Networks

• What is the internet?

  A global network of networks
• What does a URL stand for?

  Uniform Resource Locator
• What is a domain name?

  A human-readable website address
• What does the Domain Name System (DNS) do?

  Translates domain names into IP addresses
• What is an IP address?

  A unique numerical label for devices
• What are the two types of IP addresses?

  Static IP and Dynamic IP
• What is the difference between IPv4 and IPv6?

  IPv4 uses 32 bits; IPv6 uses 128 bits
• What is packet switching?

  Breaking data into packets sent independently
• What does each data packet contain?

  Source & destination IP, packet number, payload
• What is the role of a router in packet switching?

  Decides the best path for packets
• What is a routing table?

  A set of rules for directing packets
• What happens if a path is congested?

  Routers reroute packets through different paths
• How are packets reassembled?

  Using sequence numbers to reconstruct data
• What is bandwidth?

  Maximum data transfer per second
• What is latency?

  The time delay between sending and receiving
• What is copper cable?

  Uses electrical signals for data transmission
• What are the characteristics of copper cable?

  Lower cost, shorter range, higher latency
• What is fibre optic cable?

  Uses light signals for data transmission
• What are the characteristics of fibre optic cable?

  Very high bandwidth, long-distance, very low latency
• What is Wi-Fi?

  A wireless networking technology using radio waves
• What is Bluetooth?

  A short-range wireless connection for devices
• What is RFID?

  Radio Frequency Identification for tracking items
• What is NFC?

  Near Field Communication for contactless payments
• How can LANs be set up?

  Using wired or wireless connections
• What are the differences between wired and wireless LANs?

  • Installation: Wired requires cabling; wireless is easier
  • Flexibility: Wired is fixed; wireless is flexible
  • Range: Wired has longer range; wireless is limited
  • Bandwidth: Wired is higher; wireless is lower
  • Latency: Wired is lower; wireless is higher
  • Security: Wired is high; wireless needs encryption
• What is a Network Interface Card (NIC)?

  Hardware that connects a computer to a network
• What is a switch?

  Device that sends data to correct destinations
• What is a wireless access point (WAP)?

  Device that connects wireless devices to a network
• What units are used for data transfer rates?

  Bits per second (bps), Kbps, Mbps, Gbps
• What units are used for file sizes in base 2?

  Bit, byte, KiB, MiB, GiB, TiB
• What is the formula for time to transfer a file?

  Time (In seconds) = File size (in bits) / Data transfer rate (in bps)
• What factors affect network performance?

  Bandwidth, latency, number of users, transmission medium
• What is a protocol in networking?

  A set of rules for data transmission
• What is HTTP used for?

  Transmitting webpages, not secure
• What does HTTPS stand for?

  HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure
• What is the purpose of HTTPS?

  Encrypts data using SSL/TLS
• What is FTP used for?

  Transferring files between computers
• What does SMTP stand for?

  Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
• What is IMAP used for?

  Reading and managing emails from a server
• What does POP do?

  Downloads email and usually deletes it from server