AP Networking - AI Generated Flashcards

What four components are required for digital communication?

A sender, receiver, transmission medium, and communication protocols

What is a binary digit called?

A bit

What formats can bits be transmitted through transmission media?

Light, electricity, and electromagnetic waves

What is a network node?

Any device connected to a network

What is a host in networking terms?

A type of node that actively participates in the generation or consumption of data, such as computers, servers, and printers

Are switches and routers considered hosts?

No, they are network nodes that facilitate data transmission but are not hosts

What are networking protocols (communication protocols)?

Rules used on computer networks to define how messages are exchanged between nodes, including how data is sequenced and formatted

What is a Network Interface Card (NIC)?

A required component for a device to access a network that defines which transmission medium is used to transmit data

Do wired and wireless networks require different NICs?

Yes, different NICs are required for wired and wireless networks

What does decimal (base-10) use?

The digits 0-9 with place values that are powers of 10 (1, 10, 100, 1000, etc.)

What does binary (base-2) use?

The digits 0 and 1 with place values that are powers of 2 (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, etc.)

Convert decimal 12 to binary

1100 (8+4+0+0=12)

Convert binary 10111 to decimal

23 (16+0+4+2+1=23)

Convert decimal 255 to binary

11111111 (128+64+32+16+8+4+2+1=255)

Convert binary 1010 to decimal

10 (8+0+2+0=10)

What do the OSI and TCP/IP models describe?

The way that computers communicate on a network and provide a common language around network devices, protocols, and data

Why do the OSI and TCP/IP models use layering?

To break the communication process down into smaller, more manageable steps where each layer uses different protocols

What is encapsulation in networking?

The process of a sending node adding additional information (usually as headers and trailers) to the data as they travel between layers

What is de-encapsulation?

The process on the receiving node of removing the headers and trailers attached during encapsulation, with error-checking to ensure data integrity

What is a Protocol Data Unit (PDU)?

A single unit of information to be transmitted over a network, containing the data and protocol information needed for transmission

What is the PDU at the physical layer of the OSI model?

Bits

What is the PDU at the data link layer of the OSI model?

Frames

What is the PDU at the network layer of the OSI model?

Packets

What is the PDU at the transport layer of the OSI model?

Segments

What is the PDU at layers 5-7 of the OSI model?

Data

How many layers does the OSI model have?

Seven layers

How many layers does the TCP/IP model have?

Four layers

Which OSI layers correspond to the TCP/IP network access layer?

Layers 1 and 2 (physical and data link)

Which OSI layer corresponds to the TCP/IP internet layer?

Layer 3 (network)

Which OSI layer corresponds to the TCP/IP transport layer?

Layer 4 (transport)

Which OSI layers correspond to the TCP/IP application layer?

Layers 5, 6, and 7 (session, presentation, and application)

What are the seven layers of the OSI model from bottom to top?

Physical, Data Link, Network, Transport, Session, Presentation, Application

What are the four layers of the TCP/IP model from bottom to top?

Network Access, Internet, Transport, Application

What is the function of the OSI Physical Layer (Layer 1)?

Signal and binary transmission through media

What is the function of the OSI Data Link Layer (Layer 2)?

Physical addressing for use within LANs (MAC and LLC)

What is the function of the OSI Network Layer (Layer 3)?

Logical addressing (IP) for use among LANs

What is the function of the OSI Transport Layer (Layer 4)?

End-to-end connections and reliability

What is the function of the OSI Session Layer (Layer 5)?

Connection management between end-user application processes

What is the function of the OSI Presentation Layer (Layer 6)?

Data representation and encryption/decryption

What is the function of the OSI Application Layer (Layer 7)?

Network process to host-based and user-facing applications

What types of area networks are categorized by geographical size?

LAN (Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), MAN (Metropolitan Area Network), PAN (Personal Area Network)

What is a LAN?

A Local Area Network that connects devices in a limited geographical area like a home, office, or building

What is a star topology?

A network topology where all devices connect to a central hub or switch

What is a bus topology?

A network topology where all devices connect to a single central cable (the bus)

What is a mesh topology?

A network topology where devices are interconnected, with multiple paths between nodes

What is a ring topology?

A network topology where each device connects to exactly two other devices, forming a circular data path

What factors should be considered when selecting a network topology?

User needs, costs, resources, scalability, and reliability requirements

What is the primary advantage of a star topology?

Easy to add or remove devices, and a single device failure doesn't affect the entire network

What is the primary disadvantage of a star topology?

If the central hub/switch fails, the entire network goes down

What transmission media can be used for data?

Wired (copper cables, fiber optic) or wireless (radio waves, microwaves, infrared)

What are the main types of copper cables used in networking?

Twisted pair cables (UTP and STP) and coaxial cables

What is UTP cable?

Unshielded Twisted Pair cable - the most common type of network cable with pairs of wires twisted together

What is STP cable?

Shielded Twisted Pair cable - similar to UTP but with additional shielding to reduce electromagnetic interference

What is fiber optic cable?

Cable that transmits data as light pulses through glass or plastic fibers, allowing for high speeds and long distances

What are the advantages of fiber optic cable over copper?

Higher bandwidth, longer distances, immunity to electromagnetic interference, and greater security

What is a switch in networking?

A device that connects multiple devices on a LAN and uses MAC addresses to forward data to the correct destination

What is a router?

A device that connects multiple networks and uses IP addresses to forward data between them

What is a hub?

A basic network device that broadcasts incoming data to all connected devices (largely obsolete)

What devices are typically needed for a SOHO network?

Switch, router (often combined), cables, and possibly a wireless access point

What does SOHO stand for?

Small Office/Home Office

What is a MAC address?

A Media Access Control address - a unique physical identifier assigned to a network interface card

How long is a MAC address?

48 bits (6 bytes), typically written as 12 hexadecimal digits

What format is a MAC address typically written in?

12 hexadecimal digits separated by colons or hyphens (e.g., AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF)

Is a MAC address permanent or changeable?

Generally permanent (burned into the NIC by the manufacturer), but can be spoofed in software

What are the two parts of a MAC address?

The first 24 bits are the OUI (Organizationally Unique Identifier) assigned to the manufacturer; the last 24 bits are unique to the device

What is physical addressing?

Addressing at Layer 2 using MAC addresses to identify devices on the same local network

What is logical addressing?

Addressing at Layer 3 using IP addresses to identify devices across different networks

What is an IPv4 address?

A 32-bit logical address used to identify devices on a network, written as four decimal octets (e.g., 192.168.1.1)

How many bits are in an IPv4 address?

32 bits (4 bytes)

How is an IPv4 address typically written?

As four decimal numbers (0-255) separated by periods, called dotted decimal notation

What is an IPv6 address?

A 128-bit logical address designed to replace IPv4, written in hexadecimal notation

Why was IPv6 developed?

To address the exhaustion of available IPv4 addresses and provide additional features

What is the difference between static and dynamic IP addressing?

Static IP addresses are manually configured and don't change; dynamic IP addresses are automatically assigned by DHCP and can change

When should static IP addressing be used?

For servers, printers, network devices, and other hosts that need a consistent, predictable address

When should dynamic IP addressing be used?

For end-user devices like computers, phones, and tablets that don't need a fixed address

What protocol is used for dynamic IP addressing?

DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)

What is a subnet mask?

A 32-bit number that divides an IP address into network and host portions

What is the purpose of a subnet mask?

To determine which portion of an IP address identifies the network and which portion identifies the host

What is a default gateway?

The IP address of the router that connects the local network to other networks

How does a switch direct traffic within a LAN?

By learning MAC addresses and their associated ports, then forwarding frames only to the destination port

What is a MAC address table?

A table maintained by a switch that maps MAC addresses to switch ports

What happens when a switch receives a frame for an unknown MAC address?

It floods the frame out all ports except the port it was received on

What is ARP?

Address Resolution Protocol - used to map IP addresses to MAC addresses on a local network

What layer does ARP operate at?

Between Layer 2 (Data Link) and Layer 3 (Network)

What are common troubleshooting steps for LAN connectivity issues?

Check physical connections, verify IP configuration, test with ping, check switch ports, verify subnet masks and gateways

What command-line tool can verify IP settings on a host?

ipconfig (Windows) or ifconfig (Linux/Mac)

What tool can test basic connectivity between devices?

Ping

What information does ping provide?

Whether a device is reachable, response time, and packet loss

What does a switch do when it first powers on?

Its MAC address table is empty, so it floods all frames until it learns MAC addresses

What is the purpose of the physical layer protocols?

To define electrical, mechanical, and procedural specifications for transmitting raw bits over a physical medium

What is the purpose of the data link layer protocols?

To provide error-free transfer of data frames between two devices on the same network

What happens during encapsulation at the transport layer?

A segment header is added to the data, including port numbers and sequencing information

What happens during encapsulation at the network layer?

A packet header is added, including source and destination IP addresses

What happens during encapsulation at the data link layer?

A frame header and trailer are added, including source and destination MAC addresses and error checking

Why is standardization of protocols important?

It allows for broader adoption of specific protocols regardless of the system or medium, enabling interoperability

What is the relationship between bits and bytes?

8 bits = 1 byte

Convert decimal 64 to binary

1000000 (64+0+0+0+0+0+0=64)

Convert binary 11111111 to decimal

255 (128+64+32+16+8+4+2+1=255)