Abu Alam

2-2 Scenario-Based Assignment: Interview

IT 340: Network and Telecom Management: Professor Sabato

March 14, 2020

What are some foundational concepts and components of a computer network?

A computer network is the detailed interconnections of computers or computer systems for the

purpose of sharing information between them. Several components come together to form a

computer network. They are:

 Computers, often referred to as nodes or hosts

 Transmission media, like copper cables, fiber optic cables or Wi-Fi technologies

 Network interfaces are devices like bridges, hubs, switches, routers that send and receive

the information in the form of electrical signals

 Protocols are the set of standards or rules which define how computers or computer

systems communicate with each other. A set of protocols working in conjunction with

other protocols is known as the protocol suite. For example, TCP/IP, which is the widely

used protocol suite.

Implementation of networks can be expensive and difficult to maintain, but good and effective

networks often save an organization cost in the long run, increasing productivity and

collaboration. There are several classifications of networks, like a peer-to-peer, where hosts are

interconnected to each other. Another classification is client-server, where hosts consume

client-server networks are widely used as they are easy to scale and with centralized support and

control, making data backup on the network easier.

There are different types of network types, like personal area network (PAN) for a small area.

Devices on this network are usually connected through Bluetooth wireless networking like smart

phone, smart watches etc. Local Area Network, or LAN, is the widely used networking type

using cables to connect hosts and is ideal for offices. WLAN is wireless LAN, using radio

signals to connect hosts and is also good for offices. Metropolitan Area Network or MAN covers

an area ranging from few city blocks to an entire city. Wide Area Network or WAN is the

interconnection of LAN networks that are geographically apart. Controller Area Network or

CAN is designed to allow data communication between devices and microcontrollers.

Another very crucial part of networking is the architecture of the networking, or how the hosts

are interconnected and communicate with each other. This is called topology. Physical topology

is defined as how the hosts are connected, and the logical topology is how the hosts

communicate. The different types of topologies are Bus, where the hosts are connected to a

single trunk cable. Ring topology is where each host is connected to its neighbor, until a ring is

formed, Star topology is where the hosts are connected to a centralized hub or switch. And then

there is Mesh topology where each host has multiple connections to the other hosts. For seamless

communication between hosts, networks use a standardized framework called OSI (Open System

Interconnection), which is widely used. OSI model assists vendors and communications software

developers to produce interoperable network systems. The OSI model layers are Physical, Data

Link, Network, Transport, Session, Presentation and Application. (TestOut Network Pro, 1.1.4).

(Kumar, Dalal, Dixit, 2014).

Networks that run TCP/IP protocols are assigned special network numbers. In turn each host on

the network has a unique number assigned to it. The IPv4 address is a 32-bit number, divided in

4 8-bit octets, separated by periods (dots). The IPv4 address of a host on a network is the

combination of network address in the first two octets and the host address in the last two. In

other words, the IPv4 address identifies a network interface on a host. The IPv4 address consists

of the network part, the first two octets or two bytes that specifies the number assigned to the

network. It also identifies the class of the network. The host part of the address are the last two

bytes (last two octets) of the address, that is assigned by the network administrator. The host part

identifies the host on the network. for each host on the network, the network part of the IPv4

address is the same while the host part has to be different for each host. Local area networks with

a large number of hosts on the network are at times divided into smaller networks of the original

network called subnets. If there are subnets on the network, the subnets must be assigned subnet

numbers for each subnet. ("Parts of the IPv4 Address (System Administration Guide: IP

Services)", 2020)

When should a network administrator assign static IP addresses to network devices?

There are two types of IP address assignment. DHCP and Static. DHCP is automatic IP

assignment by special DHCP server ensuring each client is assigned a unique IP address. DHCP

is the preferred IP configuration system over Static. Static IP address assignment is manual IP

configuration. Static IP configuration has to be done manually and individually on each host.

Instances when a network administrator should assign Static IP addresses are on networks with

limited number of hosts, and networks that do not change or grow. Static IP addressing is also

well used for hosts that cannot accept IP addresses from DHCP servers and to reduce DHCP
related traffic. A network administrator should also assign static IP addresses to hosts that must

always have the static addresses like printers, routers and servers. (Ch 5.1.9, TestOut Network

Pro).
References

Kumar, S., Dalal, S., Dixit, V. (2014). The OSI Model: Overview on The Seven layers of

Computer Networks, V-2, I-3, p461 - p466.

Parts of the IPv4 Address (System Administration Guide: IP Services). (2020) from

https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19683-01/806-4075/ipref-1/index.html

TestOut LabSim. (2020). Retrieved 15 March 2020, Ch – 1.1, 1.2 from

https://cdn.testout.com/client-v5-1-10-612/startlabsim.html

TestOut LabSim. (2020). Retrieved 15 March 2020, Ch – 5.1.2, 5.1.4, 5.1.9 from

https://cdn.testout.com/client-v5-1-10-612/startlabsim.html