Network Management Solutions

This solved assignment delves into fundamental aspects of network management. It compares and contrasts hubs and switches, identifies device manufacturers based on MAC addresses, outlines advantages of wired networks, explains the security benefits of WPA over WEP, and discusses the preference for Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) cabling over Shielded Twisted Pair (STP). The assignment provides clear explanations and answers to various network management concepts.

Running head: NETWORK MANAGEMENT
Network Management
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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NETWORK MANAGEMENT
Table of Contents
Answer 1..............................................................................................................................2
Answer 2..............................................................................................................................2
Answer 3..............................................................................................................................2
Answer 4..............................................................................................................................3
Answer 5..............................................................................................................................3

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Answer 1
The differences between a hub and a switch are as follows-
 A hub is a device that is generally used to establish connection between the
multiple Ethernet devices over a single network. This is generally done to make
them work in sync.
 Switch is a modified version of hub and performs a similar function as that of a
hub. It is used to connect network devices and route a particular data to its
location. For this, the switch gathers the information about the data, which
includes the data address, the information about the sender and the receiver in
order to route the data to a proper address.
Answer 2
The device manufacturers of the different Ethernet devices are as follows-
a. 00-C0-4F-49-68-AB- The manufacturer of this device is DELL Inc.
b. 00-0A-27-B7-3E-F8- The manufacturer of this device is Apple, USA
c. 00-04-76-B6-9D-06- The manufacturer of this device is 3 Com Corporation, USA
d. 00-00-36-69-42-27- The manufacturer of this device is Atari Corporation, USA
Answer 3
The three advantages of a wired network are as follows-

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1. Although the wireless network has advantages in terms of flexibility and convenience,
the wired network ensures a secure connection. Since the devices in the wired network are
connected by plugging a cable, it is more difficult to access without a proper authorization
(Perrig & Tygar, 2012).
2. The connection of wired network is more reliable in terms of speed of the network.
This is because the interference and fluctuation in this network is negligible, as it does not travel
through air.
3. It is simple to install and easy to use.
Answer 4
WPA offers better security in comparison to WEP or wireless encryption protocol. This is
because of its usage of static encryption keys, which are more vulnerable to attack (Kumkar et
al., 2012). Wi-Fi Protected Access or WPA on other hand provides a stronger security with 256-
bit keys for encryption of data.
Answer 5
Unshielded twisted pair is more preferred in comparison to shielded twisted pair as the
later is more expensive and larger in size in comparison to Unshielded twisted pair. Apart from
that, STP is more fragile in comparison to that of UTP and hence UTP is preferred by the
industry (Oliviero & Woodward, 2014). Unshielded twisted pair is more commonly used cables,
as it requires less maintenance as it does not possess the outer shield.

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References
Kumkar, V., Tiwari, A., Tiwari, P., Gupta, A., & Shrawne, S. (2012). Vulnerabilities of Wireless
Security protocols (WEP and WPA2). International Journal of Advanced Research in
Computer Engineering & Technology (IJARCET), 1(2), pp-34.
Oliviero, A., & Woodward, B. (2014). Cabling: the complete guide to copper and fiber-optic
networking. John Wiley & Sons.
Perrig, A., & Tygar, J. D. (2012). Secure Broadcast Communication: In Wired and Wireless
Networks. Springer Science & Business Media.