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`Network Fundamentals Study Guide | Webopedia
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`HOME> NETWORKING
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`© Vangie Beal
`February 17, 2015
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`Networking fundamentals teaches the building blocks of modern network design. Learn different types of
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`networks, concepts, architecture and design.
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` Networking fundamentals teaches computerscience students the building blocks of
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`WwW
`modern network design. Typically you will learn about the manydifferent types of
`STUDY networks, networking concepts, network architecture, network communications and
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`ania network design.
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`NETWORK FUNDAMENTALS CHECKLIST
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`Jump to a topic:
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`Getting Started: Key Terms to Know
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`Defining a Network
`Different Types of Networks
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`The Importance of Network Standards
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`Network Components, Devices and Functions
`Network Models
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`The 7 Layers of the OSI Model
`The TCP/IP model
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`Network Topologies
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`Tweet This Study Guide!
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`GETTING STARTED: KEY TERMS TO KNOW
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`The following definitions will help you to better understand computer networks:
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`https:/Awww.webopedia.com/reference/network-fundamentals-study-guide/#topologies
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`e network
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`e networking
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`e stub network
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`e star network
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`e
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`ring network
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`e bus network
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`* network map
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`DEFINING A NETWORK
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`A networkis a group of two or more computer systems or other devices that are linked together to
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`exchange data. Networks share resources, exchangefiles and electronic communications. For example,
`networked computers can sharefiles or multiple computers on the network can share the same printer.
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`DIFFERENT TYPES OF NETWORKS
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`There are many types of computer networks. Commontypes of networks include the following:
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`+ Local-area network (LAN): The computers are geographically close together (thatis, in the same
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`building).
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`« Wide-area network (WAN): The computers are farther apart and are connected by telephonelines or
`radio waves.
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`¢ Metropolitan=-area network (MAN): A data network designed for a town or city.
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`« Home-area network (HAN): A network contained within a user's home that connects a person's digital
`devices.
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`¢ Virtual private network (VPN): A network that is constructed by using public wires usually the Internet
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`to connectto a private network, such as a company's internal network.
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`« Storage area network (SAN): A high-speed networkof storage devices that also connects those storage
`devices with servers.
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`RecommendedReading: Webopedia’s Virtual Private Network (VPN) Study Guide.
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`THE IMPORTANCE OF NETWORK STANDARDS
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`Network standardsare important to ensure that hardware and software can work together. Without
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`standards you could not easily develop a network to share information. Networking standards can be
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`categorized in one of two ways: formal and de facto (informal).
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`Formal standards are developed by industry organizations or governments. Formal standards exist for
`networklayer software,data link layer, hardware and so on. Formal standardizationis a lengthy process of
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`developing the specification, identifying choices and industry acceptance.
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`Thereare a several leading organizations for standardization including The International Organization for
`Standardization (ISO) and The American National StandardsInstitute (ANSI). TheNatsConpanyTeehiAofogies Inc. v. Bright Data Ltd.
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`Network Fundamentals Study Guide | Webopedia
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`organization in the world is the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). IETF sets the standards that govern
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`how much of the Internet operates.
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`The second category of networking standards is de facto standards. These standards typically emergein
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`the marketplace and are supported by technology vendors but have no official backing. For example,
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`Microsoft Windowsis a de facto standard, but is not formally recognized by any standards organization. It is
`simply widely recognized and accepted.
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`NETWORK COMPONENTS, DEVICES AND
`FUNCTIONS
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`Networks share common devices and functions, such as servers, transmission media (the cabling used to
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`connect the network) clients, shared data(e.g. files and email), network cards, printers and other peripheral
`devices.
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`The following is a brief introduction to common network components and devices. You can click anylink
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`below to read the full Webopedia definition:
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`Server: A computer or device on a network that manages networkresources. Servers are often
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`dedicated, meaning that they perform no other tasks besides their server tasks.
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`Client: A client is an application that runs on a personal computer or workstation and relies on a server
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`to perform someoperations.
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`Devices: Computerdevices, such as a CD-ROM drive orprinter, that is not part of the essential
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`computer. Examplesof devices include disk drives, printers, and modems.
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`Transmission Media: the type of physical system used to carry a communication signal from one
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`system to another. Examples of transmission media include twisted-pair cable, coaxial cable, and fiber
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`optic cable.
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`Network Operating System (NOS): A network operating system includes special functionsfor
`connecting computers and devices into a local-area network (LAN). The term network operating
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`system is generally reserved for software that enhances a basic operating system by adding
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`networkingfeatures.
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`Operating System: Operating systemsprovide a software platform on top of which other programs,
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`called application programs, can run. Operating systems perform basic tasks, such as recognizing
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`input from the keyboard, sending outputto the display screen, keeping trackoffiles and directories on
`the disk, and controlling peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers.
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`NetworkInterface Card (NIC): An expansion board you insert into a computer so the computer can be
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`connected to a network. Most NICs are designed for a particular type of network, protocol, and media,
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`although somecan serve multiple networks.
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`Hub: Acommonconnection point for devices in a network. A hub contains multiple ports. When a
`packetarrives at one port,it is copied to the otherports so that all segments of the LAN can seeall
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`packets.
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`Network Fundamentals Study Guide | Webopedia
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`The TCP/IP network modelis a four-layer reference model. All protocols that belong to the TCP/IP protocol
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`suite are located in the top threelayers of this model.
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`Application
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`Defines TCP/IP application protocols and how host programsinterface with transport layer services to
`use the network. Protocol examples include HTTP,Telnet, FTP, TFTP, SNMP, DNS, SMTP.
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`Transport
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`Provides communication session management between host computers. Defines the level of service
`and status of the connection used when transporting data. Protocol examplesinclude TCP, UDP,RTP.
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`Internet
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`Packages data into IP datagrams, which contain source and destination address information thatis
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`used to forward the datagrams between hosts and across networks. Performs routing of IP datagrams.
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`Protocol examples include IP, ICMP, ARP, RARP.
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`Network interface
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`Specifies details of how datais physically sent through the network, including howbitsare electrically
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`signaled by hardware devices that interface directly with a network medium, suchas coaxial cable,
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`optical fiber, or twisted-pair copper wire. Protocol examples include Ethernet, Token Ring, FDDI, X.25,
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`FrameRelay, RS=232,v.35.
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`Eachlayer of the TCP/IP model corresponds to one or morelayers of the seven-layer Open Systems
`Interconnection (OSI) reference model.
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`NETWORK TOPOLOGIES
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`Network topology refers to the shape or the arrangementof the different elements in a computer network
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`(i.e. links and nodes). Network Topology defines how different nodes in a network are connected to each
`other and how they communicate is determined by the network's topology.
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`Topologies are either physical or logical. There are four principal topologies used in LANs.
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`Bus Topology
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`All devices are connected to a central cable, called the bus or backbone. Bus networks arerelatively
`inexpensive and easy to install for small networks.
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`Ring Topology
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`All devices are connected to one another in the shape of a closed loop, so that each deviceis
`connected directly to two other devices, one on eitherside ofit.
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`Star Topology
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`All devices are connected to a central hub. Star networks are relatively easy to install and manage, but
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`Tree Topology
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`Network Fundamentals Study Guide | Webopedia
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`A tree topology combinescharacteristics of linear bus and star topologies.It consists of groupsof star-
`configured workstations connectedto a linear bus backbonecable.
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`These topologies can also be mixed. For example, a bus-star networkconsists of a high-bandwidth bus,
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`called the backbone, which connectsa collections of slower-bandwidth star segments.
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`RecommendedReading: View Webopedia’s What are Network Topologies study guidefor in-depth
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`descriptions and diagrams.
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`UPDATED:This page was updated April 2021 by Web Webster.
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`https:/Awww.webopedia.com/reference/network-fundamentals-study-guide/#topologies
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