Networks Flashcards
What does LAN stand for?
Local Area Network
What does WAN stand for?
Wide Area Network
What is a network?
Devices being connected together enabling the sharing of information and resources.
Where might you find a LAN?
In businesses, schools and universities.
What does a WAN do?
Connects LANs together that are in different geographical locations
What is the world’s largest WAN?
The Internet
How are LANs connected?
LANs are wired (e.g. with Ethernet cables) or wireless (using Wi-Fi)
How are WANs connected?
Using fibre or copper telephone wires, satellite links or radio links
What factors affect the performance of networks?
Bandwidth, the number of users on the network, how the connections are made, hardware other than cables and network topology.
What is a Network Interface Controller (NIC)?
An internal piece of hardware that allows a device to connect to a network
What does a switch do?
Connects devices on a LAN.
What is the function of a router?
To transmit data between networks.
What are ethernet cables used for?
Connecting devices in a LAN.
What does WAP stand for?
Wireless Access Point
What does a WAP do?
Allows devices to connect wirelessly
What are the two main frequency bands Wi-Fi uses?
2.4GHz and 5GHz
Advantages of 2.4GHz
Greater range, and better at getting through solid objects and walls.
Advantages of 5GHz
Faster when communicating at a shorter distance, more non-overlapping channels so less chance of interference from other devices.
What manages a client-server network?
A server
What is the client-server relationship?
Clients send requests to the server, which the server processes and subsequently responds to.
Pros of a client-server network?
Easier to keep track of files, easier to perform back-ups, easier to install and update software, easier to manage network security, reliable servers that are always on.
Cons of a client-server network?
Expensive to set up and maintain, dependant on the server, server is at risk of being overloaded if it is being accessed by many clients at once.
How do devices connect in a peer-to-peer network?
Directly to each other
Pros of a peer-to-peer network?
Easy to maintain, no dependence on a server
Cons of a peer-to-peer network?
No centralised management, updates and security need to be individually installed on devices, it’s easy to lose track of where data is stored, peer machines are less reliable, risking data loss if one fails, machines are prone to slow down when other devices access them.
What is a protocol?
A set of rules for how devices communicate.
What are MAC Addresses assigned to?
All network-enabled devices by the manufacturer.
What does a MAC Addresses used for?
They are used by devices’ hardware to communicate within networks
What are IP addresses used for?
They are assigned to devices and are used for communication between networks.
What is data send between networks in?
Packets
What is used by routers to direct data packets on IP networks?
Packet switching
What does TCP/IP dictate?
How data is sent between networks
What does the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) do?
Sets rules for how devices in the network, splitting data into packets, reassembling packets back into their original data, checking data is correctly sent and delivered.
What is the IP responsible for?
Packet switching.
What is a layer?
A group of protocols which have similar functions
What are the layers (4-1)?
Application, transport, network, link
Advantages of using layers?
Breaks down network communication, helping developers to concentrate on only one area of the network, the layers are self-contained, they force companies to make compatible universal hardware.
