Hello guys. Found this forum and decided to ask some questions I have as I'm going through the Net + material. Any help is appreciated and thanks in advance!
1. CSMA/CD – CSMA/CA are Ethernet networks, but what determines which you use, ie software, the hardware you employ?
2. Do people still use token ring networks?
3. Im reading about communication bandwidth technologies. POTS apparently is just the old school dial up service. ISDN, DSL, Cable modems, wireless, T1 T3 etc Where im somewhat confused is X.25, Frame Relay and ATM. I've never heard of anyone using those three. How do you set those connections up (local or regional ISP's?) I mean you hear of people with a DSL connection or someone who has a T1 line. I've never heard of anyone with a frame relay or ATM line or connection.
4. What determines the usage of Cat _ cables? I know the speeds for each type of cable, but what determines what you will use. Why Cat 5 over Cat 3. Why Cat 7 over Cat 5? Do you base it on the type of data you will be sending over the LAN and the connection speeds you have to the internet?
5. Does anyone actually use coaxial cabling anymore?
6. Does anyone use NetBIOS names?
7. CSU/DSU is only used for T1 and 3 lines?
8. The demark point is where you connect to your ISP. Now it says a demarc terminating device is needed between the ISP to your network and is the starting point for the network wiring. So it gives an example of a T1 connection, going to a CSU/DSU which is connected to a terminating router . Are all routers, terminating routers or is this a specific type of router? Next it shows an example with the demarc connected to the main cross connect and at the main cross connect is a main distribution frame which is the network rack that contains the devices used to manage the connection between external communication cables and the cables of the internal network. Now is the main cross connect a term that encompasses the CSU/DSU or is it something else all together. Same with main distribution frame, is that essentially a name for the router in the above example?
9. Im fuzzy on punchdown blocks and patch panels. A patch panel is used to change the signal path and not terminate a signal correct? A punchdown block is used to terminate a signal?
10. VLAN's and trunking. Im still not getting the usage of VLANs. Say you have 4 segments, each configured as an individual VLAN. Segments 1 and 2 are connected to a switch, segments 3 and 4 are connected to a switch, the switches are connected to each other with the first switch connected to the router. What exactly is the point of the VLAN? Shouldnt the switch be able to determine where to route the data (either to a segment attached to it, or forward to the other switch, or to the router?) Where did the VLAN make anything easier?
11. How prevalent are IPS and IDS and how are they any more effective than a firewall? Why would you want an IDS over an IPS since the IPS can act on the suspicious activity whereas the IDS cannot?
12. DHCP. Can a single user use DHCP or does the ISP give a static IP address when you sign up? Is DHCP something you have to install or is it on the OS?
13. Is Kerberos only used on networks? In what situations would you use it?
14. CHAP is it only used for remote users?
15. In what situations would you use EAP?
16. I understand the theory behind cyphers, keys (public and private) etc but am fuzzy on PKI's and certificates. What is exactly managing the generation, storage and termination of keys and certificates? (Server software?)
17. RADIUS allows remote access to network servers and requires a physical server dedicated to it or just software on an existing server?
18. Diameter is essentially a newer version of Radius?
19. LDAP confuses me. It essentially allows you to store information about users, network resources, file systems and apps? How is it used by network admins? It is software?
20. TACACS+ is essentially a Cisco version of Radius?
21. 802.1x im not sure of its role since it works in conjunction with RADIUS and TACACS+
22. PPTP - only used in VPN's? Inferior to L2TP?
23. L2TP - only used in VPN's? Essentially a combination of IPsec and RADIUS (or TACACS+)?
1. CSMA/CD – CSMA/CA are Ethernet networks, but what determines which you use, ie software, the hardware you employ?
2. Do people still use token ring networks?
3. Im reading about communication bandwidth technologies. POTS apparently is just the old school dial up service. ISDN, DSL, Cable modems, wireless, T1 T3 etc Where im somewhat confused is X.25, Frame Relay and ATM. I've never heard of anyone using those three. How do you set those connections up (local or regional ISP's?) I mean you hear of people with a DSL connection or someone who has a T1 line. I've never heard of anyone with a frame relay or ATM line or connection.
4. What determines the usage of Cat _ cables? I know the speeds for each type of cable, but what determines what you will use. Why Cat 5 over Cat 3. Why Cat 7 over Cat 5? Do you base it on the type of data you will be sending over the LAN and the connection speeds you have to the internet?
5. Does anyone actually use coaxial cabling anymore?
6. Does anyone use NetBIOS names?
7. CSU/DSU is only used for T1 and 3 lines?
8. The demark point is where you connect to your ISP. Now it says a demarc terminating device is needed between the ISP to your network and is the starting point for the network wiring. So it gives an example of a T1 connection, going to a CSU/DSU which is connected to a terminating router . Are all routers, terminating routers or is this a specific type of router? Next it shows an example with the demarc connected to the main cross connect and at the main cross connect is a main distribution frame which is the network rack that contains the devices used to manage the connection between external communication cables and the cables of the internal network. Now is the main cross connect a term that encompasses the CSU/DSU or is it something else all together. Same with main distribution frame, is that essentially a name for the router in the above example?
9. Im fuzzy on punchdown blocks and patch panels. A patch panel is used to change the signal path and not terminate a signal correct? A punchdown block is used to terminate a signal?
10. VLAN's and trunking. Im still not getting the usage of VLANs. Say you have 4 segments, each configured as an individual VLAN. Segments 1 and 2 are connected to a switch, segments 3 and 4 are connected to a switch, the switches are connected to each other with the first switch connected to the router. What exactly is the point of the VLAN? Shouldnt the switch be able to determine where to route the data (either to a segment attached to it, or forward to the other switch, or to the router?) Where did the VLAN make anything easier?
11. How prevalent are IPS and IDS and how are they any more effective than a firewall? Why would you want an IDS over an IPS since the IPS can act on the suspicious activity whereas the IDS cannot?
12. DHCP. Can a single user use DHCP or does the ISP give a static IP address when you sign up? Is DHCP something you have to install or is it on the OS?
13. Is Kerberos only used on networks? In what situations would you use it?
14. CHAP is it only used for remote users?
15. In what situations would you use EAP?
16. I understand the theory behind cyphers, keys (public and private) etc but am fuzzy on PKI's and certificates. What is exactly managing the generation, storage and termination of keys and certificates? (Server software?)
17. RADIUS allows remote access to network servers and requires a physical server dedicated to it or just software on an existing server?
18. Diameter is essentially a newer version of Radius?
19. LDAP confuses me. It essentially allows you to store information about users, network resources, file systems and apps? How is it used by network admins? It is software?
20. TACACS+ is essentially a Cisco version of Radius?
21. 802.1x im not sure of its role since it works in conjunction with RADIUS and TACACS+
22. PPTP - only used in VPN's? Inferior to L2TP?
23. L2TP - only used in VPN's? Essentially a combination of IPsec and RADIUS (or TACACS+)?