Chapter 2, Network Hardware

Chapter 2, Lesson 1
Network Cables
|2| 1. Cable Topologies
|3| A. Bus topology
1. Uses coaxial cable
2. Used by thick and thin _________ networks
3. The nodes are connected in ________.
4. A bus network must be _____________ at both ends.
5. The signals transmitted by a computer travel in both directions.
6. Cable faults affect the __________ network.
a. A cable fault breaks the network in two, preventing signals from
passing from one segment to the other.
b. The lack of termination on the broken ends further degrades
performance.
|4| B. Star topology
1. _________ common topology used in LANs today
a. Used primarily with Ethernet
2. Uses various cable types, especially unshielded twisted pair (UTP)
3. Requires a ______ (or concentrator)
4. Computers are connected to the _________, not to each other.
5. Cable faults affect only _____ computer.
6. The hub is a central point of ________, but hub faults are rare.
|5| C. Ring topology
1. A ring network is like a ____ network with the two ends connected.
2. Used primarily by Token Ring and Fiber Distributed Data Interface
(FDDI) protocols
3. Most (but not all) ring networks are ________ rings.
a. The physical network takes the form of a star.
4. Most ring networks use the token passing Media Access Control (MAC)
mechanism.
|6| 5. In a physical ring, a cable fault affects the _______ network.
6. A logical ring is physically cabled as a star and has the fault tolerance of
a star network.
7. FDDI can use a ___________ ring topology or a double ring topology.
8. Double ring topology
a. Consists of two separate rings, with traffic flowing in ____________
directions
b. Requires a computer to have a network interface with two jacks
c. If a cable __________, traffic is shunted to the other ring.
|7| D. Hierarchical star topology
1. Also known as a branching tree network
2. Expands a star network beyond a _________ hub
E. Mesh topology
|8| 1. Mesh LANs
a. Mesh LANs are generally theoretical; _______ do not actually use
them.
b. In a mes h LAN, every computer is ____________ connected to every
other computer.
|9| 2. Mesh internetworks
a. In a mesh internetwork, there are multiple ___________ to a
destination.
b. Mesh internetworks use redundant routers to provide fault tolerance.
|10| F. Wireless topologies
1. Wireless LANs have two basic topologies: ad hoc and infrastructure.
a. Ad hoc topology. Connects two or more wireless computers
communicating only with each other
b. Infrastructure network. Connects wireless computers communicating
with a wireless interface device called a network access point
(1) The network access point provides access to a standard cabled
network.

2. Cable Types
|11| A. Coaxial cable
1. Consists of two conductors separated by ___________:
a. A central core that carries the signals
b. A copper _______ that surrounds the central core and functions as a
ground
2. Used on LANs only for thick and thin ____________
3. Obsolete on LANs today
|12| 4. RG-8 type
a. _______ Ethernet
b. 0.405 inch thick
c. Uses N connectors
d. The sheath is often yellow (“frozen yellow garden hose”).
e. Uses a separate Attachment Unit Interface (AUI) cable to connect the
___________ to the RG-8 cable
5. RG-58 type
a. ________ Ethernet
b. 0.195 inch thick
c. Uses bayonet-Neill-Concelman (______) connectors with a T fitting,
which plug into the computer
|13| B. Twisted-pair cable
1. UTP cable contains _______ separate insulated wires twisted into four
pairs.

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 a. Each pair is twisted at a different rate, to prevent _____________ and
outside interference.
2. Twisted-pair cables are traditionally wired straight through; all circuit
crossovers are performed in the ______.
3. _____________ cables are available for special applications (such as
hubless, two-node networks).
4. Individual wires can be solid or stranded.
a. Solid wires are stiffer but carry signals better and are used for
_________ runs.
b. Stranded wires are more flexible and are used for shorter runs.
5. Uses ________ connectors
|14| 6. Unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cable
a. Most __________ cable type for LANs
b. Classified in _____ categories by the Electronics Industry
Association/Telecommunications Industry Association (EIA/TIA)
(1) Most UTP networks installed today use Category __ cable.
(2) Some legacy networks use Category __, the standard grade for
voice telephone cabling.
7. Shielded twisted-pair (STP) cable
a. Contains ____ pairs of wires
b. Each pair is individually shielded.
c. Originally used on IBM _______ _______ networks
d. ________ used today
e. Type 1A cables are used for longer runs.
f. Type 6A cables are used for shorter patch cables.
g. Uses IBM data connectors (IDCs)
h. Used in environments vulnerable to electromagnetic interference
|15| C. Fiber optic cable
1. Uses glass or _________ filaments
2. The signals are pulses of ______, not electrical charges as with copper-
based cables.
3. Used for FDDI, fiber optic Ethernet, and many types of wide area
network (WAN) technologies
4. Offers several advantages:
a. Impervious to _____________________ _____________
b. More resistant to _______________ than copper is
c. More secure than copper cable
5. Contains a single conductor surrounded by reflective cladding and a
protective sheath
|16| 6. Typically uses straight tip (ST) or subscriber connector (SC) connectors
7. The cable size is referenced by the diameter of the core followed by the
diameter of the cladding, measured in __________.
a. Example: 62.5/125

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|17| 8. There are two primary types of fiber optic cable: ________________
and _________________.
a. Singlemode fiber optic
(1) Typical size: 8.3/125
(2) More expensive than multimode
(3) Uses a single-wavelength __________ light source
(4) Used for ________-distance cable runs
(5) Generally used for WANs
b. Multimode fiber optic
(1) Typical size: 62.5/125
(2) Less ____________ than singlemode
(3) Uses a light-emitting diode (____) light source
(4) Cannot span distances as long as singlemode fiber optic cable
can
(5) Used mostly in ________ installations

Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Network Interface Adapters
|18| 1. Understanding Network Interface Adapter Functions
A. A network interface adapter is known as a ______ when it is installed in
an expansion slot.
B. Provides the computer with an interface to the _____________
C. Usually takes the form of an ___________ card that plugs into one of
the following:
1. Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus
2. Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus
3. PC Card bus
D. Can be _____________ into the motherboard
|19| E. Functions
1. Data-link layer protocol implementation (with a network adapter
______)
2. Data encapsulation
3. Signal encoding and decoding
4. Data transmission and reception
5. Data buffering
6. Serial/parallel conversion
7. Media Access Control (MAC)
|20| F. What to check for when purchasing a NIC
1. Does the NIC use the correct data-link layer protocol?
2. Does the NIC use the correct bus type?
3. Does the NIC have the correct network cable ______________?

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 2. Installing a NIC
|21| A. To install a NIC into a standard expansion slot on a desktop computer:
1. Power off the computer.
2. Open the computer case.
3. Locate a free slot.
4. Remove the slot cover.
5. Insert the card into the slot.
6. Secure the card in the slot.
7. Close the computer case.

3. Configuring a NIC
A. NICs need access to hardware resources in order to communicate with
the computer.
|22| B. NICs use the following hardware ___________:
1. Interrupt request (IRQ)
2. Input/output (I/O) port address
3. Memory address
4. Direct memory access (DMA) channel
C. Most NICs require only an IRQ and an _____ port address.
4. Installing Network Adapter Drivers
A. Every network interface adapter requires a ________.
B. Network adapter drivers must be configured to use the same hardware
resources as the adapter itself.
|23| 5. Troubleshooting a Network Interface Adapter
A. A network interface adapter rarely malfunctions.
B. Before checking the network interface adapter, check the following for
problems:
1. Check the adapter’s _____________ to the computer and the network.
2. Check the driver.
3. Check the configuration of the computer’s other networking
components.
4. Check the network _______ by swapping it with one that you know is
functional.
C. NIC manufacturers sometimes provide a diagnostic program.
1. If the dia gnostic program finds a problem with the card, open the
computer and examine the NIC.
2. Ensure that the NIC is fully __________ in the slot.
D. Replace faulty NICs rather than trying to repair them.

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 Chapter 2, Lesson 3
Network Hubs
|24| 1. Understanding Ethernet Hubs
A. A hub is a device used to ___________ all of the computers on a star
or ring network.
1. Also called a concentrator or a multiport ___________
2. Usually a _____________-layer device
B. Available in various sizes
1. The number of _______ varies from 4 to 24 or more.
2. Some hubs are small, inexpensive, standalone devices intended for home
or small business networks.
3. Larger hubs can be stacked together or mounted in a _________.
C. The hub creates a shared network medium on a LAN.
1. Functions as a repeater: a device that _____________ signals to
counteract the effects of attenuation
2. When signals enter any of the hub’s ports, the hub amplifies them and
transmits them through ______ of the other ports.
3. Hub ports have a crossover circuit that routes the transmit signals
generated by one computer to the receive inputs of the others.
4. Ethernet hubs are in most cases purely electrical devices that work with
signals at their most __________ level.
a. The hub does _______ read the contents of data packets or even
recognize them as data packets.
D. Smart hubs (also known as intelligent hubs) have greater data
processing capabilities, including the following services:
1. Store and forward
a. The hub contains buffers used to store packets temporarily before it
retransmits stored packets out through specific ports.
b. Function approaches that of a switch (as covered in Chapter 3,
“Network Connections”)
2. Managed hub
a. Uses Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) to transmit
periodic reports to a network management console
b. Allows you to monitor the operation of each port
|25| E. Connecting Ethernet hubs
1. Most hubs have an _________ port (an extra port used to connect to
other ________).
a. The uplink port provides a __________-through circuit, while the
other ports all have crossovers.
b. The uplink port can sometimes be switched to a ____________ port.
2. To connect two hubs, you plug a cable into the uplink port on one hub
and into a ___________ port on the other hub.

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|26| 2. Understanding Token Ring MAUs
A. A multistation access unit is called a MAU (or MSAU).
B. Similar in appearance to an Ethernet hub, but very different in
__________
C. MAUs are _______ repeaters.
D. MAU functions
1. MAUs receive signals through one port and transmit them out through
the ________ port in line.
2. ____________ connected to a MAU are responsible for transmitting all
signals they receive from the MAU back to the MAU.
3. By sending signals to and receiving them back from each connected
computer in turn, the MAU implements the logical ring topology.
E. Each port on a MAU must be initialized to add the connected computer
to the ring network.

|27| Chapter Summary

A. The network topology is the pattern used to connect computers and
other devices with the cable or other network medium.
B. The three primary LAN topologies are bus, star, and ring.
C. UTP cable in the star topology is the most common network medium
used today.
D. A network interface adapter provides the interface that enables a
computer to connect to a network.
E. The network interface adapter and its driver implement the data-link
layer protocol on the computer.
F. Hubs are devices that connect computers on a star or ring network.

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