Basic Networking Interview Questions with Answer

This tutorial provides basic networking interview questions with answers from following
categories; basic networking, networking topology and networking media.

Interview Questions and Answers from Basic Networking

What is the computer network?

A computer network is basically a group of computers which are connected together to share
information and save physical resources.

What is a host in computer network?

Any device which is connected to a computer network is considered as a host or a node. It can be
a computer or a device with its own network card such as printer or router.

Which computers are known as client computer in network?

The computers which are used to access the resources from network are known as client
computers. Client computers usually run desktop version of operating system.

What is the other name of client computers?

The client computers are also known as workstation.

Which computers are known as server computer in network?

The computers which provide shared resources to the network are known as server computers.
Server computers usually run server version of operating system.

What is the NIC?

NIC stands for Network Interface Card. NIC is the device which connects computer with
network.

Can a computer connect with network without NIC?

No, a computer cannot connect with network without NIC card.

What is the most basic use of Switch in computer network?

A Switch is used to connect the multiple computers together for example an 8 ports switch can
connect 8 computers in a single network.

What term does Microsoft use for peer to peer network?

Before Windows 7, it was Workgroup. Form Windows 7 it is replaced with Homegroup.

How much computers we can add in a workgroup?

Theoretically we can add as much computers as we want in workgroup. But practically we

should never add more than ten computers in a workgroup network.

What does the term driver refer in computer networking?

The driver is the software program which is written specifically for a particular hardware device
such as NIC card, Audio card, Video card etc. This software allows that particular device to
work with other parts of computer. Without appropriate driver a device will not work as
expected.

What are the basic differences between Internet, Intranet and Extranet?

The terms Internet, Intranet and Extranet are used to describe how a network application should
be accessed. In Internet anyone can access the application from anywhere in world. In Intranet
only the authorized users from the company for which the application was built can access the
application. In Extranet selected external users are allowed to access the application which was
built for Internet.

Basic Networking Interview Questions with Answer based

on Network Topology
What does the term topology defines in computer network?

A topology is the physical layout which defines how computers are connected with each other’s
in a computer network.

Which topology uses a centralized device for connectivity?

Star topology uses a centralized device (HUB or Switch) for connectivity.

Which topology uses coaxial cable and terminators?

Bus topology uses coaxial cable and terminators.

A company has offices in Jaipur and Delhi. What type of computer network it will use to
connect these offices?

WAN (Wide Area Network) network is used to connect the networks which are spread over the
different geographical location.

Based on physical location what are the two most common network types?
LAN (Local Area Network) and WAN (Wide Area Network) are the two most common network
types.

Does number of computers matter in LAN and WAN?

No, number of computers does not matter in LAN and WAN. This categorization is purely based
on geographical location of network. For example we may have 1000 computers connected
together in a network. If this network is located in a building or a campus, it will be considered
as a LAN network. Just like this, we may have a network of only two computers. If one
computer is located in one city and other computer is located in another city then this network
will be considered as a WAN network.

What is the difference between physical topology and logical topology?

A physical topology describes how computers are connected with each other’s physically. While
a logical topology describes how data is being transmitted over the physical topology.

How will you consider a topology which uses HUB as a centralized device to connect all
computers?

Physically it is a star topology but logically it is a bus topology. Since this topology satisfies the
primary requirement of star topology, physically it can be considered as a star topology. But Hub
cannot filter the data traffic, so all computers will receive data packets from all computers just
like the bus topology. So physically it’s a star topology but logically it’s a bus topology.

What is the backbone network?

The network which connects two or more networks together is considered as a backbone
network. Usually backbone network contains high speed data transferring devices such as routers
and switches. Backbone network should never be used for end user connectivity. The network
which provides end user connectivity should be connected through the backbone network.

What is daisy chaining technique and which topology uses this technique?

Star topology uses daisy chaining technique to extend the network. In this technique a hub or
switch connects with another hub or switch just like a node of existing topology. Then this hub
or switch can be used to connect the more devices in network.

How ring topology works?

In ring topology all computers connect in a circle. When a computer has some data for another
computer, it puts that data packet in circle. Each computer looks at each packet to figure out
whether the packet is intended for it or not. If packet is intended for it, it will pick up the packet
from ring otherwise passes it to the next computer in the ring.

Is ring topology is still used in LAN network?

No, the ring topology is no more used in LAN network.

Which topology is used in modern LAN Network?

Star topology

What is the mesh topology and where it is used?

In mesh topology all devices are connect with all devices. For example to connect four
computers in mesh topology we need 4 x 4 = 16 connections. Mesh topology is used in WAN
network to build the alternative paths between networks.

What is the signal bouncing issue and how it can be solved?

Signal bouncing issue occurs in bus topology. Bus topology uses a coaxial cable to connect the
computers. In this topology when computer sends signal, the signal travels in both directions
from sending computer. When this signal reaches at the end of the cable, it bounces back and
returns in the original direction. This is known as signal bouncing issue. To solve this issue we
should use the terminator. Terminator absorbs the signals when they reach to it. This will prevent
the signal bouncing issue.

What is main advantage of Bus topology?

Main advantage of Bus topology is the cost. This topology uses the lowest resources among the
other available topologies. A coaxial cable, some connectors and terminators are only we need to
build this topology.

What are the main disadvantages of Bus topology?

Main disadvantage of Bus topology are scalability, troubleshooting and length. A single break in
main cable is enough to bring the entire network down. To add worse any loose terminator will
also do the same job. Finding a loose terminator or break in the cable is the toughest task.

Is bus topology still used in computer network?

No, bus topology is no more used in computer network.

What are the main advantages of star topology?

Main advantages of star topology are scalability, easy to troubleshoot and centralized network
component. Adding and removing a device in this topology is much easier than the other
topologies. Besides this if there is any break in cable then only the device which is connected
with that cable will be down.

What are the main disadvantages of star topology?

Main disadvantages of star topology are cost and centralized network component. In positive
side a centralized device makes administrator life easier but in downside if this device fails then
the entire network will be down.

What is the hybrid topology?

A topology which consist more than one topology is considered as a hybrid topology for
example a star-bus topology, in which multiple star topologies are connected through the central
bus topology.

What are the main advantages of wireless network?

Main advantages of wireless network are the lack of cables and mobility of devices.

What are the main disadvantages of wireless network?

Main disadvantages of wireless network are speed and security. Signal interference, blockage,
and interception may slow down a wireless network. Form security point of view, wireless
network is considered as less secure network in comparison with wired network.

What is the difference between point to point and point to multipoint topology?

In point to point topology once system connects with another system directly. In point to
multipoint topology all systems connect through the centralized device.

Basic Networking Interview Questions with Answer based

on Network Media
What is a drop cable?

A drop cable is the cable which connects workstation with backbone cable in bus topology.

What is the maximum length of Thicknet coaxial cable?

Maximum length of Thicknet coaxial cable is 500 meter.

Which cable is known as RG58 cable?

The Thinnet cable is known as RG58 cable.

What is the maximum length of Thinnet cable?

Maximum length of the Thinnet cable is 185 meter.

Which cable is known as RG8 cable?

The Thicknet cable is known as RG8 cable.

Which cable is used as backbone cable in bus topology?

The Thicknet (RG8) cable is used as backbone cable in bus topology.

Which cable is used to connect workstation with backbone cable?

The Thinnet (RG58) cable is used to connect workstation with backbone cable.

What is the thickness of the Thinnet cable?

The thickness of the Thinnet cable is 0.25 inch.

What is the thickness of the Thicknet cable?

The thickness of the Thinnet cable is 0.5 inch.

Which connector does Thinnet cable use to connect with NIC?

The BNC (British naval connector) connector is used to connect the Thinnet cable with NIC.

Which connector does Thicknet cable use to connect with NIC?

The AUI (Adapter unit interface) connector is used to connect the Thicknet cable with NIC.

Which pair of cable is used on computer network RG58 and RG8 or RG59 and RG6?

RG58 and RG8 cable is used in computer network while RG59 and RG6 cable is used in TV
cable network.

Can we use RG59 and RG6 cables in computer network?

No we cannot use these cables in computer network. These cables are built for TV cable
network.

Is coaxial cable still used in computer network?

No, coaxial cable is used in bus topology which is no longer used in computer network.

What is the maximum distance of UTP cable?

Maximum distance of UTP cable is 100 meter.

Which connector UTP cable uses to connect with NIC?

The connector RJ45

Which cable uses RJ11 connector?

The telephone cable uses RJ11 connector.

Can we use Cateogry1 (UTP) cable for data transmission?

No Category1 (UTP) cable is used only for voice transmission.

What is the maximum data transmission speed of Category 2, Category 3 and Category 4
in UTP cable?

The maximum transmission speed of Category 2, Category 3 and Category 4 in UTP cable is
4Mbps, 10Mbps and 16Mbps respectively.

How many wires does UTP cable has?

UTP cable has four pairs of wires. Each pair has two wires, twisted with each other. So there are
total eight wires in UTP cable.

How many wires are used for data transmission in UTP cable?

Only four wires from eight wires are used in data transmission.

Which wires are used for data transmission in UTP cable?

The wires 1, 2, 3 and 6 are used for data transmission in UTP cable. The wires 1 and 2 are used
to transmit the data while wires 3 and 6 are used to receive the data.

What is the maximum data transmission speed of Category 5, Category 5e and Category 6
in UTP cable?

The maximum transmission speed of Category 5, Category 5e and Category 6 in UTP cable is
100Mbps, 1000Mbps and 10Gbps respectively.

How Straight-through UTP cable is built?

In Straight through UTP cable all pins are matched on both sides. Pin-1 connects with Pin-1;
Pin2 connects Pin2, this way each pin connects with the same number of pin on other side.
Where do we use Straight-through UTP cable?

The straight-through cable is used to connect the following: -

 Hub / Switch to System

 Hub / Switch to Router
 Hub / Switch to Server
Why we cannot use Straight-through UTP cable to connect two systems directly?

In straight-through cable the pins which send data from one computer connect with the pins
which also send data on other computer.
Simple a computer will not be able to pick the data from sending pins. So the transmission will
be failed if we directly connect the two systems through the Straight-through UTP cable. To
connect two systems directly we have to use the cross-over cable which connects sending pins
with receiving pins.

How Cross-over cable is built?

In Cross-over cable the pins which send data from one end connect with the pins which receive
data on other end. Pin1 connects with Pin3 while Pin2 connects with Pin6.
Where do we use Cross-over cable?

The Cross-over cable is used to connect the following: -

 Hub/Switch to Hub/Switch
 System to System
 Router to Router
 Router to System
What is the Crosstalk?

Crosstalk is the interference which generates from adjacent wires.

That’s all for this set of interview questions with answers. In next set we will go through the
more interview questions with answer.

Basic Networking Questions and Answers with PDF

Mar 17 • Engineering Sample Papers • 49584 Views • 288 Comments on Basic Networking
Questions and Answers with PDF

Networking questions
(1) What is a network ?

Answer: A network is the connection of two or more computers. These computers are linked
together. The most common types of networks are:

(a) Local Area Networks (LANS) and

(b) Wide Area Networks (WANS).

The primary difference between the two is that a LAN is generally confined to a limited area,
whereas a WAN covers a large area. Severally connected LANS creates a WAN.

(2) Write the types of networks.

Answer: Intranet –The private LAN which is used by everyone within an organization or

company is called intranet. It might consist of an e-mail system, a message accessing board and
one or more Web site portals .

Extra-net – A network that connects people within this company with people who are outside of
the company is called extra-net. It happens within a secure ,password protected network.

(3) What is physical and wireless media?

Answer:- Physical media:

 Twisted pair cable – consists of two independently insulated wires twisted around each
other
 Coaxial cable – consists of an insulated center wire grounded by a shield of braided wire
Fiber optic cable – contains hundreds of clear fiberglass or plastic fibers
 ISDN line – a special digital telephone line that transmits and receives information at
very high speeds

Wireless media:

 Microwave system – transmits data via high-frequency radio signals through the
atmosphere
 Satellite system – receive signals from the earth, amplify them, and then transmit back
these signals to the appropriate locations on the earth.
 Cellular technology – uses antennae resembling telephone towers to pick up radio signals
within a specific area

(4) What is network typologies?

Answer: Network Topology is refers to the way computers and its peripheral environment is
configured to form networks.
  Bus topology – all computers are synchronize by a single line of cable.
 Star topology – multiple computers are linked to a main computer, which is called a host
 Ring topology – each computer is connected to two other computers, with the entire
network. It forms a circle
 Hybrid topology – combine network layout types to meet their wants.

(5) What is network /communication protocols?

Answer :- A protocol is s an agreed/admitted set of rules and procedures for exchanging data
between two or more devices.

Features :

 The sending device shows it has finished sending the message.

 The receiving device shows it has received the message.

The type of error checking to be used.

Ethernet is used by most networks, but some network may use Token Ring protocol from IBM.
(6) What are the communication types?

Answer: There are three types of communication.

 Uni-casting –Here one to one communication occurs

 Multi-casting –Here one to many communication occurs
 Broadcasting –here one to all communication occurs.

(7) What is client/server network?

Answer:

 Here nodes and servers share data roles.

 Nodes are defined as clients.
 To control access servers are used.
 Server is the most important part computer.

(8) What is STAR connectivity in computer network?

Answer: Here all nodes are connect to a hub. Packets sent to hub. Again packets are sent by Hub
to destination.

Advantages

 It is easy to set up in a network.

 One single cable can not crash the whole network.
 Disadvantages

 One single hub crashing downs the whole network

 It uses a lot of cables
 It is the most common topology

(9) What is RING connectivity in computer network?

Answer: Here all nodes are connected in a circle. Token is used for transferring data from
computers. Here nodes waits for token to send.

Advantages

 Time for sending data is known.

 Here no data collisions occurs

Disadvantages

 Connection is very slow

 Lots of cable required.

(10) Define HUB, SWITCH, ROUTER

Answer: These are the larger one connections of networks. multiple segments are connected to
them

 Hub:- It is a multi-port repeater to enhance signals within the same LAN

 Switch:- It is mostly like hub but it is more intelligent.It gives better performance
 Router:- It forwards packets from one LAN to another LAN.

Ethernet Interview questions

1. What is Ethernet –

Ethernet is a medium which is used by devices like computers, switches , routers, hubs etc. If
two devices wishes to send data among each other using ethernet technology, both the devices
should support ethernet. For example, there are network interface cards which support ethernet,
switches and routers which support ethernet network cards. Ethernet comes at the layer 2 of the
OSI Model and Layer 1 of the TCP/IP Model.

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2. What is an ethernet frame –

An ethernet frame is used for encapsulating data from the higher layers of the TCP/IP Model.
Assume that a PC1 pings PC2. The ping , which is an ICMP packet along with the IP Header is
encapsulated in the ethernet frame. The frame is used for carrying the ping packet and ultimately
deliver it to PC2.

3. What are the components of an ethernet frame

Ethernet frames are of different types. Typically they consist of the source mac-address,
destination mac-address, data from the upper layer, type of data like IP, IPX etc, preamble (for
clocking) and a FCS value for identifying the validity of the frame (Checks if the frame is
invalid, corrupt, etc)

4. How is an ethernet frame constructed

An ethernet frame is constructed by the network card. When data on the operating system ,
comes down to the network card, the frame would be constructed to send the data out on the
network.

5. How is a frame received at the destination

The preamble field is looked into first inside a frame. This is purely for synchronization. This is
followed by the destination looking into whether the frame is intended for itself or not, by
checking the destination mac-address. Once the mac-address is verified, the FCS value is
calculated. If a mismatch is found , the frame is discarded. Else, the data type of the frame is
looked into and the data is send to the appropriate layers of the operating system
(IP Layer).

1. Ethernet frame consists of

a) MAC address
b) IP address
c) both (a) and (b)
d) none of the mentioned
View Answer

Answer:a
Explanation:None.

2. What is stat frame delimeter (SFD) in ethernet frame?

a) 10101010
b) 10101011
c) 00000000
d) 11111111
View Answer

Answer:b
Explanation:None.
3. MAC address is of
1) 24 bits
b) 36 bits
c) 42 bits
d) 48 bits
View Answer

Answer:d
Explanation:None.

4. What is autonegotiation?
a) a procedure by which two connected devices choose common transmission parameters
b) a security algorithm
c) a routing algorithm
d) none of the mentioned
View Answer

Answer:a
Explanation:None.

5. Ethernet in metropolitan area network (MAN) can be used as

a) pure ethernet
b) ethernet over SDH
c) ethernet over MPLS
d) all of the mentioned
View Answer

Answer:d
Explanation:None.

6. A point-to-point protocol over ethernet is a network protocol for

a) encapsulating PPP frames inside ethernet frames
b) encapsulating ehternet framse inside PPP frames
c) for security of ethernet frames
d) for security of PPP frames
View Answer

Answer:a
Explanation:None.

7. High speed ethernet works on

a) coaxial cable
b) twisted pair cable
c) optical fiber
d) none of the mentioned
View Answer
Answer:c
Explanation:None.

8. The maximum size of payload field in ethernet frame is

a) 1000 bytes
b) 1200 bytes
c) 1300 bytes
d) 1500 bytes
View Answer

Answer:d
Explanation:None.

9. What is interframe gap?

a) idle time between frames
b) idle time between frame bits
c) idle time between packets
d) none of the mentioned
View Answer

Answer:a
Explanation:None.

10. An ethernet frame that is less than the IEEE 802.3 minimum length of 64 octets is called
a) short frame
b) run frame
c) mini frame
d) man frame
View Answer

Answer:b
Explanation:None.