1.4 Wired and Wireless Networks Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in 1.4 Wired and Wireless Networks Deck (35)
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1
Q

What are standalone computers?

A

Computers not connected to a network.

2
Q

What are the advantages of networking standalone computers together?

A

1) Users can share files and peripherals.
2) Users can access their files from any computer on the network.
3) Server can control security, software updates and backup of data.
4) Communication with others e.g. email and social network

3
Q

What are computers in a LAN connected with?

A

Switch.

4
Q

What does a LAN cover?

A

A small geographical area located on a single site.

5
Q

How does a LAN cover the area?

A

Wired through a UTP cable, fibre optic or wireless, using WIFI/ radio waves.

6
Q

What does a WAN cover?

A

A large geographical area (connecting LAN’s together).

7
Q

How does a WAN connect LAN’s together?

A

Infrastructure between LAN hired from telecommunication companies who own and manage it.

Connected with telephone lines, fibre optic cables or satellite links.

8
Q

What are computers in a WAN connected with?

A

Router.

9
Q

What are the disadvantages of networking?

A

1) Increased security risk to data.
2) Malware and viruses spread easier between computers.
3) If a server fails, computers connected to it may not work.
4) Computer might run slowly if there’s lots of data travelling on it.

10
Q

Define bandwidth

A

How much data can be transferred over a connection in a given time.

11
Q

How is bandwidth shared between users?

A

Through internal networks and WAN.

12
Q

What are the two types of copper Ethernet cable used at the moment?

A

1) Cat-5
(slower: 100 Mbps)

2) Cat-6
(faster: 1Gbps)

13
Q

Why is fiber optic cable good and bad?

A

Faster; more expensive.

14
Q

How do fiber optic cables transfer data?

A

By reflecting beams of light through one end of the cable to the other.

15
Q

What can effect wi-fi performance?

A

Latency: Max. speed a connection can go.

Throughput: Amount of traffic a network can carry at a time.

Packet Loss: Glitches, errors, or network overloading might result in the loss of data packets.

Retransmission: When packet loss does occur, those lost packets are retransmitted.

16
Q

What are the two radio bands for wi-fi?

A

2.4 and 5GHz.

17
Q

Define hub

A

A basic networking device that connects computers on the network
(cables connect the computer to ports on the hub).

18
Q

How is a hub different from a switch and router?

A

It has no routing tables nor intelligence on where to send information.

Broadcasts all network data across each connection.

19
Q

Define switch

A

Similar to a router; directs network traffic only to the intended recipient not across every connection, helping in data collisions.

Builds up a table of addresses of the computers on the network.

20
Q

Is wireless or wired network cheaper?

A

Wireless (wi-fi) - Only needs WAP for its set up.

Wired network - Cost more to set up in a building
cable management

21
Q

Define router

A

Device for connecting computers and other network capable devices together to form a network.

22
Q

What does a WAP allow?

A

Wireless devices to connect to a network (LAN or WAN) through Bluetooth.

23
Q

What do WAP’s provide?

A

Internet access in public places (often known as wi-fi hotspots).

24
Q

What happens when a data packet arrives at a switch?

A

Its destination address is examined.

Switch creates a direct connection to that device.

25
Q

How do routers allow packets from different network types to be exchanged?

A

1) They examine IP addresses of packets using a subnet mask.
2) The subnet mask determines which network the packet should be forwarded to using the routing table.
3) The routing table has a list of IP addresses and common routes for packets to take.

26
Q

What does the network interface card allow?

A

1) A computer to connect to a wireless network.

2) Data packets to travel to and from a computer.

27
Q

What does a network interface card contain?

A

A MAC address:

Physical hardware address and is unique to that computer.

28
Q

What is the difference between a client model and peer to peer model?

A

Client server is a network that uses a server and peer to peer model doesn’t.

29
Q

What are the properties of a client-server model?

A

1) Manages internet access and printing jobs.
2) Controls access and security to one shared file store.
3) Provides email services.
4) Runs backup of data.
5) Requests data and connections to the server.

30
Q

What is easier when using a client server?

A

1) Managing security of files.
2) Taking backups of all shared data.
3) Installing software updates to all computers.

31
Q

What are the disadvantages of using a client server?

A

1) Expensive to set up and maintain
2) Requires IT specialists to maintain
3) If the servers fail, users will lose access

32
Q

What is a peer to peer model?

A

Multiple computers that can share and connect to each other but there is no central server managing it.

33
Q

What is a peer and what do they serve?

A

A computer on the network and is equal to all other peers who serve their own files to each other and are responsible for their own security and backup.

34
Q

What are the advantages of a peer to peer model?

A

1) Easy to maintain – specialist staff aren’t required.
2) Doesn’t depend on a single computer.
3) Cheaper to set up – no expensive hardware required.

35
Q

What are the disadvantages of a peer to peer model?

A

1) Network is less secure.
2) Users manage their own security and backup.
3) Difficult to maintain a well ordered file store.