Networking interview questions/Answer set-1

What is LAN?

LAN is a computer network that spans a relatively small area. Most LANs are confined to a single building or group of buildings. However, one LAN can be connected to other LANs over any distance via telephone lines and radio waves. A system of LANs connected in this way is called a wide-area network (WAN). Most LANs connect workstations and personal computers. Each node (individual computer) in a LAN has its own CPU with which it executes programs, but it also is able to access data and devices anywhere on the LAN. This means that many users can share expensive devices, such as laser printers, as well as data. Users can also use the LAN to communicate with each other, by sending e-mail or engaging in chat sessions.


What's the difference Between an Intranet and the Internet?

There's one major distinction between an intranet and the Internet: The Internet is an open, public space, while an intranet is designed to be a private space. An intranet may be accessible from the Internet, but as a rule it's protected by a password and accessible only to employees or other authorized users.

From within a company, an intranet server may respond much more quickly than a typical Web site. This is because the public Internet is at the mercy of traffic spikes, server breakdowns and other problems that may slow the network. Within a company, however, users have much more bandwidth and network hardware may be more reliable. This makes it easier to serve high-bandwidth content, such as audio and video, over an intranet.

Define the term Protocol.

Protocol is a standard way of communicating across a network. A protocol is the "language" of the network. It is a method by which two dissimilar systems can communicate. TCP is a protocol which runs over a network.

What is FTP (File Transfer Protocol)?

FTP is File Transfer Protocol. It used to exchange files on the internet. To enable the data transfer FTP uses TCP/IP, FTP is most commonly used to upload and download files from the internet. FTP can be invoked from the command prompt or some graphical user interface. FTP also allows to update (delete, rename, move, and copy) files at a server. It uses a reserved port no 21.

Explain the 7 Layers of OSI.

Layer 1: Physical layer
It represents all the electrical and physical specifications for devices.


Layer 2: Data link layer
It provides the functional and procedural means to transfer data between network entities and to detect and possibly correct errors that may occur in the Physical layer.

Layer 3: Network layer
The Network layer provides the functional and procedural means of transferring variable length data sequences from a source to a destination via one or more networks.

Layer 4: Transport layer
It provides transparent transfer of data between end users.

Layer 5: Session layer
It controls the sessions between computers. It connects, manages and terminates the connections between the local and remote application.

Layer 6: Presentation layer
It transforms data to provide a standard interface for the Application layer.

Layer 7: Application layer
It provides a means for the user to access information on the network through an application.

What is a network? What are the different kinds of network? Explain them

A network is a group of computers or nodes connected together. They are connected with each other by communication paths.

Types of Networks:

LAN – Local Area Network connects a group of nodes covering a small physical area. LAN’s are most commonly seen in offices, building etc. LAN’s enable higher transfer rate of data, smaller coverage of area and hence less wiring.

WAN – Wide Area Network connects a group of nodes covering a wide area. WAN typically connects and allow communication between regions or national boundaries. The most common example of WAN is internet.

VPN – Virtual Private Network connects or links nodes in some larger area by open connections or virtual circuits in some larger network (e.g., the Internet) instead of by physical wires. It is used for secure communication through the public internet. VPN alone may not support explicit security features, such as authentication or content encryption.

Intranet – It is a set of networks under the control of a single administrative person. It can be considered as an internal network of an organization. If it is large, web servers are used to provide information to the users.

Extranet – It is a network that restricts itself within a single organization. It can be categorized as WAN, MAN etc. however; it cannot have a single LAN. It must have a connection (at least one) with external network.

What are network topologies? Explain Ring, Bus and Star topology.

A network topology describes the layout of a network. It describes how different nodes and elements are connected to each other. Different types of topology:

a. Ring:-

All nodes connected with another in a loop.
Each device is connected to one or more another device on either side.

b. Bus

All nodes connected to a central and a common cable called as a back bone.
In bus topology, the server is at one end and the clients are connected at different positions across the network.
Easy to manage and install.
If the backbone fails, the entire communication fails.

c. Star

All nodes connected to a central hub.
The communication between the nodes is through the hub.
Relative requires more cables as compared to BUS. However if any node fails, it wont affect the entire LAN.