How to Prepare Before Interviews:100 Network Topics to revise
Network Definition: Understanding the concept of networks and their role in communication.
Internet Overview: Exploring the Internet, its significance, and how it revolutionized global connectivity.
Internet Origins: Tracing the origins and evolution of the Internet.
IP Address Explanation: Defining IP addresses and their role in identifying devices on a network.
Ports and Common Applications: Understanding ports and their importance in facilitating communication between applications and services.
Server vs. Client: Differentiating between servers and clients in a network context.
TCP vs. UDP: Comparing TCP (reliable) and UDP (fast) protocols and their respective use cases.
OSI Layers Simplified: Breaking down the OSI model’s layers and their functions in networking.
Traffic Flow and Decoding: Visualizing how traffic starts, traverses OSI layers, and gets decoded.
TCP/IP vs. OSI: Comparing the TCP/IP networking model to the OSI model.
Port Communication: Explaining how ports enable communication and the server-client dynamics.
MAC/Physical Address: Defining MAC addresses and their significance in identifying hardware.
Common Ports Usage:
tcp/20, tcp/21: FTP data and control.
tcp/22: SSH.
tcp/23: Telnet.
tcp/25: SMTP.
udp/53: DNS.
udp/67, udp/68: DHCP.
udp/69: TFTP.
tcp/80: HTTP.
tcp/110: POP3.
udp/123: NTP.
tcp/143: IMAP4.
udp/161: SNMP.
tcp/389: LDAP.
tcp/443: HTTPS.
tcp/445: SMB.
tcp/636: LDAPS.
tcp/1720: VoIP (H.323).
tcp/3389: RDP.
tcp/5060, tcp/5061: VoIP (SIP).
DNS Explained: Unraveling DNS (Domain Name System) and its resolution process.
Recursive vs. Iterative DNS: Differentiating between recursive and iterative DNS resolution.
DHCP Overview: Understanding DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) and its role in IP allocation.
IP Allocation via DHCP: How DHCP servers allocate IP addresses to devices.
Dynamic DHCP vs. Reservation: Comparing dynamic and reserved IP assignment in DHCP.
SSL Defined: Defining SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and its role in secure data transmission.
Subnetting and Purpose: Explaining subnetting’s significance and role in efficient IP management.
IP Class and Subnet Calculation: Understanding IP classes and calculating subnets.
VPN Basics: Introduction to Virtual Private Networks and their use in secure remote connections.
Network Devices Overview: Exploring common network devices like firewalls, load balancers, routers, switches, and hubs.
ARP and RARP: Explaining Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) and Reverse ARP (RARP).
Broadcast, Unicast, Multicast: Differentiating between broadcast, unicast, and multicast communication, along with their IP usage.
LAN and VLAN Distinction: Defining Local Area Networks (LAN) and Virtual LANs (VLAN) and their applications.
Firewalls Explained: Defining firewalls and their role in network security.
Load Balancing: Exploring load balancing techniques and their importance in distributing network traffic.
Routing Algorithms: Understanding different routing algorithms used in networks.
Switches vs. Hubs: Differentiating between network switches and hubs.
Wireless Networks: An overview of wireless networks and their advantages/disadvantages.
Network Topologies: Exploring different network topologies like bus, star, ring, mesh, etc.
Network Security: Importance of network security and common security measures like encryption, authentication, and intrusion detection.
VLANs: Defining Virtual LANs and their use in segregating networks.
Network Address Translation (NAT): Explaining NAT and its role in translating private IP addresses to public IP addresses.
IPv4 vs. IPv6: Comparing IPv4 and IPv6 protocols and their respective advantages and challenges.
Bandwidth vs. Latency: Understanding the difference between bandwidth and latency in network performance.
Network Troubleshooting: Common network troubleshooting techniques like ping, traceroute, and analyzing logs.
Quality of Service (QoS): Explaining QoS and its importance in prioritizing network traffic.
TCP Handshake: Breaking down the TCP handshake process for establishing a connection.
Network Redundancy: Understanding the concept of network redundancy and its role in ensuring reliability.
Network Segmentation: Exploring network segmentation techniques for better performance and security.
VoIP Basics: Introduction to Voice over Internet Protocol and its use in transmitting voice data over networks.
Packet vs. Circuit Switching: Differentiating between packet switching and circuit switching in network communication.
Network Monitoring: Importance of network monitoring and common tools used for monitoring network performance.
Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS): Explaining IDS and its role in detecting and mitigating network attacks.
Ethernet Standards: Overview of Ethernet standards like 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, and 1000BASE-T.
Wi-Fi Security: Common Wi-Fi security protocols like WEP, WPA, and WPA2.
Network Backup and Recovery: Importance of network backup and recovery strategies for disaster prevention.
Network Load Balancing: Exploring network load balancing techniques for distributing traffic across multiple servers.
Network Virtualization: Introduction to network virtualization and its use in creating virtual networks within a physical network.
Cloud Networking: Exploring cloud networking and its advantages in terms of scalability and cost-effectiveness.
Network Policies: Understanding network policies and their role in governing network access and usage.
Virtual LAN Trunking (VLAN Trunking Protocol): Explaining VLAN trunking and its use in carrying multiple VLANs over a single physical link.
Wireless Encryption: Common wireless encryption protocols like WEP, WPA, and WPA2.
Network Scalability: Exploring strategies for scaling network infrastructure to accommodate growing demands.
Network Congestion: Understanding network congestion and techniques for managing and avoiding it.
IPv6 Addressing: Explaining IPv6 addressing and its advantages over IPv4.
Network Monitoring Tools: Common network monitoring tools like Wireshark, Nagios, and SolarWinds.
Software-Defined Networking (SDN): Introduction to SDN and its use in programmatically controlling network infrastructure.
Network Protocols: Overview of network protocols like TCP, UDP, IPv4, and IPv6.
Network Performance Optimization: Techniques for optimizing network performance, such as traffic shaping and compression.
Network Segregation: Exploring the importance of segmenting networks for security and efficiency.
Network Administration: Roles and responsibilities of network administrators in managing and maintaining network infrastructure.
Network Documentation: Importance of proper network documentation for troubleshooting and future maintenance.
Network Access Control (NAC): Explaining NAC and its role in enforcing security policies on network devices.
Network Standards Organizations: Overview of organizations like IEEE and IETF that develop network standards.
Network Encryption: Importance of network encryption protocols like SSL/TLS and IPsec for secure data transmission.
Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN): Introduction to SD-WAN and its use in simplifying and optimizing wide area network connections.
Network Monitoring and Analysis: Techniques for monitoring and analyzing network traffic for troubleshooting and performance optimization.
Network Performance Metrics: Common network performance metrics like latency, packet loss, and throughput.
Fiber Optic Networks: Exploring the advantages and disadvantages of fiber optic networks over copper-based networks.
Network Backup and Restore: Strategies for backing up and restoring network configurations, settings, and data.
Network Traffic Management: Techniques for managing network traffic and prioritizing critical applications.
Network Addressing and Subnetting: How network addressing and subnetting work together to allocate IP addresses efficiently.
Network Anomalies: Detecting and mitigating network anomalies like Denial of Service (DoS) attacks and network congestion.
Network Security Best Practices: Common security best practices for network infrastructure, including strong passwords, access control, and regular patching.
Network Monitoring Policies: Establishing policies and procedures for network monitoring, including data retention and access control.
Network Automation: Introduction to network automation and the use of tools like Ansible and Puppet for configuration management.
Network Segmentation Best Practices: Best practices for segmenting networks to enhance security and isolate different departments or services.
Network Performance Testing: Techniques for testing and measuring network performance, such as throughput and response time.
Network Virtualization Technologies: Exploring technologies like VMware NSX and Cisco ACI for network virtualization.
Network Capacity Planning: Strategies for planning network capacity to accommodate future growth and demands.
Network Security Auditing: Conducting regular security audits to identify vulnerabilities and ensure compliance with security policies.
Network Recovery Strategies: Developing strategies for recovering from network failures and outages, including backup power and redundancy.
Network Monitoring Alerts and Notifications: Setting up alerts and notifications for network events and abnormalities.
Network Access Control Lists (ACLs): Using ACLs to control access to network resources, such as routers and firewalls.
Network Performance Optimization Tools: Common tools for optimizing network performance, such as bandwidth analyzers and optimization software.
Network Maintenance and Patching: Importance of regular network maintenance and patching to ensure security and performance.
Network Security Incident Response: Developing an incident response plan to quickly and effectively address network security incidents.
Network Design Principles: Principles and best practices for designing scalable and secure networks.
Network Traffic Analysis: Techniques for analyzing network traffic patterns to identify potential security threats or performance issues.
Network Monitoring Automation: Automating network monitoring tasks using tools like Nagios, Zabbix, or PRTG.
Network Security Certifications: Overview of industry-recognized certifications for network security professionals, such as CCNA Security and CISSP.
Network Auditing and Compliance: Ensuring network compliance with industry regulations, such as PCI DSS or HIPAA.
Network Configuration Management: Tools and practices for managing and documenting network configurations.
Network Performance Tuning: Techniques for optimizing network performance, such as adjusting buffer sizes and QoS settings.
Network Analysis and Visualization: Using tools like Wireshark and Splunk to analyze and visualize network traffic patterns.
Network Security Threats: Common network security threats, such as malware, phishing, and DDoS attacks.
Network Disaster Recovery Planning: Developing a comprehensive plan for recovering from network disasters or major outages.
Network Monitoring Best Practices: Implementing best practices for network monitoring, including real-time alerts, log analysis, and performance baselining.