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| Network+ Certification Readiness Review |
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Objective Domain 1: Media and Topologies
- 1.1 Recognize the following logical or physical network topologies given a schematic diagram or description: star/hierarchical, bus, mesh, ring, wireless.
- 1.2 Specify the main features of 802.2 (LLC), 802.3 (Ethernet), 802.5 (token ring), 802.11b (wireless), and FDDI networking technologies, including speed, access method, topology, media.
- 1.3 Specify the characteristics (e.g., speed, length, topology, cable type, etc.) of the following: 802.3 (Ethernet) standards, 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 10BASE2, 10BASE5, 100BASE-FX, Gigabit Ethernet.
- 1.4 Recognize the following media connectors and/or describe their uses: RJ-11, RJ-45, AUI, BNC, ST, SC.
- 1.5 Choose the appropriate media type and connectors to add a client to an existing network.
- 1.6 Identify the purpose, features, and functions of the following network components: hubs, switches, bridges, routers, gateways, CSU/ DSUs, network interface cards/ISDN adapters/ system area network cards, wireless access points, modems.
Objective Domain 1 Media and Topologies
A data network is a collection of computers joined by a network medium that enables them to communicate. Usually, the network medium is some type of cable. Networks can use various types of media, and network technicians must be familiar with the most common ones and their properties. A topology is the way that the network uses the designated medium to connect the computers together—in other words, the physical layout of the network. The media and topologies used to build local area networks (LANs), while primarily associated with the physical (or bottom-most) layer of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model, are also intimately connected with the protocols that operate at the second layer of the model, called the data- link layer. An understanding of network media and topologies is meaningless without an understanding of the protocols that use them. Most of the commonly used data-link layer protocols can use various types of media and topologies. The standards on which the protocols are based contain physical layer specifications that include cable types and installation guidelines, such as topologies and maximum cable lengths.LANs consist of more than just computers and cables, however. To attach a computer to the network, it must have a network interface card (NIC) in it, and to attach the cables to the NICs, they must have connectors on them. In addition, some network topologies require other hardware elements, such as hubs. More complicated network installations consist of multiple LANs connected using devices such as bridges, routers, switches, gateways, or even wide area network (WAN) links. You must understand the functions of all of these components and devices, and this objective domain tests your knowledge of them.
Tested Skills and Suggested Practices
The skills that you need to successfully master the Media and Topologies objective domain on the Network+ Certification exam include:
- Recognizing the following logical or physical network topologies given a schematic diagram or description: bus, ring, star/hierarchical, mesh, and wireless.
- Practice 1: Study the specifications associated with the various networking protocols that use these topologies, including Ethernet (IEEE 802.3), Token Ring (IEEE 802.5), and wireless LANs (IEEE 802.11b) and learn which topologies are used by each protocol and cable type.
- Practice 2: Create diagrams of simple LANs that use each of the specified topologies and compare them with any test or lab networks you have access to. Identify which topology your network uses.
- Specifying the main features, including speed, access method, topology, and media of: IEEE 802.3 (Ethernet), IEEE 802.5 (Token Ring), IEEE 802.11b (wireless), and FDDI networking technologies.
- Practice 1: Study the specifications for these protocols. The protocol standards specify the basic functions of the protocols, such as their speeds and access methods. List the various media and topologies you can use with each one.
- Practice 2: Determine which of the specified protocols your network uses. Examine the hardware used to construct it (after obtaining permission from the network administrator) and determine how it was installed.
- Specifying the characteristics, such as speed, length, topology, and cable type, of the following IEEE 802.3 (Ethernet) standards: 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 10BASE2, 10BASE5, 100BASE-FX, and Gigabit Ethernet.
- Practice 1: Study the specifications for the various Ethernet physical layer options and compare their relative advantages in transmission speed, topology, and cable lengths.
- Practice 2: Create a diagram of your network's physical layer by studying the hardware used to construct it and determining how it was installed. Measure the lengths of the cable segments, mark them on your diagram, and determine whether your network was installed according to the specifications for the standard it uses.
- Recognizing the following media connectors and describing their uses: RJ-11, RJ- 45, AUI, BNC, ST, and SC.
- Practice 1: Create a list of the various connectors used to build LANs and specify the protocol and network medium that uses each one.
- Practice 2: Obtain cables that use each of the connectors on your list and take them apart, examining how they are constructed and how the conductors are connected.
- Choosing the appropriate media type and connectors to add a client to an existing network.
- Practice 1: Select a familiar business or organization. Make a list of its networking needs, including elements such as the number of computers it requires, the distances between them, the environmental conditions in which they would be installed, and the amount of data they have to transfer. Compare these requirements with the capabilities of the various media types and connectors used by the common data-link layer protocols. Select the one best suited to the job.
- Practice 2: Determine which media type and connectors your network uses and then redesign it using the other available media types and connectors. Estimate whether the redesigned network would be an improvement, based on criteria such as network performance, tolerance of cable breaks, and other physical layer faults.
- Describing the purpose, features, and functions of the following network components: hubs, switches, bridges, routers, gateways, CSU/DSUs, NICs/ISDN adapters/system area network cards, wireless access points, and modems.
- Practice 1: Study the functions of each of these devices and determine if they are currently used on your network. For each device your network is not using, determine how you would integrate it and what purpose it could possibly serve.
- Practice 2: Obtain product literature for several examples of each of these devices (from manufacturers, printed catalogs, or the World Wide Web) and familiarize yourself with their general appearance and common features.
Further Reading
This section lists supplemental readings by objective. We recommend that you study these sources thoroughly before taking this exam.Objective 1.1
Microsoft Corporation. Network+ Certification Training Kit. 2nd ed. Redmond, Washington: Microsoft Press, 2001. Review Lesson 1 in Chapter 2, "Network Hardware."
Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft Encyclopedia of Networking. Redmond, Washington: Microsoft Press, 2000. See entries for "bus topology," "mesh topology," "ring topology," "star bus topology," "star topology," and "topology."
Objective 1.2
Microsoft Corporation. Network+ Certification Training Kit. 2nd ed. Redmond, Washington: Microsoft Press, 2001. Review Lessons 1, 2, 3, and 5 in Chapter 5, "Data-Link Layer Protocols."
Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft Encyclopedia of Networking. Redmond, Washington: Microsoft Press, 2000. See entries for "Ethernet," "Fiber Distributed Data Interface," "Token Ring," and "wireless networking."
Objective 1.3
Microsoft Corporation. Network+ Certification Training Kit. 2nd ed. Redmond, Washington: Microsoft Press, 2001. Review Lesson 1 in Chapter 5, "Data-Link Layer Protocols."
Spurgeon, Charles. "Quick Reference Guides to 10 Mbps Ethernet" and "Quick Reference Guides to 100 Mbps Ethernet." These documents are available on Charles Spurgeon's Web site at http://wwwhost.ots.utexas.edu/ethernet/ethernet-home.html.
Objective 1.4
Microsoft Corporation. Network+ Certification Training Kit. 2nd ed. Redmond, Washington: Microsoft Press, 2001. Review Lessons 1 in Chapter 2, "Network Hardware."
Connectivity Knowledge Platform. "Connector Reference Chart." This document is available on CKB's Web site at http://www.mouse.demon.nl/ckp/misc/conchart.htm.
Objective 1.5
Microsoft Corporation. Network+ Certification Training Kit. 2nd ed. Redmond, Washington: Microsoft Press, 2001. Review Lesson 1 in Chapter 14, "Planning the Network."
Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft Encyclopedia of Networking. Redmond, Washington: Microsoft Press, 2000. See entries for "cabling," "coaxial cabling," "fiber optic cabling," "twisted pair cabling," and "unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cabling."
Objective 1.6
Microsoft Corporation. Network+ Certification Training Kit. 2nd ed. Redmond, Washington: Microsoft Press, 2001. Review Lessons 1, 2, and 3 in Chapter 3, "Network Connections," Lesson 2 in Chapter 2, "Network Hardware," Lesson 5 in Chapter 5, "Data-Link Layer Protocols," and Lesson 2 in Chapter 12, "Remote Network Access."
University of Western Ontario. "Bridges vs. Switches vs. Routers." This comparison table is available on the UWO Web site at http://www.csd.uwo.ca/courses/CS457a/reports/handin/efteevan/A1/compare.html.
Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft Encyclopedia of Networking. Redmond, Washington: Microsoft Press, 2000. See entries for "access point," "bridge," "Channel Service Unit/Data Service Unit (CSU/DSU)," "gateway," "hub," "Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)," "modem," "network interface card (NIC)," "router," "switch," and "wireless networking."
Last Updated: November 28, 2001
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