ACARA Digital Technologies Years 9–10 Definitions Worksheet: Networked Systems and Access Control (Modules 12–34)
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Date:
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Key terms
Write what each term means, in your own words.
1
star topology
2
network diagram
3
DHCP
4
private IP address
5
subnet mask
6
same network
7
default gateway
8
domain table
9
ping address
10
nslookup example.com
Answer Key
ACARA Digital Technologies Years 9–10 · Modules 12–34 · Student wording will vary for definitions
1star topology — A network layout where each device has its own cable to a central switch or router, so one broken cable cuts off only that device. If the central device fails, the whole network goes down.
2network diagram — A drawing that shows each device as a labelled symbol and each connection as a line, so you can see how data can travel between devices.
3DHCP — Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol: a router service that automatically gives each joining device an IP address, subnet mask and default gateway, so no manual set-up is needed.
4private IP address — An address like 192.168.1.5 that works only inside a local network. The internet sees the router's public IP instead, and NAT translates between the two so many devices can share it.
5subnet mask — A number like 255.255.255.0 that splits an IP address into a network part and a device (host) part. With 255.255.255.0, the first three groups name the network.
6same network — Two devices are on the same network when their IP addresses have the same network part under the subnet mask. If the network part differs, data must go via the router.
7default gateway — The router address a device sends data to when the destination is not on its own network. It is usually the router's LAN address. With no gateway set, a device cannot reach the internet.
8domain table — A list pairing each domain name with an IP address. A DNS server looks up a name in it. A missing or wrong entry sends users to the wrong place or nowhere.
9ping address — A command that sends a small test message to another device and reports whether it replied and how long the reply took in milliseconds. Example: ping 8.8.8.8
10nslookup example.com — A command that asks a DNS server for the IP address that matches a domain name. The reply shows which DNS server answered and the Address line with the site's IP.