Networking interview questions/Answer set-3

What is PPP protocol? Explain PPP packet format.

Point to Point protocol helps communication between 2 computers over a serial cable, phone line or other fiber optic lines, e.g. Connection between an Internet Service Provider and a host. PPP also provides authentication. PPP operates by sending Request packets and waiting for Acknowledge packets that accept, reject or try to change the request. The protocol is also used to negotiate on network address or compression options between the nodes.

Packet format

Flag field: 1 byte: - Indicates frames beginning or end

Address field: 1 byte: - Used for broadcast address (destination address)

Control field: 1 byte: - Used as a control byte

Protocol field: - 1 or 2 bytes: - Setting of protocol in information field (of datagram)

Information: - 0 or more bytes: - Datagram (whether it contains data or control information)

Padding: - 0 or more bytes: - optional padding

FCS: - 2 or more bytes: - error check sum

What is IP Spoofing and how can it be prevented?

IP spoofing is a mechanism used by attackers to gain unauthorized access to a system. Here, the intruder sends messages to a computer with an IP address indicating that the message is coming from a trusted host. This is done by forging the header so it contains a different address and make it appear that the packet was sent by a different machine.

Prevention
Packet filtering: - to allow packets with recognized formats to enter the network
using special routers and firewalls.
Encrypting the session

Explain IP datagram, Fragmentation and MTU.

IP datagram can be used to describe a portion of IP data. Each IP datagram has set of fields arranged in an order. The order is specific which helps to decode and read the stream easily. IP datagram has fields like Version, header length, Type of service, Total length, checksum, flag, protocol, Time to live, Identification, source and destination ip address, padding, options and payload.

MTU: Maximum Transmission Unit is the size of the largest packet that a communication protocol can pass. The size can be fixed by some standard or decided at the time of connection

Fragmentation is a process of breaking the IP packets into smaller pieces. Fragmentation is needed when the datagram is larger than the MTU. Each fragment becomes a datagram in itself and transmitted independently from source. When received by destination they are reassembled.


What is an application gateway?

An application gateway is an application program that runs on a firewall between two networks. An application gateway is used for establishing connection between client program and destination service. The client negotiates with the gateway to communicate with the service of destination. Here, gateway can be called as a proxy. Hence, two connections are made; One between client and proxy; other between proxy and destination service. Connections take place behind the firewall.

Explain Circuit Level Gateway.

A circuit level gateway is used to find if a session in TCP handshaking is legitimate or not. It can be considered as a layer between application layer and transport layer. They protect the information of the private network they protect. Circuit level gateways do not filter packets.

What is 'Gateway of Last Resort'?

A Gateway of Last Resort or Default gateway is a route used by the router when no other known route exists to transmit the IP packet. Known routes are present in the routing table. Hence, any route not known by the routing table is forwarded to the default route. Each router which receives this packet will treat the packet the same way, if the route is known, packet will be forwarded to the known route.