cost of network admin required to run network
Dependency on network hardware
What does LAN stand for
Local area network
covers a small geographical area
eg.school network
What does WAN stand for?
Wide area network
Covers Large geographical area
What does PAN stand for
Personal area network
Eg.Bluetooth
Describe the differences between a wired and wireless network:
A wireless network allows devices to stay connected to the network but roam untethered to any wires. These are slightly cheaper.
A wired network uses cables to connect devices to the internet. These are usually more reliable.
Describe the star network topology:
Network topology in which there is a central node which all other workstations are connected to
Advantages and disadvantages of a star network
- reliable as if one connection connection fails the other nodes are still able to access resources on the network
- very few collisions as each node has its own cable
- Easy to scale up or down
- Good security as all workstations have to interact with the server first
- expensive (lots of cabling)
- if the central node fails the whole networks goes down
- High performance central node required as it has to handle a lot of traffic
Describe the bus network topology:
Network topology which consists of 1 cable which each device connects to. The signals are bounced from each end with terminators to stop them from bouncing endlessly
Advantages and disadvantages of a bus network
-cheap and easy to install (less cabling)
- limited number of devices they can support
- large amount of traffic and collisions
- If the cable/terminator fails, the network will break
- Any computer on the network can eavesdrop the data running through the cable
Define the term ‘network protocol’
A set of rules used to govern a network
What is TCP
Transmission control protocol-a protocol setting the rules for how devices connect over a network.
Used in the Transport layer
What is IP?
Internet protocol
An IP address serves two main functions: host or network interface identification and location addressing.
Used In the Network layer
What is HTTP
Hyper text transfer protocol
Rules for the transfer of hypertext mark-up language- usually for websites
Used in the Application layer
What is HTTPS
Hyper text transfer protocol
Rules for the transfer of hypertext mark-up language with security features- usually for websites
Used in the Application layer
What is FTP?
Protocol used to transfer files between a client and server on a network
Used in the Application layer