Connecting Networks Q&A
Introduction, Chapters 1.1 – 1.3
Chapter 1 Question
1. Is a WAN owned by the company or an
external entity?
2. Why is a WAN necessary?
3. What are common WAN topologies and a
summary of the topology’s traits?
4. Outline a common evolution of a network as a
company expands?
5. Where does a WAN operate in the OSI model?
6. Explain the common WAN terminology.
7. Describe common WAN devices.
Answer
Yes WAN is owned by a company.
Use a wide vriety of transmission media, allow access to
branch office, custmoers, remote workers.
Point to point – use a point to point circuit between two
end points.
Packets are sent in both directions.
Hub and spoke – known as a “star” or “point-to-
multipoint”
Shared by all spoke circuits.
Full mesh – use virtual circuit, but we need to
configure and maintain a large number of virtual circuits.
Dual homed – provide reduncy and load balancing
Require additional networking hardware to implement
It enables the computers to share the documents and
informations and also the equipment assets. So it makes
the company easier to work easier.
WAN generally operate at the lower three layer of OSI
model, and that layers are physical layer, data link layer
and network layer.
A WAN uses data links provided by carrier services to
access the Internet and connect different locations of an
organization to each other.
CSU/DSU – (channel service unit) provide termination
for digital signals and ensure connection entegrnity.
(data service unit) converts the line frames into frames
that the LAN can interpret and vice versa.
Access Server – it concentrate dial in and dial out user
communications. It may have a mixtures of analog and
digital interfaces.
Dialup modems – the modems modulate the computers
digital signals into voice frequencies and transmits it.
Broadband modems – it used high speed DSL or cable
network serive.
 Chapter 1 Question
8. Discuss circuit-switching technology and
identify common types.
9. Discuss packet-switching technology and
identify common types.
10. Outline common WAN access options.
11. Describe a common IP infrastructure.
12. Discuss leased line topology and the pros and
cons.
13. Where might dialup be a viable option?
Outline the option.
14. What are types of ISDN? Is it used very much?
15. Describe the Frame Relay capability.
16. Explain ATM topology.
17. How has Ethernet Wan evolved and what are
its benefits?
Answer
It use high broadband frequencies.
WAN switch – it is multipoint interworking device used
in carrier network
Core routers – it is the backbone of WAN.
Circuit-switching – it establishes a dedicated circuit or
channel between nodes and terminals.
Example – PSTN (Public switched telephone
network)and ISDN (integrated services digital network)
Packet- switching – it sperate traffic data into packets.
It routed over a shared network.
We have two type of WAN access option
Private WAN infrastructure – it includes point-to-point,
leased lines, circuit switched links and packet switched
links.
Public WAN infrastructure – service providers may offer
broadband internet using DSL, cable or a satellite. Data
travels between cooperate sites over public WAN.
The IP infrastructure represents a key
boundary between a communications medium and the
applications that are built upon this medium. It allows
two different marketplace to operate on their own
terms.
It leased from a service provider. It depends on price
depending on bandwith and distance.
Pros – it contains less expertise to install
Its quality is good that removes all latency and jitter
between end points
It prvide dedicated connection that’s stay forever.
Cons -- its very expensive
It have limited flexibility.
ISDN integrated service digital network, it changes the
internal connection of PSTN from analog to time
divioson multiplexed (TDM ). TDM that allow two or
more signals to transfer as subchannel over one
channel.
A non-broadcast multiaccess technology.
It used to connect multi sites using PVcs, that’s carry
both voice and data traffic.
It supports data rates up to 4+ Mb/s.
Asynchronous Transfer Mode is a cell based not frame
based.
Cells are length of 53bytes
5 byte header with 48 bytes of payload.
It support link speed of t1/E1 to OC-12 and faster
It includes fibre optics makes WAN processor easier.
 Chapter 1 Question
18. Where is MPLS used? What types of WAN
technologies are supported?
19. Explain a VSAT topology.
20. Discuss DSL.
21. Outline the components of a Cable topology.
What can happen if many users join the
network?
22. Outline Wireless WAN options including
cellular versions.
23. What does a VPN provide users?
24. Outline the considerations when selecting
WAN access.
Answer
Multiprotocol label switching it is used to direct the
data from one router to the next.
Its multiprotocol high performance WAN technology
and it is a service provider technology.
Very small aperture terminal, it creates private WAN
using satellite communications.
It create private WAN while providing connectivity to
remote locations.
Digital subscriber line, it uses twisted pair telephone
lines to transport high bandwith data
It change the ethernet signal to digital signal
It is used in urban areas to seprate television
signals. It provide always on connections and simple
installations.
Cellular version is in high popularity. It connect users
and their locations.
VPN is used make a secure connection between
private network over a public network.
We have two types of VPN site to site VPN or
remote access VPN.
When we select WAN access we have to tell why we
are using it , we have to tell about the requirements
and the geographic scope