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What is a network?
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What is a network?
A network is two or more devices connected together to share resources.
Define a Local Area Network (LAN).
A LAN is a network within a small geographical area, usually under 1 mile.
Define a Wide Area Network (WAN).
A WAN is a network spanning a large geographical area, made up of connected LANs and uses external hardware such as satellites and telephone lines.
What is an advantage of having a network?
Users can share resources like printers and internet connection and users can access files and communicate easily from any computer on the network.
What is a disadvantage of having a network?
There is an increased security risk to data from malware or hackers.
True or False?
A LAN uses networking hardware owned by the organisation.
True.
LANs use hardware owned by the company/organisation, not shared public infrastructure.
True or False?
A WAN connects networks over a small area like a home.
False.
A WAN connects networks over a large geographical area spanning miles.
Give an example of networking hardware used in WANs.
WANs use routers, telephone lines, fiber optic cables, and satellites to connect LANs.
What are the 5 key factors that affect network performance?
The 5 factors that affect network performance are:
Number of users
Bandwidth
Latency
Error rate
Transmission media
Define bandwidth.
Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transmitted per second, measured in bits per second.
Define latency.
Latency is the delay between data being sent and received.
Define error rate.
The error rate measures how many data packets do not reach their destination.
What is transmission media?
Transmission media refers to the cable type used for wired network connections.
True or False?
More users increase the amount of bandwidth available.
False.
More users reduce the available bandwidth per user, potentially slowing the network.
Which transmission media has the highest bandwidth?
Fibre optic cables have the highest bandwidth compared to copper cabling.
What causes an increased error rate?
An increased error rate occurs with less reliable connections like poor wireless signals.
What happens if the maximum bandwidth is used?
If the maximum bandwidth is used, devices cannot transmit data until bandwidth frees up.
How can you decrease latency?
Using higher bandwidth or more reliable transmission media can decrease latency.
Describe the client-server model.
The client-server model has dedicated server machines that provide services to client machines.
What is the role of a server?
A server manages resources like internet access, printing, email, backups, and security.
Describe the peer-to-peer model.
In a peer-to-peer model, all computers are equal peers with no dedicated servers. Each computer is responsible for managing its backups, security and connections.
What is an advantage of a client-server network?
Centralised backups, updates, and security makes managing the network easier.
What is a disadvantage of a client-server network?
Servers are expensive to purchase and maintain, and require specialist IT staff.
What is an advantage of peer-to-peer?
Peer-to-peer networks are very easy to maintain and cheap to set up.
What is a disadvantage of peer-to-peer?
Each user must manage their own backups, updates, and security on their device.
True or False?
Most homes use a client-server model.
False.
Most homes use a peer-to-peer model without dedicated server machines.
True or False?
A server failing is a single point of failure for the network.
True.
If the central server fails, all client machines lose access to network services.
What is the role of a router?
A router routes data between different networks like a LAN and the internet (WAN).
What is a wireless access point (WAP)?
A WAP allows wireless devices to connect to a wired LAN.
What does a switch do?
A switch connects multiple wired devices to a LAN and routes data between them.
What is a network interface card (NIC)?
A NIC allows a computer to send and receive data on the network.
Define transmission media.
Transmission media refers to the cables used for wired network connections.
What are the three main transmission media types?
The three main types of cable are:
Unshielded twisted pair (UTP)
Coaxial cable (copper)
Fibre optic cable
Which transmission media has the lowest bandwidth?
Unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable has the lowest bandwidth.
Which transmission media is immune to electrical noise?
Fibre optic cables are unaffected by electrical noise.
True or False?
Switches are active devices that inspect data.
True.
Switches are active devices that inspect network data to route it efficiently.
Define the Internet.
The Internet is a massive collection of interconnected networks spanning the world.
What is the difference between the Internet and World Wide Web?
The Internet provides connectivity, while the World Wide Web is the collection of web pages accessed via browsers.
What is the role of an Internet Service Provider (ISP)?
An ISP provides internet access and connects the user's network to the Internet.
What does DNS stand for?
DNS stands for Domain Name System.
What is the role of DNS?
DNS translates human-readable domain names (web address) to IP addresses for connecting to web servers.
True or false?
A website is hosted on a web server.
True.
Web servers are used to serve web pages to clients.
What is hosting?
Hosting refers to storing websites and serving them from dedicated web servers.
What is cloud computing?
Cloud computing uses remote servers on the internet to store data and run applications.
True or false?
Cloud data can be accessed anytime from any internet-connected device.
True.
Cloud data can be accessed anytime from any internet-connected device which has the login credentials.
True or false?
Expanding cloud storage capacity can become expensive if using it across a business
True.
Expanding the capacity is easy, yet expensive when done on mass.
What is a network topology?
A network topology is the physical structure of the network. It defines how the network hardware will be arranged to create the network.
True or False?
A star topology has a central switch to which all other devices are connected.
True.
All devices connect to a central switch in a star network topology.
True or False?
If any single cable stops working in a star topology, the rest of the network will continue to work.
True.
If any single cable stops working in a star topology, the rest of the network will continue to work.
What is the disadvantage of a star topology?
The central switch is a single point of failure. This means that if the switch stops working, all of the devices connected to it will not be able to connect to the network or any of its facilities and resources.
What is a mesh topology?
A mesh topology allows all computers to be connected to all other computers. This is known as a full mesh network topology.
True or False?
Smart home systems like smart thermostats are an example of a mesh network.
True.
Devices like smart thermostats, security cameras, and smart light bulbs often form a mesh network to communicate with each other and a central hub.
True or False?
If any single cable stops working in a mesh topology, the rest of the network will stop working.
False.
If any single cable stops working in a mesh topology, the rest of the network will continue to work as the data can find a different route to get to its destination.
What is the disadvantage of a full mesh topology?
A disadvantage of a mesh topology is the increased complexity and cost of the setup and maintenance due to the numerous interconnections between devices.
What is a partial mesh topology?
A partial mesh topology is where each device is not connected to every other device directly, requiring less cables and hardware than a full mesh.
Partial mesh topology
A topology where some devices are connected to all others, while other devices are connected only to those devices with which they exchange the most data.