Cyber Communications Fundamentals – Block 1

Vocabulary flashcards covering major terms, standards, devices and processes from the Block 1 Cyber Communications Fundamentals study guide.

Grounding

Creating a conductive path to the earth to protect people, equipment and reduce electrical noise.

Bonding

Establishing a low-impedance path between metal parts to equalize voltage and minimize static or fault currents.

Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)

Sudden flow of electricity between differently-charged objects that can damage electronic components.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Safety gear (gloves, eye protection, hearing protection, etc.) issued to shield workers from identified hazards.

Fraud, Waste & Abuse (FW&A)

Intentional or careless misuse of government resources; must be reported through proper channels.

Risk Management – 5 Steps

1) Identify hazards 2) Assess hazards 3) Develop controls & make decisions 4) Implement controls 5) Supervise & evaluate.

Air Force Core Values

Integrity First, Service Before Self, Excellence in All We Do.

OSI Model

Seven-layer conceptual framework that describes network communications from Physical to Application.

Layer 1 – Physical

Transmits raw bits over media (cables, radio, fiber).

Layer 2 – Data Link

Frames, MAC addressing, and local point-to-point delivery.

Layer 3 – Network

Packets, logical addressing, routing (e.g., IP).

Layer 4 – Transport

End-to-end segmentation, flow control, TCP/UDP ports.

Layer 5 – Session

Manages dialogues and connection sessions between hosts.

Layer 6 – Presentation

Data translation, encryption, compression (syntax).

Layer 7 – Application

Interface for user processes (HTTP, FTP, DNS, etc.).

TCP/IP Five-Layer Model

Application, Transport, Network, Data Link, Physical; practical stack for Internet protocols.

TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)

Connection-oriented protocol providing reliable, ordered delivery with acknowledgements.

UDP (User Datagram Protocol)

Connectionless, best-effort protocol for fast, low-overhead transmissions (e.g., VoIP, streaming).

Port Number

Logical endpoint in TCP/UDP identifying specific services; ranges: 0–1023 well-known, 1024–49151 registered, 49152–65535 dynamic.

HTTP – Port 80

Hypertext Transfer Protocol used for web page transfer.

HTTPS – Port 443

Encrypted HTTP using TLS/SSL for secure web traffic.

FTP – Ports 20/21

File Transfer Protocol for moving files between hosts.

SMTP – Port 25

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol for sending e-mail.

DNS – Port 53

Domain Name System translates host names and IP addresses.

DHCP – Ports 67/68

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol auto-assigns IP settings to clients.

SNMP – Port 161/162

Simple Network Management Protocol monitors and manages network devices.

ARP (Address Resolution Protocol)

Maps IP addresses to MAC addresses on local networks.

IP Address (IPv4)

32-bit logical address written as four decimal octets; contains network and host portions.

Class A IPv4 Range

1.0.0.0 – 126.255.255.255 (default /8 network).

Private IPv4 Ranges

10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, 192.168.0.0/16 – not publicly routed.

IPv6 Address

128-bit hexadecimal address; written as eight groups of four hex digits.

BSSID

Basic Service Set Identifier – MAC address representing a single Wi-Fi access point.

SSID (Service Set Identifier)

Name broadcast by a WLAN so clients know which network to join.

ESSID

Extended Service Set Identifier – common SSID shared by multiple APs in the same WLAN.

WLAN (Wireless LAN)

802.11 network providing wireless connectivity within a limited area.

WWAN

Wireless Wide-Area Network using cellular technologies for long-range coverage.

WPAN

Wireless Personal Area Network; short-range tech such as Bluetooth or ZigBee.

Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15.1)

2.4 GHz WPAN standard for short-range device interconnection.

ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4)

Low-power mesh network protocol for sensors & IoT.

Wi-Fi 802.11ac

5 GHz WLAN standard supporting up to ~1.7 Gbps with MU-MIMO.

CSMA/CA

Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance – method 802.11 uses to share wireless medium.

UTP Cable

Unshielded Twisted-Pair copper cable (Cat5e, Cat6) used for Ethernet.

STP Cable

Shielded Twisted-Pair; includes foil/braid to reduce EMI.

Straight-Through Cable

RJ-45 ends wired identical (T-568A-A or B-B); connects unlike devices (PC->switch).

Crossover Cable

TX/RX pairs swapped (T-568A to T-568B) for like-device connections.

MMF (Multimode Fiber)

Fiber optic with ~50/62.5 µm core; uses LEDs; short- to medium-range.

SMF (Single-mode Fiber)

9 µm core fiber using lasers; supports very long, high-bandwidth links.

Ping

ICMP Echo test verifying reachability and latency to a host.

Traceroute

Utility listing each hop’s IP and delay on the path to a destination.

Protocol Analyzer

Captures and decodes packets for traffic analysis (e.g., Wireshark).

Cable Tester

Checks pinout, continuity, shorts, and pair mapping of a network cable.

OTDR

Optical Time Domain Reflectometer locates breaks and attenuation in fiber.

Loopback Plug

Adapter returning signals to the sending port for NIC or port diagnostics.

NMS (Network Monitoring System)

Software platform that discovers, maps, monitors, alerts and reports on network devices.

IDS (Intrusion Detection System)

Monitors network traffic to detect possible malicious activity or policy violations.

SNMP Manager

Central NMS component that polls device agents and receives traps for monitoring.

MIB (Management Information Base)

Database of SNMP objects a device exposes for management.

OID (Object Identifier)

Numeric value uniquely identifying an SNMP variable within the MIB.

Root Cause Analysis (RCA)

Structured process to identify underlying causes of incidents to prevent recurrence.

Troubleshooting Step 1

Identify the problem – gather information, duplicate symptoms, question users.

Troubleshooting Step 2

Establish a theory of probable cause – question the obvious, list possibilities.

Troubleshooting Step 3

Test the theory – verify or escalate; if disproved, return to step 2.

Troubleshooting Step 4

Establish and implement a plan of action to resolve the issue.

Troubleshooting Step 5

Verify full system functionality and apply preventive measures.

Troubleshooting Step 6

Document findings, actions and outcomes for future reference.

Crimper

Tool that secures a connector (e.g., RJ-45) onto the end of a cable.

Punch-Down Tool

Terminates individual wires into IDC termination blocks on patch panels or jacks.

Bandwidth Speed Test

Measures upload/download throughput between a host and a test server.

Li-Fi (IEEE 802.15.7)

Visible-light communication using LEDs for high-speed, short-range data links.

WiMAX (IEEE 802.16)

Broadband wireless MAN technology providing long-range connectivity.

BNC

Bayonet Neill-Concelman; twist-lock connector used on coaxial cables.

ESD Control Measures

Workstation/ personnel grounding, handling precautions, and protective packaging for ESDS parts.