Networks and basic components

Question 1

PAN Personal area network

Answer 1

Smallest type of wired or wireless network and covers the least amount of area. (few meters) EX: bluetooth, usb connection.

Question 2

LAN Local area network

Answer 2

Connects components within limited distance up to a few hundred feet.

Question 3

Ethernet or wifi

Answer 3

Ethernet (IEEE 802.3) or wifi (IEEE 802.11)

Question 4

CAN Campus area network

Answer 4

Connects building centric LANS across a university, industrial park, and business park. Covers many square miles.

Question 5

MAN Metropolitan area network

Answer 5

Connects scattered locations across a city or metro area. Up to 25 miles or a little bigger.

Question 6

WAN Wide area network

Answer 6

Connects geographically disparate internal networks and consists of leased lines or virtual private networks tunneled over the internet. (world-wide coverage)

Question 7

Wireless Mesh topology

Answer 7

Interconnection of different types, nodes, devices, or radios which consists of clients, routers, gateways and other devices.

Question 8

Client

Answer 8

A device used by an end user to access network. EX: Laptop, smartphone, server, terminal device.

Question 9

Server

Answer 9

A device that provides resources to rest of the network. EX: Web server, email, file, chat. (Dedicated hardware/software)

Question 10

Hub

Answer 10

Older tech that connects network devices together. (Clients & servers)

Question 11

WAP (Wireless area point)

Answer 11

A device that allows wireless devices to connect into a wired network.

Question 12

Switch

Answer 12

A device that connects network devices together. (like a next generation hub) more security and efficient.

Question 13

Router

Answer 13

Connects 2 different networks together & intelligently forwards traffic to and from a network based on its logical address.

Question 14

Media

Answer 14

Connects 2 devices or a device to a switch port and is made from copper cable, fiber optic cable or radio frequencies.

Question 15

WAN (Wide area network)

Answer 15

Physically connect 2 geographically dispersed networks together.

Question 16

Client/Server model

Answer 16

Uses dedicated server to provide access to files, scanners, printers and other resources.
Benefits: Admin and backup easier, easier management, better scalability.
Cons: High cost, special OS, dedicated resources.

Question 17

Peer to Peer model

Answer 17

Peers share resources (files/printers) directly w/others. Admin and back up difficult. (low cost no dedicated resources) no special OS.
Drawbacks: Decentralized management, inefficient for large networks, poor scalability.

Question 18

Ring Topology

Answer 18

Uses a cable running in a circular loop and each device is connected to the ring with data traveling in a singular direction.

Question 19

Bus

Answer 19

A single cable running through an area that requires network connectivity and each device “taps” into the cable using either a t-connector or vampire tap.

Question 20

Token Ring

Answer 20

Ring topology that uses an electronic token to prevent collisions by a device to hold the “toke” when communicating on the network.

Question 21

FDDI Fiber Distributed data interface

Answer 21

fiber networks use 2 counter rotating rings for redundancy.

Modern ring networks are usually FDDI networks.

Question 22

Network Topology

Answer 22

Physical how devices are connected by media. Logical how actual traffic flows.