Section 2: Networking Basics

Question 1

What is the purpose of networks?

Answer 1

To make connections between machines

Question 2

What is a client?

Answer 2

A device used by an end-user to access the network

Question 3

What is a server?

Answer 3

A device that provides resources to the rest of the network

Question 4

What is a wireless access point (WAP)?

Answer 4

A device that allows wireless devices to connect into a wired network

Question 5

What is a hub?

Answer 5

Older technology that connects network devices together

Question 6

What is a switch?

Answer 6

A device that connects network devices together

Switches learn what devices are on which ports

Question 7

What is a router?

Answer 7

A device that connects two different networks together

Question 8

What is a client/server model?

Answer 8

Uses a dedicated server to provide access to files, scanners, printers, and other resources

Question 9

What are the benefits of a client/server?

Answer 9

• Centralized administration
• Easier management
• Better scalability

Question 10

What are the drawbacks of a client/server?

Answer 10

• Higher cost
• Requires dedicated resources
• Requires specialized OS

Question 11

What is a peer-to-peer model?

Answer 11

PCs share resources (files/printers) with each other

Question 12

What are the benefits of a peer-to-peer?

Answer 12

• Lower cost
• No dedicated resources required
• No specialized OS

Question 13

What are the drawbacks of a peer-to-peer?

Answer 13

• Decentralized management
• Inefficient for large networks
• Poor scalability

Question 14

What is a personal area network (PAN)? List an example.

Answer 14

The smallest type of wired or wireless network

Bluetooth cellphone to car

Question 15

What is a local area network (LAN)? List an example

Answer 15

Connects components within a limited distance

Wi-Fi

Question 16

What is a campus area network (CAN)? List an example

Answer 16

Connects building-centric LANs across a university, industrial park, or business park

College campus

Question 17

What is a metropolitan area network (MAN)? List an example

Answer 17

Connects scattered locations across a city

City departments such as a police department

Question 18

What is a wide area network (WAN)? List an example

Answer 18

Connects geographically disparate internal networks

The Internet

Question 19

What is a bus topology?

Answer 19

Uses a cable running through an area that requires network connectivity

Devices on cable form a single collision domain

Question 20

What is a ring topology?

Answer 20

Uses a cable running in a circular loop

Each device connects to ring, but data travels in a singuar direction

Question 21

What is a star topology?

Answer 21

The most popular physical LAN topology where devices connect to a single port

If the central device fails, the entire network fails

Question 22

What is a hub-and-spoke topology?

Answer 22

Used for connecting multiple sites

Similar to Star but with WAN links instead of LAN connections

Question 23

What is a full-mesh topology?

Answer 23

Most redundant topology where every node connects to every other node

Question 24

What is a partial-mesh topology?

Answer 24

Hybrid of the full-mesh and the hub-and-spoke topologies

Provides routes between some sites while avoiding expense of all sites

Question 25

What is a wireless mesh topology?

Answer 25

An interconnection of different types of nodes or devices

Consists of clients, routers, and gateways

Question 26

What is Bluetooth?

Answer 26

Low energy use variant which allows for a mesh network