Networks Flashcards
(31 cards)
What is a PAN?
A personal area network. A network that allows for devices within 10 metres of each other to communicate.
What is a LAN?
Local area network. Allows devices within the same building or area to communicate with each other.
What is a WAN?
Wide area network. Connects separate LANs across the world.
What is needed for a device to connect to a network?
A network interface card or a network adapter
How does a hub work in a network?
All the computers on the network are plugged into the port. When a message is received from one of the computers the hub transmits it to all the other computers.
How does a wireless access point work in a network?
They convert data they receive through cables into a wireless signal and vice versa.
How do switches work in a network?
Take in messages from the connected devices, read the address, and only send the data to that device.
What does a router in a network do?
Works like a switch, but is able to send information across multiple networks. It is also able to use both cable and wireless communication.
What are the advantages of a switch over a hub in a network?
Switches only send the data to the addressed device, so they cut down on unnecessary network traffic. Switches can also send and receive information at the same time, so they are faster than hubs.
How is data carried in cables?
Copper wires carry the data as electrical currents. In fibre optic cable they use flashes of light.
How is data transmitted wirelessly?
By using microwaves. The frequency of the microwave determines the channel of communication.
What are the advantages of using cables for communication?
Much higher bandwidth than wireless.
Much mire secure than wireless, someone has to plug their computer into the network to intercept information.
It is very unlikely there will be any interference.
What are the disadvantages of using cables for communication?
It can be very expensive and difficult to set the cables up
What are the advantages of using wireless communication?
Very cheap and easy to setup, all that is need is wireless access points.
What are the disadvantages of using wireless communication?
Security is poor, a password and encryption is need to keep the data safe.
Walls and other devices can interfere with the communication.
How does a client-server network work?
The clients communicate to each other through the server. The clients log onto the network servers to access their data. The network server handles the saving of data.
How does a peer to peer network?
The computers communicate to each other directly. The individual computers are responsible for the backing up of their data.
What is a star network topology?
Each computer is connect individually to a central server.
What are the advantages of a star network topology?
Less network traffic and data collisions
Adding or removing devices is easy
Data packets only have to move between two devices to reach their destination
What are the disadvantages of a star network topology?
If the central server goes down the whole network goes down.
Can not handle high volumes of traffic
What is a mesh network topology?
Each node in the network is connected to all of the other nodes.
What are the advantages of a mesh network topology?
Data can be transmitted from different device simultaneously
It can handle a high volume of traffic.
If one node fails there will be another route for the data to take.
What are the disadvantages of a mesh network topology?
Very expensive
Very difficult to manage
Difficult to add new nodes
What is a network protocol?
Rule that a computer mist follow when transmitting data over a network.
