chapter04

Question 1

What are the three primary network media types?

Answer 1

Metal wires (copper cables) – Data is transmitted as electrical impulses.
Fiber-optic cables – Data is transmitted as pulses of light.
Wireless transmission – Data is transmitted using modulated electromagnetic waves.

Question 2

What are the three most common network cables?

Answer 2

Twisted-pair cable
Coaxial cable
Fiber-optic cable

Question 3

What type of network cable is commonly used in Ethernet networks?

Answer 3

Twisted-pair cable

Question 4

What is twisted-pair cable made of?

Answer 4

One or more pairs of insulated copper wires twisted together, housed in a protective jacket.

Question 5

How does twisted-pair cable transmit data?

Answer 5

It transmits data using pulses of electricity.

Question 6

What is electromagnetic interference (EMI)?

Answer 6

External electrical signals that interfere with data transmission in copper cables.

Question 7

What is crosstalk?

Answer 7

Interference caused by signals from adjacent twisted-pair cables when bundled together for long lengths.

Question 8

What happens when interference affects data transmission?

Answer 8

A digital signal can be corrupted, causing errors in data interpretation.

Question 9

What are the two types of twisted-pair cables?

Answer 9

Unshielded Twisted-Pair (UTP) – The most common type, used in Ethernet networks.
Shielded Twisted-Pair (STP) – Has extra shielding to protect against EMI and RFI

Question 10

Why is UTP more commonly used than STP?

Answer 10

It is cheaper, flexible, and widely available.

Question 11

Where is STP mostly used?

Answer 11

In European countries and environments with high EMI interference.

Question 12

How many pairs of twisted wires does an Ethernet UTP cable have?

Answer 12

Four pairs (eight wires in total).

Question 13

What does coaxial cable carry?

Answer 13

Electrical signals for data transmission.

Question 14

What are common uses of coaxial cable?

Answer 14

Cable TV, satellite communication, and internet services.

Question 15

Why is coaxial cable better than UTP in some cases?

Answer 15

It provides better shielding, reducing EMI and allowing higher data transmission rates.

Question 15

What type of connectors are used for coaxial cables?

Answer 15

BNC or F-series connectors.

Question 16

What are the key components of a coaxial cable?

Answer 16

Outer jacket – Protects against EMI and RFI.
Metallic braid – Shields against interference.
Center conductor – Carries the electrical signal.

Question 17

How does fiber-optic cable transmit data?

Answer 17

It uses pulses of light.

Question 18

What are fiber-optic cables made of?

Answer 18

Glass or plastic fibers.

Question 19

Why is fiber-optic cable superior to copper cables?

Answer 19

Higher speed and longer transmission distances.
Immune to EMI and RFI interference.

Question 20

What are the main parts of a fiber-optic cable?

Answer 20

Jacket – Protects the fiber from moisture and damage.
Strengthening material – Prevents stretching when pulled.
Buffer – Protects the core and cladding.
Cladding – Reflects light back into the core.
Core – Transmits light pulses, carrying the data

Question 21

What determines the color coding of wire pairs in a UTP cable?

Answer 21

The wiring standard used to make the cable.

Question 22

What organization defines wiring schemes for Ethernet installations?

Answer 22

TIA/EIA (Telecommunications Industry Association/Electronic Industries Alliance).

Question 23

What are the two widely implemented wiring schemes?

Answer 23

T568A
T568B

Question 24

What is a wiring scheme?

Answer 24

A pattern that defines the pinout (order of wire connections) on the cable ends.

Question 25

Why is it important to use the same wiring scheme throughout a project?

Answer 25

To ensure consistency and proper network communication.

Question 26

What functions are associated with specific pins in a UTP cable?

Answer 26

Transmit function (TX) Receive function (RX)

Question 27

What happens if two different devices are connected using a UTP Ethernet cable?

Answer 27

The transmit (TX) and receive (RX) functions must be reversed to allow communication.

Question 28

What is a straight-through cable?

Answer 28

A UTP cable where the color patterns are the same on both ends.

Question 29

What is the purpose of the ping command?

Answer 29

To test end-to-end connectivity between a source and a destination device.

Question 30

What does the ping command measure?

Answer 30

The round-trip time of test messages sent between two devices.

Question 31

What does the format of the ping command look like?

Answer 31

ping x.x.x.x (where x.x.x.x is the IP address or domain name). Example: ping 192.168.30.1 or ping www.cisco.com.

Question 32

What happens if a ping test fails?

Answer 32

It means the message did not reach the destination, but ping cannot determine the exact location of the issue.

Question 33

What does the traceroute command do?

Answer 33

It traces the path a message takes from source to destination.

Question 34

What is a hop in networking?

Answer 34

Each network device (router or switch) that the message travels through is called a hop.

Question 35

What information does the traceroute command display?

Answer 35

Each hop along the path and the time taken for the message to travel.

Question 36

Why is traceroute useful for troubleshooting?

Answer 36

It helps identify where a message was lost or delayed in the network.

Question 37

What is the equivalent command for traceroute in Windows?

Answer 37

tracert