Network Online Course
Lesson 1 - Network Basics
Review: Network Basics
If you have mastered the material presented in this lesson, than you will feel comfortable
with the following topics. For your convenience, here is a summary of the sections and the
material they covered.
Section A: Network definition
Can you define a computer network? Pay particular attention to its characteristics -
collection of computing devices; uses communication software, particularly protocols; they
understand each other; and they share resources.
Section B: LAN vs. WAN
Know the characteristics of a LAN and WANs. Know the different types of WANs. Know the
typical components of a LAN.
Section C: Processing strategies
One of the most important characteristics of a network is the location of the processing and
the storage of files. Make sure you know the difference between a multi-user host
(centralized processing), distributed processing and client/server.
Section D: Resource control
Control of resources impacts on so many areas of a network: ease of use, management,
security, performance, to name just a few. It is important that you know how the different
models work and the advantages and disadvantages of hierarchical networks, centralized file
server and peer-to-peer networks.
Now check your understanding and knowledge with the following exercise.
Exercise 1-6:Network Basics Quiz
1. Which is not a characteristic of a LAN?
a) It is used by a single organization
b) Applications run inside the workstation
c) It connects users across a city
d) It is a high capacity system
2
. The Network Operating System (NOS)
a) Runs inside the file server
b) Runs inside the workstation
c) Determines if files are saved on the server or workstation’s local drive
d) Determines if print jobs are sent to the network printer or local printer
3. In order to be shared
a) Files must be stored on a file server
b) Printers must be attached to a print server
c) Modems must be attached to a communications server or gateway
d) All of the above
4. The workstations on the network
a) Can connect to the network before the workstation software is loaded
b) Cannot be a mix of desktop and laptop computers
c) Cannot be a mix of DOS, Windows and OS/2 machines
d) Need a connection to the network (NIC, etc.) as well as workstation software
5. The difference between LANs and multi-user hosts is that
a) LANs are always faster than multi-user hosts
b) Multi-user hosts are always faster than LANs
c) Applications run in the workstations on LANs
d) Applications run in the terminals attached to multi-user hosts
6. The network cable cannot be attached to
a) The parallel port
b) The workstation’s hard disk
c) The network interface card
d) The serial port
7. If a spreadsheet recalculates slowly, performance can be improved by
a) Adding memory to the file server
b) Speeding up the microprocessor in the workstation
c) Putting a faster NIC in the workstation
d) Upgrading the hard disk in the file server to a faster one
8. Which is not a characteristic of a WAN?
A) It usually has less throughput than the LANs to which it is attached
b) WANs are owned by the corporations which use them
c) Only some of the LAN traffic needs to go across the WAN
d) Routers decide how packets will make it to the destination
9. If you need to communicate with your customer in Australia, you would probably be using
a __________?
A) GAN
b) LAN
c) EWAN
d) MAN
10. The performance of your network has become very poor as your customer database has grown
in size. The database application is very old and runs on each person’s computer. What should
you do?
a) Purchase a minicomputer and run your database from there
b) Run the database from the file server
c) Store a copy of the database on everyone’s local drive C:
d) Rewrite the database as a client/server application
[Top of page][On to next section]
