NETWORKING QUESTIONS & ANSWERS [Tutorial Samples]
1. List typical network components for each of the following networks:
a. Small LAN: Small LAN (Local Area Network) is a category of LAN where the connection between multiple nodes or the group of interconnected computers is very small, i.e., within a small geographic area — usually 2 to 5 meters. For example, five to six computers are connected within a room via Ethernet.
b. Large LAN: Large LAN (Local Area Network) is a category of LAN where the connection between multiple nodes or the group of interconnected computers spread across a few meters, i.e., within a considerable geographic area of 12 to 20 meters. For example, thirty to fifty computers are weaved together in multiple rooms room via ethernet.
c. WAN: A Wide Area Network (WAN) is a network that extends in a large geographic area and isn’t tied to one single location. It allows sharing of information on a global level. One country can communicate with the other country, or one continent gets connected to the other country through WAN. Therefore, obviously, it requires much more hardware resources to connect one network to the other across the globe. World Wide Web is an example of WAN.
d. VPN: VPNs are services led by specialized encrypted tunneling software and protocols that protect users’ actions over the internet. It is software that end-users can install to protect their online privacy and data transmission. VPNs hide the online identity and user details like IP address, geolocation, browsing habit, etc. In other words, when the user leverages VPN, it encrypts all internet traffic, making it harder for third-party organizations and adversaries to sneak into your online actions or perform online surveillance. Some of its features are:
· No log policy
· Integrated kill-switch option
· Should support OpenVPN
· Anonymous DNS servers
e. VLAN: Virtual LAN (VLAN) is a networking concept created from one or more Local Area Networks (LAN). It allows a cluster of interconnected devices available in multiple networks to get integrated into one logical network, making the entire connection virtually close to each other. It makes a virtual LAN, and the network admin administers it like a physical LAN. Making a network VLAN makes it easy for the network administrator to partition and switch between networks to monitor the functionality and security requirements. VLANs also help larger enterprises re-partition network components and devices for better traffic management.
f. WLAN: Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) is a cluster of co-located computers along with other devices that create a network structure established on radio transmissions instead of wired connections. We can consider a Wireless-Fidelity (Wi-Fi) network as a type of WLAN wherein anyone connected to the Wi-Fi can be considered under the WLAN. Some advantages of WLAN are:
i. It helps in better planning and clustering of ad-hoc networks.
ii. It is flexible. Within radio coverage, each network node can communicate without any limitation.
iii. The overall cost of setting up and maintaining a WLAN is lesser than installing and maintaining a traditional LAN.
2. Explain the difference between a router and a modem. Explain the function of a modem in a WAN.
Router
Modem
A router is a network device that sends and receives data packets across the computer network. It helps in connecting two or more sub-networks or packet-switched networks.
It is another network hardware that enables a computer & other devices like a switch to connect to the internet. It modulates (digital to analog) and demodulates (analog to digital) the signal to help the device send and receive data packets from the WWW.
The router inspects an information packet and verifies its path as per the destination IP.
Modem thoroughly converts but does not verify the path of the data packets.
The router sends the data packets through the best route possible.
The modem is not responsible for sending the data packets to the best route.
All routers have a set of rules and data in a tabular format, called the routing table which determines where data packets will travel over an Internet Protocol (IP).
The modem does not have any tabular data to determine where the data packets will travel.
3. Describe three types of modems.
There are three different types of modems. These are:
· Telephone Modem: These are traditional modems where the internet comes through telephone lines across the network. These modems convert analog telephone signals docking from telephone lines into digital signals to help users connect to the internet. Its speed is comparatively lower than modern modems.
· Digital subscriber Line Modems: These are expensive modems that cater to high speed and leverage telephone lines to provide internet. It uses a similar mechanism to connect to the telephone lines. But the distinction is in DSL voice-based transmission and the speed it caters to for the internet service. These are both modems and routers.
· Fiber Modem: It is another modem type that operates as a connecting interface between an electronic device & an internet network. These modems cater to different and faster internet connections compared to DSL modems because they leverage fiber optics cables rather than coaxial cables. It sends and receives communication through fiber optics cable and is gaining popularity because of its high speed and efficiency.
4. Explain the purpose of IP addresses as part of a WAN.
IP in WAN is a public or global IP. Every computer leverages it to access the World Wide Web. For deploying our servers such as VPN, hosting solutions, remote computers, or FTP or access cameras for your business, you will require using this IP address as a part of WAN. That is why WAN IIP always remains different from LAN IP.
5. Explain routing protocols and give three examples.
Protocols are defined rules designed using algorithms written in a specific programming language. Routers use an explicit set of protocols to perform different operations such as: providing the best yet shortest route or standardized exterior gateway, etc. They are not responsible for transferring the information from the source to a destination. But they help update the routing table containing the information about each node and IPs associated with the sender and the receiver. Routing protocols can be either static or dynamic.
Examples of Routing protocols are:
· Border Gateway Protocol
· Enhanced interior gateway routing protocol (EIGRP)
· Open shortest path first (OSPF)
