Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach

These flashcards cover key concepts from the Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach course, focusing on foundational networking principles, protocols, and architectures.

What are the two key functions of the network core?

Forwarding and Routing.

What does forwarding in networking refer to?

Moving arriving packets from a router's input link to the appropriate output link.

What is circuit switching?

A networking method that establishes a dedicated communication path between two endpoints.

What is Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM)?

A technique that divides optical or electromagnetic frequencies into narrow bands for each call.

What is Time Division Multiplexing (TDM)?

A method where time is divided into slots and each call is allocated periodic time slots.

Define throughput in networking.

The rate at which bits are sent from the sender to the receiver.

What is average end-to-end throughput?

It is determined by the bottleneck link in the end-to-end path.

What is the significance of layered architecture in networking?

It allows for modularization, making maintenance and updates easier.

What are the layers of the Internet protocol stack?

Application, Transport, Network, Link, Physical.

What is encapsulation in networking?

The process of wrapping data with protocol information at each layer of the protocol stack.

What is the client-server paradigm?

A model where a server provides resources or services, and clients request those services.

What is a socket in networking?

An endpoint for sending or receiving data across a computer network.

What does TCP stand for and what is its purpose?

Transmission Control Protocol; it provides reliable data transfer between sender and receiver.

How does UDP differ from TCP?

UDP is connectionless and does not guarantee reliability or order, while TCP does.

What are HTTP request methods?

Methods that indicate the desired action for a specified resource, such as GET, POST, PUT, and HEAD.

What is the purpose of cookies in web applications?

Cookies are used to maintain state and track user sessions across web transactions.

What is DNS and its role in networking?

Domain Name System; it translates human-readable domain names to IP addresses.

What is a subnet?

A subnet is a segment of a network where devices can communicate directly without needing to pass through a router.

Define dynamic IP addressing.

The method of dynamically assigning IP addresses to devices on a network, often via DHCP.

What is NAT and its purpose?

Network Address Translation; it allows multiple devices on a local network to share a single public IP address.

What is IPv6 and why was it introduced?

Internet Protocol version 6; it was introduced to address the limitations of IPv4, including address exhaustion.