Networks & Internet
What is a computer network?
What is A group of interconnected computing devices capable of sending or receiving data.
Name two devices that can be part of a network.
Computers, tablets, routers, servers, or smart sensors.
What is an IP address?
A unique identifier assigned to each device on the Internet.
What is redundancy in a network?
Having multiple pathways to send data to improve reliability.
What is a data packet?
A small piece of data with routing info sent over a network.
What is the “digital divide”?
The gap between those with and without Internet access.
What is bandwidth measured in?
What is Bits per second (bps)
What is a computing system?
A group of computing devices and programs working together for a common purpose.
What is a protocol?
An agreed-upon set of rules that specify how devices communicate.
Why is fault tolerance important?
It allows the network to continue working despite failures.
TCP vs UDP: Which guarantees packet order?
TCP guarantees packet order.
Name one unintended consequence of computing innovation.
Privacy concerns, misinformation, or inequity in access.
Name one issue that impacts network functionality.
What is Bandwidth, load, delay, or topology.
What does a switch do in a network?
Connects devices within the same network to communicate.
Why are open and shared protocols important?
They allow different devices and networks to connect and communicate easily.
How does redundancy improve reliability?
By providing alternate routes if one path fails.
What happens to packets that arrive out of order?
They are reordered before being reassembled.
Who issues digital certificates for web security?
Certificate authorities.
What is the maximum amount of data sent per second called?
What is Bandwidth.
What is the purpose of creating a path between two devices?
To send data from the sender to the receiver.
What does DNS stand for?
Domain Name System.
What happens if a primary network path fails?
Data is routed through secondary paths.
What metadata might a packet contain?
Source and destination addresses, sequence numbers, and error-checking data.
What are some social or ethical concerns with Internet access?
Privacy, equity, misinformation, and surveillance.
Explain the difference between a network and the Internet.
What is The Internet is a global network of networks, while a network can be any group of connected devices.
Explain routing in your own words.
The process of finding a path for sending data between devices on a network.
How do routers use addressing information?
They use IP addresses to forward data packets to their destination.
Give one benefit and one drawback of redundancy.
Benefit - improved reliability; Drawback - more resource usage.
Why does the Internet send data as packets, not as one giant message?
Sending data in packets allows for faster, more efficient, and more reliable transmission.
How can the structure of the Internet influence social equality?
It can either bridge or widen gaps in access and opportunity.