Category Archives: Networking and Operating Systems

Networking and Operating Systems Assignments and Information

Networking and Operating Systems

Section 4.3 – Threats to Data – TestOut

Objective: 

This section introduces you to the most common threats to data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. After finishing this section, you should be able to :

  • Describe the most common threats to data confidentiality.
  • Describe the most common threats to data integrity.
  • Describe the most common threats to data availability.
  • Identify common social engineering techniques used by hackers to gain access to online data.
  • Evaluate email messages to determine if they represent a possible social engineering attack

Links:

Key Terms:

  • Snooping Attempting to secretively discover private information about a person, company, or other entity.
  • Wiretapping A form of eavesdropping that uses programs such as packet sniffers to capture data being transmitted over a network.
  • Social Engineering The use of deception to gain personal and/or private information for unlawful purposes.
  • Reconnaissance The passive gathering of information about a potential victim.
  • Pretexting Tricking a victim into revealing sensitive information under false pretenses.
  • Email Attack Exploiting a victim using email messages.
  • Browser Attack Convincing a victim that they are performing a legitimate task within their web browser window when, in fact, they are being tricked into revealing sensitive information or installing malware on their computer.
  • Man-in-the-Middle Attack An attack where the attacker secretly relays and possibly alters the communications between two parties who believe they are directly communicating with each other.
  • Replay Attack An attempt to connect to a server by capturing and resending authentication information.
  • Impersonation TCP session hacking and other methods where an attacker takes over the communication to a server by appearing to be the victim.
  • Denial of Service An attack that attempts to overload a system so that the services it provides are no longer available to legitimate network clients.

Topics Discussed:

  • How can businesses and individuals protect confidential information?
  • What are some of the most common ways hackers gain unauthorized access to online data?
  • What are the biggest threats to business data availability?

Assignment:

  1. Access the TestOut Courseware through the provided link.
  2. Study Section 4.3: Threats to Data, and achieve a score of 80% or higher on the 15 question Exam to complete the Section.

Assigned: January 14th, 2020
Teacher Pacing Due Date: January 15th, 2020

Networking and Operating Systems

Section 4.2 – Data – TestOut

Objective: 

This section introduces you to data and information assets, intellectual property laws, and digital privacy. After finishing this section, you should be able to:

  • Describe the relationship between data and information assets.
  • Identify the basic steps in the data analytics process.
  • Describe the implications of copyright and intellectual property laws for Internet use.
  • Explain how much privacy you can expect when using the Internet for social networking, file sharing, and financial transactions.
  • Explain how much privacy you can expect when using computers at work.

Links:

Key Terms:

  • Data Analytics The process of turning data points into useful information.
  • Copyright Protections granted by the federal government to creators, writers, and inventors regarding rights to reproduce, display, make derivatives of, sell, rent, or lend a work.
  • Intellectual Property Anything that is owned by a copyright holder.
  • Piracy The crime of using someone else’s intellectual property in a way that should be reserved for the copyright holder.
  • Fair Use An exception to copyright law that allows short excerpts of a copyrighted work to be used for purposes that benefit the public.
  • Public Domain Works whose copyrights have expired and are free for anyone to reproduce, display, and make derivatives.
  • Proprietary Software Any software where the publisher retains intellectual property rights to the source code.
  • Open-source Software Software where anyone can inspect, enhance, and modify the source code.
  • Patent A license given by a government that provides inventors a temporary monopoly on their invention.
  • Trademark Any word, picture, or symbol that’s used to distinguish a good from other similar goods.
  • Privacy Expectation A reasonable belief that personal information collected by an information system is controlled and protected, not shared or used beyond its original intent.

Topics Discussed:

  • How do businesses use data to make informed decisions and to use their resources more efficiently?
  • How can I protect my intellectual property? How can I protect the intellectual property of others?
  • How much privacy do you personally expect when using the Internet?

Assignment:

  1. Access the TestOut Courseware through the provided link.
  2. Study Section 4.2: Data, and achieve a score of 80% or higher on the 10 question Exam to complete the Section.

Assigned: January 8th, 2020
Teacher Pacing Due Date: January 9th, 2020

Networking and Operating Systems

NetOp1 Semester Exam 2019

Objective:

Students will demonstrate their understanding of hardware and software basics by completing a summative quiz so that they can assess and measure the progress that they have made.

Link:

Topics Discussed:

  • Introduction to Computers
  • Networking
  • Databases and Programming

Assignment:

  1. Click the Testout Courseware link, log in and look for the “NetOp 1H Final Exam 2019” test.
  2. The exam consists of 132 multiple choice questions.
  3. Before starting the quiz, please put away all notes, study guides and other materials.
  4. Please close all other documents and webpages and do not open any new tabs or windows until after you have submitted the quiz.
  5. Please remain silent until everyone has completed the quiz.
  6. You have seventy-seven minutes to complete the test. Be sure to submit your test answers before the end of the class period today, and be forewarned that the test will auto-submit itself at the end of the class period, so work quickly!
  7. Congratulations on completing the first half of Networking and Operating Systems! I’ll see you in 2019 with TestOut Section 4, and a completely new set of projects focused on the fundamentals of networking and cybersecurity!

Have the Merriest of Christmases, the Happiest of New Years’, the Happiest of Hanukkahs, the most Peaceful of Kwanzaas, or just a restful two week break – whatever you may celebrate, enjoy it to the fullest!

Assigned: December 18th, 2019
Due Date: December 18th, 2019

Networking and Operating Systems

Section 3.4 – Programming Terms and Concepts – TestOut

Objective: 

This section introduces you to basic programming concepts and careers. After finishing this section, you should be able to:

  • Compare and contrast fundamental data types used in computer programming.
  • Describe the purpose of programming constructs such as variables, arrays, and functions.
  • Explain the advantages of Object-Oriented Programming.
  • Describe several careers in computer science.

Links:

Key Terms:

  • Data Type An attribute attached to a value that tells the compiler or interpreter how the data should be used.
  • Identifier A user-defined name of a program element, such as a variable or constant.
  • Container A program element, such as an array or vector, that hold a set of values.
  • Function A computer routine or snippet of code that can be reused in a computer program.
  • Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) A programming paradigm based on the concept of objects which can contain both data and programming code.
  • Encapsulation An OOP concept that describes how data and methods are bundled together within one unit or class.
  • Application Developer A person who creates applications for computers and mobile devices.
  • Web Developer A person who creates websites and other technologies that are delivered through the Internet.
  • QA Engineer A person who makes sure the quality of the finished application meets the standards of the company.
  • Database Programmer A person who writes code to design, create, implement, and maintain databases.

Topics Discussed:

  • How do programming languages store and manipulate different types of data?
  • What is object-oriented programming?
  • What careers are available in computer programming?

Assignment:

  1. Access the TestOut Courseware through the provided link.
  2. Study Section 3.4: Programming Terms and Concepts, and achieve a score of 80% or higher on the 15 question Exam to complete the Section.

Assigned: December 13th, 2019
Teacher Pacing Due Date: December 16th, 2019

Networking and Operating Systems

Section 3.3 – Introduction to Programming – TestOut

Objective: 

This section introduces you to computer programming languages and logic. After finishing this section, you should be able to:

  • Explain what computer programming is and why it is useful.
  • Describe the difference between developing computer programs and using software packages.
  • Compare and contrast different programming language categories.
  • Describe the purpose of programming logic, including branching and looping.
  • Analyze and understand pseudocode and programming logic flowcharts.
  • Identify and understand the purposes of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in a web browser.

Links:

Key Terms:

  • Assembly Language A human-readable, low-level computer language that is a symbolic representation of binary machine language.
  • Compiled Language A computer programming language, such as C and C++, that uses a software tool called a compiler to translate the code into binary machine language.
  • Interpreted Language A computer programming language, such as Python, JavaScript, and Ruby, that requires a program called an interpreter to execute the instructions written in the source code each time the application is run.
  • Runtime Engine A special interpreter that translates bytecode into computer specific machine language. Bytecode is a platform independent, low-level language that is compiled from source code.
  • Flowchart A visual representation of the logic in a program.
  • Branching The logic in a program that tells the computer to execute a different part of the program rather than executing statements one-by-one, in order.
  • Looping The login in a program that tells the computer to repeatedly execute a sequence of instructions until a condition is reached.
  • Algorithm Specific, step-by-step procedures that illustrate how a problem will be solved.
  • Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) A markup language interpreted by web browsers.
  • Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) A file associated with a web page that describes how HTML elements are to be displayed.
  • JavaScript A programming language commonly used to create interactive effects within a web browser.

Topics Discussed:

  • Why must computer programs be precise in giving instructions to the computer?
  • What products and services that I use were created by programmers?
  • How do popular programming languages help programmers create software for multiple platforms?

Assignment:

  1. Access the TestOut Courseware through the provided link.
  2. Study Section 3.3: Introduction to Programming, and achieve a score of 80% or higher on the 14 question Exam to complete the Section.

Assigned: December 11th, 2019
Teacher Pacing Due Date: December 12th, 2019

Networking and Operating Systems

Section 3.2 – Interfacing with Databases – TestOut

Objective: 

This section introduces you to database access methods, big data, and careers in working with databases. After finishing this section, you should be able to:

  • Explain what SQL is and interpret a basic SQL query.
  • Compare and contrast different methods of accessing data from a database.
  • Define the term Big Data and describe its related challenges and opportunities.
  • Describe various careers in working with databases
  • Use Microsoft Access to perform basic queries on a database.

Links:

Key Terms:

  • Data Definition Language (DDL) Database commands that change the structure, or schema, of the database.
  • Data Manipulation Language (DML) Database commands that modify the records within the database and not the schema itself.
  • Direct Access A method of accessing a database directly using the database management system itself.
  • Query Builder A method of accessing a database using a graphical user interface that allows users to select what actions they want to perform on a database.
  • User Interface Access A method of accessing a database using forms that allow users to interact with the database.
  • Programmatic Access A method of accessing a database using custom computer programs.
  • Data Extraction The process of gathering and organizing big data.
  • Data Mining A broad and open-ended analysis of extracted big data.
  • Big Data Analytics The process of asking specific questions to help interpret big data.
  • NoSQL Nonrelational databases that arise from big data.
  • Database Administrator A person who is responsible for designing, maintaining, backing up, and securing an organization’s databases.
  • Database Developer A person who designs and implements databases, usually by writing SQL code and conducting performance tests to ensure database optimization.
  • Data Analyst A person who specializes in gathering and analyzing data to inform business decisions.
  • Data Scientist A person who focuses on data analysis, especially as it relates to data mining and big data analytics. These positions require even more advanced programming and analytical skills.

Topics Discussed:

  • How can you access and analyze data that’s stored in a relational database?
  • What kinds of questions can be answered by analyzing Big Data?
  • What career opportunities are available in working with databases?

Assignment:

  1. Access the TestOut Courseware through the provided link.
  2. Study Section 3.2: Interfacing with Databases, and achieve a score of 80% or higher on the 10 question Exam to complete the Section.

Assigned: December 9th, 2019
Teacher Pacing Due Date: December 10th, 2019

Networking and Operating Systems

DIY Directional Antennas 2019 – Final Reflection

Objective:

I can complete the DIY Directional Antenna Project by reflecting on and evaluating what I learned throughout the course of the activity by completing an online reflection form.

Links:

DIY Antennas Project Final Reflection Form:

Google Classroom

Topics Discussed:

Wireless Networking
802.11 Wi-Fi spec
Directional Antennas
Waveguide Antenna
Yagi Antenna
Helical Antenna

Assignment:

Today, we will complete our directional antenna project. Our goal was to sustain a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi signal over a minimum distance of 100 yards (300 ft or ~92m) with a minimum signal strength of -67 dBm. Many of the Pringles can yagi antenna designs struggled with this task, but one came out on top with a very respectable -66 dBm signal and 34% sustained signal quality over a distance of 100 yards. Please congratulate Erwin N. and Brandon A. for their outstanding Pringles can yagi antenna assembly that conquered all other designs. They will be enjoying pizza and wings for lunch today as the rest of the class completes this final reflection assignment.

The link for the reflection assignment can be found here. Please follow the instructions on the form, and answer each question group with a paragraph comprised of at least three complete sentences. Pay attention to your spelling, punctuation and grammar as you compose your paragraphs. This assignment is to be written in a professional tone in an academic voice, and it will be graded based on the criteria described on the form. Each team member must submit their own form, but can work together on the wording of the individual submissions. You are encouraged to type your answers in a separate Google Doc to ensure your answers are saved, then transfer your answers to the Google Form for submission. This assignment is effectively your final project assessment which represents the major portion of your project grade, and should be addressed accordingly.

Good luck, and thank you for all your hard work on this project. Do your best on your reflection and then it’s back to the TestOut LabSim software to finish up our last few chapters before Winter Break!

Posted: December 3rd, 2019
Due Date: December 3rd, 2019

Networking and Operating Systems

Section 2.4 Lab – DIY Directional Antennas Project 2019: Build Phase and Testing

Objective:

I can demonstrate my understanding of computer networks, network operating systems and wireless networking by assembling a directional antenna with the intent of establishing and sustaining a 2.4 GHz wireless signal at a distance of greater than 100 yards.

Links:

Team Agreement 2019Download
Team Work Plan 2019Download

Do It Yourself Wireless Antenna (Pringles Can Yagi): https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-make-a-wifi-antenna-out-of-a-pringles-can-nb/

How to Build a Tin Can Waveguide WiFi Antenna: https://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/cantennahowto.html

DIY Bi-Quad Directional Wi-Fi Antenna:  https://lifehacker.com/5964111/diy-wi-fi-antenna-cheaply-extends-your-wireless-network

$10 Wi-Fi 16dBi Super Antenna: https://www.instructables.com/id/10–WIFI-16dBi-Super-Antenna-Pictorial/

Topics Discussed:

Wireless Networking
802.11 Wi-Fi spec
Directional Antennas
Waveguide Antenna
Yagi Antenna
Flickenger design Antenna

Assignment:

Today, we will continue the build phase of our directional antenna project. Remember that the goal is to sustain a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi signal over a minimum distance of 100 yards (300 ft or ~92m).

All tools and equipment are on the metal cart in the front of Room 225. The transmitter testing cart is in the front of Room 225, and the username and password is on a piece of tape on the side of the cart. Use the velcro strap to secure your can to the tripod and use the tripod handles to angle your can to point at the upright antennas on the target router located on the receiver cart. The receiver cart (with the target router) is in the back of the room, and the username and password is located on a stickynote on the PC case.

Please use this time to make progress on your project. On Friday, November 21st, I will set up the testing carts on both ends of the hallway outside my room in the 200 building so we can test all completed antennas to allow those with working products to see the results and modify their designs if necessary. You should have a finished antenna prepared to test at that time so you can tweak the design if necessary before the final test on the week of the 25th!

We will conduct final tests on Tuesday, November 25th. To be considered a success (and receive credit for the project), your antenna design must be able to sustain at least a -67 dBm wireless signal over a 100 yard distance (the length of the football field).

Reminder: The team (or individual) that produces the antenna that can reliably sustain the highest quality signal (as measured by Signal Quality percentage and Signal as measured in decibels) over the longest distance will receive a personal pizza and wings party, to be held on Wednesday, November 26th while everyone else writes a four paragraph personal reflection describing their participation in this project.

Good luck, and remember: Your antenna doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be better than everyone else’s.

Posted: November 21st, 2019
Due Date: November 26th, 2019

Networking and Operating Systems

Section 2.4 Lab – DIY Directional Antennas Project 2019

Objective:

  • I can demonstrate my understanding of computer networks, network operating systems and wireless networking by assembling a directional antenna with the intent of establishing and sustaining a 2.4 GHz wireless signal at a distance of greater than 100 yards.

Links:

Team Agreement 2019Download
Team Work Plan 2019Download

Do It Yourself Wireless Antenna (Pringles Can Yagi): https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-make-a-wifi-antenna-out-of-a-pringles-can-nb/

How to Build a Tin Can Waveguide WiFi Antenna: https://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/cantennahowto.html

DIY Bi-Quad Directional Wi-Fi Antenna:  https://lifehacker.com/5964111/diy-wi-fi-antenna-cheaply-extends-your-wireless-network

$10 Wi-Fi 16dBi Super Antenna: https://www.instructables.com/id/10–WIFI-16dBi-Super-Antenna-Pictorial/

Topics Discussed:

  • Wireless Networking
  • 802.11 Wi-Fi spec
  • Directional Antennas
  • Waveguide Antenna
  • Yagi Antenna
  • Flickenger design Antenna

Assignment:

Today, we are going to begin a focused short-term project that is to be completed before the Thanksgiving Break. The goal is simple: design and build a directional antenna that will sustain a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi signal over a minimum distance of 100 yards (300 ft or ~92m).

The stretch goal is a little more complex: design and build a directional antenna that will extend that 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi signal as far as possible.

  1. Use the links I have provided to learn about do-it-yourself directional antenna designs. There are many designs to choose from, so do your research and select the design that you think will be most effective in extending and sustaining the Wi-Fi signal over the longest range.
  2. You may work with a partner, or choose to go it alone. If you choose to work with a partner, you will need to pick up and complete both a Project Team Contract and a Project Team Work Plan (available in the Student Pickup Folder in the Marmolejo NetOp 1-2 subfolder on the StudentsTempFiles network share).
  3. Even if you are working by yourself, use the Project Team Work Plan to identify and prepare for the steps of this project (i.e. research, acquisition of materials, installation, configuration, building, testing, modification and upgrades). Submit a completed Project Team Work Plan to the instructor as soon as it is completed.
  4. Proceed with the first identified steps in your Project Team Work Plan. Do your best to follow the plan, but don’t be afraid to amend or alter the plan as the need arises.
  5. You may work in Room 225, but you will need to notify the instructor if you need access the tools in Room 212.
  6. All tools and equipment are located in Room 212. Testing PCs (sender and recipient) will be provided on rolling carts to allow for testing of antennas.
  7. Please use this time to make progress on your project. We have time provided to complete the project, but no time to waste. It is highly likely that your first antenna design may not be your final design, and you will need time to test and make adjustments to your design to achieve optimal results. Use the time given to build, test, modify and retest to get the best results!
  8. We will conduct initial tests the week of November 18th. To be considered a success (and receive credit for the project), your antenna design must be able to sustain at least a -67 dBm wireless signal over a 100 yard distance (the length of the football field).
  9. Upon completion of initial tests, you will have a week to revise and retest your design before the final testing during the week of November 25th.
  10. The team (or individual) that produces the antenna that can reliably sustain the highest signal strength over the longest distance on the final testing day will receive a personal pizza and wings party, to be held while everyone else writes a four paragraph personal reflection describing their participation in this project.

Good luck, and remember: the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.

Posted: November 12th, 2019
Due Date: November 27th, 2019

Networking and Operating Systems

Section 2.5 – Application Delivery – TestOut

Objective: 

This section introduces you to application delivery methods, software licensing, and software installation. After finishing this section, you should be able to:

  • Compare and contrast different methods of delivering applications to users.
  • Describe various ways software applications can be designed for greater scalability and maintenance.
  • Compare and contrast different software licensing models.
  • Use various methods to install and use software applications.
  • Install software patches and updates.
  • Configure a Windows system for automatic updates.

Links:

Key Terms:

  • Local Installation The traditional method for delivering applications by installing them on individual desktop computer systems.
  • Network Hosting A method of delivering applications by installing them in the local network.
  • Cloud Hosting A method of delivering applications by hosting them in the cloud.
  • Software as a Service (SaaS) A term associated with cloud hosting. SaaS provides users with the applications they need to do their day-to-day work through the cloud.
  • One Tier An application architecture model where programs run as standalone applications on a single computer.
  • Two Tier An application architecture model with two separate tiers (a client and a server) where applications store and retrieve data from a central repository.
  • Three Tier An application architecture model with three separate tiers where an application presents the user interface on a client workstation, data is processed on an application server, and information is retrieved from a database management system on a database server.
  • n-Tier An application architecture model where application developers add as many tiers as they need to create the most efficient services and processes on a network.
  • Platform Compatibility A concern with using enterprise software in a network with multiple computer platforms and operating systems.
  • Proprietary Software Software that isn’t owned but requires the purchase of a license to use the software.
  • Personal License A software license given to home and small business customers that allows them to install the software on a limited number of systems.
  • Enterprise License A software license, often called a volume license or a site license, that allows the customer to install the software without restriction using the same activation code, typically until a maximum cap is reached.
  • Open Source Software Software that can be downloaded, installed, and used without paying a licensing fee. The source code can also be downloaded, modified, and compiled and given to others as long as it is not resold for profit.
  • Software Subscription Sometimes called SaaS or on-demand software, software that requires a monthly or annual fee to use the software and receive regular updates.
  • Windows Update A feature of the Windows operating system that keeps the operating system up to date.

Topics Discussed:

  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of hosting applications on the cloud?
  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of software subscription licenses?
  • Why is it important to keep system and application software up to date?

Assignment:

  1. Access the TestOut Courseware through the provided link.
  2. Study Section 2.5: Application Delivery, and achieve a score of 80% or higher on the 12 question Exam to complete the Section.

Assigned: November 7th, 2019
Teacher Pacing Due Date: November 8th, 2019