Computer Networks

A Local Area Network (LAN) connects computers and devices within a limited geographic area such as a home, office, or building. LANs can have any number of devices (not always more than 5) and don't require a centralized server or telephone connections.

A node is any electronic device attached to a network that can communicate with other devices. This includes computers, printers, routers, switches, or any other network-capable device. Hubs, routers, and cables are specific network components, not the generic term.

Client/server networks centralize resources like databases and applications on a dedicated server for better management, security, and performance. Peer-to-peer networks can share printers and fax machines without needing a server, and Windows upgrades are unrelated to network architecture.

Windows 95 and 98 included built-in peer-to-peer networking capabilities that allowed basic file and printer sharing without requiring a dedicated network operating system like Windows Server. Modern peer-to-peer networks can use various connection types and don't always require routers.

In client/server networks, files are typically stored on the centralized server but can also be stored on individual PCs as needed. Client/server networks don't have a hard limit of 20 nodes, can continue operating if one node fails, and require appropriate server operating systems.

Ethernet is one of the most widely used LAN technologies that defines how data travels through network cables. It's not an internal network (that's an intranet), doesn't require its own OS, and works with both peer-to-peer and client/server networks.

A Network Interface Card (NIC) is a hardware component that installs in a PC and provides the physical connection to a network. Hubs and routers connect multiple devices, graphic accelerators are for video processing, and cables are the transmission medium, not the interface card.

When planning a network, flexibility for future expansion is crucial. Option B correctly identifies that choosing flexible products allows for cost-effective upgrades. Option A suggests excessive spending on backup equipment. Option C (telephone line per PC) is not a networking requirement. Option D focuses only on speed without considering scalability needs.

A dual Ethernet 10/100 Mbps NIC supports both 10 Mbps and 100 Mbps network standards. Option C correctly states this backward compatibility advantage. Option A refers to remote access (VPN), not NIC speed. Option B is incorrect - a PC cannot function as a hub. Option D refers to cable modem connections, unrelated to Ethernet speeds.

Digital phones are not IP-based. Traditional digital phones use Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) or proprietary digital signaling protocols to transmit voice data over dedicated circuits. They operate on circuit-switched networks, not packet-switched IP networks. IP phones (VoIP phones) are IP-based, but digital phones in telephony contexts refer to non-IP digital systems.

SNA (Systems Network Architecture) is IBM's proprietary networking architecture for connecting computers and devices. It defines how different components communicate in a network environment.

A Resource Adapter is a system-level software driver that connects a Java application to an Enterprise Information System (EIS). It implements the JCA (Java Connector Architecture) specification and provides connectivity to external resources like databases, legacy systems, or ERP systems. The other options are not standard J2EE terminology.

Network 003 should be added to appear in application 29. The other network codes (0029, 005, 008) are incorrect for this specific application.

A routeset is called XN (likely Exchange Node) routeset if it contains at least one XN destination. It doesn't need to contain ONLY XN destinations - having one or more XN destinations qualifies it. This is a telecom network classification rule.