Topic 8: Networks

Question 1

What are the four main components that enable network communications?

Answer 1

Hardware equipment
Networking software
Transmission media (cables, fibre optic, or wireless)
Standards and protocols

Question 2

What is are some examples of end-user devices?

Answer 2

Personal computers, laptops, tablets, phones, wearables etc

Question 3

What are some popular brands of networking operating systems?

Answer 3

Popular examples of network operating systems include Cisco IOS, Cumulus Linux and Dell Networking Operating System.

Question 4

What are the four main types of network hardware?

Answer 4

Router, switch, hub, Network Interface Card (NIC), cables

Question 5

Define a router.

Answer 5

A router directs packets of data to their destination on the network. It also acts as a gateway between different protocols and to shared resources like an Internet connection.

Question 6

Define a switch.

Answer 6

A switch is a sophisticated piece of equipment that segments traffic onto smaller networks. It is design to improve the efficiency of network transmission.

Question 7

Define a hub.

Answer 7

A hub simply re-broadcasts traffic on each of its ports. It extends the network, but can cause congestion as it is not a managed device and has no awareness of data layers.

Question 8

Define a Network Interface Card (NIC).

Answer 8

The NIC coverts data from the form in which it is stored into a form that allows it to be transmitted over a network.

Question 9

Define a network.

Answer 9

A network is a group of computers that are able to communicate with each other over a data transfer medium.

Question 10

Define networking software.

Answer 10

Networking software is systems software that enables computers that are connected together to function as a network.

Question 11

What is ‘data transfer media’?

Answer 11

Transfer media is the material over which data is transmitted. For example, copper cable, fibre optic cable, or wireless.

Question 12

Name three examples of standard network protocols.

Answer 12

Examples of standard network protocols include Ethernet, WiFi (also known as 802.11) and LTE (also known as 4G mobile).

Question 13

Define the Internet.

Answer 13

A global, public network of networks that can accessed almost by anyone, from anywhere using any communications device.

Question 14

Define an intranet.

Answer 14

An intranet is a private internal network that allows employees to access and share resources. It can be accessed from Web browsers.

Question 15

Define an extranet.

Answer 15

An extranet allows users from external organisations, such as suppliers and trading partners, to access parts of the company intranet securely.

Question 16

Define a company Local Area Network (LAN).

Answer 16

Most companies have a private Local Area Network. All the hardware, cables and devices are owned or leased by the organisation and located within its building or site.

Question 17

Define a Wide Area Network (WAN).

Answer 17

A Wide Area Network connects LANs to the cloud. A WAN covers a large geographic area such as a region or country. The service is usually provided by a telecom company that owns the hardware equipment and cables.

Question 18

Describe three advantages for a household of having a Local Area Network (LAN).

Answer 18

Shared access is available to computer peripherals and the Internet connection
Browsing activity can be monitoring centrally - parents can see that their children are accessing the Internet safely.
Antivirus software can be updated centrally, which is quicker and easier than updating on each individual computer.
New software can be installed on all PCs at once, rather than individually on each computer.
Each family member can choose to allow others to share data on their computer.
Backup of files can be centralised, so there is a single store from which to restore files.

Question 19

Describe three disadvantages for a household of having a Local Area Network (LAN).

Answer 19

More access points are vulnerable to hackers
Someone in the family must have technical ability to set it up and maintain it. For example, maintaining a firewall can be difficult.
If Internet connection is lost, no one has access
Someone playing online video games could hog the shared bandwidth
If a virus gets into the system it can damage data & software on all computers

Question 20

Describe three advantages for a company of having a Local Area Network (LAN).

Answer 20

Central pool of data/documents e.g. All staff can access a single copy of data & files from a central pool.
Collaborative working e.g. Staff can work jointly on the same document at the same time.
Remote management e.g. fix some hardware software problems remotely, e.g. clear printer queues.
User management/monitoring e.g. Better monitoring (in real-time) of what all staff are using their systems for.
Central auditing of activity e.g. Auditing software keeps a record of who has logged on, when, how long, what programs and data were used and what was amended / being able to centrally audit all transactions simply.
Central backup e.g. Easier to backup data by being able to do it from one central location.
Central software installation e.g. Easier and quicker to install software as it can be done centrally and then shared out to all stations without physically going to each one.
Greater security by having one program (eg anti-virus) protecting all computers.

Question 21

Describe two advantages for a company of using email (vs snail mail).

Answer 21

Advantages of email for a company include:
• Email provides an audit trail of messages that have been sent. Messages are backed-up for future use.
• It is easier to search stored email than to find a filed letter.
• Messages can be sent with file attachments (as long as the files are compressed, or not too large).
• The same message can be sent to multiple people at the same time using an address book of recipients’ addresses.
• Email is environmentally friendly because it saves paper.
• Email advertising is cheaper to send, and can reach a wider audience, than post.

Question 22

Give an example of a company using an email audit trail.

Answer 22

If a company has a dispute with supplier they can review the audit trail of emails sent to prove the supplier has not done what it should have done. For example, if the supplier had agreed to deliver materials by a certain date.

Question 23

Describe two disadvantages for a company of using email (vs snail mail).

Answer 23

• Email can be a distraction for employees if too many people are copied on messages that are not important. • Email is not always secure and the user must consider their privacy obligations. Confidential mail is travelling across a very public network.
• E-mail attachments have proved to be a security ‘Achilles heel’, providing an entry point for destructive viruses.
• Email phishing can enable hackers to enter the company network.
• Junk email can clog a company’s system.

Question 24

Give an example of how a company could reduce the distraction of email for employees.

Answer 24

Some companies have a ‘zero email’ policy and encourage staff to use internal Instant Messaging or other social media platforms instead. Employees can then choose to join a discussion immediately, or at a more convenient time, or not at all.