D329 Networks and Security Applications - Set 1 - Part 2

Correct Answer: A hardware identifier assigned to a network interface

A MAC address is a 48-bit hardware identifier burned into a network interface, used for delivery within a local network segment.

Correct Answer: 32

An IPv4 address is 32 bits, typically written as four decimal octets separated by dots, allowing roughly 4.3 billion unique addresses.

Correct Answer: 128

IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses, providing a vastly larger address space than IPv4 and eliminating the practical need for address conservation.

Correct Answer: 192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255

RFC 1918 reserves 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, and 192.168.0.0/16 for private use. These are not routable on the public internet.

Correct Answer: Translating private internal addresses to a public address for internet access

Network Address Translation maps private internal addresses to one or more public addresses, conserving public IP space and hiding internal topology.

Correct Answer: Distinguishing the network portion of an address from the host portion

The subnet mask identifies which bits of an IP address represent the network and which represent the host, determining whether a destination is local or remote.

Correct Answer: The first 24 bits are the network portion

A /24 prefix means the leading 24 bits identify the network, equivalent to the subnet mask 255.255.255.0, leaving 8 bits for hosts.

Correct Answer: 254

A /24 has 8 host bits giving 256 addresses, minus the network address and the broadcast address, leaving 254 usable host addresses.

Correct Answer: Forwarding traffic destined for networks outside the local subnet

The default gateway is the router a host sends packets to when the destination lies outside its own subnet.

Correct Answer: Sending a packet to all hosts on the local network

The broadcast address delivers a packet to every host on the local subnet. It is the highest address in the range and cannot be assigned to a host.

Correct Answer: One recipient, all recipients, and a subscribed group respectively

Unicast targets a single host, broadcast reaches every host on the segment, and multicast delivers to hosts that have joined a specific group.

Correct Answer: Forwarding packets between different networks based on IP addresses

A router operates at Layer 3, examining destination IP addresses and forwarding packets along the best path toward other networks.

Correct Answer: Forwarding frames within a network based on MAC addresses

A switch operates at Layer 2, learning which MAC addresses are reachable through each port and forwarding frames only to the appropriate port.

Correct Answer: A switch forwards frames only to the destination port, while a hub repeats to all ports

A hub blindly repeats signals to every port, creating collisions and exposing traffic. A switch forwards intelligently to the destination port only.

Correct Answer: A network segment where simultaneous transmissions can interfere

A collision domain is a segment where devices share the medium and transmissions can collide. Each switch port creates a separate collision domain.

Correct Answer: The set of devices that receive one another's broadcast frames

A broadcast domain is the set of devices reached by a broadcast. Routers separate broadcast domains, and VLANs divide them logically on a switch.

Correct Answer: Logically segmenting a switch into separate broadcast domains

A virtual LAN logically groups ports into separate broadcast domains, providing segmentation and isolation without additional physical hardware.

Correct Answer: All devices connect to a central switch or hub

In a star topology all devices connect to a central point. It is the dominant modern design because a single cable failure affects only one device.

Correct Answer: Redundant paths provide fault tolerance

A mesh provides multiple redundant paths so traffic can reroute around failures, at the cost of substantially more cabling and complexity.

Correct Answer: A network covering a limited geographic area such as one building

A Local Area Network connects devices within a small area such as an office or building, typically under a single administrative control.