What connects people, ideas, and devices for instant information sharing?
Networks
Networks enable teamwork through online communities and cloud services.
What is one benefit of online communities for productivity?
Faster teamwork
Why does cloud storage remove time/place limits?
Data can be accessed anywhere
What are end devices in a network?
Computers, phones, servers with IP addresses that send/receive data
What roles can a host play in a network?
Client (requests) or server (provides)
What is Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networking?
Each device acts as both client and server
What are intermediary devices?
Switches, routers, wireless controllers/APs, firewalls
What is a key advantage of fiber media over copper?
Much higher bandwidth and longer runs, and immune to EMI—ideal for backbones; tradeoff is higher cost
What is the purpose of topology diagrams?
Physical = rack/room/cables; Logical = IP subnets/VLANs/ports. Physical helps with cabling faults; logical with routing/VLAN issues
What type of network is a LAN?
Local, high speed, managed by one organization
What distinguishes a WAN from a LAN?
WAN spans cities/regions, often carrier-managed, higher latency/lower throughput vs on-prem LAN
What is the Internet?
A network of networks with public routing
Fill in the blank: A private internal network of an organization is called an _______.
Intranet
What are common SOHO internet connection options?
Cable, DSL/ADSL, Cellular, Satellite, Dial-up
What is a converged network?
One IP infrastructure for data/voice/video with QoS and common standards
What is one design goal of reliable networks?
Fault tolerance via redundant links/devices and packet-switched reroute—keeps service during failures
What does QoS stand for?
Quality of Service
What does the CIA triad stand for in network security?
Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability
What is BYOD?
Bring Your Own Device
Name one common external threat to network security.
Malware
What is a dedicated firewall?
A purpose-built security appliance enforcing policy, stateful inspection, IPS, app control at network edges
What does the term ‘malware’ include?
Virus, worm, trojan
True or False: A VPN is used for remote user security.
True — encrypts remote traffic to the private network, often with MFA
What does CCNA validate?
Foundational networking skills
