Module 1 challenge: Networking Basics: The Bits and Bytes of Computer Networking (Technical Support Fundamentals) Answers 2025

Question 1

What does TCP stand for?

❌ Timing Control Protocol
✅ Transmission Control Protocol
❌ Topical Carrier Protocol
❌ Translational Carrier Pathway

🔹 Explanation:
TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) is one of the main communication protocols of the Internet, responsible for establishing reliable connections and ensuring data is transmitted accurately between devices.

Question 2

Which of the following is the fifth layer of the TCP/IP Five-layer network model?

❌ Data Link
✅ Application
❌ Transport
❌ Physical

🔹 Explanation:
The Application layer is the fifth and topmost layer of the TCP/IP model. It provides user-facing services like HTTP, FTP, and email.

Question 3

Which layer in the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) model is responsible for defining a common way to interpret signals so network devices can communicate?

❌ Transport
❌ Application
❌ Network
✅ Data Link

🔹 Explanation:
The Data Link layer defines how data packets are encoded and decoded into bits and how signals are interpreted between connected devices on the same network.

Question 4

What type of cable communicates binary data by changing the voltage between two ranges?

✅ Copper
❌ Fiber
❌ Gold
❌ Silver

🔹 Explanation:
Copper cables transmit data by varying the electrical voltage between two ranges to represent binary 0s and 1s.

Question 5

What is a network with only a single device at each end of the link called?

❌ A collision domain
❌ A switching hub
✅ A point to point connection
❌ A twisted pair network

🔹 Explanation:
A point-to-point connection directly links two network devices with no intermediaries, allowing dedicated communication between them.

Question 6

Which device forwards data and operates at layer three of the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) model?

❌ Switch
✅ Router
❌ Client
❌ Hub

🔹 Explanation:
A router operates at Layer 3 (Network layer) and is responsible for forwarding data packets between different networks using IP addresses.

Question 7

What device provides emails to devices like laptops and desktop computers?

✅ Server
❌ Switch
❌ Hub
❌ Router

🔹 Explanation:
A mail server stores, sends, and receives emails, providing email access to user devices through protocols like SMTP, IMAP, or POP3.

Question 8

Fill in the blank: When data flows across a cable in both directions, this is known as _____ communication.

✅ Duplex
❌ Ethernet
❌ Simplex
❌ Cross talk

🔹 Explanation:
Duplex communication allows simultaneous two-way data flow across a connection, unlike simplex (one-way) or half-duplex (alternating).

Question 9

Fill in the blank: There will almost always be some troubleshooting data available through _____.

❌ Stop LEDs
❌ Wire lights
❌ Action LEDs
✅ Port lights

🔹 Explanation:
Port lights (or link/activity LEDs) on switches, routers, and NICs show connectivity status and network activity, useful during troubleshooting.

Question 10

Which layer abstracts away the need for any other layers to care about what hardware is in use?

✅ Network
❌ Physical
❌ Transport
❌ Data Link

🔹 Explanation:
The Network layer handles logical addressing (via IP), which means other layers don’t need to know what specific hardware (like routers or cables) is being used.

🧩 Summary:

TCP ensures reliable data transfer.
The Application layer is the top of the TCP/IP model.
The Data Link layer interprets network signals.
Copper cables use voltage to represent binary data.
A point-to-point connection links only two devices.
Routers operate at Layer 3 to forward packets.
Servers provide services like email.
Duplex communication allows two-way data flow.
Port lights assist in troubleshooting connectivity.
The Network layer abstracts hardware details.

✅ Key takeaway:
Understanding TCP/IP layers and network components — from physical cables to routers and servers — helps in building, managing, and troubleshooting reliable computer networks.