Networks (PAPER 1) Flashcards

1
Q

What does LAN stand for

A

Local Area Network

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2
Q

How large of an area does a LAN cover

A

a small geographical area located on a single site

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3
Q

Who typically owns the hardware for a LAN

A

the organisation that uses it

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4
Q

What are the benefits of using a LAN

A
  • easier to share files
  • hardware can be shared
  • software can be installed / updated on all computers at once
  • communications are cheaper and easier
  • user accounts can be stored centrally
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5
Q

What is a WAN

A

a network that connects LANs

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6
Q

What does WAN stand for

A

Wide Area Network

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7
Q

Who owns WANs

A

large telecommunication companies that are loaned out to organisations

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8
Q

How can WANs be connected

A

fibre or copper telephone lines, satellite links or radio links

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9
Q

What 4 factors affect performance of networks

A
  • bandwidth
  • wired / wireless
  • choice of hardware
  • network topology
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10
Q

What is bandwidth

A

the amount of data that can be transferred in a given time

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11
Q

which is faster : wired or wireless

A

wired

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12
Q

What type of cables are the best for a fast network

A

fibre optic cables are better than copper

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13
Q

What factors does wireless performance depend on

A
  • range of device
  • amount of interference from other wireless networks
  • physical obstructions
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14
Q

What 3 pieces of hardware are required for a network

A
  • Network Interface Controller
  • Switches
  • Routers
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15
Q

What does NIC stand for

A

Network Interface Controller

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16
Q

What is a NIC

A

an internal piece of hardware that allows a device to connect to a network

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17
Q

What do switches do
- how do they do this

A

connect devices on a LAN
- receive data (frames) from one device and transmit it to the device on the network with the correct MAC address

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18
Q

What are routers responsible for

A

transmitting data between networks

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19
Q

What do most home ‘routers’ consist of

A

router, switch, WAP

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20
Q

What unit is data sent in

A

packets

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21
Q

What are the two most common Ethernet cables and what type of cable are they

A
  • CAT 5e and CAT 6
  • twisted pair cables
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22
Q

what are coaxial cables

A

cables made of a single copper wire surrounded by a plastic layer for insulation and a metallic mesh which provides shielding from outside interference

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23
Q

how do fibre optic cables work and what are their benefits

A

transmit data as light
- high performance , travel over large distances without loss in quality, don’t get interference

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24
Q

How do wireless networks transmit data

A

through radio waves

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25
Q

Why are wireless networks better than wired networks

A
  • cheaper - less cabling
  • move around while still being connected
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26
Q

What are the two most common wireless technologies

A

WiFi and Bluetooth

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27
Q

What are the properties of Bluetooth

A
  • usually direct connection between two devices
  • range of typically around 10 metres
  • low bandwidth compared to WiFi
  • Often used in mobile / wearable devices
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28
Q

What are the properties of WiFi

A
  • can be used to connect multiple devices
  • connection range of around 40 - 100 metres
  • high bandwidth compared to Bluetooth
  • often used for routers, desktops, laptops etc.
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29
Q

What does WAP stand for

A

Wireless Access Point

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30
Q

What is a WAP

A

a switch that allows devices to connect wirelessly

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31
Q

What do devices need to connect

A

a wireless NIC, a USB dongle can also be used

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32
Q

What are the two main types of network model

A

Client Server and Peer-to-Peer Networks

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33
Q

What is the make-up of a client-server network

A

managed by a server, the devices connected are clients

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34
Q

Where are files and software stored in a client-server network

A

centrally on the server

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35
Q

What is the client-server relationship

A
  • client sends request to the server
  • server processes the request and responds
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36
Q

What sorts of things are stored on the server

A
  • user profiles
  • passwords
  • access information
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37
Q

What are the pros of a client - server network (5)

A
  • easy to keep track of files
  • easy to perform back-ups
  • easier to install and update software
  • easier to manage network security
  • reliable and servers are always on
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38
Q

What are the cons of a client - server network (4)

A
  • expensive to set up
  • IT specialists to maintain network and server
  • server dependence
  • server can become overloaded
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39
Q

What are the principles of a P2P network

A

all devices are equal, connecting directly to each other
- files are stored on individual devices

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40
Q

What are the pros of a P2P network

A
  • easy to maintain
  • no dependence on server
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41
Q

What are the cons of a P2P network (5)

A
  • no centralised management
  • Backups are more complicated
  • duplicate files - easy to lose track
  • less reliable, data is lost if once fails
  • machines are prone to slow down when other devices access them
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42
Q

What are the two most important network topologies

A
  • star topology
  • mesh topology
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43
Q

What happens in a star topology

A

all devices are connected to a central switch or server that controls the network

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44
Q

What does a central switch do in a star topology

A

allows many devices to access the server simultaneously

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45
Q

What are the pros of a star topology

A
  • rest of network is unaffected if a device / cable disconnects
  • easy to add more devices to the network
  • better performance - data goes straight to central server
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46
Q

What are the cons of a star topology

A

expensive - lots of cabling for wired network
- whole network is affected if server goes down

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47
Q

How does the bus topology work
- what are its pros and cons

A
  • all devices are arranged in a line connected to a single backbone cable
  • devices send data in both directions, causing data collisions
48
Q

How does the ring topology work
- what are the pros and cons

A
  • data moves in one direction around the ring
  • one device can send data at a time
  • data passes through many devices before reaching its destination
49
Q

What are the principals of a mesh topology network

A
  • decentralised - all devices are directly / indirectly connected to each other
  • data is sent along the fastest route from one device to another
50
Q

What are the pros of a mesh topology

A
  • ## no single point of failure
51
Q

What are the cons of a mesh topology
- how can it be prevented

A

expensive - lots of wiring
- through using a wireless network

52
Q

What are the two types of mesh topology
- what is the difference

A
  • full mesh topology - all devices are connected to each other
  • partial mesh topology - not all devices are fully connected
53
Q

What is a network standard

A

a set of agreed requirements for hardware and software

54
Q

why are network standards important

A

they allow manufacturers to create products and programs that will be compatible with products and programs from other manufacturers

55
Q

What is a network protocol

A

a set of rules for how devices communicate and how data is transmitted across a network

56
Q

What do communication protocols specify (3)

A

how communication between two devices must start and end, how the data must be organised and what the devices must do if data goes missing

57
Q

What is a MAC address

A

a unique identifier assigned to all network enabled devices by the manufacturer

58
Q

What do MAC addresses look like

A

48 or 64 bit binary numbers, often seen converted into hexadecimal for ease

59
Q

What do LAN switches do to MAC addresses
- what protocol are they mainly used by

A

MAC addresses are read and used to direct data to the right device
- Ethernet protocol

60
Q

When are IP addresses used

A

when sending data between TCP / IP networks

61
Q

What does IP stand for

A

Internet Protocol

62
Q

What are the two versions of IP addresses, what are their lengths
- why was the second one created

A

IPv4 (32 bits), IPv6 (128 bits)
- because of the increasing number of devices that need unique IP addresses

63
Q

How many possible IP addresses are there for each of two types of IP address have
- How are they commonly notated

A

IPv6
- 2^128
- 16 bit chunks, each given as a hexadecimal number with colons to separate
IPv4 - 2^32
- 8 bit chunks, each given as a denary number with decimal points to separate

64
Q

What is TCP / IP

A

the most important protocol
it dictates how data is sent between networks

65
Q

What two protocols does TCP /IP consist of
- What do they stand for and what are their roles

A

TCP - Transmission Control Protocol
- sets rules for how devices connect on the network.
- It splits the data into packets and reassembles them once they reach the receiving device
- checks data is correctly sent and delivered
IP - Internet Protocol
- responsible for directing packets to their destination across the network

66
Q

HTTP
- What does it stand for
- what is it used for

A
  • Hyper Text Transfer Protocol
  • Used by web browsers to access websites and communicate with web servers
67
Q

HTTPS
- What does it stand for
- what is it used for

A
  • Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure
  • a more secure version of HTTP (used by web browsers to access websites and communicate with web servers)
  • encrypts all information sent and received
68
Q

FTP
- What does it stand for
- what is it used for

A
  • File Transfer Protocol
  • Used to access, edit and move files between devices on a network
69
Q

POP3
- What does it stand for
- what is it used for

A
  • Post Office Protocol version 3
  • Used to retrieve emails from a server
  • Server holds the email until you download it, then it is deleted
70
Q

IMAP
- What does it stand for
- what is it used for

A
  • Internet Message Access Protocol 3
  • Used to retrieve emails from a server
  • Server holds the email until you delete it, only a copy is downloaded
71
Q

SMTP
- What does it stand for
- what is it used for

A
  • Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
  • used to send emails. Also used to transfer emails between servers
72
Q

What is a layer

A

a group of protocols that have similar functions

73
Q

What are the general properties of a layer

A
  • self - contained
  • serves the layer above
74
Q

What are the four layers of network protocols
- What are examples of each
- What are the roles of each

A

4 - Application
- Turning data into websites and other applications and vice versa
- HTTP, FTP, SMTP

3 - Transport
- Controlling data flow
- TCP

2 - Internet
- Making connections between network and directing data
- IP

1 - Data Link
- Passing data over the physical network (as electrical signals)

75
Q

To what layers can data be passed

A

to any adjacent layer

76
Q

What are the advantages of using network layers

A
  • breaks network communication into manageable pieces
  • specialists can be used
  • self contained - changing one won’t affect others
  • Having standards make them compatible and universal
77
Q

What is the internet

A

a WAN that connects devices and networks from all over the world

78
Q

What does WWW stand for

A

world wide web

79
Q

What protocol is the internet based around

A

TCP / IP

80
Q

What does MAN stand for

A

Metropolitan area network

81
Q

What does PAN stand for

A

Personal Area Network

82
Q

What are URLs

A

addresses used to access web servers and resources on them

83
Q

What does DNS stand for

A

Domain Name Service

84
Q

What is a DNS used for

A

to translate website domain names into IP addresses

85
Q

What are domain name servers

A

servers which store IP addresses and matching domain names

86
Q

What is server hosting

A

When a business uses its servers to store files of another organisation

87
Q

What is a common use for server hosting

A

hosting websites on web servers

88
Q

What services can be offered to people through server hosting

A

clients can access data storage, software and processing power remotely over the internet

89
Q

What is cloud computing

A

when people can access data storage, software etc. remotely over the internet

90
Q

What is a freemium model

A

when customers are able to try some parts of the service for free then have the option to pay to upgrade to the full premium service

91
Q

What are the pros of the cloud (5)

A
  • users can access files and applications from any connected device
  • easy to increase how much storage is available
  • no need to buy expensive hardware
  • cloud host provides security and back-ups
  • software updated automatically
92
Q

cons of the cloud

A
  • needs a connection to the internet
  • dependency on host
  • vulnerable to hackers
  • unclear who has ownership over data
  • subscription fees may be expensive
93
Q

What are the five types of network attack

A
  • passive attack
  • active attack
  • insider attack
  • brute force attack
  • brute force attack
  • denial of service attack (DoS)
94
Q

What is a passive attack

A

someone monitors data travelling and intercepts sensitive information

95
Q

What is lawful interception

A

when governments use data interception for cyber security

96
Q

What is an active attack

A

attacking a network using malware or planned attacks

97
Q

How are active attacks defended

A

through the use of a firewall

98
Q

what is an insider attack

A

when someone in an organisation exploits their access to steal information

99
Q

how to defend against a passive attack

A

data encryption

100
Q

what is a brute force attack

A

trial and error - software produces likely codes and tries them all

101
Q

how to defend against a brute force attack

A

using strong passwords

102
Q

What is a denial of service attack

A

a hacker floods a network with useless traffic, making it slow / inaccessible

103
Q

what is malware

A

malicious software that is installed on someone’s device without their knowledge or consent

104
Q

What are the six most common actions of malware

A
  • deleting or modifying files
  • scareware
  • locking files (ransomware)
  • spyware
  • rootkits
  • opening backdoors
105
Q

What is scareware

A

telling the user their computer is infected to scare them into following malicious links or paying for problems to be fixed

106
Q

What is spyware

A

something that monitors user actions and sends information to the hacker

107
Q

What do rootkits do

A

alter permissions and give hackers administrator level access

108
Q

What is a backdoor

A

a hole in someone’s security which can be used for future attacks

109
Q

What are the three most common types of malware
- how do they work

A

VIRUS
- copy themselves to files, spread by users copying infected files, activated by opening the infected file
WORM
- self replicate, attach themselves to files
TROJAN
- malware disguised as legitimate software to trick user into downloading it

110
Q

What is social engineering

A

a way of gaining sensitive information or illegal access to networks by influencing people

111
Q

what is phishing

A
  • criminals send emails to people claiming to be from a big company
  • the email often contains spoof versions of the company’s website
  • they request the user to update personal information
  • the hacker can see the data that is entered
112
Q

What are common giveaways that an email is a scam

A
  • spelling error
  • not personalised
  • incorrect information
113
Q

What does SQL stand for

A

Structured Query Language

114
Q

What is an SQL injection

A
  • SQL is typed into a website’s input box
  • if input validation isn’t strong enough, people can access other people’s information
115
Q

What are things organisations should do to protect them from vulnerabilities
- brief description of each

A

penetration testing
- simulations of potential attacks to identify potential weaknesses
Physical security
- locks, surveillance equipment etc. for both intentional and unintentional damage
Passwords
- helps prevent unauthorized access
User Access Levels
- restrict access to limit insider attacks
Anti-malware software and Firewalls
- prevent malware attacks
Encryption
- no third-party can decipher text