Introduction to Networks

Private clouds

Cloud-based applications and services offered in a private cloud are intended for a specific organization or entity, such as a government. A private cloud can be set up using the organization's private network, though this can be expensive to build and maintain. A private cloud can also be managed by an outside organization with strict access security.

Public clouds

Cloud-based applications and services offered in a public cloud are made available to the general population. Services may be free or are offered on a pay-per-use model, such as paying for online storage. The public cloud uses the internet to provide services.

Which two devices are intermediary devices?

Routers and Switches

When designers follow accepted standards and protocols, which of the four basic characteristics of network architecture is achieved?

Scalability

Confidentiality, integrity, and availability are requirements of which of the four basic characteristics of network architecture?

Security

Physical Port

A connector or outlet on a networking device where the media connects to an end device or another networking device.

Which of the following is the name for all computers connected to a network that participate directly in network communication?

Hosts

Logical Topology Diagrams

Illustrate devices, ports, and the addressing scheme of the network, as shown in the figure. You can see which end devices are connected to which intermediary devices and what media is being used.

Physical Topology Diagrams

Illustrate the physical location of intermediary devices and cable installation, as shown in the figure. You can see that the rooms in which these devices are located are labeled in this physical topology.

Antivirus and antispyware

These applications help to protect end devices from becoming infected with malicious software.

Denial of service attacks

These attacks slow or crash applications and processes on a network device.

Viruses, worms, and Trojan horses

These contain malicious software or code running on a user device.

Access control lists (ACL)

These further filter access and traffic forwarding based on IP addresses and applications.

Intrusion prevention systems (IPS)

These identify fast-spreading threats, such as zero-day or zero-hour attacks.

Dedicated firewall systems

These provide more advanced firewall capabilities that can filter large amounts of traffic with more granularity.

Virtual private networks (VPN)

These provide secure access into an organization for remote workers.

Data interception and theft

This attack captures private information from an organization's network.

Identity theft

This attack steals the login credentials of a user in order to access private data.

Metro Ethernet

This is sometimes known as Ethernet WAN. Metro ethernets extend LAN access technology into the WAN. Ethernet is a LAN technology you will learn about in a later module.

Which network infrastructure provides access to other networks over a large geographical area, which is often owned and managed by a telecommunications service provider?

WAN

Having multiple paths to a destination is known as redundancy. This is an example of which characteristic of network architecture?

fault tolerance

Recent Trends

- Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) - Online collaboration - Video communications - Cloud Computing

Network Architecture

- Fault Tolerance - Scalability - Quality of Service (QoS) - Security

Network Interface Card (NIC)

A NIC physically connects the end device to the network.

Community clouds

A community cloud is created for exclusive use by specific entities or organizations. The differences between public clouds and community clouds are the functional needs that have been customized for the community. For example, healthcare organizations must remain compliant with policies and laws (e.g., HIPAA) that require special authentication and confidentiality. Community clouds are used by multiple organizations that have similar needs and concerns. Community clouds are similar to a public cloud environment, but with set levels of security, privacy, and even regulatory compliance of a private cloud.

Threat actor attacks

A malicious person attacks user devices or network resources.

LANs

A network infrastructure that spans a small geographical area.

WANs

A network infrastructure that spans a wide geographical area. Are typically managed by service providers (SPs) or Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

Video Communications

A powerful tool for communicating with others, both locally and globally. Video is becoming a critical requirement for effective collaboration as organizations extend across geographic and cultural boundaries.

Intranets

A term often used to refer to a private connection of LANs and WANs that belongs to an organization. Designed to be accessible only by the organization's members, employees, or others with authorization.

The Internet

A worldwide collection of interconnected networks

Host Roles

All computers that are connected to a network and participate directly in network communication are classified as hosts. Hosts can be called end devices. Some hosts are also called clients.

Zero-day attacks

Also called zero-hour attacks, these occur on the first day that a vulnerability becomes known.

Wireless Internet Service Provider

An ISP that connects subscribers to a designated access point or hot spot using similar wireless technologies found in home wireless local area networks (WLANs). More commonly found in RURAL environments where DSL or cable services are not available.

Quality of Service (QoS)

An increasing requirement of networks today. New applications available to users over networks, such as voice and live video transmissions, create higher expectations for the quality of the delivered services. Have you ever tried to watch a video with constant breaks and pauses? As data, voice, and video content continue to converge onto the same network, QoS becomes a primary mechanism for managing congestion and ensuring reliable delivery of content to all users.

Which feature describes using personal tools to access information and communicate across a business or campus network?

BYOD

Business DSL

Business DSL is available in various formats. A popular choice is Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line (SDSL) which is similar to the consumer version of DSL but provides uploads and downloads at the same high speeds.

Converged Networks

Capable of delivering data, voice, and video between many different types of devices over the same network infrastructure. This network infrastructure uses the same set of rules, agreements, and implementation standards. Carry multiple services on one network.

Cellular

Cellular internet access uses a cell phone network to connect. Wherever you can get a cellular signal, you can get cellular internet access. Performance is limited by the capabilities of the phone and the cell tower to which it is connected.

Which feature contains options such as Public, Private, Custom and Hybrid?

Cloud computing

Online Collaboration

Collaboration tools, like Cisco WebEx, shown in the figure, give employees, students, teachers, customers, and partners a way to instantly connect, interact, and achieve their objectives.

Intermediary Devices

Connect the individual end devices to the network. They can connect multiple individual networks to form an internetwork.

Metal wires within cables

Data is encoded into electrical impulses.

Glass or plastic fibers within cables (fiber-optic cable)

Data is encoded into pulses of light.

Wireless transmission

Data is encoded via modulation of specific frequencies of electromagnetic waves.

Which attack slows down or crashes equipment and programs?

Denial of Service (DoS)

DSL

Digital Subscriber Lines also provide high bandwidth, high availability, and an always-on connection to the internet. DSL runs over a telephone line. In general, small office and home office users connect using Asymmetrical DSL (ADSL), which means that the download speed is faster than the upload speed.

Scalability

Expands quickly to support new users and applications. It does this without degrading the performance of services that are being accessed by existing users. The figure shows how a new network is easily added to an existing network. These networks are scalable because the designers follow accepted standards and protocols. This lets software and hardware vendors focus on improving products and services without having to design a new set of rules for operating within the network.

Which network infrastructure might an organization use to provide secure and safe access to individuals who work for a different organization but require access to the organization's data?

Extranet

When data is encoded as pulses of light, which media is being used to transmit the data?

Fiber-optic cable

Firewall filtering

Firewall filtering blocks unauthorized access into and out of the network. This may include a host-based firewall system that prevents unauthorized access to the end device, or a basic filtering service on the home router to prevent unauthorized access from the outside world into the network.

Network Security

Includes physically securing devices that provide network connectivity and preventing unauthorized access to the management software that resides on them.

Which connections are specialized ports on a networking device that connect to individual networks?

Interface

Which network infrastructure provides access to users and end devices in a small geographical area, which is typically a network in a department in an enterprise, a home, or small business?

LAN

Dedicated Leased Line

Leased lines are reserved circuits within the service provider's network that connect geographically separated offices for private voice and/or data networking. The circuits are rented at a monthly or yearly rate.

Fault Tolerance

Limits the number of affected devices during a failure. It is built to allow quick recovery when such a failure occurs. These networks depend on multiple paths between the source and destination of a message.

Which type of network topology lets you see which end devices are connected to which intermediary devices and what media is being used?

Logical topology

Which connection physically connects the end device to the network?

NIC

Traditional Separate Networks

Networks could not communicate with each other. Each network used different technologies to carry the communication signal. Each network had its own set of rules and standards to ensure successful communication. Multiple services ran on multiple networks.

Cloud Computing

One of the ways that we access and store data. Cloud computing allows us to store personal files, even backup an entire drive on servers over the internet. Applications such as word processing and photo editing can be accessed using the cloud.

Which type of network topology lets you see the actual location of intermediary devices and cable installation?

Physical topology

Which feature is being used when connecting a device to the network using an electrical outlet?

Powerline

Network Media

Provides the channel over which the message travels from source to destination.

With which type of policy, a router can manage the flow of data and voice traffic, giving priority to voice communications if the network experiences congestion?

QoS

Technology Trends in the Home

Smart home technology integrates into every-day appliances, which can then connect with other devices to make the appliances more 'smart' or automated. For example, you could prepare food and place it in the oven for cooking prior to leaving the house for the day. You program your smart oven for the food you want it to cook. It would also be connected to your 'calendar of events' so that it could determine what time you should be available to eat and adjust start times and length of cooking accordingly. It could even adjust cooking times and temperatures based on changes in schedule.

Interface

Specialized ports on a networking device that connect to individual networks. Because routers connect networks, the ports on a router are referred to as network interfaces.

Satellite

The availability of satellite internet access is a benefit in those areas that would otherwise have no internet connectivity at all. Satellite dishes require a clear line of sight to the satellite.

Wireless Broadband Service

This solution uses the same cellular technology as a smart phone. An antenna is installed outside the house providing either wireless or wired connectivity for devices in the home. In many areas, home wireless broadband is competing directly with DSL and cable services.

Cable

Typically offered by cable television service providers, the internet data signal transmits on the same cable that delivers cable television. It provides a high bandwidth, high availability, and an always-on connection to the internet.

Powerline Networking

Using a standard powerline adapter, devices can connect to the LAN wherever there is an electrical outlet. No data cables need to be installed, and there is little to no additional electricity used. Using the same wiring that delivers electricity, powerline networking sends information by sending data on certain frequencies.

Which feature is a good conferencing tool to use with others who are located elsewhere in your city, or even in another country?

Video communications

Which option creates a secure connection for remote workers?

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

Which option describes malicious code running on user devices?

Virus, worm, or Trojan horse

Which feature uses the same cellular technology as a smart phone?

Wireless broadband

Which option blocks unauthorized access to your network?

Zero-day or Zero-hour

Dial-up Telephone

An inexpensive option that uses any phone line and a modem. The low bandwidth provided by a dial-up modem connection is not sufficient for large data transfer, although it is useful for mobile access while traveling.

Extranets

An organization may use it to provide secure and safe access to individuals who work for a different organization but require access to the organization's data.

End Devices

Either the source or destination of a message transmitted over the network.

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

Enables end users the freedom to use personal tools to access information and communicate across a business or campus network. With the growth of consumer devices, and the related drop in cost, employees and students may have advanced computing and networking devices for personal use. These include laptops, notebooks, tablets, smart phones, and e-readers.

Peer-to-Peer

In small businesses and homes, many computers function as the servers and clients on the network.

Spyware and adware

These are types of software which are installed on a user's device. The software then secretly collects information about the user.