Unit 6: Networks - Practice Quiz

1 What does the abbreviation LAN stand for?

2 Which type of network typically covers the largest geographical area?

3 A network that connects devices across a single city is best described as a:

4 Which of the following is a common use of a computer network?

5 Which device is used to connect multiple computers within a network and forwards data only to the intended device?

6 What is the main function of a router in a network?

7 Which hardware component is required for a computer to connect to a network?

8 In which network topology are all devices connected to a single central cable?

9 In a star topology, all devices are connected to a central:

10 In a ring topology, devices are connected in the shape of a:

11 What is a network protocol?

12 Which protocol is most commonly used for communication over the Internet?

13 Which of the following is an example of wired network media?

14 Which network medium transmits data using light signals?

15 Which of the following is a wireless network medium?

16 In a client-server network, which computer provides resources and services to other computers?

17 In a peer-to-peer network, each computer:

18 A hybrid network is best described as one that:

19 Which technology best enables people to access and share data from almost any location?

20 Being able to access files from any device with an Internet connection is a key benefit of:

21 A company has offices in three different cities connected together so employees can share files across all locations. Which type of network best describes this setup?

22 In a network of computers arranged in a full mesh topology, how many direct cable connections are required?

23 In a star topology, one workstation's cable is accidentally cut. What is the most likely effect on the rest of the network?

24 A technician needs a device that reads the destination IP address of a packet and forwards it along the best path between two different networks. Which device should be used?

25 Why is a switch generally preferred over a hub in a modern LAN?

26 An engineer needs a cable that carries data over several kilometers with very high bandwidth and immunity to electromagnetic interference. Which medium is the best fit?

27 A small office has each computer storing its own files and sharing them directly with others, with no central server. How is this network structured?

28 Which situation most clearly favors a client-server structure over peer-to-peer?

29 A network combines a star topology at each department but connects the departments' central hubs along a single main cable. This arrangement is best described as which hybrid topology?

30 In a simple ring topology without redundancy, what happens if one connection in the ring fails?

31 Which protocol is primarily responsible for assigning IP addresses automatically to devices when they join a network?

32 A user edits a document on their laptop and later opens the updated version on their phone without manually transferring it. Which technology most directly enables this?

33 An office wants one printer to be used by all 15 employees instead of buying a printer per desk. This is an example of which primary use of a network?

34 Which statement correctly distinguishes guided media from unguided media?

35 Connecting a smartphone, wireless earbuds, and a smartwatch over Bluetooth around one person best describes which type of network?

36 A wireless signal weakens before reaching the far end of a large building. Which device would best extend the coverage?

37 Which pair of protocols together forms the foundational suite for communication on the internet?

38 Which device converts digital data from a computer into signals suitable for transmission over a telephone or cable line, and back again?

39 A team spread across different locations uses shared calendars, instant messaging, and video calls to work on the same project. This use of a network is best categorized as:

40 Why do large organizations often build hybrid networks rather than using a single pure topology?

41 An organization spans a metropolitan area with several campuses, each roughly 3-5 km apart, interconnected by high-speed fiber owned by a city consortium. Individual buildings within each campus use their own switched Ethernet segments. Which classification most precisely describes the inter-campus interconnection?

42 In a fully connected (mesh) network with nodes, the number of dedicated point-to-point links required is . If an administrator must scale from 8 nodes to 12 nodes, how many additional links must be installed?

43 A frame arrives at a device that examines the destination MAC address, consults a forwarding table built from observed source addresses, and sends the frame only out the port where that address resides. If the address is unknown, it floods all ports except the ingress port. Which device exhibits exactly this behavior?

44 A star-wired network has all hosts connected to a single central switch. An engineer argues this design has a single point of failure. Which precise statement correctly characterizes the failure behavior of a pure star topology?

45 An installer must run a link through an environment with heavy electromagnetic interference from industrial motors, across a 400 m distance, with immunity to electrical noise and no ground-loop issues. Which medium best satisfies all constraints?

46 A small firm's file server also runs the print queue and shares folders, while every workstation can additionally share its own local files directly with peers without going through the server. Which statement best describes this arrangement?

47 A campus backbone connects several departmental networks: one is wired as a star, another as a ring, and a third as a bus, all joined through a central backbone switch. What is the most accurate topological description of the overall network?

48 Two hosts on a shared half-duplex Ethernet segment transmit simultaneously and detect a collision. Which protocol mechanism governs how they recover and retry?

49 A network segment's traffic must be filtered based on IP addresses and forwarded between two different logical networks ( and ). A technician mistakenly installs a Layer 2 switch. Why will communication between the two networks fail?

50 A gigabit link over Cat 5e copper is specified for a maximum segment length of 100 m. An installer runs a 140 m cable to reach a distant office. What is the correct engineering remedy that preserves signal integrity?

51 An organization wants employees to access the same up-to-date customer database from multiple locations simultaneously, with a single authoritative copy. Which networking benefit is most directly being leveraged, and what design implication does 'single authoritative copy' impose?

52 A company with 500 employees needs centralized authentication, enforced security policies, and role-based access to shared resources managed from one point. Which network structure is most appropriate, and why is the peer-to-peer alternative unsuitable at this scale?

53 In a ring topology using token passing, a single node fails and does not forward the token. Assuming no bypass or self-healing mechanism, what is the immediate consequence?

54 A wireless access point bridges wireless clients onto a wired LAN. A student claims it is 'just a wireless switch.' Which distinction is most accurate?

55 A remote worker edits a document offline on a laptop, and it syncs to cloud storage when connectivity resumes; meanwhile a colleague edited the same file. What core challenge of 'any time, anywhere' data sharing does this scenario expose?

56 A user connects a smartphone, wireless earbuds, and a smartwatch that all communicate directly with each other over Bluetooth within about a 2-meter radius around the user. Which network classification fits, and which characteristic distinguishes it from a LAN?

57 A protocol stack must reliably deliver ordered bytes over an unreliable IP network, retransmitting lost segments. Which protocol provides this, and at which layer does it operate relative to IP?

58 Comparing single-mode and multi-mode fiber, an engineer must choose for a long-haul 20 km backbone. Which choice and rationale is correct?

59 A firm consolidates 40 individual printers into 4 shared network printers accessed by all staff. Beyond cost savings, which pair of trade-offs must the network design explicitly manage?

60 An architect must decide between placing intelligence on powerful central servers with lightweight clients versus giving each host full processing capability. For an environment with strict centralized control, easy backup, and low per-seat maintenance, which model and consequence is correct?