A network consists of two or more separate devices linked together such that they can communicate

• PAN
• WPAN
• LAN
• WLAN
• CAN
• MAN
• WAN
• VLAN

 Network cables can connect two computers or computer systems directly. A cable is a cord that is made up of different conductors, which are insulated from each other. This cord is usually protected by a wrap for better strength and flexibility

The different types of cables used in networks are – 

• Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) Cable
• Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) Cable
• Cable Installation Guides
• Coaxial Cable
• Fibre Optic Cable
• Wireless LANs

The Domain Name System (DNS) is a central part of the internet, providing a way to match names (a website you’re seeking) to numbers (the address for the website). Anything connected to the internet – laptops, tablets, mobile phones, and websites – has an Internet Protocol (IP) address made up of numbers.

• Converts a human input or a domain name to an IP address
• Has a mapping between hostnames and IP addresses
•  Used for a website or other server access

• Converts an IP address into a domain name
• Has a mapping that relates IP addresses to hostnames
•  Used for network troubleshooting

This is among the important networking interview questions. Network topology is the physical or logical arrangement in which the devices or nodes of a network (e.g. computers, printers, servers, hubs, switches, routers, etc.) are interconnected with each other over a communication medium. It consists of two parts – the physical topology, which is the actual arrangement of the cables (the media), and the logical topology, which defines how the hosts access the media.

In the bus network topology, each workstation is connected to a main cable called a bus. Therefore, in effect, each workstation is directly connected to every other workstation on the network

In the star network topology, there is a central computer or server to which all workstations are directly connected. Each workstation is indirectly connected to the other through the central computer

 In the ring network topology, the workstations are connected in a closed-loop configuration. Adjacent workstation pairs are directly connected. Other pairs of workstations are indirectly connected, passing data through one or more intermediate nodes.

Mesh network topology has two forms – full and partial mesh. In the full mesh topology, each workstation is directly connected. In the partial mesh topology, some workstations are connected to all the others, and some are connected only to the other nodes with which they exchange more data.

The tree network topology uses two or more star networks connected to each other. The central computers in star networks are connected to the main bus. Thus, a tree network is a bus network of star networks.