Networking Today - Module 1 Quiz

Module Objectives

• Understand the impact of networks on daily life.
• Describe host and network devices in networking.
• Explain network topologies and their representations.
• Compare characteristics of various network types.
• Discuss LAN and WAN interconnection to the Internet.
• Define essential requirements for reliable networks.
• Analyze current trends in networking like BYOD and cloud computing.
• Recognize basic security threats and solutions in networks.
• Explore employment opportunities within the networking sector.

Networks Affect Our Lives

• Communication is now as crucial as basic necessities like air and food.
• Networks facilitate unprecedented global connectivity and interactions.
• A cloud-based human network allows access to data across devices, regardless of location.

Network Components

• Host Roles: Each computer on a network acts as a host or end device.
• Server Examples: Email servers, web servers, and file servers provide information to clients.
• Client Functionality: Clients initiate requests to servers and retrieve information such as web pages or emails.

Peer-to-Peer Networks

• Devices can act as both clients and servers in peer-to-peer designs.
• Simple to set up and cost-effective but lacks centralized administration, security, and scalability.

End Devices

• End devices originate and receive messages, including various types of computers, printers, VoIP phones, cameras, and mobile devices.

Intermediary Network Devices

• Essential for interconnecting end devices; includes switches, routers, and firewalls.
• Manage data flow, regenerate signals, and monitor network pathways and errors.

Network Media

• Different types of media facilitate communication:
  • Metal Cables: Use electrical signals.
  • Fiber Optic Cables: Utilize light pulses for data transfer.
  • Wireless Transmission: Relies on electromagnetic wave modulation.
• Factors for media selection include distance, environment, data speed, and cost.

Network Representations and Topologies

• Network diagrams illustrate device connections and layouts.
• Physical Diagrams: Show actual device locations and cabling.
• Logical Diagrams: Describe device connections and address schemes.

Common Types of Networks

• Small Home Networks: Link a few devices to the internet.
• Small Office/Home Office (SOHO): Connects home or remote computers to a corporate network.
• Medium to Large Networks: Involve many interconnected devices for businesses.
• Worldwide Networks: Such as the Internet, connect millions globally.

LANs and WANs

• Local Area Network (LAN): Covers a small area; maintained by a single organization.
• Wide Area Network (WAN): Spans large geographical areas, connecting multiple LANs, often managed by various service providers.

Internet Connections

• Many technologies connect users to the Internet:
  • Cable: High bandwidth via cable TV infrastructure.
  • DSL: Runs over telephone lines, with varied download/upload speeds.
  • Cellular: Mobile access via cellular networks.
  • Satellite: Useful in rural areas requiring clear satellite access.
  • Dial-up: Low bandwidth; less common today.

Business Internet Connections

• Requires higher bandwidth and dedicated connections for services:
  • Leased Lines: Reserve circuits for secure communication.
  • Ethernet WAN/Metro: Extend LAN technology into WAN.
  • Satellite: Offers connectivity in areas without wired options.

The Converging Network

• Traditional networks required separate infrastructures for data, voice, and video.

• Converged Networks: Combine data, voice, and video over a single infrastructure, utilizing uniform standards and protocols.### Reliable Networks

• Network Architecture: Technologies that enable data transfer across networks, focused on:

  • Fault tolerance
  • Scalability
  • Quality of Service (QoS)
  • Security

• Fault Tolerance: Minimizes failure impact by having multiple paths; enhances redundancy using packet-switched networks where data splits into packets that can take different routes.

• Scalability: Networks must easily adapt to growth in users and applications while maintaining performance. Designers adhere to standards and protocols to facilitate scalability.

• Quality of Service (QoS): Ensures the reliable delivery of time-sensitive content (voice, video). Prioritizes traffic type to manage data flow efficiently and avoids bandwidth shortages.

• Network Security: Addressing two main areas:

  • Infrastructure security: Protects physical devices and prevents unauthorized access.
  • Information security: Ensures data privacy, integrity, and accessibility.

Security Goals

• Confidentiality: Limits data access to authorized recipients.
• Integrity: Ensures data integrity during transmission.
• Availability: Guarantees timely access to data for legitimate users.

Network Trends

• Emerging trends: Networks must evolve with these developments:
  • Bring Your Own Device (BYOD): Allows personal devices for work, increasing user flexibility and accessibility.
  • Online Collaboration: Uses tools like Cisco WebEx to facilitate teamwork on projects online.
  • Video Communication: Essential for collaboration, with tools like Cisco TelePresence enhancing virtual meetings.
  • Cloud Computing: Enables storage and access to applications/data over the internet. Supports businesses by allowing access from any device worldwide through data centers.

Types of Cloud Computing

• Public Clouds: Open to the public with pay-per-use or free access.
• Private Clouds: Dedicated to a single organization, such as government entities.
• Hybrid Clouds: Combination of two or more cloud types, maintaining their unique identities while being connected.
• Custom Clouds: Tailored for specific industries, can be private or public.

Technological Advances in Networking

• Smart Home Technology: Integrates network capabilities into everyday devices, allowing for inter-device communication.

• Powerline Networking: Utilizes electrical wiring for LAN connections where traditional networking methods are impractical.

• Wireless Broadband: Provides internet access primarily in rural areas, using Cellular technology similar to smartphone networks.

Network Security Threats

• External Threats: Include viruses, spyware, denial of service attacks, and data theft.
• Internal Threats: Result from lost devices, employee misuse, or errors, worsened by BYOD practices.

Security Solutions

• Home & Small Office: Require antivirus software and firewall protection to mitigate risks.
• Larger Networks: Demand advanced solutions such as dedicated firewalls, Access Control Lists (ACLs), Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS), and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).

IT Professional Development

• CCNA Certification: Validates foundational network knowledge, focusing on IP, security, wireless, and automation technologies.
• Employment Opportunities: Cisco Networking Academy offers resources to connect students with job openings through their Talent Bridge Matching Engine.