Internetworking Basics

Question 1

What is a LAN?

Answer 1

Limited-distance network that enables workgroup communication. Facilitates and manages interconnection of a variety of communicating equipment within a limited geographic boundary.

Question 2

What media can be used for a LAN?

Answer 2

copper wire, coax, fiber optic, wireless (radio and optical)

Question 3

How many users can use a LAN?

Answer 3

Up to 1024.

Question 4

What kind of resources or apps are traditionally used in a LAN?

Answer 4

Printer, hard disk, scanner, database, accounting, management, file transfers, file sharing

Question 5

What kind of resources or apps are more recently also used in LANs?

Answer 5

Video conferencing, screen sharing, multimedia database, server access > corporate internet and internet.

Question 6

Name 3 basic network connectivity devices.

Answer 6

Network Interface Card (NIC) and transceiver, repeater, hub

Question 7

What does a NIC do?

Answer 7

Network interface card allows physical connectivity to network via a transceiver that connects to both the NIC and the network medium

Question 8

What is a NIC?

Answer 8

• Network Interface Card
• usually a single-circuit board mounted internally in a work station
• has a 6-byte hardware (MAC) address that identifies the particular computer in a network segment (hardwired; usually cannot be changed)

Question 9

What does a transceiver do?

Answer 9

Transmits/receives data to/from the network. Converts electrical signaling to/from wire.

Question 10

What did a repeater do in bygone eras?

Answer 10

Regenerate and amplify weak signals when the network cables spanned long distances

Question 11

What does a repeater do today?

Answer 11

Nothing. It’s been replaced by a repeating hub.

Question 12

What is a hub?

Answer 12

• Point on the network where circuits are connected; allows for interconnection; is a “concentrator”
• The core of a physical star configuration in a LAN.

Question 13

Is a hub active or passive?

Answer 13

It can be either.

Question 14

T/F: a hub does not transmit info to all parties.

Answer 14

F. It does not screen, so it does transmit info to all parties.

Question 15

Where are hubs found?

Answer 15

Usually in Ethernet workgroups.

Question 16

What connects workstations to the hub?

Answer 16

Cat5 UTP cable and RJ-45 connectors.

Question 17

How many ports can a hub have?

Answer 17

5-100 ports

Question 18

What do internetworking connectivity devices do?

Answer 18

…connect multiple networks, dummy

Question 19

Are internetworking devices active or passive?

Answer 19

Active.

Question 20

Are networking devices active or passive?

Answer 20

Passive.

Question 21

Name 4 basic internetworking devices.

Answer 21

Bridge, gateway, router, switch

Question 22

What does a bridge do?

Answer 22

Moves data from one network segment to another.

Question 23

What OSI layer does a bridge function at?

Answer 23

Layer 1, but enhancements lets bridges in Layer 2 make connection between disparate LANs by encapsulating/translating the originating segments to match the target network

Question 24

What does a gateway do?

Answer 24

Converts data from one protocol to another

Question 25

Where are gateways used?

Answer 25

Between two networks

Question 26

Name two examples of gateways

Answer 26

Routers, firewalls

Question 27

What does a router do?

Answer 27

Connects two or more networks by sending data packets from one network to another by choosing the best/fastest route.

Question 28

What does a switch do?

Answer 28

Similar to a hub, but can direct transmission to specific workstations (not broadcast)

Question 29

What is network topology?

Answer 29

The physical configuration of the network.

Question 30

Name 3 types of network topology

Answer 30

Bus, Ring, Star

Question 31

Pros and Cons of bus topology?

Answer 31

Simple to set up; prone to congestion

Question 32

Describe ring topology

Answer 32

Media forms a closed circuit; data flows in one direction around the ring

Question 33

Describe star topology

Answer 33

Hub or switch is located in a wiring closet with cabling to each workstation

Question 34

What is a network backbone?

Answer 34

- configuration of a network | - layout concept for how signaling will take place

Question 35

Name and describe two types of network backbone

Answer 35

- Distributed: LANs connect to one router each, which are connected together on higher-speed backbone - Collapsed: multiple LANs are connected to one router; internetworking devices can make a department server located in the data center appear to be connected directly to workgroup

Question 36

What's the difference between logical and physical topology?

Answer 36

- Hubs and switches can support either Ethernet or Token Ring, for example, so the physical layer of wires may not match the data transfer process (logical). Physical can be star while logical is bus or token ring. - Logical: addresses mapped to workgroup via addressing so that data is transmitted to appropriate receiver - Physical: signal shifts along wire and wire path must be followed. No control over who sees data (broadcasted)

Question 37

What are the two categories of LAN connectivity devices?

Answer 37

Network, internetwork