Tag Archives: Section 2.4

Networking and Operating Systems

Practice Exam A.2.6 – Domain 6: Security – TestOut

Objective: 

This section contains six domain practice reviews related to the CompTIA ITF Practice Exam Domains:

The domain practices:

  • Have 20 questions per domain review
  • Are randomly generated
  • Have no time limit
  • Are not pass/fail
  • Have a percentage score at the end of the session
  • Recommend an 80% passing score.

Links:

Topics Discussed:

  • Section 2.1: The Internet
  • Section 2.4: Networking Standards and Protocols
  • Section 2.5: Application Delivery
  • Section 4.2: Data
  • Section 4.3: Threats to Data
  • Section 4.4: Security Concepts
  • Section 4.5: Personal Data and Device Security
  • Section 4.6: Corporate Data Security

Assignment:

  1. Access the TestOut Courseware through the provided link.
  2. Review Sections 2.1, 2.4, 2.5, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5 and 4.6, and take the 20 question A.2.6 practice test. Your goal is to achieve a score of 80% or higher on the practice test.
  3. After you finish, you may review each question by selecting the Individual Responses option, then return to the relevant section in the course to review the instructional material.
  4. Retake the practice test after reviewing the material to make progress towards and achieve the 80% passing score before the end of day on Friday of this week.
  5. We will take a comprehensive practice test covering all six of the CompTIA Exam Objective Domains on Tuesday of next week. Use these six practice tests as your review resources to identify gaps in your knowledge, and re-read the relevant chapters to fill these gaps and prepare for Tuesday’s comprehensive practice test.

Assigned: February 13th, 2020
Teacher Pacing Due Date: February 14th, 2020

Networking and Operating Systems

Practice Exam A.2.2 – Domain 2: Infrastructure – TestOut

Objective: 

This section contains six domain practice reviews related to the CompTIA ITF Practice Exam Domains:

The domain practices:

  • Have 20 questions per domain review
  • Are randomly generated
  • Have no time limit
  • Are not pass/fail
  • Have a percentage score at the end of the session
  • Recommend an 80% passing score.

Links:

Topics Discussed:

  • Section 1.1: The Information Age
  • Section 1.3: Peripheral Devices
  • Section 1.4: Processing and Storage Hardware
  • Section 1.5: Operating Systems
  • Section 2.1: The Internet
  • Section 2.3: Networking Basics
  • Section 2.4: Networking Standards and Protocols
  • Section 4.6: Corporate Data Security

Assignment:

  1. Access the TestOut Courseware through the provided link.
  2. Review Sections 1.1, 1.3, 1.4. 1.5, 2.1, 2.3, 2.4 and 4.6, and take the 20 question A.2.2 practice test. Your goal is to achieve a score of 80% or higher on the practice test.
  3. After you finish, you may review each question by selecting the Individual Responses option, then return to the relevant section in the course to review the instructional material.
  4. Retake the practice test after reviewing the material to make progress towards and achieve the 80% passing score before advancing to the next Practice Exam.

Assigned: January 30th, 2020
Teacher Pacing Due Date: January 31st, 2020

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 – Networking Standards and Protocols – TestOut

Objective: 

This section introduces you to networking protocols and standards and gives you practice connecting to a secure wireless network. After finishing this section, you should be able to:

  • Describe basic Internet protocols.
  • Compare and contrast wireless network standards.
  • Describe how networking devices transmit data to the right location on a network.
  • Connect to a public WiFi network.
  • Connect to a secure wireless network.
  • Describe various careers in computer networking.

Links:

Key Terms:

  • Physical Address The unique, burned-into read-only memory address of a network interface. This is also called the media access control address, or MAC address. MAC addresses are burned into the read-only memory of every single network interface, such as wireless network adapters and network interface cards. This makes it virtually impossible to change the device’s MAC address.
  • Logical Address An address assigned by software and, as such, can be changed. It includes two parts, the network address and the host address. The most common types of logical addresses are those assigned by the IP protocol and are called IP addresses.
  • Default Address Class A class designation (A through E) that specifies a default subnet mask value which defines the default network address portion of the IP address.
  • Internet Protocol (IP) The principal communications protocol in the internet protocol suite that is used to route information over the Internet.
  • Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) An important protocol in the internet protocol suite that enables two hosts to establish a connection and exchange data.
  • User Datagram Protocol (UDP) An important protocol in the internet protocol suite that is generally used when speed in transmission is more important than accuracy since the sending computer doesn’t verify that the packets were correctly received.
  • Domain Name System (DNS) A protocol that helps internet users and network devices discover other devices using a human-readable hostname instead of numeric IP addresses.
  • Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) A protocol that governs the transfer of web content between computers.
  • Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) A protocol that combines HTTP with the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol to securely transfer web content between computers.
  • Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) A protocol used to send email.
  • Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) A protocol used to receive email. With POP3, email is deleted from a server after it is downloaded to a client.
  • Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) A protocol used to receive email. With IMAP, email is saved on a server even after it is downloaded to a client.
  • IEEE 802 Standards A family of standards that deal mostly with how data is transferred between hosts in a local area network (LAN).
  • IEEE 802.11 Standards A family of standards under the 802 standards that deal with how data is transferred between hosts in a wireless network. Popular 802.11 standards are 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, and 802.11ac.
  • IEEE 802.11 Encryption Protocols Security protocols that govern how data in a wireless network is secured by encryption. Examples of these protocols are Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), and WPA2.
  • Frequency A characteristic of a radio signal that carries digital information in a wireless network. 802.11 standards specify two frequencies, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.
  • Attenuation A feature of radio waves where the signal becomes weaker as the wave travels further from its point of origin. 802.11 standards require that signals are strong enough to cover a specific distance.
  • Speed A characteristic of 802.11 protocols that require protocols to transfer data at a specific number of bits per second.
  • Network Architect A person that develops and implements an organization’s communication network, including the hardware and software components needed for both physical and wireless connections.
  • Network Administrator A person that maintains and expands a company’s network. They install and configure network media, create and manage user accounts, implement firewalls and other network security, manage an organization’s mail system, configure network printers, and maintain Internet connectivity.
  • Network Technician A person that works closely with network administrators to ensure uninterrupted access to the company network. They troubleshoot problems reported to a company’s IT help desk and assist users in resolving network connection problems, such as replacing defective network cables and modifying Wi-Fi settings.

Topics Discussed:

  • Why is it important that computers on a network use the same protocols?
  • How do computer networks locate specific devices on the network?
  • What career opportunities are available in computer networking?

Assignment:

  1. Access the TestOut Courseware through the provided link.
  2. Study Section 2.4: Networking Basics, and achieve a score of 80% or higher on the 15 question Exam to complete the Section.

Assigned: November 4th, 2019
Teacher Pacing Due Date: November 6th, 2019