What does a router do
Directs traffic between different networks by determining the best path for data to travel based off of destination IPs
Characteristics of static routes
Stays the same
Doesn’t adapt to network changes
Doesn’t consume router resources for calculating routes
What protocols does Dynamic routing use to calculate routes
OSPF
RIP
BGP
ACL
What are common criteria used for firewall policies
IP addresses
Ports
Protocols
Different types of firewalls
WAF
UTM
NGFW
WAF characteristics
Layer : Layer 7
Focus : Web traffic
Placement : on front of web server
Characteristics of UTM
Layer : (3-7) all In 1
Focus : broad security
Placement: between LAN and WAN
Characteristics of a NGFW
Layer : (3-7 + context)
Target use: large enterprise
Key strength: behavioral analysis
Placement : edge (between and cloud )
Characteristics of a Hub
Half duplex
Uses CSMA/CD
Broadcasts traffic
Types of hubs
Passive hubs
Active hubs
Intelligent hubs /managed hubs
Passive hub characteristics
Signal comes out unaltered
Suitable for short distances with small amount of connections
Cheap amd easy to set up
Active hub characteristics
Can amplify signals
Good for large networks where signals can degrade
Intelligent hubs characteristics
Beyond amplification of signals also gives management capabilities
Can monitor traffic passing through them and offer basic trouble shooting
Characteristics of a switch
Sends data to intended device
Full duplex
Relies heavy on CAM/MAC Table
Types of switches
Unmanageable switch
Managed switch
Characteristics of an unmananged switch
Plug and play
Suitable for SOHO networks
Managed switch characteristics
Allows control using 802.1x protocol
Port - based authentication
Allows you to configure settings, manange traffic and create VLANS
What does a load balancer do
Allocates incoming traffic among several identical servers or resources to enhance resources efficiency
What algorithms does a load balancer use to distribute traffic
Round-Robin
Least connections
Least response time
IP hash
Characteristics of a load balancer
Uses algorithms to direct traffic efficiently
Performs health checks on server
Can operate at layers 4 & 7
Can reduce the load on servers by decrypting and encrypting SSL traffic
What does a proxy server do
It acts as an intermediary between clients and servers
Characteristics of a proxy server
Controls access
Mask the identity of clients
Maintains a log file of allowed and unallowed requests
URL filtering
Content filtering
Web page caching
What is the difference between active and passive caching
With Active caching the proxy keeps the cache memory relevant whereas with passive caching the cache memory has to be manually kept relevant
NAS characteristics
Central storage for a network
Can be accessed by people who have access
Often used for file sharing using SMB for windows systems
File level access
