Hardware Riddles
I'm faster than a spin and quiet as night,
I boot your system in a flash of light.
What is an SSD?
This open-source operating system was created in 1991 and now powers everything from phones to servers.
What is Linux?
This interface was created to let scientists at CERN share hypertext documents.
What is the World Wide Web (by Tim Berners-Lee)?
You're connected to Wi-Fi, but no websites load. You try ping 8.8.8.8 and get replies. What's broken?
What is DNS?
DSS - It's where your OS boots from now.
What is SSD?
I live on your CPU and work in silence,
I'm tiny, fast, and hold high reliance.
What is cache memory?
In 2004, this service transformed online emails with gigabytes of free storage.
What is Gmail?
Originally made by IBM in the 1980s, this tiny input device eventually revolutionized laptop navigation.
What is the TrackPoint (the red dot mouse)?
Colleagues can access a shared folder, but you can't. Your firewall allows traffic - what's next to check?
What is user permissions (or SMB settings)?
MAPI - This protocol lets you sync your email across devices.
What is IMAP?
With multiple lanes, I keep things flowing,
I house your CPU and keep data going.
What is a motherboard?
The first iPhone didn't allow 3rd-party apps. In what year did the App Store launch?
What is 2008?
The idea for this security technique was first suggested in 1976 by Diffie and Hellman.
What is public-key encryption?
Your network has intermittent connectivity issues. You discover two DHCP servers are active. What kind of problem is this causing?
What is an IP address conflict (or overlapping DHCP scopes)?
ORWETKN - It connects devices, wired or not.
What is NETWORK?
I'm made of sticks but not from trees,
Plug me in and apps will breeze.
What is RAM?
This decentralized tech quietly began in 2009 and now reshapes finance.
What is Bitcoin (or blockchain)?
First designed by engineers at SanDisk in the late '80s, this storage technology has no moving parts.
What is flash memory (or solid-state storage)?
A client PC can't obtain an IP address and gets a 169.254.x.x. What's your first fix?
What is restart DHCP client or release and renew IP?
NCIEYTORNP - You need me to keep secrets safe in transit.
What is ENCRYPTION?
I'm modular, measured in watts,
Without me, your build is just parts and thoughts.
What is a power supply unit (PSU)?
Apple's switch to their own ARM-based silicon began with this chip.
What is the M1 chip?
Originally designed as a tool to automate builds, this platform became the world's largest code host.
What is GitHub (built on Git by Linus Torvalds)?
Network traffic drops every 5 minutes, like clockwork. You suspect another system is interfering. What tool helps reveal periodic interference or collisions?
What is a packet sniffer (e.g., Wireshark)?
BOKLCANIHC - This tech keeps your data decentralized and tamper-proof.
What is BLOCKCHAIN?