Architecture & Cloud
What is the primary role of a client device in a network?
To initiate a request for data or services from a server.
Which Wi-Fi frequency band travels farther and penetrates solid walls better: 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz?
2.4 GHz (lower frequency means less attenuation over distance).
What is a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack designed to do?
Flood a target server with millions of fake request packets using a botnet until it crashes.
What does RTT stand for, and what does it measure?
Round-Trip Time; it measures the total time (in ms) for a packet to reach a destination and return.
What is the primary job of the Domain Name System (DNS) on the internet?
It acts as the "phonebook" of the internet, translating human-readable domain names (like google.com) into numeric IP addresses.
What does "elastic scalability" mean in cloud computing?
The ability to instantly scale server capacity up or down automatically based on traffic demand.
According to the Free-Space Path Loss rule (d^2), what happens to your signal strength if you double your distance from a router?
It drops to one-fourth 1/4 of its strength 2^2 = 4.
What core vulnerability do phishing and social engineering attacks exploit?
Human psychology and trust, rather than software bugs.
Which protocol does the standard ping command use to test target reachability?
ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol).
What is the main difference between TCP and UDP protocols?
TCP is connection-oriented and guarantees delivery (resending lost packets), while UDP is connectionless and faster, but doesn't care if packets are dropped (used for live streaming/gaming).
Why do massive AI and cloud data centers require extensive liquid cooling or high-capacity HVAC systems?
To prevent server processors from thermal throttling under heavy computational loads.
What does QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) do to maximize Wi-Fi speeds?
It alters both wave amplitude and phase to pack multiple bits of data into a single wave cycle.
What is the fundamental security principle behind a "Zero-Trust" network architecture?
"Never trust, always verify"—every user and device must be authenticated and authorized continuously.
How does the traceroute utility map every router hop along a path?
By incrementally raising the packet's TTL (Time to Live) value by 1 until routers respond with "Time Exceeded."
What is the standard port number for secure web traffic (HTTPS)?
Port 443 (Port 80 is used for unencrypted HTTP).
True or False: Private IP ranges (like 192.168.x.x) can be routed directly across the public internet without translation.
False (they require NAT to be translated into a public IP address).
Why do routers on the 2.4 GHz band use non-overlapping channels like 1, 6, and 11?
To prevent co-channel interference from neighboring networks shouting over the same frequencies.
Why is Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) effective even if a cybercriminal steals your text-password?
The attacker doesn't possess the separate, physical verification factor (like an authenticator app code or hardware token).
In CIDR notation, what does a /24 subnet mask mean regarding network bits and host capacity?
The first 24 bits are locked for the Network ID, leaving 8 bits for hosts
What specific role does a router play when a packet arrives from a local device destined for a remote website outside the local network?
It strips the local data-link frame, reads the destination IP address in the Layer 3 header, checks its routing table, and forwards the packet out toward the next gateway hop.
Final Jeopardy - End-to-End Network Investigation