1.4 Wired and Wireless Networks

Question 1

What are standalone computers?

Answer 1

Computers that are not connected to a network.

Question 2

What are the advantages of networking standalone computers together?

Answer 2

1) Users can share files and peripherals.
2) Users can access their files from any computer on the network.
3) Server can control security, software updates and backup of data.
4) Communication with others e.g. email and social network.

Question 3

What are computers in a LAN connected with?

Answer 3

Switch.

Question 4

What is a LAN?

Answer 4

Local Area Network
A small geographical area located on a single site.

Question 5

How does a LAN cover the area?

Answer 5

A Local Area Network is wired through a UTP cable, fibre optic or wireless, using WIFI/ radio waves.

Question 6

What is a WAN?

Answer 6

Wide Area Network
A large geographical area (connecting LAN’s together).

Question 7

How does a WAN connect LAN’s together?

Answer 7

Infrastructure between LAN is mostly hired from telecommunication companies who own and manage it.

They are connected with telephone lines, fibre optic cables or satellite links.

Question 8

What are computers in a WAN connected with?

Answer 8

Router.

Question 9

What are the disadvantages of networking?

Answer 9

1) Increased security risk to data.
2) Malware and viruses spread easier between computers.
3) If a server fails, computers connected to it may not work.
4) Computer might run slowly if there’s lots of data travelling on it.

Question 10

What is Bandwidth?

Answer 10

How much data can be transferred over a connection in a given time.

Question 11

How is bandwidth shared between users?

Answer 11

Through internal networks and WAN.

Question 12

Name three types of copper Ethernet cable?

Answer 12

Cat-4
(slowest: 16 Mbps)

Cat-5
(slower: 100 Mbps)

Cat-6
(faster: 1Gbps)

Question 13

Why are fiber optic cables good and bad?

Answer 13

Good: Faster
Bad: Very Expensive

Question 14

How do fiber optic cables transfer data?

Answer 14

They reflect beams of light through one end of the cable to the other.

Question 15

What can effect wi-fi performance?
(HINT: there are 4)

Answer 15

Latency: Max. speed a connection can go.

Throughput: Amount of traffic a network can carry at a time.

Packet Loss: Glitches, errors, or network overloading might result in the loss of data packets.

Retransmission: When packet loss does occur, those lost packets are retransmitted.

Question 16

What are the two radio bands for wi-fi?

Answer 16

2.4 GHz connection travels farther at lower speeds
5 GHz frequencies provide faster speeds at shorter range

Question 17

Which is cheaper, a wireless or a wired network?

Answer 17

Wireless is cheaper as there is less physical hardware required to create the network.

Question 18

What is a Network Hub?

Answer 18

A Hub is a device that links multiple computers and devices together

Question 19

What is a Router?

Answer 19

Routers connect multiple networks and determine the best path for data transmission based on IP addresses.

Question 20

What is a Switch?

Answer 20

Switches connect devices within a network and enable efficient data transfer using MAC addresses.

Question 21

What happens when a data packet arrives at a switch?

Answer 21

After the data packet is received, the switch then determines which port the destination device is connected to and forwards the packet to that port. If the destination device is not on the same LAN, the switch forwards the packet to the appropriate router to send it to the intended destination.

Question 22

How do routers allow packets from different network types to be exchanged?

Answer 22

The router reads a packet’s header to determine where it is going, then consults the routing table to figure out the most efficient path to that destination. It then forwards the packet to the next network in the path.

Question 23

What does the network interface card allow?

Answer 23

An NIC provides a computer with a dedicated, full-time connection to a network.

Question 24

What does a network interface card contain?

Answer 24

NIC cards contain electrical circuitry in line with data link and physical layer standards, including a port to connect to the local area network’s (LAN) medium.

Question 25

What is the difference between a peer to peer network and a client server network?

Answer 25

The peer to peer network connects computers so that every computer shares all or some part of the resources. The client server networks operate with one or more than one central computers or servers that manage the resources and hold the data.

Question 26

What are the properties of a client-server network?

Answer 26

Centralization: Resources are centralized on one or more servers, facilitating easier management and control of data.

Scalability: These networks are scalable - more clients can be easily added without the need to alter the existing infrastructure significantly.

Question 27

What is easier when using a client server network?

Answer 27

1) Managing security of files.
2) Taking backups of all shared data.
3) Installing software updates to all computers.

Question 28

What are the disadvantages of using a client server?

Answer 28

1) Expensive to set up and maintain
2) Requires IT specialists to maintain
3) If the servers fail, users will lose access

Question 29

What is a peer to peer network?

Answer 29

Multiple computers that can share and connect to each other but there is no central server managing it.

Question 30

What is a peer and what do they serve?

Answer 30

A computer on the network and is equal to all other peers who serve their own files to each other and are responsible for their own security and backup.

Question 31

What are the advantages of a peer to peer network?

Answer 31

1) Easy to maintain – specialist staff aren’t required.
2) Doesn’t depend on a single computer.
3) Cheaper to set up – no expensive hardware required.

Question 32

What are the disadvantages of a peer to peer model?

Answer 32

1) Network is less secure.
2) Users manage their own security and backup.
3) Difficult to maintain a well ordered file store.