Ch 1: Network Topologies: Questions (Exam Cram)

What are 3 disadvantages of a peer-to-peer network model?

(1) As network grows, it becomes complicated to navigate and access files and resources connected to each computer because they are "distributed throughout the network." (2) Difficult to locate files. (3) Difficult to backup files. p. 12 - 13

What 2 things does the reliability of a PtMP network depend upon?

(1) Base station (2) Each connecting node p. 25

List the 4 most common topologies.

(1) Bus (2) Star (3) Mesh (4) Wireless p. 16

What are 2 advantages of a ring topology?

(1) Cable faults are easily located, making troubleshooting easier. (2) Ring networks are moderately easy to install. p. 19

4 Advantages of client/server networking model.

(1) Centralized management (2) Centralized data storage (3) Centralized administration (4) Centralized security p. 13

What are the 3 advantages of using a bus topology?

(1) Cheap and easy to implement. (2) Less cable. (3) Does not use any specialized equipment. p. 17

List 3 facts about a peer-to-peer network model.

(1) Cheaper to implement than client/server model. (2) Typically found in small offices or residential settings. (3) No more than 10 computers connected is recommended. p. 12 - 13

List 3 advantages of a star topology?

(1) Easily expanded with disruption to the network. (2) Cable failure only affects a single user. (3) Easy to troubleshoot and implement. p. 19

List 3 advantages of point-to-point (PtP) wireless topology?

(1) Easy to install (2) Require no external outdoor casing, cabling or accessories. (3) Cost-effective method to connect two remote locations. p. 25

What are 2 disadvantages of a ring topology?

(1) Expansion to the network can cause network disruption. (2) A single break in the cable can disrupt the entire network. p 19

What are the 2 typically used wireless network topologies?

(1) Infrastructure Wireless Topology (managed) (2) Ad hoc Wireless Topology (unmanaged) p. 22

What are the two most common network classifications?

(1) Local Area Network (LAN) (2) Wide Area Network (WAN) p. 10 - 11

Describe how MPLS routing works in 5 steps.

(1) MPLS creates a channel or path for a given sequence of packets to reach their destination. (2) Each packet has been assigned a label that associates it with this specific path. (3) For routing data packets, all packets with the same label use the same path, known as label-switched path (LSP) (4) Because labels refer to paths and not endpoints, packets destined for the same endpoint can use a variety of LSPs to get there. (5) The packet follows the channel to its destination, thereby eliminating the need to check the packet for forwarding information at each hop and reducing the need to check for routing tables. Note: Packet is analyzed one time. p. 21 - 22

List 2 disadvantages of mesh topology

(1) More cable than other topologies. (2) Complicated implementation. p. 21

What are the 3 disadvantages of using a bus topology?

(1) Network disruption when adding/removing a new computer. (2) A break in the backbone cable prevents all systems from accessing the network. (3) Difficult to troubleshoot. p. 17

What are 4 facts about a metropolitan area network (MAN)

(1) No formal differences between a WAN and a MAN. (2) A MAN is a WAN. (3) A MAN is smaller than a WAN. (4) MAN uses an Internet Service Provider (ISP) or telecommunications (telco) provider. p. 11

What are the 2 basic wired network models?

(1) Peer-to-peer (2) Client/server p. 12

What are 3 less used wireless topologies?

(1) Point-to-point (PtP) (2) Point-to-multipoint (PtMP) (3) Wireless mesh configuration p. 24

List 2 advantages of a mesh topology.

(1) Redundant paths between LAN topologies. (2) Network expandable with disruption to current users. p. 20

List 3 disadvantages of a star topology?

(1) Requires more cable than most other topologies, so it's more expensive to implement. (2) Single point of failure. (Switch/hub) (3) Requires additional networking equipment, which increase cost. p. 19

2 Disadvantages of client/server networking model.

(1) Requires technically skilled personnel to implement and manage the network. (2) More costly... Because of the dedicated server hardware and software. p. 13

What are the 2 steps to complete the token ring?

(1) Ring In (RI) on each MSAU is connected to the Ring Out (RO) on another MSAU. (2) The last MSAU in the ring is then connected to the first MSAU in the ring. p. 18

What are the key advantages of a wireless mesh network?

(1) Self-healing (refers to the network's capability to adapt to network failure and even function should a node be moved from location to another.) (2) Scalable (able to add new systems easily.) (3) Reliable (redundant number of paths.) (4) Cost Effective (No cabling requirements... add, remove, relocate with little cost or disruption of the network.) p. 28

What 2 things happen in a true ring topology when a single computer or section of cable fails or a computer is added/removed from the network?

(1) Signal is interrupted. (2) Entire network inaccessible. p. 18

What are 2 of facts about a wide area network (WAN)?

(1) Slower than a LAN (2) Requires additional and costly hardware such as routers, dedicated leased lines, and complicated implementation procedures. p. 11

Describe the 3 steps it takes for the traditional packet forwarding design method.

(1) The packet travels from one router to the next, with a forwarding decision made at each hop along the way. (2) The forwarding decision is based on the information in the IP packet header with the routing table. (3) This packet has to be analyzed at each hop along the way. p. 21

List 2 facts about a local area network?

(1) Typically high speed compared to a WAN. (2) Inexpensive to setup compared to a WAN. p. 10

List 3 areas PtMP networks are used?

(1) Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) (2) Large corporate campuses (3) Interconnected branch office p. 25

Cram Quiz - p. 29 You have been asked to connect two different office locations. It has been specified that you use a wireless link. Which of the following strategies would you use to connect two offices? (A) Point-to-point (B) Wireless mesh (C) PtMP (D) Star bus hybrid

A

What does a wireless device use to communicate with a wired LAN?

A base station called an access point (AP) or wireless access point.

Cram Quiz - p. 30 Which of the following statements are associated with a bus LAN network? (Choose all correct) (A) A single cable break can cause complete network disruption (B) All devices connect to a central device (C) It uses a single backbone to connect all network devices (D) It uses a dual-ring configuration

A, C

What wireless design provides a quick method where devices connect directly to each other in order to share files and resources between a small number of systems?

Ad Hoc Wireless Topology p. 23

In a wireless mesh network, where does the signal start?

At the wireless base station (access point) attached to a "wired" network. p. 26

Cram Quiz - p. 30 Which network topology offers the greatest level of redundancy but also has the highest implementation cost? (A) Wireless mesh (B) Wired mesh (C) Hybrid star (D) Bus network

B

Why does the connection to the hub/switch allow the network to expand without disruption?

Because a separate cable is used from each computer directly to the hub/switch. A break in any single cable does not cause the entire network to fail. p. 19

List 1 fact about a wireless personal area network (WPAN)?

Because of the small size of this network and the nature of its data exchange, WPAN devices work well with ad hoc wireless networking. p. 11

Why is it so important for the central node in a PtMP network be located appropriately?

Because the quality of the connection is dependent upon the range and strength of the wireless network. p. 25

Cram Quiz - p. 29 You have been asked to install a network to give the network users the greatest amount of fault tolerance. Which of the following network topologies would you choose? (A) Star (B) Ring (C) Mesh (D) Bus

C

Where do signals from a point-to-multipoint (PtMP) wireless networks travel?

Central node, such as: (1) Base station of a cellular system (2) Access point of a wireless LAN (WLAN) (3) Satellite p. 25

What is an example of a wireless personal area network (WPAN)?

Connecting a laptop with a PDA to synchronize an address book. p. 11

Cram Quiz - p. 29 Which of the following topologies enables network expansion with the least amount of disruption for the current network users? (A) Bus (B) Ring (C) LAN (D) Star

D

Exam Alert - What happens if a terminator becomes loose or missing?

Disrupts data transmission. p. 17

In that networking model is the processing power shared between the client systems and the server?

Distributed network. The model has the processing power distributed between the client systems and the server.

Where is the single point of failure on the star topology?

Hub/switch, because all the devices are connected to it. p. 19

What is the most common implementation of a linear bus?

IEEE 802.3 p. 17

How can a ring topology be designed with fault-tolerance?

It can have a primary and secondary ring. p. 18

List a disadvantage of point-to-point (PtP) wireless topology.

It has no redundancy. If the wireless link fails, communication is lost between the locations. p. 24

Exam Alert - What is the role of a client computer in the client/server model?

It is to request data from the server and present that data to the users. p. 13

What is a wireless personal area network (WPAN)?

It is when technologies involved connect devices in close proximity to exchange resources or data. p. 11[

How does a wireless network extend the transmission distance?

It relays the signal from one computer to another. p. 26

What is an ad hoc wireless network used for?

It's a peer-to-peer network design so it is commonly used to connect a small number of computer or wireless devices. p. 23

What is the function of a point-to-multipoint (PtMP) wireless topology?

It's to interconnect multiple locations, enabling them to access shared resources. p. 25

What device performs the internal token ring circulation?

Multistation Access Unit (MSAU)

Are APs mobile?

No. Must stay wired to the network.

What network model offers no centralized storage of data or centralized control over the sharing of files or resources?

Peer-to-Peer network. It is a decentralized network model offering no centralized storage of data or centralized control over the sharing of files or resources.

What type of connection does a star topology use?

Point-to-Point Each connected device requires a single cable to be connected to the hub/switch. p. 19

What does MPLS use for packet forwarding instead of the traditional routing tables?

Short labels are used to direct packets and forward them through the network. The packet is only analyzed one time. p. 21

What physical topology setup are (logical) ring topologies designed in?

Star configuration. p. 18

Among the network topologies, what is the easiest to expand in terms of the number of devices connected to the network?

Star topology p. 19

Exam Alert - What is the most widely implemented network topology?

Star topology p. 19

What is the name of the device used to pierce the wire, if needed, in a bus topology?

T-connectors/Taps or Vampire Taps. p. 17

What is used in a bus topology to avoid signal reflection?

Terminators p. 17

List the data transmission steps a "token ring" follows in a token ring network.

The data transmission process goes as follows: (1) Empty information frames are continuously circulated on the ring. (2) When a computer has a message to send, it seizes the token. (3) The computer will then be able to send the frame. (4) The frame is then examined by each successive workstation. (5) The workstation that identifies itself to be the destination for the message copies it from the frame and changes the token back to 0. (6) When the frame gets back to the originator, it sees that the token has been changed to 0 and that the message has been copied and received. (7) It removes the message from the frame. (8) The frame continues to circulate as an "empty" frame, ready to be taken by a workstation when it has a message to send. Source: Wikepedia

How are multistation networks designed?

The network uses a base station as the "hub"and client networks as the connection points communicating with the base station. p. 25

What other topology can the token ring scheme be used with?

The token scheme can also be used with bus topology LANs. Source: Wikipedia

What are the functions of a local area network (LAN)?

To interconnect workstation computers for the purpose of sharing resources and files. p. 10

Define token ring network and state the protocol that standardized it.

Token ring local area network (LAN) technology is a protocol which resides at the data link layer (DLL) of the OSI model. It uses a special three-byte frame called a token that travels around the ring. Token-possession grants the possessor permission to transmit on the medium. Token ring frames travel completely around the loop. It was eventually standardized with protocol IEEE 802.5. Source: Wikepedia

The biggest difference between a LAN and WAN is usually the size of the network? True or False

True. A WAN is a network that spans more than one geographic location, often connecting separated LANs.