Module Two Assignments

Understanding Switches

TCP/IP and Subnet Masking

Understanding SOHO Routers

Introduction to Wireshark

Client/Server and Peer-to-Peer Networking

Network Review

The New New Thing Project

Understanding Switches

  1. Define, compare, and contrast hubs and switches.

    2. A hub splits network/Ethernet signals, and any information coming into the hub is sent out along every port on the hub. Hubs suffer from packet collision because only one computer is capable of communicating through the hub at a time. Switches are the core of the network, and everything on the network connects to it. This technology is now relatively obsolete. A switch also splits network/Ethernet signals, but in comparison, it can learn what devices are connected to its ports, and only has to send all packets to every port the first time data is sent. Susbequently, it will only send data out of the port relevant to the packet's destination.

  2. On which OSI model layer do switches reside?

    3. Switches reside on layer 2, the data link layer.

  3. On which OSI model layer do hubs reside?

    4. Hubs reside on layer 1, the physical layer.

  4. What information does the first half of the MAC address contain?

    5. The first half of the MAC address contains the numbers signifying the identifier for the manufacturer of the equipment (i.e., Nortel, Cisco, Asus, etc.)

  5. What information does the last half of the MAC address contain?

    6. The second half of the MAC address contains a serial number used to identify the individual device.

  6. What access methodology does Ethernet utilize?

    7. Ethernet utilizes Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Detection, or CSMA/CD.

  7. Briefly explain the difference between managed and unmanaged switches.

    8. With an unmanaged switch cannot be configured by the user, and simply runs off the settings that the manufacturer installed on it. A managed switch, in contrast, allow you to go into the switch and set configurations such as speed, duplex, VLANs, and QOS.

  8. Compare and contrast full and half duplex communications.

    9. Half duplex equipment can only talk or listen at the same time, not both simultaneously, similar to a walkie-talkie. Full duplex allows both talking and listening simultaneously, akin to a cell phone.

  9. What is a VLAN? Briefly describe its function.

    10. A VLAN is a Virtual Local Area Network, and can only be set up on a managed switch. It allows the user to separate the ports on a switch into different virtual LANs .

  10. What is QOS? Briefly describe an environment where it would be useful.

    11. QOS is Quality of Service, sometimes known as Class of Service. QOS prioritizes packets based on what type of packet it is. For example, a VOIP packet will get priority over a file sharing packet. This results in keeping the network from getting bogged down by prioritizing packets efficiently.

  11. What is the spanning tree protocol? What problem does it prevent?

    12. Spanning tree protocol is a protocol used by switches, allowing them to talk to each other and enabling them to route packets in the fastest way possible. It prevents 'routing loops' from occurring, which is when a switch loops data throughout itself to the point of erroring, and the switch will shut down. If one of these loops occur, the protocol will shut it down.b