CompTIA Networking
Revision
Router
A hardware component which connects TWO or more NETWORKS or a
LAN to its ISPs network
Directs data around the networks
Can be used in LANs, WANs & MANs
Transmits data as packets ONLY
Can be faster than a switch (1-100Mbps wireless) & (100Mbps-1Gbps
wired)
SOHO router
SOHO stands for “Small Office / Home Office”
A router type marketed for small businesses & offices
Can be mixed with wired (through a switch) & wireless connections
(wireless devices will require a Network Interface Card)
Can be used with PCs, laptops, printers & VoIP/Fax over IP
Limited performance & features compared to standard routers
Access point
A networking device which allows multiple WiFi devices to connect to a
wired or wireless network
Wireless routers can function as access points but not all access points
can work as routers
Infrastructure mode refers to this sort of configuration
Switch
A hardware component which allows TWO or more devices to
COMMUNICATE with each other
Devices are part of a LAN
Can be devices such as PCs, laptops, printers & servers
Uses the devices MAC address to communicate
Can be much faster than a hub (10Mbps-100Mbps)
Transmits data as frames & packets
Hub
A hardware component which connects computers/laptops to a SINGLE
network
Gets data from VARIOUS directions and RE-DISTRIBUTES them to ALL
devices on the network
Packet collisions are far more likely as it sends date to ALL ports
Typically described as an older/legacy component
Slower than a switch (10Mbps)
Transmits data as bits
Bridge
A hardware device which connects two LANs to a larger LAN & creates
a bigger network
Can divide LANs into multiple segments
Controls traffic in the network
Can filter data depending on the destinations
More expensive than a hub
Very reliable
Cable types
Cables will typically have the Cat spec & cable type on the jacket
Cable types
Cable types
Ports
Used for
UDP port 53 is used for DNS, TCP
Data/
file
transfer
remote
desktop
s
port 80 is used for non-encrypted
Used for
web services, and TCP port 443 is
email,
IMAP is
port #143
used for encrypted web services
and a
permanen
t
(HTTPS)
connectio
n
WiFi bands & frequencies
Most common bands are 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz
2.5Ghz is used by 802.11b, 802.11g & 802.11n
5Ghz is used by 802.11a & 802.11n only
802.11 numbers are a WiFi specification/standard from the IEEE
(Institute of Electrical & Electronics engineers) & are split further into
WiFi numbers
WiFi bands & frequencies
A radio station is like a man giving a speech to a crowd. If you want to
make the crowd bigger, all you need is a louder speaker system.
WiFi is more like a conversation -- your computer asks a specific
question ("Can you tell me the Wikipedia article on cheetahs,
please?") and receives a customized answer ("The cheetah (Acinonyx
jubatus) is a large feline...") Even with powerful sound equipment so
that everyone can hear everyone else, you just cannot do this with
one guy on the stage. There is just no way he could hear everyone in
the audience -- even if you gave them all megaphones, it would just
be an onslaught of noise. Furthermore, he could only answer one
person at a time, so it would take forever to get an answer to your
question.
What you really need is lots of people on the stage to handle multiple
conversations; that is, lots of WiFi base stations, each used by only a
few people at once.