2.7 Compare & contrast internet connection types, network types, & their features

Question 1

6 types of Internet connections?

Answer 1

• Satellite
• Fiber
• Cable
• DSL
• Cellular
• WISP

Question 2

Typical uplink bandwidth for satellite internet?

Answer 2

6Mbps

Question 3

Typical downlink bandwidth for satellite internet?

Answer 3

30Mbps

Question 4

1 drawback of satellite internet?

Answer 4

Increase latency

The signal travels much farther than terrestrial connections, resulting in significant delays compared to land links.

Question 5

What is Round Trip Time (RTT)?

Answer 5

2-way latency for sending a probe & receiving a response

Probe: Data packet sent to measure network charactersitics like latency or packet loss

Question 6

How is a satellite internet connection created?

Answer 6

ISP installs & aligns a VSAT dish satellite at customer’s premises

It is aligned with the orbital satellite

Question 7

Satellite Internet

What cabling is used to connect the satellite to the modem?

satellite internet uses DVB-S modems

Answer 7

Coaxial cabling

Question 8

How does LEO satellite internet differ from regular satellite internet?

LEO = Low Earth Orbit

Answer 8

Using satellites positioned in much closer to earth

Question 9

Typical LEO satellite internet bandwidth?

Answer 9

100Mbps

Question 10

Typical latency of LEO satellite internet?

Answer 10

200ms RTT

Question 11

Downside to LEO satellite internet?

Answer 11

Customer’s antenna needs a motor for periodic realignment

It’s realigned with satellites

Dish uses phased array tech to connect to passing satellites, reducing realignment.

Question 12

Meaning of WISP?

Answer 12

Wireless ISP

Question 13

What technology do WISPS use?

Answer 13

Ground-based long-range fixed wireless technology

Question 14

How does a WISP provide internet?

Answer 14

Using a directional antenna to bridge the customer’s & provider’s network

WISPS have lower latency than satellite internet

WISPS may use licensed or unlicensed frequency bands

Question 15

Problem with using unlicensed frequencies?

Answer 15

High chance of interference

Question 16

What occurances affect all types of microwave radio links?

i.e. Point-to-point microwave links, satellite communication links, etc.

Answer 16

Snow, rain, & high winds

Question 17

What does a 3G cellular radio device establish a connection with?

Answer 17

Nearest base station

Question 18

What is a 3G cell?

Answer 18

Area covered by a 3G base station

Question 19

Max range of a 3G cell?

Answer 19

5 miles

Signals can be obstructeed by building materials

Question 20

What frequency bands does 3G cellular radio operate in the Americas?

Answer 20

850 & 1,900 MHz

These lower frequency waves don’t need much power to propagate over long distances

Question 21

What frequency bands does 3G cellular radio operate in the world (besides the Americas)?

Answer 21

900 & 1,800 MHz

These lower frequency waves don’t need much power to propagate over long distances

Question 22

What is LTE?

Answer 22

4G standard supported by GSM & CDMA providers

Question 23

What frequency bands does 5G use?

Answer 23

• sub-6 GHz
• 20-60 GHz

Question 24

Benefit of low RF bands?

i.e. sub-6GHz (5G frequency band)

Answer 24

Greater range & penetration power than medium/high RF bands

Question 25

Drawback to medium/high RF bands?

Answer 25

Require close range & cannot penetrate walls or windows | (range is about a few hundred feet)

Question 26

Why does 5G involve using many small antennas?

Answer 26

To utilize multipath & beamforming to improve propagation | This technology is referred to as MIMO ## Footnote this means using multiple paths and adjusting the direction of signals to improve how signals travels

Question 27

What technology does 5G use?

Answer 27

MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output)

Question 28

What is a LAN?

Answer 28

Group of computers connected at one location with cables & switches ## Footnote A LAN might span a single floor in a building, a whole building, or multiple nearby buildings. LAN cabling & devices are typically owned & managed by the organization that uses the network

Question 29

How long can a node be to be considered "local" (LAN)?

Answer 29

Up to about 1 mile (1 or 2 km)

Question 30

Meaning of IEEE?

Answer 30

Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers

Question 31

What standards are most cabled LANs based on?

Answer 31

802.3 Ethernet standards

Question 32

What designation scheme do IEEE 802.3 standards use?

Answer 32

xBASE-Y

Question 33

What does ***x*** in ***xBASE-Y*** mean?

Answer 33

Nominal data rate

Question 34

What does ***Y*** in ***xBASE-Y*** mean?

Answer 34

Cable type

Question 35

What does ***100BASE-T*** mean? | (Ethernet designation scheme)

Answer 35

Fast Ethernet over copper twisted pair cabling | Fast Ethernet = 100Mbps

Question 36

How fast is *Fast Ethernet*?

Answer 36

100 Mbps

Question 37

What does ***1000BASE-T*** mean? ## Footnote (Ethernet designation scheme)

Answer 37

Gigabit Ethernet over copper twisted pair cabling

Question 38

How fast is *Gigabit Ethernet*?

Answer 38

1000 Mbps (1 Gbps)

Question 39

What does ***10GBASE-T*** mean? ## Footnote (Ethernet designation scheme)

Answer 39

Copper cabling working at 10 Gbps

Question 40

Which 802.3 Ethernet designation scheme is mainstream for wired LANs?

Answer 40

1000BASE-T

Question 41

2 types of cabling used in Ethernet?

Answer 41

- Copper - Fiber optic

Question 42

How does copper differ from fiber optic?

Answer 42

Using electrical signaling to communicate data

Question 43

How does Fiber optic differ from Copper?

Answer 43

Using pulses of light to communicate data

Question 44

How do WLANs work? | WLAN = Wireless LAN

Answer 44

Using radios & antennas for data transmission ## Footnote Wi-Fi (802.11) & Ethernet technologies complement one another & are often used together as segments within the same local network

Question 45

What is 802.11 aka?

Answer 45

Wi-Fi

Question 46

Meaning of WAN?

Answer 46

Wide Area Network

Question 47

Meaning of LAN?

Answer 47

Local Area Network

Question 48

How far does a WAN span?

Answer 48

Multiple geographic locations ## Footnote i.e. the Internet (A network of networks).

Question 49

What cabling do most private/enterprise WANs use?

Answer 49

Cabling leased from an ISP to connect LANs ## Footnote i.e. a company might use a WAN to connect branch office sites to the LAN at its head office

Question 50

Meaning of SOHO?

Answer 50

Small Office Home Office

Question 51

What is a *"server room"?*

Answer 51

Area where servers are hosted

Question 52

What is a **datacenter**?

Answer 52

Whole site that is dedicated to provisioning server resources

Question 53

How do datacenters differ from "server rooms"?

Answer 53

By having networking, power, climate control, & physical access control features

Question 54

Meaning of SAN?

Answer 54

Storage Area Network

Question 55

Where is a SAN located?

Answer 55

Within an enterprise LAN or datacenter

Question 56

purpose of SANs?

Answer 56

Provide access to a pool of storage devices for application servers

Question 57

What devices only access SANs?

Answer 57

Servers | Not by client PCs/laptops ## Footnote A SAN is isolated from the main network

Question 58

What kind of devices are SAN clients? | Meaning the devices that are in a SAN

Answer 58

Servers running databases or applications

Question 59

What is a SAN more flexibe & reliable than?

Answer 59

Using local disks on each server machine

Question 60

2 types of connectivity used by SANs?

Answer 60

- Fiber Channel - Internet SCSI (iSCSI)

Question 61

Meaning of PAN?

Answer 61

Personal Area Network

Question 62

What is a PAN?

Answer 62

Network to connect devices within a few meters ## Footnote A PAN facilitates data sharing among PCs, mobile devices, and wearables such as smartwatches. It connects these devices to peripherals like printers, headsets, and displays.