Questions in: Network & Telecom

Right Answer:
DHCP, or Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, is a network protocol that automatically assigns IP addresses and other network configuration parameters to devices on a network. It works by having a DHCP server that maintains a pool of IP addresses. When a device connects to the network, it sends a request to the DHCP server, which then assigns an available IP address from its pool and sends it back to the device along with other necessary configuration information, such as the subnet mask and default gateway.

Right Answer:
DNS, or Domain Name System, is a system that translates human-readable domain names (like www.example.com) into IP addresses (like 192.0.2.1) that computers use to identify each other on the network. When a user types a domain name into a browser, the DNS server looks up the corresponding IP address and directs the browser to the correct website.

Right Answer:
A public IP address is assigned to devices that are directly connected to the internet and can be accessed from anywhere, while a private IP address is used within a local network and cannot be accessed directly from the internet.

Right Answer:
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a service that creates a secure and encrypted connection over the internet between your device and a remote server. It secures communication by encrypting your data, masking your IP address, and allowing you to access the internet privately, protecting your information from hackers and surveillance.

Right Answer:
Firewalls are security devices or software that monitor and control incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. They protect networks by blocking unauthorized access while allowing legitimate traffic, thus preventing attacks and data breaches.

Right Answer:
Load balancing is the process of distributing network traffic across multiple servers or resources to ensure no single server becomes overwhelmed. It is important in telecom because it enhances performance, increases reliability, and ensures efficient use of resources, leading to improved service quality and user experience.

Right Answer:
The different types of network topologies are:

1. **Bus Topology**
2. **Star Topology**
3. **Ring Topology**
4. **Mesh Topology**
5. **Tree Topology**
6. **Hybrid Topology**

Right Answer:
The purpose of VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks) is to segment a physical network into multiple logical networks, allowing for improved traffic management, enhanced security, and better organization of network resources.

Right Answer:
QoS (Quality of Service) is a set of technologies and techniques used to manage network resources and prioritize certain types of traffic to ensure a consistent and reliable performance. In telecom networks, QoS impacts the delivery of voice, video, and data services by minimizing latency, reducing packet loss, and ensuring bandwidth availability, which enhances the overall user experience.

Right Answer:
SDN (Software Defined Networking) is an approach to networking that separates the control plane from the data plane. It allows network administrators to manage network services through abstraction of lower-level functionality. In SDN, a central controller communicates with network devices using open protocols, enabling dynamic management of network resources, automation, and improved network efficiency.

Right Answer:
A router connects different networks and directs data between them, a switch connects devices within the same network and forwards data to specific devices, and a hub connects multiple devices in a network but sends data to all devices without filtering.

Right Answer:
A proxy server acts as an intermediary between a user and the internet, helping to enhance network security by filtering requests, hiding the user's IP address, caching content for faster access, and blocking malicious sites or content.

Right Answer:
The OSI model is a conceptual framework used to understand and implement network communications. It has seven layers:

1. **Physical Layer** - Deals with the physical connection and transmission of raw data.
2. **Data Link Layer** - Provides node-to-node data transfer and error detection/correction.
3. **Network Layer** - Manages routing and forwarding of data packets across the network.
4. **Transport Layer** - Ensures reliable data transfer and error recovery between hosts.
5. **Session Layer** - Manages sessions and controls the dialogues between computers.
6. **Presentation Layer** - Translates data formats and encrypts/decrypts information.
7. **Application Layer** - Interfaces with end-user applications and provides network services.

Right Answer:
VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is a technology that allows voice communication to be transmitted over the internet instead of traditional telephone lines. The main difference from traditional telephony is that VoIP converts voice signals into digital data packets and sends them over the internet, while traditional telephony uses circuit-switched networks to establish a dedicated line for each call.

Right Answer:
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is a set of communication protocols used for the internet and similar networks. It is a four-layer model consisting of the Link, Internet, Transport, and Application layers.

The main difference from the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model is that TCP/IP has fewer layers (four compared to OSI's seven) and is more focused on practical implementation rather than a theoretical framework. Additionally, TCP/IP combines some OSI layers, such as the Transport and Session layers, into a single layer.

Right Answer:
5G is the fifth generation of mobile network technology, offering faster speeds, lower latency, and greater capacity than previous generations. It impacts networking and telecom by enabling more connected devices, supporting advanced applications like IoT, augmented reality, and smart cities, and improving overall network efficiency and performance.

Right Answer:
Subnetting is the process of dividing a larger network into smaller, manageable sub-networks (subnets). To perform subnetting, follow these steps:

1. Determine the network's IP address and subnet mask.
2. Decide how many subnets are needed and how many hosts each subnet should support.
3. Calculate the new subnet mask by borrowing bits from the host portion of the IP address.
4. Create subnets by incrementing the subnet address based on the new subnet mask.
5. Assign IP addresses within each subnet, ensuring that the network and broadcast addresses are reserved.

This allows for efficient IP address management and improved network performance.

Right Answer:
Some common network protocols used in telecom services include:

1. SIP (Session Initiation Protocol)
2. RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol)
3. H.323
4. MGCP (Media Gateway Control Protocol)
5. SCTP (Stream Control Transmission Protocol)
6. TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)
7. UDP (User Datagram Protocol)
8. SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol)

Right Answer:
IP addressing is a system used to identify devices on a network using unique numerical labels. There are two main types of IP addresses:

1. **IPv4**: This is the most widely used version, consisting of 32 bits, typically represented as four decimal numbers separated by dots (e.g., 192.168.1.1). It allows for about 4.3 billion unique addresses.

2. **IPv6**: This is the newer version designed to replace IPv4, consisting of 128 bits, represented as eight groups of hexadecimal numbers separated by colons (e.g., 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334). It allows for a vastly larger number of unique addresses, addressing the limitations of IPv4.

Right Answer:
NAT (Network Address Translation) is a technique used in networking to modify the IP address information in packet headers while they are in transit across a traffic routing device. It allows multiple devices on a local network to share a single public IP address when accessing the internet. NAT works by translating the private IP addresses of devices within a local network to a public IP address, and vice versa, enabling communication between the local network and external networks.