Part 1: Check Your Understanding

Instructions:Answer the questions below for more practice with key terms and concepts from Part 1. Visit www.pearsonhighered.com/techinaction to check your answers and to find other activities related to the chapter.

Multiple Choice

1. Each device connected to a network is known as a

a. peripheral. b. network spoke.

c. node. d. computing unit.

2. A small network used for communication between personal computing devices is a

a. WAN.

b. PAN.

c. LAN.

d. MAN.

3. The fastest broadband Internet service is usually

a. fiber-optic.

b. DSL.

c. cable.

d. satellite.

4. The part of the network that establishes a communications channel between the nodes of the network is known as

a. network operating software.

b. transmission media.

c. a network navigation device.

d. a switch.

5. The device used to move data between two networks is called a

a. gateway.

b. switch.

c. wireless range extender.

d. router.

True–False

__ ___ 1. Actual data throughput is usually higher on wired networks than on wireless networks. (TRUE)

__ ___2. Home networks are usually configured as a client/server network. (FALSE)

critical thinking questions – Part 1

1.  Protecting Yourself on Public Wireless Networks

Many people use free public wireless networks to access the Internet. But many public networks don’t have adequate security or may be under surveillance by hackers. To protect your sensitive data, there are certain activities you should not engage in on public networks. What types of activities should you avoid on a public network? What types of information should you only process on your secure home network?

When students set up a wireless network, to help make it more secure they could change the default network name, change the default password on the router, disable the SSID broadcast to prevent other wireless devices from finding it, and ensure all security protocols are on, such as the firewall. They can also check with their ISP providers to find out what security measures are in place. The network identification information should be kept private, and all passwords could be created using a combination of letters and numbers. If students find they can access a neighbor’s network, the information about safeguarding networks could be shared with that neighbor by sending them an email or stopping by and explaining you were able to gain access. Students should think about any Web page requiring a password, and any transmission where privacy is important such as financial transactions, credit card purchases, and private business correspondence.

2.  How Networked Are You?

You probably use more networks than you realize. List all the networks you access: home, mobile, school, business, etc. and then determine what kind of network each is. What devices do you use when you are accessing each network?

Student’s answers will vary, but should include places such as home, school, Starbucks, work. Each can be identified by being a PAN, LAN, WAN, MAN. Devices should include smartphones, laptops, PCs, tablets, game consoles, smart tvs, e-book readers.

Part 2: Check Your Understanding

Instructions:Answer the questions below for more practice with key terms and concepts from Part 2. Visit www.pearsonhighered.com/techinaction to check your answers and to find other activities related to the chapter.

Multiple Choice

1. When setting up a home network, the router is attached

a. directly to the broadband modem.

b. directly to the NIC in each device.

c. directly to the Internet.

d. directly to the Ethernet switch.

2. All of the following are methods to secure your wireless network except

a. disabling SSID broadcast.

b. enabling WPA.

c. changing your network name (SSID).

d. disabling WEP.

3. Which network-ready device facilitates file sharing and data backup?

a. Home network server

b. Time Capsule

c. Network-attached storage

d. All of the above

4. To share files between computers on a Windows home network, you must

a. enable groupsharing.

b. create a homegroup.

c. enable Windows sharing.

d. None of the above

5. Which of the following is not recommended to do when securing a home wireless network?

a. Change the default password on the router.

b. Turn on security protocols.

c. Enable SSID broadcast.

d. Change the network SSID name.

True–False

_____ 1. Network-ready devices contain Ethernet switches. (False)

_____ 2. Home network servers are a specialized type of NAS device. (True)

critical thinking questions – Part 2

1.  Evaluating Your Network Configuration

Write down all the devices you believe currently connect to your home network, either wired or wirelessly. Make sure you consider smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops, gaming consoles, DVRs, smart TVs, and printers. Are there devices (such as printers or
TVs) that are not currently able to connect directly to your network that you might want to replace? If so, note those devices, and describe the advantages a network-ready replacement would bring. Are there other devices you might also want to consider adding to your network that you don’t currently have, such as a home-monitoring system? If so, why would they be helpful?

Student’s answers will vary, but the list might be substantial. Devices that are not network-ready mostly would include printers, TVs, but there may be others. Advantages students may site for network-ready devices is accessibility, promotes collaboration and sharing as well as ease of use. Disadvantages might include inability to use devices w/o the Internet, security & privacy.

2.  Evaluating Your Network Storage Needs

You probably have media, such as videos, pictures, and music, that you access on a regular basis that you may already be sharing (or want to share) with family members. You could install an NAS device on your network to share the media, and perhaps you might even already have one. But this is usually only a good solution if the people you share media with are living in your household. For sharing media outside of the home, you could consider an NAS device that is accessible through the Internet or you could use an Internet-based media sharing solution. Consider the following:

a.  What types of media do you need to share? With whom do you need to share them? Where are these people located? Do they all use your home network? If not, do they all have access to the Internet? How much space will the media you need to store occupy? Consider what you already have on hand plus what you might be acquiring in the future.

b.  Investigate at least three different NAS devices (including home network servers) that feature the capacity you need. What is the cost of these devices? Can the devices be accessed over the Internet or do they require access to your network? What are the storage capacities of the devices?

c.  Research at least three Internet-based media storing/sharing solutions such as Dropbox, MediaFire, Amazon Cloud Drive, MiMedia, Mediashare, and Wixi. What is the cost associated with each service? Are there individual file size limitations for storage? What is the total volume of media you can store? Is the media you store on the site easily sharable with others? Does the service allow storage of all the types of media you need to store?

d.  Which solution would you implement? Be sure to justify your choice.

Students should make a list of the computers, printers, and other devices in use at their home, and whether any of them are networked. They should take into consideration the cost of adding additional devices or savings if they could share some centralized items such as printers. They can list what the advantages would be for each family member. If they add a network attached storage device, for example, they would have the advantage of centralized files, faster delivery of files, and expandability. Any student justifications made are important to the question. Charts comparing the NAS devices and the Internet-based storing/sharing solutions would be helpful and demonstrate good research.