Networks and the Internet Flashcards
7 cards from real APCSP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Networks and the Internet flashcards as text
What is the role of DNS (Domain Name System) on the internet?
Answer: To translate human-readable domain names into IP addresses
DNS acts as the internet's phone book, translating domain names like 'google.com' into the numerical IP addresses computers use to communicate.
Which characteristic of the internet's design makes it fault-tolerant?
Answer: Packets can be rerouted through alternate paths if one path fails
The internet's decentralized, redundant design allows packets to take alternate routes when a network node or connection fails, maintaining connectivity.
What is 'latency' in a network context?
Answer: The time delay between sending a request and receiving a response
Latency is the time it takes for data to travel from the source to the destination, often measured in milliseconds.
A webpage uses HTTPS instead of HTTP. What additional feature does HTTPS provide?
Answer: Encrypted communication between browser and server
HTTPS uses TLS/SSL encryption to secure the data transmitted between a browser and web server, protecting it from eavesdropping.
What is a 'protocol' in the context of computer networking?
Answer: A set of rules governing how data is formatted and transmitted between devices
A network protocol is an agreed-upon set of rules that defines how devices format, transmit, and receive data across a network.
Which of the following scenarios best illustrates a 'denial-of-service' (DoS) attack?
Answer: An attacker floods a server with requests until it cannot respond to legitimate users
A DoS attack overwhelms a server or network with excessive traffic, consuming resources until legitimate requests can no longer be served.
What is the purpose of a subnet mask in IP networking?
Answer: To identify which portion of an IP address refers to the network and which to the host
A subnet mask distinguishes the network portion of an IP address from the host portion, enabling routers to determine if a destination is local or remote.