*** TIPS ON STUDYING and QUESTIONS YOU MAY EXPECT ***
NETWORKING ESSENTIALS, July 1, 1998
Contents:
1. Tips on studying
2. Useful facts and knowledge
3. Questions and answers I got
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TIPS ON STUDYING AND MY WAY
Boy, am I glad that I passed this one! During the exam, I was under the impression that I wouldn't make it -- imagine my surprise when I saw "Congratulations" on my screen!
Maybe this will give you some tips on how to make it easier (or on how NOT to do it), but I'll just tell what my experiences and stuff are.
IMPORTANT: GET THE TRANSCENDER TEST!!!! Not only it's good to practice your knowledge, the most important thing is that it will explain WHY a certain answer is correct. You WILL learn a lot of this (a collegue of mine even passed by learning the explanations for every question/answer ONLY). I practiced my knowledge by doing these tests over and over, until I could make 'em without ANY error. Of course, do not just learn the answer to the questions, but learn WHY it's the correct answer.
One thing though... While these Transcender tests focus on FACTS (what is the maximum cable length, which layer of the OSI-model takes care of error-free delivery, etc.), the actual exam I took was more based on USING and COMBINING these facts. For example, you get a drawing of a simple network, and you have to improve performance. Which things can you do (using different terminators, using different cables, remove a segment, etc. etc. etc.). Hence, it's darn important to know the HOW's and WHY's.
Networking Essentials was my very first test for The Road To MCSE. The first thing that I noticed that the tests in the classroom had to be done on a machine running Windows 3.x! They probably have their reasons, but it looked stoopid to me! :)
Another thing you may want to know (if you've never done a test before): on the top right of the screen is a button which will open a Windows Calculator if you click it.
With some questions, there's a button called "EXHIBIT", which will give you a drawing of a network or something else that needs to be illustrated.
How did I learn this test? By using the Self-paced training kit from Microsoft. I just read three or fours lessons a day and made notes of these. BTW... If you're a lazy person like me, and think like "Oh shit... Still 25 chapters to go!", then something really funny might help: before you read a lesson, count the actual number of pages you're about to read -- most of the time, it's only 10 or something. Knowing that, it doesn't sound that bad anymore! Don't think "Still 25 chapters to go!", think "Heh, only 10 pages to read before I'm already at lesson 6!". It sounds silly, but it sure helped me -- it made the reading and learning less bad! :)
I did NOT really paid attention to the Unit Reviews. I'm NOT saying that's the right way, but I passed, so... Maybe you shouldn't spend (too) much time there.
I made notes of each chapter, like a summary. After reading the entire book, I've reviewed my notes a couple of times (sometimes using the book to look things up again). The notes sometimes referred to the book itself (for example, "IRQ's see page [127]!").
After this, I printed out EACH and EVERY question, answer AND EXPLANATION of the Transcender exams, and put them IN ORDER OF UNITS (1-7). This takes a couple of hours, but what the heck! :)
Then, a week before the exam (you may need more or less, of course), I did this.
- Read my summary of lessons 1, 2 and 3 (Unit 1).
- Read, study, learn all questions, answers and explanations of all questions
that apply to Unit 1 and try to understand it all.
- Read my summary of lessons 4, 5 and 6 (Unit 2).
- Read, study, learn all questions, answers and explanations of all questions
that apply to Unit 2 and try to understand it all.
etc. etc. etc. Of course, make notes again when needed.
The final day before the test I looked at a lot of stuff that's written on
Braindump Heaven -- for me, it was the "finishing" touch. Though I didn't spent much time on this. Maybe I should've done some more.....
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USEFUL THINGS TO KNOW
You may need to know the following things. It's not an extensive facts-list, it's a couple of things that I think are important.... copy and paste this into a new document and make sure you know all of this -- check it one last time before the exam takes place. It's ONLY BASIC INFORMATION AND "THE LITTLE THINGS YOU SHOULD FORGET VERY EASILY"! :)
- Peer-to-peer network = workgroup = special type of client/server
- Bus topology: uses 10BaseX and CSMA/CD most of the time -- passive topology
- Star bus topology: uses 10Base2 or 10Base5 most of the time
- Star topology: uses 10BaseVG-AnyLAN most of the time
- Cable types:
10BaseT - max. 100 meters - UTP/STP - RJ-45 connectors
10Base2 - max. 185 meters - thinnet - coax - BNC connectors
10Base5 - max. 500 meters - thicknet - standard Ethernet - AUI connectors
- To MINIMIZE costs and installation, use 10BaseT.
- For temporary networks, use UTP.
- UTP categories:
Cat 1: no data, only voice!
Cat 2: 4 Mbps
Cat 3: 10 Mbps
Cat 4: 16 Mbps
Cat 5: 100 Mbps
- Baseband = digital signals, bidirectional. Uses repeaters. Whole bandwitdth of cable.
- Broadband = analog signals, unidirectional. Uses amplifiers. Multiple frequencies.
- IRQ's:
3: COM2, COM4
4: COM1, COM3
5: LPT2
7: LPT1
- Best for network adapter: EISA, shared memory.
- OSI-model:
APPLICATION layer: the actual applications
PRESENTATION layer: does "things" with data to ensure better throughput, such as compression, chunking, protocol-things
SESSION layer: takes care that sender and receiver agree on things like frame lengths, when to send, how to send acknowledgements, etc.
Also adds checkpionts
TRANSPORT layer: the way the data is transported: packet "management" (divide data in packets, reassemble), flow control
NETWORK layer: transforms logical addresses to network addresses and vice versa, takes care of routing, etc.
DATALINK layer: error control
PHYSICAL layer: the actual hardware -- connectors, cables, cards
- OSI model names abbreviation: APSTNDP. Remember with this sentence:
All People Seem To Need Data Processing
- Application protocols: FTP, SMTP, SNMP
- Transport protocols: TCP, SPX, NetBEUI
- Network protocols: IP, IPX, NetBEUI
- DHCP-server: assigns TCP/IP-info to computers so they don't have to be configured manually. Ex.: IP-number, subnet masks, WINS- and DNS-server addresses.
- A NetBIOS-name has a COMPUTERNAME and a SHARENAME, for example: \\COMPUTER1\SHARE
- To use a NT-client on a NetWare network: install NWLink and Client Service For Netware on the client.
- To use a Win95-client on a NetWare network: install IPX/SPX and Microsoft Client For NetWare on the client.
- The back end processes tasks which are requested by the client. The client DOES have processing capabilities!
- Everything related to user accounts to be done with User Manager For Domains.
- RAID 5 is simply the BEST - use that one if you can choose between any RAID.
- Repeater: "amplifies" signals. On physical layer of OSI-model.
- Bridge: segments networks. Builds own routing table, can connect different
physical media, but not different media access methods. Recognized network NODES. On datalink-layer of OSI-model.
- Router: same as bridge, but can also stop broadcasts (and broadcast storms).
Recognizes network addresses and can calculate multiple routes, so can determine (and use) the best route. On network-layer.
- Gateway: can translate one protocol to another. On ALL layers.
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QUESTIONS I GOT & WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO KNOW
I hated the fact that I didn't get much questions about the OSI-model! The practice tests have a lot of stuff about this, and my actual test only had two questions about it! Of course, YOUR exam may ask 20 questions about it.
When I got the first questions on my screen, I was surprised that I got lots of things I didn't know -- not straight facts, but more SITUATIONS I had to solve or improve or what. Lots of times I GUESSED (I think), simply cause two answers both seemed true. Argh!
Oh well, here are some questions (and answers I can remember):
-- QUESTION: a new network adapter card has been added to a computer. While the network SOFTWARE was initialized without problems, the computer can not access the network. What could be wrong?
POSSIBLE ANSWERS: wrong frame type, wrong transceiver setting, wrong IRQ or wrong cable.
MY CHOICE: since the software could be initialized without problems, I guessed that there was nothing wrong with the transceiver setting or IRQ and I (think I) chose wrong frame type.
-- QUESTION: three locations (A, B and C). Need to be connected with proper cabling, at least 1Mbps. Communication should also be possible (same speed) even if one link drops. Suggested solution: T1 cables between A & B and B & C, and 28k8 modem lines too. Good enough?
ANSWER: Required result (communication between all) is OK, optional (if one link drops) too -- one T1 connection will be taken over by a modem-line. However, no 1 Mbps connection between all locations if a T1-link drops, since communication between A and C always happens over a modem-line in that case.
QUESTION: three locations (A, B and C). Need to be connected with proper cabling, at least 1Mbps. Suggested solution: sixteen 28k8-modems between cables between A & B, B & C, and A & C (eight for sending, eight for receiving).
So, a triangular setup with sixteen 28k8-lines between each sites. Good
enough?
MY ANSWER: eh, I guess I should have used the rule (line speed / 8) * 100 * (number of modems)? This will give (28800 / 8) * 100 * 8 = 2880000. Or not? I can't remember what I answered.....
-- QUESTION: Certain situation. How to improve network with at least 50%?
ANSWER: I saw a lot of shit in this one... Increasing TCP frame size from 4096 to 16000 or something, using 100BaseX instead of 10BaseT, window sizes, etc.
Made me sweat, but I guessed something...
-- QUESTION: Which OS's can make resources available with passwords?
ANSWER: of course, they're talking about share-level security here, and the only correct answers are Windows 95 and Windows 3.11.
-- QUESTION: Which device provides flow control, and can stop broadcast storms?
ANSWER: Router. Make sure you know what repeaters/bridges/routers/brouters/gateways
CAN DO and CAN NOT DO.
-- QUESTION: Which device can translate protocols?
ANSWER: Gateway. See previous question. I got about 10 or 11 questions about the possibilities and restrictions of 'em all.
-- QUESTION: You need to set up a network for a maximum of 6 months. Which topology would you use?
ANSWER: Bus. Always use bus when it's a temporary network.
-- QUESTION: There are a couple of servers, in a building which has rooms with 1 meter "overhead" or something. Which type of cable to use for a network?
ANSWER: The fact that there was 1 meter of overhead (or was it overhaul? Can't remember -- English is not my native language, and all I can remember is that I didn't know the meaning of the word), made me think about crosstalk, and other external signals that could "disturb" the signal on the cable.
Therefore, I chose SHIELDED twisted pair.
-- QUESTION: Some chick's computer can not access the network ANYMORE (written in bold), while there were no problems before. No settings have been changed. What could be wrong?
ANSWER: There couldn't be anything wrong with the frame settings, IRQ settings, etc.
Since no settings have been changed. The right answer must be that the
network cable is loose from the network card.
-- QUESTION: There are a couple of servers with sensitive data. The servers are tucked away in a locked room. What else should you do to keep it safe?
ANSWER: Two answers were obvious (implement user-level security and let everyone change their passwords every 30 days). I wasn't too sure about something with the word "auditing" in it, since I didn't really pay attention to that when I was studying...
-- QUESTION: What is an example of client/server computing?
ANSWER: a workstation application accessing information from a remote database.
-- QUESTION: Which of the following is associated with connection-orientated communication?
ANSWER: Assured delivery was the correct answer. Fast but unrelialble delivery is associated with connectionLESS-orientated communication, fiber-optic and infra-red too, of course.