Networks Flashcards
What is a Network Interface Card? (NIC)
An NIC is a component that connect the computer to a network, using an MAC and IP address
What are MAC and IP addresses used for?
Used to uniquely identify a machine on a network.
What is a Router?
A networking device that forwards data packets between computer networks.
What is a Switch?
A device that connects devices on a computer network by using packet switching to receive, process and forward data to the destination device
What is a Packet?
A small amount of data sent over a network.
What is a network?
A group of computers linked to eachother, where they can share their data.
What 2 types of Networks are there
Local Area Network (LAN)
Wide Area Network (WAN)
What is a Server?
A computer or computer program which manages access to a centralized resource or service with a network.
What is a Client server?
A distributed system made up of both client and server software.
What is a LAN network?
A group of computers and associated devices that share a common communication line or wireless link to a server. They are not meant for huge groups of people
E.g. a small business, school network
What is a WAN network?
A network that extends over a larger distance. Used to support large groups of people.
E.g. covers a Country, Continent or even the whole world.
3 Factors that affect a Network’s performance?
Number of Users –> because there is more data being shared, causing more problems.
Bandwidth –> the amount of data that can be transmitted in a fixed amount of time.
Latency –> the time it takes for data to get to its destination.
Error Rate –> the severity of errors encountered during data transmission over a network. The higher the error rate, the less reliable the connection.
Transmission Media –> physical interface for communication in a network, such as Twisted Pair Cables and Fibre Optic Cables.
What is a Wireless Access Point? (WAP)
A connected point for a device in a network.
