Chapter 11: Networking Fundamentals and Devices (Set-9)
In a client-server office setup, the server is most responsible for
A Random file sharing
B Changing cable type
C Central resource control
D Blocking all traffic
A server manages shared resources like files, printers, user accounts, and permissions. Central control improves security, backups, and monitoring, making large office networks easier to manage than peer-to-peer setups.
A peer-to-peer network becomes difficult mainly when the number of PCs
A Increases a lot
B Decreases slowly
C Stays constant
D Uses fiber only
As peers increase, managing permissions, updates, and backups becomes hard because there is no central control. Security becomes inconsistent and troubleshooting takes longer compared to client-server networks.
A metro network connecting multiple campuses across one city is best called
A LAN network
B PAN network
C WAN network
D MAN network
A MAN covers a metropolitan area, typically a city. It connects multiple LANs using high-speed links. It is larger than LAN but smaller than WAN, useful for campuses and city offices.
Network “throughput” is best defined as the
A Router brand name
B Cable outer color
C Actual transfer rate
D IP address size
Throughput is the real speed users experience after overhead, delays, and retransmissions. It can be lower than bandwidth due to congestion, interference, packet loss, or protocol overhead.
High “jitter” causes problems mainly in
A Offline typing
B Voice/video calls
C File copying local
D Screen brightness
Jitter is variation in packet delay. Voice and video need steady timing. High jitter causes choppy sound, frozen video, and poor call quality even when download speed appears good.
In bus topology, a terminator is used mainly to
A Stop signal reflection
B Increase collision rate
C Assign IP address
D Encrypt data frames
Terminators absorb signals at the cable ends to prevent reflection back along the bus. Reflections can cause noise and errors. Proper termination is required for reliable communication in classic bus networks.
In star topology, using a switch instead of hub improves
A Signal reflection control
B Token passing
C Collision reduction
D DNS caching
Switches create separate collision domains per port and forward frames only to needed ports. Hubs broadcast to all ports, creating collisions and lowering performance, especially with many active devices.
A full mesh between 6 devices requires many links, so it is mainly used for
A Cheap home LAN
B Critical connections
C Single printer sharing
D Small PAN setup
Full mesh provides strong redundancy, so it is used where uptime is critical. But link count increases rapidly with devices, making it expensive and complex for normal endpoint networks.
Coaxial cable is better than basic UTP mainly for
A Noise shielding
B DNS resolution
C IP routing
D VLAN tagging
Coax includes shielding that protects signals from electromagnetic interference. This can make it more stable in noisy environments. However, modern LANs often use improved UTP categories or fiber.
A common reason fiber is used in backbone networks is
A High interference
B Low bandwidth
C Weak security
D Low attenuation
Fiber has low signal loss and supports long distances at high speed. It resists electromagnetic interference, making it ideal for backbone links between switches, buildings, and network core devices.
A repeater cannot fix
A Wrong IP settings
B Weak signals
C Long cable run
D Low signal strength
Repeaters extend signals but do not correct network configuration. If IP address, subnet mask, gateway, or DNS is wrong, the device still cannot communicate correctly even if the signal is strong.
A hub forwards frames based on
A MAC address table
B Routing table
C No address logic
D DNS cache table
A hub does not learn addresses. It simply repeats incoming signals to all ports. This wastes bandwidth and increases collisions, which is why hubs are replaced by switches in modern networks.
A switch mainly uses a MAC table to
A Assign DNS names
B Forward correct port
C Encrypt Wi-Fi signals
D Convert analog signals
Switches learn MAC-to-port mappings and send frames only to the destination port. This reduces unnecessary traffic and collisions, improving speed and efficiency within the same LAN.
A router is needed when traffic must go
A Between USB ports
B Between keyboards
C Between monitors
D Between subnets
Routers forward packets between different IP networks using routing. Devices in different subnets need a router or Layer-3 switch to communicate, because Layer-2 switching alone is not enough.
A default route on a router is used for
A Local VLAN only
B MAC learning
C Unknown destinations
D DHCP leasing
If no specific route matches a destination, the router uses the default route, usually pointing to the ISP gateway. This is essential for reaching the internet and external networks.
If a PC can ping its gateway but not open websites by name, suspect
A DNS problem
B Cable break
C NIC failure
D VLAN mismatch
Gateway ping proves local network routing works. Name failure suggests DNS resolution is not working or DNS server is unreachable. Setting correct DNS server addresses often fixes the problem.
DHCP “reservation” is used to
A Block Wi-Fi users
B Increase bandwidth
C Give same IP
D Hide SSID name
DHCP reservation maps a device’s MAC address to a specific IP, so it always receives the same address. This helps printers and servers stay consistent without manual static IP configuration.
An APIPA address 169.254.x.x indicates
A DHCP not reachable
B NAT is disabled
C DNS is perfect
D VLAN is working
APIPA is assigned when a device fails to get an IP from DHCP. It allows limited local communication but usually no internet. Fix by restoring DHCP service or network connectivity to the DHCP server.
NAT is required mainly because private IP ranges are
A Too fast to route
B Too encrypted always
C Only for IPv6
D Not internet routable
Private IPs are not routed on the internet. NAT translates them to a public IP for external access. This conserves IPv4 addresses and allows many internal devices to share one public IP.
VLANs reduce broadcast traffic by
A Increasing collision size
B Removing subnet masks
C Limiting broadcast scope
D Disabling routing
VLANs create separate broadcast domains. Broadcast frames stay inside their VLAN. This reduces unnecessary traffic and improves performance, especially in large networks with many devices.
A trunk port between switches is used to carry
A Only one VLAN
B Multiple VLANs
C Only IPv6 packets
D Only DNS replies
Trunk links carry traffic for multiple VLANs using VLAN tags. This allows VLANs to span across several switches while keeping traffic separated logically across the network.
A broadcast domain is separated by
A Routers typically
B Hubs typically
C Repeaters typically
D Coax typically
Routers do not forward Layer-2 broadcast frames, so they separate broadcast domains. VLANs also separate broadcast domains inside switches. This is important to control broadcast traffic in networks.
A collision domain is reduced by using
A Hub device
B Bus backbone
C Switch ports
D Ring terminator
Each switch port is a separate collision domain, preventing collisions between devices on different ports. Hubs create one big collision domain, increasing collisions and reducing performance.
A proxy server is often used to
A Enforce browsing rules
B Assign IP addresses
C Replace subnet mask
D Increase Wi-Fi power
Proxies can filter websites, log usage, and apply policies. They can also cache content for speed. Many organizations use proxies to control access and improve security.
Load balancing improves performance by
A Increasing collisions
B Disabling DNS
C Spreading requests
D Removing VLANs
Load balancers distribute traffic across multiple servers or links, preventing overload and improving response time. They also increase availability by sending traffic only to healthy servers.
A common Wi-Fi attack risk is using weak
A Monitor cable
B Wi-Fi password
C Mouse battery
D Printer ink
Weak Wi-Fi passwords are easier to guess or crack, allowing unauthorized access. Using WPA2/WPA3 with strong passphrases and changing router admin credentials greatly improves wireless security.
WPS is a security risk mainly due to
A PIN brute force
B DNS caching
C VLAN tagging
D Fiber attenuation
WPS PIN methods can be attacked by repeated guesses. Attackers may get access even if Wi-Fi password is strong. Disabling WPS and using WPA2/WPA3 reduces this risk.
MAC filtering is limited security because MAC can be
A Encrypted strongly
B Removed by DNS
C Blocked by NAT
D Spoofed easily
An attacker can copy an allowed MAC address and impersonate it. MAC filtering can help minor control but must be combined with WPA2/WPA3 encryption and strong passwords for real security.
A guest Wi-Fi network is recommended mainly to
A Share admin login
B Isolate visitors
C Disable encryption
D Increase collisions
Guest networks separate visitor devices from your internal devices. Visitors can use internet without accessing your files or smart devices. This reduces risk and keeps your main LAN safer.
“Signal strength” affects Wi-Fi mainly by changing
A DNS response time
B IP address format
C Speed and stability
D VLAN tagging
Weak signal increases errors and retransmissions, reducing speed and causing drops. Strong signal improves stability. Router placement, reduced obstacles, and proper channels help improve signal strength.
A speed test result includes upload, download and usually
A Latency ping
B MAC address
C VLAN ID
D Subnet mask
Speed tests often show ping/latency along with download and upload rates. Latency affects responsiveness and real-time apps. Comparing wired vs Wi-Fi helps identify local wireless issues.
A cable tester can detect wrong
A DNS server name
B IP gateway value
C Pin wiring order
D Wi-Fi channel
Cable testers can find open wires, shorts, crossed pairs, and wrong pinouts. Incorrect wiring can cause link failures or slow, unstable Ethernet connections even if a cable appears physically fine.
Network documentation helps future troubleshooting by providing
A Wallpaper history
B Device IP map
C Keyboard settings
D Font style list
Documentation shows IP plans, device locations, VLANs, and configurations. This helps quickly identify where devices are connected and what settings are expected, saving time during faults or upgrades.
Throughput can be much lower than bandwidth due to
A Packet loss
B Bigger screen
C More RAM
D New mouse
Packet loss forces retransmissions, reducing effective data transfer. Even with high bandwidth, frequent loss lowers throughput and harms real-time apps. Fixing interference, congestion, or faulty cables helps.
In wireless networks, interference is reduced by
A Using weak password
B Enabling WPS
C Changing Wi-Fi channel
D Lowering encryption
Switching to a less crowded channel reduces overlap with nearby networks. Using 5 GHz (or 6 GHz) and better router placement can further reduce interference and improve Wi-Fi performance.
A switch flooding broadcast frames can be reduced by
A VLAN segmentation
B Hub expansion
C Coax cable use
D WEP enabling
Broadcasts are forwarded within a VLAN. Creating VLANs reduces the size of each broadcast domain, limiting broadcast traffic impact. This improves performance in larger switched networks.
A secure router practice is to
A Enable open Wi-Fi
B Keep default login
C Use WEP only
D Disable remote admin
Remote administration exposes router login to the internet. Disabling it reduces attack surface. Use strong admin credentials, update firmware, and keep firewall enabled for better overall router security.
WPA3 is preferred over WPA2 mainly due to
A Longer SSID
B Faster LAN cables
C Stronger protection
D More IP ranges
WPA3 improves encryption and makes password guessing harder, offering better security than WPA2. If WPA3 is not supported, WPA2 with strong password is still acceptable for many networks.
A hotspot should be secured mainly by
A Strong password
B Open access
C WEP only
D Shared PIN
Hotspots create Wi-Fi networks that others can join. A strong password prevents unauthorized use and reduces risk. Avoid open hotspots and turn off sharing features when not needed.
A wrong default gateway often causes
A Faster Wi-Fi speed
B No internet access
C More IP addresses
D Better DNS cache
With wrong gateway, the device cannot route traffic to other networks. Local LAN may work, but internet fails. Correct IP, subnet mask, and gateway must match the network design.
If ping fails to gateway, first check
A Website coding
B Browser cache
C Cable/Wi-Fi link
D File permissions
If the gateway is unreachable, the problem is often physical or local connection. Check cable, Wi-Fi signal, adapter status, and router LAN port. Fix local link before deeper troubleshooting.
A router connects LAN to internet and also performs
A NAT and routing
B Token passing
C Signal reflection
D Cable crimping
Home routers commonly do routing between LAN and WAN and perform NAT for IPv4 sharing. They may also provide DHCP and firewall features, acting as the central network device in many homes.
A switch does not typically separate
A Collision domains
B Broadcast domains
C Switch ports
D Frame forwarding
Switches separate collision domains per port but usually forward broadcasts within the same VLAN. Broadcast domains are separated by routers or by VLANs configured on switches.
Using wired Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi usually improves
A Higher jitter
B More interference
C More collisions
D Lower latency
Ethernet avoids wireless interference and retransmissions, giving more stable connections and lower latency. This improves real-time applications like gaming and video calls compared to weak or congested Wi-Fi.
Coaxial cable signal quality is improved by its
A Shielding layer
B Token system
C MAC table
D DHCP lease
Coax includes shielding around the conductor, reducing interference. This helps maintain signal quality. It is common in cable TV and broadband, while LAN Ethernet mostly uses twisted pair or fiber.
Fiber optic is more secure against eavesdropping because it
A Uses public IP
B Uses WPS PIN
C Doesn’t radiate EMI
D Uses weak keys
Fiber carries light within the cable and does not emit electromagnetic signals like copper can. It is harder to tap without physical access. It also supports high speeds and long distances.
A bridge differs from a router because a bridge uses
A IP addresses
B MAC addresses
C DNS names
D SSID names
Bridges operate at Layer 2 and forward frames based on MAC addresses between LAN segments. Routers operate at Layer 3 using IP addresses to connect different networks and subnets.
A MAC table is maintained mainly by a
A Network switch
B Router only
C Hub only
D Modem only
Switches learn MAC addresses and store them in a MAC table with port mappings. This allows efficient forwarding of frames only to the correct destination port.
A practical sign of broadcast overload is
A Monitor gets bright
B Mouse moves fast
C Network becomes slow
D Printer prints more
Too much broadcast traffic consumes bandwidth and CPU, slowing all devices. It can cause delays and timeouts. VLANs, correct design, and loop prevention reduce broadcast overload.
Best first step before changing settings in troubleshooting is to
A Reinstall OS now
B Delete router logs
C Disable firewall always
D Verify physical layer
Start with basics: power, cables, link lights, Wi-Fi signal, and correct port connections. Many issues are physical. After that, check IP, gateway, DNS, and configuration step-by-step.