MIS 589 Networking Concepts and Application All weeks

 

 

 

MIS 589 Week 1: Introduction and the Application Layer – Discussion

Technology and Evolution

As you will discover this week through your studies, communications have gone through some major changes throughout history. Explain how information systems from the 1980s differ from information systems today. What networking and communications changes were introduced in the past decade (2000s), and what were their implications?

MIS 589 Week 1: Introduction and the Application Layer – Discussion

 

The Application Layer (Graded)

The textbook and lecture explain that there are four fundamental application architectures in use today: host-based architectures, client-based architectures, client-server architectures, and peer-to-peer architectures. Do some research in the DeVry Virtual Library (Under Course Home in the Student Resources section). Based on your research, what application architectures are most prevalent today? Under what architecture would you classify technologies such as virtualization, cloud computing, and Web-based applications? Last, what factors are involved in selecting the architecture that is right for your organization?

MIS 589Week 1 Assignments:

MIS 589Week 1 Chapter 2 Mini Case

MIS 589Week 1 Individual Assignment; Chapter 1 Questions

Additional Study Material (Source 2)

Week 1 Quiz (Multiple Choice)

1. (TCO A) This layer is responsible for translating electrical pulses into data.

2. (TCO A) A(n) _____ is a set of rules that determine what a layer would do and provides a clearly defined set of messages that software at the layer needs to understand.

3. (TCO A) Cables and wireless transmissions are also known as ____.

4. (TCO A) Today we have access to the broadband Internet access from home appliances, televisions, mobile phones, MP3 players, cars, computers, phones and many other devices. This is an example of the coming existence of _____.

5. (TCO A) Which standards body is responsible for the development of local area network (LAN) standards?

6. (TCO B) You have five physical computers in available to you. Your organization has started a project that requires 10 different servers to meet all requirements. You have no additional funding to purchase new servers. Using ____ technology is the best option you have.

7. (TCO B) The company vice president has just received an email from an associate with claims that 50,000 dollars needs to be wired to a location in Eastern Europe. You want to confirm that this email is indeed from the associate by identifying the message ID and From address. What portion of the SMTP packet would you examine?

8. (TCO B) There are required and optional parts of an HTTP response. They are:

9. (TCO B) The Cisco Telepresense system has grown in use over the past years and is a type of ____.

10. (TCO B) Which application architecture is known for having the lowest cost of infrastructure?

 

MIS 589 Week 2

MIS 589 Week 2: Physical Layer and LANs – Discussion

LAN Topology (Graded)

In order to understand a LAN you need to understand all the parts involved in constructing one. Discuss each of the components of a LAN as described in the textbook and in your research. What are the current standards for each of these components? What improvements are on the horizon? What role does ethernet play in today’s LANs.

Week 2: Physical Layer and LANs – Discussion

Communication Media (Graded)

Networks today will not operate without reliable media. What are some popular media types used in organizations today? How might factors such as transmission distance, cost, and organization type impact your choice of media?

MIS 589Week 2 Assignments:

 

MIS 589Week 2 Individual Assignment; Chapter 3 Questions

 

MIS 589 Week 2 YouDecide; The Charter School LAN Upgrade Proposal

 

Additional Study Material (Source 2)

MIS 589 Week 2 Quiz Set 1 and 2 (Multiple Choice)

1. (TCO B) A(n) _____circuit is another name for a multipoint configuration.

2. (TCO B) The technology director has decided that a host based application architecture based on mainframes is best for the payroll application. As the network engineer you need to decide which type of transmission is best and want to keep things as simple as possible. Select the transmission type that is ideally suited for this situation.

3. (TCO B) The Chief Information Officer has put you in charge of building the network. The CIO has informed you that cost are a factor in building the network. Security is not a concern and the CIO would like moderate speed. What type of media would you consider to build this network using to meet the CIO’s needs?

4. (TCO B) Which is true regarding parallel transmission mode?

5. (TCO B) With respect to converting digital data into analog signals, AM stands for:

6. (TCO C) A member of upper management has just informed you that an office space needs to accommodate seven new networked computers. In this office space you have one network cable that runs back to the main network distribution point. You want to get the seven new computers running as soon as possible. What is the fasted method of getting them connected to the network?

7. (TCO C) The storage capacity of your servers is quickly being exhausted. Organizational leadership has given you as much funding as you need to establish a long term solution to this problem. Which is the best option below to address this storage space problem from a long term perspective?

8. (TCO C) Why do Switched Ethernet networks improve network performance?

9. (TCO C) Which is true about a network hub?

10. (TCO C) Which technology do most organizations today employ?

11. (TCO B) A(n) ______ circuit is another name for a multipoint configuration. (Points : 4)

12. (TCO B) The type of media usually installed on homes and businesses by the telephone company is called _____. (Points : 4)

13. (TCO B) The Chief Information Officer has put you in charge of building the network. The CIO has informed you that cost are a factor in building the network. Security is not a concern and the CIO would like moderate speed. What type of media would you consider to build this network using to meet the CIO’s needs? (Points : 4)

14. (TCO B) Which is true regarding parallel transmission mode? (Points : 4)

15. (TCO B) With respect to converting digital data into analog signals, AM stands for: (Points : 4)

16. (TCO C) You are the network engineer for XYZ hospital. Your supervisor has asked you to connect the MRI machine to the network via the network interface card built into the machine. You have been informed that you need to purchase the most cost effective cable available to perform this installation and gigabyte speed is necessary. What would be your best option given the scenario? (Points : 4)

17. (TCO C) Microsoft Windows Active Directory is an example of a: (Points : 4)

18. (TCO C) Network bottlenecks typically reside in what two places? (Points : 4)

19. (TCO C) The basic layout of a network is called the _____. (Points : 4)

20. (TCO C) Which of the following should not be considered when installing cables or performing maintenance? (Points : 4)

  

MIS 589 Week 3

MIS 589 Week 3: The Data Link Layer – Discussion

 

Media Access Control (Graded)

As you may have discovered by reading your textbook, there are two sub-layers that operate at the data link layer. The media access control (MAC) sub-layer controls the hardware, so let’s focus on that aspect. The two approaches to media access control are controlled and contention access. What are some differences in these approaches? When would one access control be a better option than the other?

 

MIS 589 Week 3: The Data Link Layer – Discussion

Data Link Layer (Graded)

Network sniffing and analysis has become a critical and necessary element of work for systems administrators, network admin, network engineers, security analysts, and many other niches within the realm of information technology. Wireshark is a free tool that allows you to quickly investigate connectivity and application problems. Download, install, and capture some local traffic from your home network. What data link communications do you see taking place? Does anyone see a term called ARP? What might this mean? Share your findings with the class.

Please take a look in the Webliography for the link titled Wireshark.

MIS 589Week 3 Assignments:

 

 MIS 589 Week 3 Assignment; TextBook Questions

 

 Week 3 Mini Case; Smith, Smith, Smith, and Smith

 

 Additional Study Reference Papers (Source 2)

 

MIS 589 Week 3 Quiz (Multiple Choice)

 

1. (TCO B) Which of the following is true with respect to the data link layer?

2. (TCO B) You are working to resolve a problem with communication to an office in your building. The Sr. Network Engineer asks you to go get a mini-switch or repeater so that the source of the error can be resolved. What was the likely source of this error?

3. (TCO B) This error checking scheme adds 8, 16, 24, or 32 bits to the message.

4. (TCO B) This type of transmission is typically used on a point-to-point full-duplex circuits.

5. (TCO B) Your new position requires that you maintain a Token Ring network that includes several IBM mainframes. What type of access control would this network most likely use?

6. (TCO B) You are working with a co-worker over the phone to connect a router at your location in New York to their network in San Francisco. After hours of troubleshooting the WAN protocol configured on the routers you find that the root of the problem is that he has a Cisco router and you have a Nortel router. Which WAN protocol are you most likely configuring in this scenario?

7. (TCO B) ____ is not a function of a data link protocol.

8. (TCO B) The key to selecting the best access control technique is to _______.

9. (TCO B) In general, controlled approaches:

10. (TCO B) With contention:

  

MIS 589 Week 4

MIS 589 Week 4: Network and Transport Layers – Discussion

 

IPv4 versus IPv6 (Graded)

At the heart of the networking layer is addressing. IP addressing is used to locate computers and other network devices across the Internet. Currently, IPv4 is the dominant network addressing standard used on the Internet and within organizations. The problem is that we have exhausted our public IPv4 addresses. IPv6 was developed in part to address this very issue.

Do some research on IPv6 in the DeVry Library and on the Web.

What are some immediate differences in the two protocols? Does IPv6 provide operational improvement, as well as increased address space? How has/will IPv6 impact organizations, the Internet, and you at home?

MIS 589 Week 4: Network and Transport Layers – Discussion

 

Network and Transport Layer Protocols (Graded)

The Network and Transport layers are where the protocol suites TCP/IP reside. This suite of protocols is critical to the operation of the Internet and organizations as we know them today. Do some research via the DeVry library, the Internet, and your textbook and list and discuss three TCP/IP protocols. What are the primary functions of the Transport and Network layers? What protocols do you use each day?

MIS 589 Week 4 Assignments:

 

MIS 589 Week 4 Assignment (iLab – Office Network Expansion)

 

MIS 589 Week 4 Individual Assignment; Chapter 5 Questions

 

MIS 589 Week 4 Mini Case; Central University

 

Additional Study Reference Papers (Source 2)

 

MIS 589 Week 5

 

MIS 589 Week 5: Backbone and Wireless Networks – Discussion

Backbone Network Components (Graded)

Your textbook explains that there are two basic components of a backbone network, those components being a cable and hardware device. Business processes and needs ultimately drive the type of cable media and hardware you select. What are these types of cables and hard devices? What are the major functions of each of these devices? What factors might determine how we select which ones are appropriate for our organization?

 

MIS 589 Week 5: Backbone and Wireless Networks – Discussion

 

Wireless Local Area Networks (Graded)

Wireless networks have become a pervasive part of society today. Let’s focus our discussion on Wi-Fi also known as the IEEE 802.11 standards group. The latest member of the 802.11 family is 802.11n. Let’s start our conversation with a discussion on differences between LANs and Wireless LANs. What are some immediately noticeable differences in the technologies? What advantages are inherent in Wireless technologies on the LAN? Explore some disadvantages as well.

 MIS 589 Week 5 Assignments:

 

MIS 589 Week 5 Assignment (iLab – LAN Modeling)

 

MIS 589 Week 5 Excercise; Chapter 8 Exercises 8-3

 

MIS 589 Week 5 Individual Assignment; Chapter 7 and 8 Questions

 

MIS 589 Week 5 Individual Assignment; Chapter 8 Exercises 8-3

 

Additional Study Reference Papers (Source 2)

 

MIS 589 Week 6

 

MIS 589 Week 6: WANs, MANs, and the Internet – Discussion

Internet Architecture (Graded)

The Internet is easily the mostly widely used and accessible network in the world. But how is it constructed? Many say the Internet is simply many separate networks connected together. Read Chapter 10 and look under the hood to see how the Internet is put together. What are some key pieces of the basic architecture of the Internet? What redundancies are built into the Internet, as presented in Chapter 10? Do some research on the current architecture of the Internet and on any planned changes.

MIS 589 Week 6: WANs, MANs, and the Internet – Discussion

 

Comparing WAN Architectures (Graded)

When making the all-important decision of what type of WAN or MAN architecture to use, there are three choices: circuit-switched, VPN, and packet switched architectures. Compare and contrast each architecture. How are they unique? What do they share? What factors drive your decision?

MIS 589 Week 6 Assignments:

 

MIS 589 Week 6 Chapter 10 (Cathy’s Collectibles)

 

MIS 589 Week 6 Assignment (iLab – LAN Modeling)

 

MIS 589 Week 6 Individual Assignment; Chapters 9 and 10 Questions

 

Additional Study Reference Papers (Source 2)

 

MIS 589 Week 7

 

MIS 589 Week 7: Network Design, Management, and Security – Discussion

The Wild, Wild Web (Graded)

Although we have discussed how the Internet has been an invaluable tool for organizations and people across the world, it has also had adverse impacts on these same groups. From identity theft to denial-of-service attacks, networking technology is being harnessed to harm people and organizations. Do some research and report a recent information security incident. How could this incident have been avoided? What management challenges did this incident present? Discuss which technology from Chapter 11 of your textbook could have helped to prevent or minimize the impact of this incident.

MIS 589 Week 7: Network Design, Management, and Security – Discussion

 

Cost Justification (Graded)

Cost-benefit analysis for our network decisions is a critical skill and ability in IS management. What could we do to impress the CFO with our submission? Let’s look at what they believe is important in an article from the source, CFO Magazine‘s site. Our ability to sell technology recommendations to management often requires providing cost analysis and perhaps even hard dollar benefits. How the CFO in your organization thinks should be a good indicator of what will fly in terms of getting support from the finance department. The CFO Magazine website almost always has some information or articles related to technology or networking.

Go to the CFO Magazine‘s website found in the Webliography under CFO.

How could the articles or recommendations at the CFO site help your efforts? Are these subjects where we should be looking to for future investments? How likely is your organization to be looking at these?

MIS 589 Week 7 Assignments:

 MIS 589 Week 7 Chapters 11 and 12 Mini Cases

 Additional Study Reference Paper (Source 2)

 

MIS 589 Week 7 Quiz (Multiple Choice)

 

1. (TCO E) _____ controls stop a person from acting.

2. (TCO E) A _____ is a situation in which a hacker attempts to disrupt the network by sending messages to the network that prevent normal users’ messages from being processed.

3. (TCO E) Your organization has decided to host a web server that will be accessible by the public. Organizational leadership is concerned about the web server being compromised and thus allowing the remaining network to be compromised. You want to come up with a solution to host the secure the web server internally, but still protect your network. What should you do?

4. (TCO F) The traditional network design approach does not work well for ____ networks.

5. (TCO F) Which of the following would not be a type of circuit that needs to be considered when planning for technology design capacity?

6. (TCO F) Which of the following are not costs that are generally considered during the cost assessment stage of the network design process?

7. (TCO G) ____ refers to keeping track of the operation of network circuits to make sure they are working properly.

8. (TCO G) _____ is a simple method that can help identify computers/devices or communication circuits that have higher-than-average error or usage rates.

9. (TCO G) A _____ is an organizational department that is responsible for monitoring and fixing overall network problems.

10. (TCO G) Service Level Agreements (SLA) are significant for what reason?