Networking Technologies Exam Practice

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the core concepts of Networking Technologies Lectures 1 through 6, including network characteristics, configurations, models, and protocols.

Fault Tolerance

A characteristic of a reliable network that limits the impact of failure by using packet switching so traffic can take alternate paths.

Scalability

The ability of a network to grow and support new users without degrading performance.

Quality of Service (QoS)

The management of flow to ensure high-priority traffic such as voice and video receives the required bandwidth.

Confidentiality

A part of the CIA triad ensuring that only the intended and authorised recipients can read the data.

Integrity

A part of the CIA triad ensuring that data has not been altered in transit.

Availability

A part of the CIA triad ensuring that authorised users have timely and reliable access to data.

Intermediary Devices

Devices such as switches, routers, firewalls, and WAPs that move and manage data within a network.

Peer-to-Peer (P2P)

A network type where a device acts as both a client and a server; it is easy to set up but lacks security and scalability.

Intranet

A private internal network intended for use only by members of an organisation.

Extranet

A network that extends intranet access to authorised external users such as suppliers or customers.

BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)

A network trend allowing any device, regardless of ownership, to be used for work anywhere.

User EXEC Mode

A basic monitoring mode in Cisco IOS indicated by the prompt $Switch>$.

Privileged EXEC Mode

A mode with full access to all commands and configurations, indicated by the prompt Switch#.

Global Configuration Mode

A mode used for device-wide configurations, indicated by the prompt Switch(config)#.

running-config

The configuration file currently in use and stored in volatile RAM; it is lost on reboot.

startup-config

The configuration file stored in non-volatile NVRAM; it is not lost on reboot.

IPv4

A $32\text{-bit}$ dotted-decimal address used for logical addressing (e.g., $192.168.1.1$).

IPv6

A $128\text{-bit}$ hexadecimal address separated by colons.

Switch Virtual Interface (SVI)

The logical interface, such as $vlan 1$, required for remote management of a switch.

Application Layer (OSI Layer 7)

The layer responsible for process-to-process communication, using protocols like HTTP and DNS.

Transport Layer (OSI Layer 4)

The layer responsible for segmentation, reliability, and flow control using TCP or UDP.

Segment

The Protocol Data Unit (PDU) at the Transport Layer.

Packet

The Protocol Data Unit (PDU) at the Network Layer.

Frame

The Protocol Data Unit (PDU) at the Data Link Layer.

Unicast

A message delivery option for one-to-one communication.

Multicast

A message delivery option for one-to-many communication to a select group.

Broadcast

A message delivery option for one-to-all communication, used in IPv4 only.

IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force)

The organisation that develops and maintains TCP/IP and internet standards.

UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair)

The most common copper cabling, which uses RJ-45 connectors and is susceptible to EMI.

Straight-through Cable

A UTP cable where both ends use the same wiring standard (T568A or T568B), used to connect a host to a network device.

Single-Mode Fibre (SMF)

A cable with a very small core that uses a laser for long-distance transmissions (km+).

Multimode Fibre (MMF)

A cable with a larger core using LED light sources for distances up to $550\text{ m}$ at $10\text{ Gbps}$.

Throughput

The actual bits transferred in a given time period over a medium.

Goodput

The measure of usable data transferred, calculated as Throughput minus overhead.

MAC Address

A $48\text{-bit}$ physical address expressed as 12 hexadecimal digits, burned into the NIC.

OUI (Organisationally Unique Identifier)

The first 6 hex digits of a MAC address, which are vendor-specific.

Store-and-Forward

A switch forwarding method that receives the entire frame and checks the CRC for errors before forwarding.

Cut-Through

A switch forwarding method that forwards the frame as soon as the destination MAC address is read, resulting in low latency.

CSMA/CA

A collision avoidance method used in Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11) where the medium is checked before transmitting.

ARP (Address Resolution Protocol)

The protocol used to resolve an IPv4 address to a MAC address on the same LAN.

Best Effort

An IP characteristic meaning there is no guarantee of delivery and no built-in retransmission mechanism.

TTL (Time to Live)

A field in the IPv4 header that is decremented at each hop to prevent packets from looping endlessly.

Hop Limit

The IPv6 field that replaces the IPv4 TTL, decremented by one at each router hop.

Default Gateway

The router interface on the same LAN that a host uses to send traffic to remote networks.

Static Route (S)

A routing table entry manually configured by an administrator, designated by the symbol 'S'.

no shutdown

The Cisco IOS command used to activate a configured interface.