Viva questions Internet technologies

Explain the significance of subnetting.

• Answer: Subnetting allows a network to be divided into smaller, more manageable sub-networks. It enhances network security, reduces congestion, and improves overall network performance.

What is the role of a router in a network?

• Answer: A router connects different networks and forwards data between them. It operates at the network layer of the OSI model and makes decisions based on IP addresses.

Define NAT (Network Address Translation).

• Answer: NAT is a technique that allows multiple devices on a local network to share a single public IP address. It translates private IP addresses to a public IP address for communication over the Internet.

What is the purpose of a firewall in network security?

• Answer: A firewall is a security device or software that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. It acts as a barrier between a secure internal network and untrusted external networks.

Explain the concept of a cookie in web technology.

• Answer: A cookie is a small piece of data stored on a user's device by a web browser. It is used to remember user-specific information, such as login credentials or preferences, facilitating a personalized web experience.

Differentiate between a hub, switch, and router.

• Answer: A hub operates at the physical layer and broadcasts data to all connected devices. A switch operates at the data link layer, forwarding data only to the intended device. A router operates at the network layer, connecting different networks and making decisions based on IP addresses.

What is a MAC address, and how is it different from an IP address?

• Answer: A MAC (Media Access Control) address is a unique hardware address assigned to network interfaces for communication on a local network. An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a numerical label assigned to each device on a network to identify and locate it. MAC addresses operate at the data link layer, while IP addresses operate at the network layer.

Describe the OSI model and its layers.

• Answer: The OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model is a conceptual framework that standardizes the functions of a telecommunication or computing system into seven abstraction layers: Physical, Data Link, Network, Transport, Session, Presentation, and Application.

Explain the purpose of ARP (Address Resolution Protocol).

• Answer: ARP is used to map an IP address to a MAC address within a local network. When a device wants to communicate with another device on the same network, it uses ARP to discover the MAC address associated with the target's IP address.

What is the significance of a subnet mask?

• Answer: A subnet mask is used in networking to divide an IP address into network and host portions. It helps in identifying the network a device belongs to and allows for efficient routing of data within that network.

Describe the function of ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol).

• Answer: ICMP is a network layer protocol used for diagnostic and error reporting purposes. It includes functions like ping to test network connectivity, traceroute to trace the route to a destination, and providing error messages.

How does DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) work?

• Answer: DHCP automatically assigns IP addresses and network configuration information to devices on a network. When a device connects to the network, it sends a DHCP request, and a DHCP server responds with an IP address, subnet mask, gateway, and DNS information.

What is a proxy server, and what is its role in networking?

• Answer: A proxy server acts as an intermediary between client devices and the internet. It can provide functions like caching, content filtering, and anonymizing requests, enhancing security and performance.

Explain the concept of load balancing.

• Answer: Load balancing is the distribution of network traffic across multiple servers to ensure no single server is overwhelmed. It enhances efficiency, improves response times, and ensures high availability and reliability of services.

Differentiate between stateful and stateless firewalls.

Answer: A stateful firewall monitors the state of active connections and makes decisions based on the context of the traffic, while a stateless firewall filters packets based solely on the source and destination without considering the state of the connection.

What is the difference between the Internet and the World Wide Web?

• Answer: The Internet is a global network of interconnected devices, while the World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet using web browsers.

Explain the client-server architecture.

• Answer: In a client-server architecture, clients request services or resources from servers. The server provides the requested service, and the client consumes or displays the result.

What is the purpose of DNS (Domain Name System)?

• Answer: DNS translates human-readable domain names into IP addresses, enabling users to access websites using domain names rather than numerical IP addresses.

Differentiate between TCP and UDP.

• Answer: TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) is a connection-oriented protocol that ensures reliable data delivery. UDP (User Datagram Protocol) is connectionless and provides faster but less reliable data transfer.

How does HTTP work, and what is HTTPS?

• Answer: HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the foundation of data communication on the web, and HTTPS (HTTP Secure) is a secure version that uses encryption (SSL/TLS) for secure data transfer.

Describe the purpose of IP addressing.