Types of networks

Question 1

what is a network

Answer 1

when 2 or more devices are connected to communicate

Question 2

what does LAN stand for

Answer 2

a local area network

Question 3

what are 3 facts about LANs

Answer 3

1. covers a small geographical area
2. hardware is owned by the organisation
3. can be wired or wireless

Question 4

what does WAN stand for

Answer 4

Wide area network

Question 5

what are 3 facts about WANs

Answer 5

1. covers a large geographical area
2. organisations need to hire infrastructure
3. the internet is a WAN

Question 6

what are 3 pieces of network hardware

Answer 6

NIC
Switch
Router

Question 7

what is NIC

Answer 7

a network interface card is an internal piece of hardware that allows a device to connect to a network. they have a built MAC address that is used to identify a device on a network

Question 8

how does a Switch work

Answer 8

it connects devices on a LAN. it receives data from one device and transmits this data to the correct device using the MAC address

Question 9

what is the purpose of a router

Answer 9

connects a LAN to the internet

Question 10

what is a WAP

Answer 10

wireless access point that allows a device to connect to a network wirelessly

Question 11

what are 2 pros of a wired connection

Answer 11

fast and reliable

Question 12

what are 3 examples of wire connections

Answer 12

ethernet
copper wire/coaxial
fibre optic

Question 13

what are 2 pros of wireless networks

Answer 13

cheaper
allows freedom of movement

Question 14

what is Bluetooth

Answer 14

a direct connection between 2 devices so that data can be shared

Question 15

what is WIFI

Answer 15

a connection used by multiple devices to connect to a LAN

Question 16

compare Bluetooth and WIFI

Answer 16

WIFI has a higher range and bandwidth

Question 17

what hardware is used to connect to a WAP wirelessly with a wireless NIC

Answer 17

dongle

Question 18

what are 3 factors that affect the performance of a network

Answer 18

bandwidth
connection type
topology or choice of hardware

Question 19

what are the 2 types of network types (NOT WAN AND LAN)

Answer 19

client-server
peer to peer

Question 20

what is a client-server network

Answer 20

where a client requests a service and the server will provide it

Question 21

what are 5 pros of a client-server network

Answer 21

files are stored centrally
central backups
central updates
central security
servers are reliable and are always on

Question 22

what are 3 cons of a client-server network

Answer 22

expensive to setup
need IT specialists to maintain
if the server goes down all clients lose access to their work
server may become overloaded if too many requests

Question 23

what is P2P

Answer 23

is a network where all the devices are connected to each other directly without a server. the files are stored on each device and shared with others

Question 24

what are 2 pros of the P2P network

Answer 24

easy to maintain
do central point of failure

Question 25

what are 2 cons of the P2P network

Answer 25

no centralised management
its easy to lose track of file locations and which ones are up to date
can slow down when other machines access them

Question 26

what are 3 network topologies

Answer 26

star
bus
ring
mesh

Question 27

describe a star network

Answer 27

where all the devices are connected to a central switch

Question 28

what are the 2 pros of a star topology

Answer 28

• if one device fails the rest of the network is unaffected
• easy to add new devices

Question 29

what are 2 cons of a star topology

Answer 29

every device needs a cable which can be expensive
- central point of failure

Question 30

what are the 2 types of mesh topologies

Answer 30

full mesh and partial mesh

Question 31

what are 2 pros of mesh networks

Answer 31

no single point of failure
multiple different data routes

Question 32

what are 2 cons of mesh networks

Answer 32

expensive as lots of connections are needed
not scalable