CMPS 161: Networking and Security
Introduction
All computer networks have to relay information by some means. For a long time, the only option was to use cables, and that is indeed the topic of this module. Tremendous progress has been made starting with copper-based wires to fiber optic cables that use light as carrier of information. These developments have made it possible to transfer very high quality movies over the internet, something that was unthinkable 20 years ago. We will look at all the different varieties of cabling, including their advantages and disadvantages.
Module Objectives
- Describe the six subsystems of a structured cabling system
- Define horizontal cabling
- Define UTP and STP
- Define the categories of UTP cable
- Describe the difference in the T568A and T568B wire color order
- Describe the procedure for placing RJ-45 plugs and jacks on twisted-pair cable
- Describe how to terminate twisted-pair cable for computer networks
- Define the basic concept for planning a cable installation for an office LAN
- Describe the procedure for certifying a twisted-pair cable for CAT6 and CAT5e
- Describe the issues of running 10 gigabit Ethernet over copper
- Describe the basic steps for troubleshooting cable problems
Learning Resources
- Module 2 Readings: Chapter 2
- Module 2 Slides: Chapter 2
Learning Activities
- Module 2 Quiz: Chapter 2
- Module 2 Assignment: See below
Assignment
This assignment is not related to networking or cabling, but is focused on another important aspect of the course: security. While going through the tutorials on it.pointpark.edu you have used the program sudo several times. This assignment will require you to do some research on sudo and answer the following questions:
- What does sudo stand for?
- What is sudo used for?
- How does one use sudo?
- How does one configure sudo?
- su is a related program. How is it different from sudo? Which passwords are used to run each program?
- Your current jail configuration has a big security hole related to su. Can you figure out what it is and fix it?
You should learn to use the man pages as the main source for information, but google searches and Wikipedia are allowed to obtain information.
For Further Study
It is highly recommended to work through the exercises at the end of the chapter.