Communication & the OSI Model
4 questions
The OSI model (ISO 7498, 1984) splits network communication into 7 layers, from the physical wire up to the application a user sees. Real-world TCP/IP collapses several of these together, but the concepts still map across.
Q1
The OSI (Open System Interconnect) model has how many layers?
1 mark
Q2
Which OSI layer ensures data is in a usable format and is where encryption occurs?
1 mark
Q3
In the simplified TCP/IP layer model used in the lecture, which layer "decides the path of the data"?
1 mark
Q4
Which protocol operates at the Application layer, used for resolving network names?
1 mark
Communication & the OSI Model score
0/4
IP Addressing
6 questions
An IPv4 address splits into a network identifier and a host identifier using the subnet mask:
IP AND subnet mask = network identifier. CIDR notation (e.g. /20) generalises this to any bit-length split.Q5
IPv4 addresses are 32 bits, giving 2³² unique addresses. Roughly how many billion is that? (nearest whole number)
1 mark
Q6
Given IP address
172.16.254.1 and subnet mask 255.255.0.0, what is the network identifier?1 mark
Q7
Which of these are reserved private IPv4 ranges? (select all)
2 marks
Q8
In CIDR notation, an address written as
192.4.16/20 means:1 mark
Q9
NAT (Network Address Translation) works by:
1 mark
Q10
IPv6 uses how many bits per address, compared with IPv4's 32?
1 mark
IP Addressing score
0/7
TCP, UDP & the Handshake
3 questions
TCP is reliable, ordered, and connection-oriented (3-way handshake, sequence numbers, ACKs). UDP is lightweight and connectionless — no delivery guarantees, no setup overhead.
Q11
Which transport-layer protocol offers a reliable, in-order, connection-oriented "stream of bytes" using a 3-way handshake?
1 mark
Q12
In the TCP 3-way handshake, what is the correct order of flags exchanged between Host A (initiator) and Host B?
1 mark
Q13
UDP is best described as:
1 mark
TCP, UDP & the Handshake score
0/3
Ports & Scanning
4 questions
Port numbers split into three ranges by convention, and scanning them can reveal what services a host is running — useful for defenders and attackers alike. Scanning without permission is illegal.
Q14
Which port range is reserved as "Well Known Ports" for standard services like HTTP and SMTP?
1 mark
Q15
Ports 49152–65535 are known as:
1 mark
Q16
A "SYN scan" (half-open / stealth scan) differs from a full TCP Connect scan because:
1 mark
Q17
Why are UDP port scans described as slower and less reliable than TCP scans?
1 mark
Ports & Scanning score
0/4
Hands-On Networking Tools
4 questions
A handful of command-line tools cover most day-to-day network diagnosis and reconnaissance.
Q18
Which command-line tool tests whether a host is reachable across an IP network and reports the reply time?
1 mark
Q19
Which tool reports each router "hop" and the elapsed time along the path to a destination?
1 mark
Q20
Which tool shows a host's current routing-table entries, active connections, and listening ports?
1 mark
Q21
Which of these is a network scanning tool for discovering live hosts, open ports, and running services — not a packet sniffer?
1 mark
Hands-On Networking Tools score
0/4
Devices, VPN & Emerging Tech
5 questions
Physical network devices map onto specific OSI layers, every interface carries a burned-in MAC address, a VPN builds an encrypted tunnel over untrusted networks, networking tools split into scanners vs. sniffers, and trends like SDN, IoT, and 5G/6G are reshaping network design.
Q22
Which network device operates primarily at Layer 2 (Data Link), forwarding frames using MAC addresses rather than IP addresses?
1 mark
Q23
How is a MAC (Media Access Control) address structured?
1 mark
Q24
What is the primary purpose of a VPN (Virtual Private Network)?
1 mark
Q25
Which pairing correctly groups networking tools by primary purpose?
1 mark
Q26
Which of these are described as "Emerging Technologies" expanding modern networking? (select all)
2 marks
Devices, VPN & Emerging Tech score
0/6
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