WGU D322 - Introduction to IT Section 4: Computer Networks Exam

Networking - ANSWER-Sharing information and resources through linked computer systems. Network Types - PAN (Personal Area Network) - ANSWER-A computer in the middle and other devices (including a cell phone, tablet, wireless mouse, wireless headset, and printer) connected to it. Network Types - LAN (Local Area Network) - ANSWER-Consist of a collection of computers in a single building or building complex. (e.g., A router in the middle with various other devices such as workstations, a cell phone, a tablet, and printer connected.) Network Types - WAN (Wide Area Network) - ANSWER-Link systems over a greater distance including machines on the opposite sides of the world. TCP/IP Protocol - ANSWER-Communication over the internet is governed by an open collection of standards by this protocol. Anyone is free to use these protocols without paying fees or signing license agreements. Four Common Network Topology - ANSWER-Bus, Star, Ring, and Mesh (Bus and Star network topologies are the most common). Network Topology - BUS - ANSWER-Machines are connected to a common communication line. It became popular in the 1990s when it was implemented under a set of standards/protocols known as the Ethernet. Network Topology - Star - ANSWER-Have a single machine serving as a central point to which all others are connected. (Various computers connected in the middle by a router). Roots as far back as the 1970s when it evolved from the idea of a large central computer system servicing many users at once. In wireless networks where communication is carried out via radio broadcast to a central machine called the access point (AP). Network Topology - Ring - ANSWER-Connect directly to each other as a peer. Network Topology - Mesh - ANSWER-It connects every device in a network to every other device; it enabled redundancy while also introducing significantly more network traffic. Alternatively, a network could use a hybrid of these topologies. * A network in which devices -- or nodes -- are linked together, branching off other devices or nodes. These networks are set up to efficiently route data between devices