Apply Your Knowledge
Exercise
6.1 Network recommendations
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Understanding the commonly used IEEE 802.3 networking standards is an important part of a network administrator's knowledge. It allows the administrator to understand the current network as well as plan for future needs. In this exercise you are going to do just that.
You have been called in to make recommendations for an organization called ACME enterprises. Recently ACME has seen huge growth in sales. ACME currently has a single office but needs to expand to include two more offices around town.
Both branch offices will be about 5 to 10 kilometers away. ACME currently uses Category 5e cable and wants to continue using its current infrastructure to save cost. ACME has asked for a detailed table outlining its network options.
Complete the following steps:
- Step 1: Complete the following table to identify potential solutions for ACME.
- Step 2: Write a simple report to ACME outlining your recommendations for their future network needs. Explain why you are making the recommendation.
In the following table, some of the common standards are listed, but various pieces of information are missing. Your task is to complete the table. You can check your answers against the information provided in the solution table.
Standard
Speed
Baseband or Broadband
Media
Maximum Distance
1000Mbps
UTP
100 meters
10Base2
50 micron multimode fiber
300 meters
1000BaseSX
Single-mode fiber
40,000 meters
100Mbps
UTP
100 meters
1000BaseCX
10GBaseSW
10GBaseLW
10GBaseEW
Solution Table
Standard
Speed
Baseband or Broadband
Media
Maximum Distance
1000BaseT
1000Mbps
Base
UTP
100 meters
10Base2
10Mbps
Base
Thin Coax
185 meters
10GbaseSR
10Gbps
Base
50 micron multimode fiber
300 meters
1000BaseSX
1000Mbps
Base
Single-mode fiber
5,000 meters
10GbaseER
10Gbps
Base
Single-mode fiber
40,000 meters
100BaseTX
100Mbps
Base
UTP
100 meters
Exam Questions
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Which of the following 10 Gigabit Ethernet standards has the greatest maximum transmission distance?
A. 10GBaseSR
B. 10GBaseER
C. 10GBaseLR
D. 10GBaseXR
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What kind of access method is CSMA/CD?
A. Contention
B. Demand priority
C. Collision avoidance
D. Token passing
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Which of the following IEEE specifications does CSMA/CD relate to?
A. 802.2
B. 802.3
C. 802.4
D. 802.5
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You need to connect two servers located 600 meters apart. You require a direct connection without the use of signal regeneration. Which of the following ethernet standards would you employ?
A. 10BaseT with Category 5e cable
B. 100BaseT with Category 6 cable
C. 100BaseT with Category 5e cable
D. 100BaseFX
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You have been called as a consultant for OsCorp. They currently have a network using Category 6 cable and need 10-gigabit network speeds. Which of the following statements are true?
A. This is not possible with this cable.
B. This is possible but with transmission distance limited to 100 meters.
C. This is possible but with transmission distance limited to 55 meters.
D. This is possible but with transmission distance limited to 155 meters.
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You have been asked to develop the specifications for a new storage wide area network. The new link will provide a direct connection between two office blocks 3,200 meters apart. The specifications call for the fastest connection possible using currently ratified standards. Which of the following 802.3 standards are you most likely to recommend?
A. 100BaseFX
B. 10GBaseER
C. 10GBaseSR
D. 10GBaseWR
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Which of the following standards can be implemented over multimode fiber with a transmission range of 300 meters?
A. 10GBaseSW
B. 10GBaseEW
C. 10GBaseLW
D. 10GBaseRW
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Which of the following ethernet standards is associated with 802.3an?
A. 10BaseT
B. 1000BaseTX
C. 1000BaseT
D. 10GBaseT
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As a network administrator, you have been asked to recommend a networking standard that can support data transfers of up to 100Mbps using the existing Category 3 cable and the CSMA/CD access method. Which of the following best suits your needs?
A. 100BaseTX
B. 100BaseFX
C. 100BaseVG-AnyLAN
D. 100BaseT4
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Which of the following standards are specified by 802.3u? (Select all that apply.)
A. 100BaseFL
B. 100BaseFX
C. 100BaseTX
D. 100BaseT4
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Which of the following are associated with IEEE 802.3z? (Choose the three best answers.)
A. 1000BaseLX
B. 1000BaseCX
C. 1000BaseBX
D. 1000BaseSX
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Which of the following media types offers the greatest distance?
A. 10GBaseT
B. 1000BaseCX
C. 1000BaseT
D. 10GBaseLW
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What is the maximum transfer distance defined by the 1000BaseT standard?
A. 250 meters
B. 100 meters
C. 1,000 meters
D. 550 meters
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Which of the following is an advantage of 100BaseFX over 100BaseTX?
A. 100BaseFX is faster than 100BaseTX.
B. 100BaseFX implementations are cheaper than 100BaseTX implementations.
C. 100BaseFX can be implemented over existing Category 3 or 4 UTP cabling.
D. 100BaseFX can be implemented over greater distances than 100BaseTX.
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Which of the following standards can be implemented over copper cable? (Select two.)
A. 1000BaseCX
B. 1000BaseSW
C. 10GBaseT
D. 10GBaseLW
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Which of the following is true of the 802.3ab standard?
A. Specifies 1-gigabit transfer over Category 5 cable
B. Specifies 100-megabit transfer over Category 5 cable
C. Specifies 1-gigabit transfer over Category 4 cable
D. Specifies 200-megabit transfer over Category 4 cable
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You are a network administrator for a large company. Transfer speeds have been too slow, and you have been asked to recommend a 1000Mbps network solution. The network requires a transfer distance of 3,500 meters. Which of the following would you recommend?
A. 1000BaseCX
B. 1000BaseLX
C. 1000BaseBX
D. 1000BaseSX
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Which fiber-optic mode allows the fastest transfer rates?
A. SC
B. ST
C. Single mode
D. Multimode
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You have been asked to recommend a network solution to a large organization. They are requesting a network solution that must allow for 10-gigabit speeds but uses the existing Category 6 infrastructure. Which of the following might you recommend?
A. 802.3ae
B. 10GBaseCX
C. 802.3an
D. 1000BaseLX
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Baseband sends transmissions in which of the following forms?
A. Digital
B. Analog
C. Digital and analog
D. RF
Answers to Exam Questions
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B. The 10GBaseER standard specifies a maximum transmission distance of 40,000 meters. The 10GBaseSR standard specifies a maximum transmission distance of 300 meters, whereas 10GBaseLR specifies a maximum transmission distance of 10,000 meters. 10GBaseXR is not a recognized 10 Gigabit Ethernet standard. For more information, see the section "10 Gigabit Ethernet," in this chapter.
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A. CSMA/CD is described as a contention-based media access method because devices contend for access. All the other answers are incorrect. For more information, see the section "Characteristics Specified in the IEEE 802 Standards" in this chapter.
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B. The IEEE 802.3 standard defines the ethernet networking system, which uses CSMA/CD as its media access method. 802.2 defines specifications for the LLC sublayer of the 802 standard series. 802.4 defines the use of a token-passing system on a linear bus topology. 802.5 defines token ring networking. For more information, see the section "Introduction" in this chapter.
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D. 100BaseFX has the potential to transmit distances that exceed 600 meters. However, to reach distances of 600 meters, you'd need to use single-mode fiber. Of the other standards, 100BaseT can reach only 550 meters when using Category 5e or Category 6 cabling. For more information, see the section "Fast Ethernet" in this chapter.
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C. The 10GBaseT standard specifies 10-gigabit speeds over twisted-pair cable. It is possible for networks using Category 6 cable to upgrade to these speeds; however, the transmission range is limited to 55 meters with Category 6 cable. Transmission range is limited to 100 meters with Category 6a cable. For more information, see the section "10GBaseT" in this chapter.
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B. The 10GBaseER standard provides 10GBps transmission speeds over distances up to 10,000 meters. It is a currently ratified IEEE 802.3 standard. 100BaseFX runs at only 100Mbps, which makes it the slowest of the technologies listed in the answer. 10GBaseSR can be used only over distances up to 330 meters. 10GBaseWR is not a recognized 10Gbps standard. For more information, see the section "10GBaseER/EW" in this chapter.
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A. 10GBaseSR/SW is designed for LAN or MAN implementations, with a maximum distance of 300 meters using 50 micron multimode fiber cabling. 10BaseSR can also be implemented with 62.5 micron multimode fiber cabling but is limited to 33 meters. For more information, see the section "10GBaseSR/SW" in this chapter.
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D. Many sub-standards fall under the 802.3 ethernet banner. One is the 802.3an standard for 10GBaseT networking. The 10GBaseT standard calls for 10-gigabit networking over Category 6 or 6a twisted-pair cable. For more information, see the section "10GBaseT" in this chapter.
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D. 100BaseT4 is a Fast Ethernet standard that can use existing Category 3 cable and have transmission speeds of up to 100Mbps. 100BaseVG-AnyLAN can also use Category 3 cable, but it uses a demand priority access method. 100BaseTX requires Category 5 cable, and 100BaseFX uses fiber-optic cable. For more information, see the section "100BaseT4" in this chapter.
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B, C, D. Fast Ethernet standards are specified in the IEEE 802.3u standard. Three standards are defined by 802.3u: 100BaseTX, 100BaseT4, and 100BaseFX. Of the three, the FX standard uses fiber-optic cable. For more information on the 802.3u standards, see the section "Fast Ethernet" in this chapter.
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A, B, D. Three standards are associated with 802.3z: 1000BaseLX, 1000BaseSX, and 1000BaseCX. 1000BaseBX is not a valid standard. For more information, see the section "1000BaseX" in this chapter.
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D. The 10GBaseLW standard is designed to be used over long-wavelength single-mode fiber, giving it a potential transmission range of anywhere from 2 meters to 10 kilometers. This transmission range makes the standard available for LAN, MAN, and WAN deployments. For more information, see the section "10GBaseLR/LW" in this chapter.
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B. The 1000BaseT standard uses copper cable and specifies a segment maximum of 100 meters. For more information, see the section "1000BaseT" in this chapter.
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D. 100BaseFX is a Fast Ethernet standard implemented on fiber-optic cabling. It is more expensive and more difficult to install than 100BaseTX, which uses twisted-pair cabling. Both standards have a maximum speed of 100Mbps; however, 100BaseFX can be used over greater distance than 100BaseTX. For more information, see the section "Fast Ethernet" in this chapter.
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A, C. High-speed standards specify twisted-pair cable for transfer. The drawback is shorter transmission range. The 1000BaseCX standard calls for STP copper and is limited to 25 meters. The 10GBaseT standard calls for Category 6/6a cable and is limited to 55 and 100 meters, respectively. For more information, see the sections "1000BaseX" and "10GBaseT" in this chapter.
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A. The 802.3ab standard specifies Gigabit Ethernet over Category 5 UTP cable. The standard allows for full-duplex transmission using the four pairs of twisted cable. To reach speeds of 1000Mbps over copper, a data transmission speed of 250Mbps is achieved over each pair of twisted-pair cable. For more information, see the section "1000BaseT" in this chapter.
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B. 1000BaseLX can transmit up to 5,000 meters, using single-mode fiber. The other standards listed operate over much shorter distances. For more information, see the section "1000BaseX" in this chapter.
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C. Single-mode fiber allows faster transfer rate than multimode fiber and supports longer data transmissions. SC and ST are types of fiber connectors, not types of cable. For more information, see Table 6.6 in this chapter.
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C. The 802.3an standard specifies 10-gigabit transfer speeds over copper cable. 10GBaseT offers these speeds over both Category 6 and 6a cable. For more information, see the section "10GBaseT" in this chapter.
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A. Baseband transmissions use digital signaling. Analog signaling is associated with broadband. For more information, see the section "Baseband" in this chapter.