Top Hardware & Networking

Interview Questions & Answers

Hardware and networking engineers are the core members of any

organisation’s IT team. They are responsible for implementing,
maintaining, supporting, developing and, in some cases, designing
communication networks within an organisation or between
organisations. Their goal is to ensure the integrity of high availability
network infrastructure to provide maximum performance for their
users.

Companies look for expert professionals who can handle their

networking requirements efficiently. There are a lot of opportunities for
such professionals in the industry and if you want to boost your career,
you should definitely think of going for a certification course in
networking, like CCNA or CompTIA. There are various courses
depending on the level of expertise – beginner, intermediate or
advanced.

Getting a job is not easy and the competition is high nowadays. You
have to be well-prepared to crack a Networking job interview.

Here are some of the probable Hardware and Networking Interview

questions that may be asked in a hardware and networking interview:

Q1. What are the two types of transmission

technology available?
Ans. The two types of transmission technology are – broadcast and
point-to-point.

Q2. What is a ‘subnet’?

Ans. A ‘subnet’ is a generic term for a section of a large network,
usually separated by a bridge or a router.

Q3. What is DNS?

Ans. The Domain Name System (DNS) is a central part of the
Internet, providing a way to match names (a website you’re seeking) to
numbers (the address for the website). Anything connected to the
Internet – laptops, tablets, mobile phones, and websites – has an
Internet Protocol (IP) address made up of numbers.

Q4. Explain ‘hidden shares’.

Ans. A hidden or an administrative share is a network share that is
not visible when viewing another computer’s shares.

Q5. How many layers are there in the OSI

model? Name them
Ans. There are 7 layers – physical, data link, network, transport,
session, presentation, and application.

Also Read>> Cloud Computing: The good and the

bad!!

Q6. What is a ‘client’ and ‘server’ in a network?

Ans. Clients and servers are separate logical entities that work
together over a network to accomplish a task.

Q7. What are the different ways to exchange

data?
Ans.

Simplex
Half-duplex
 Full-duplex

Also Read>> Big Data and IoT : Making The

Connection

Q8. What is a ‘frame relay’ and in which layer

does it operate?
Ans. A frame relay is a packet-switching technology. It operates in
the data link layer.

Get CCNP Certified Now>>

Q9. What is a MAC address?

Ans. A MAC (Media Access Control) address is the 48-bit hardware
address of a LAN card and is usually stored in the ROM of the network
adapter card and is unique.

Q10. What are the perquisites to configure a

server?
Ans.

LAN card should be connected

Root (partition on which window is installed) should be in NTFS
format
Server should be configured with a static IP address

Q11. What is ‘beaconing’?

Ans. Beaconing is the process that allows a network to self-repair
networks problems.

Q12. Differentiate between ‘attenuation’,

‘distortion’, and ‘noise’.
Ans. When a signal travels through a medium, it loses some of its
energy due to the resistance of the medium. This loss of energy is
called attenuation.

When a signal travels through a medium from one point to another, it

may change the form or shape of the signal. This is known as
distortion.

Noise is unwanted electrical or electromagnetic energy that degrades

the quality of signals and data.

Get CCNA Certified Now>>

Q13. What is an IP address?

Ans. An Internet Protocol address (IP address) is a numerical label
assigned to each device (e.g., computer, printer) participating in a
computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication.

Also Read>> Top Network Engineer Interview

Questions & Answers

Q14. Differentiate between a ‘bit rate’ and

‘baud rate’.
Ans. A bit rate is the number of bits transmitted during one second,
whereas, baud rate refers to the number of signal units per second
that are required to represent those bits.

Baud rate = bit rate / N, where N is the no. of bits represented by each
signal shift.

Q15. What is ‘bandwidth’?

Ans. The limited range of frequency of signals that a line can carry is
called the bandwidth.

Q16. What is Project 802?

Ans. It is a project started by IEEE to set standards to enable
intercommunication between equipment from a variety of
manufacturers.

Q17. What is ICMP?

Ans. ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) is a network layer
protocol of the TCP/IP suite used by hosts and gateways to send
notification of datagram problems back to the sender.

Q18. What are the major types of networks?

Ans.

Server-based network
Peer-to-peer network

Also Read>> Cisco Certifications: CCNA Vs CCNP

Q19. What are the important topologies for

networks?
Ans. There are three important topologies – Star, Bus and Ring.

Q20. Differentiate between static IP addressing

and dynamic IP addressing.
Ans. In static IP addressing, a computer (or another device) is
configured to always use the same IP address, whereas in dynamic IP
addressing, the IP address can change periodically and is managed
by a centralised network service

Q21. What is a LAN?

Ans. LAN stands for Local Area Network and it refers to the
connection between computers and other network devices, located in
proximity to each other.

Q22. What are routers?

Ans. Routers connect two or more network segments. These
intelligent network devices store information in its routing table such
as paths, hops and bottlenecks. They determine the most accurate
data transfer paths and operate in Open Systems Interconnection
(OSI) Network Layer.

Q23. What is data encapsulation?

Ans. Data encapsulation is the process of breaking down information
into smaller manageable chunks before their transmission across the
network.
Q24. What is a VPN?
Ans. VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. This is a connection
method for adding security and privacy to private and public networks,
such as Wi-Fi Hotspots and the Internet. VPNs help in establishing a
secure dial-up connection to a remote server.

Q25. How can you secure a computer network?

Ans. There are a number of ways to achieve this.

Install a reliable and updated anti-virus program across the

network
Ensure firewalls are setup and configured properly
Monitor firewall performance
User authentication
Update passwords regularly, every quarter
Create a virtual private network (VPN)

Q26. What are proxy servers and how do they

protect computer networks?
Ans. Proxy servers prevent external users to identify the IP addresses
of an internal network. They make a network virtually invisible to
external users, who cannot identify the physical location of a network
without knowledge of the correct IP address.

Q27. What are Nodes and Links?

Ans.

Nodes – Devices or data points on a larger network are known as

nodes. They are individual parts of a larger data structure and contain
data. They also link other nodes.

Links- A link is the physical and logical network component for

interconnecting hosts or nodes in a network. It is a physical
communication medium such as coaxial cable or optical fiber.

Q28. What is SLIP?

Ans. SLIP or Serial Line Interface Protocol was developed during the
early UNIX days and it is used for remote access.

Q29. What is TCP/IP?

Ans. TCP/IP is the short form of Transmission Control Protocol /
Internet Protocol. It is a set of protocol layers designed to facilitate
data exchange on heterogeneous networks.

Q30. What common software problems lead to

network defects?
Ans. It can be any or a combination of –

Application conflicts
Client-server problems
Configuration error
Protocol mismatch
Security issues
User policy & rights issues

Q31. What is a client/server network?

Ans. In a client/server network, one or more computers act as servers.
Servers offer a centralized repository of resources such as printers
and files. Client refers to a workstation that has an access to the
server.

Q32. Describe networking.

Ans. Networking facilitates data communication between computers
and peripherals, and it is done through wired cabling or wireless links.

Q33. Why is encryption on a network

important?
Ans. Encryption is the process of changing data from its original
readable format to an unreadable format, thus ensuring network
security. It requires the user to use a secret key or password to
decrypt the data.

Q34. What are the types of errors?

Ans. There are two categories of errors –

Single-bit error – one-bit error per data unit

Burst error – Two or more bits errors per data unit

Q35. What is a client-server model?

Ans. The client-server model is a distributed communication
framework for network processes. This framework is distributed
among service requestors, clients and service providers.

Q36. What is TELNET?

Ans. TELNET is a client-service protocol on the Internet or local area
network, allowing a user to log on to a remote device and have access
to it. Technically, it is a bidirectional interactive text-oriented
communication facility, which uses a virtual terminal connection.

You probably now have a good idea of the type of questions that can
be asked in a hardware and networking interview. Still, you need to be
prepared to answer other types of questions that will test your
interpersonal, business or methodology skills.

If you are someone who has recently started your career in

networking, you can think of enhancing your skills and getting a stamp
for it via a professional certification course in hardware and
networking. Naukri Learning offers a comprehensive range of such
courses to help you get certified for various techniques and skills
needed to be an expert in the field.

Add on questions – 2

Be prepared for some specific networking interview questions too.

Here are some more.

Q37.What is RIP?
It is the abbreviation for Routing Information Protocol. It is a simple
protocol that exchanges information between the routers.

Q38.What is half-duplex?
It is the mode of communication between two devices. Here the data
flows bi-directionally but simultaneously. A perfect example of a half-
duplex is a walkie-talkie.
Q39.What is full-duplex?
This is also a mode of communication between two devices and the
data flow is bi-directional too, but the flow is simultaneous. Example –
telephone.

Q40.What is netstat?
It is a command line utility program that provides information about the
current Transmission Control Protocol /Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
settings of a connection.

Q41.What is a peer-peer process?

The processes on each machine that communicate at a given layer are
called peer-peer process.

Q42.What is anonymous FTP?

With the help of an anonymous FTP, users can be granted access to
files in public servers. Users can log in as anonymous guests, thus the
name.

Q43.Can you explain NAT?

It stands for Network Address Translation and is a protocol that allows
a network device, usually a firewall, to assign a public address to a
computer/s inside a private network.

Q44.Can you tell me the main elements of a

protocol?
This is among the very commonly asked networking interview
questions. Your reply should be –

There are three main elements of a protocol –

1. Syntax: It refers to the structure or format of the data and their

order of presentation.
2. Semantics: It specifies the meaning of each section of bits.
3. Timing: Timing refers to two characteristics, which include the
timing of data sending and the speed of data sending.

Q45.What is NIC?
NIC is the abbreviation for Network Interface Card. It is a peripheral
card with electronic circuitry. It is attached to a PC and connects it to a
network. NIC has its own MAC address and this identifies a PC on the
network.

Q46.What is the difference between

Communication and Transmission?
Transmission – A process of sending and receiving data between
source and destination, in only one way. It is regarded as the physical
movement of data.

Communication – A process of sending and receiving data between

source and destination, in both ways.

Q47.How many layers does TCP/IP have?

TCP/IP has four layers –
 Network Layer
Internet Layer
Transport Layer
Application Layer

Q48.Explain NOS.
Short form for Network Operating System. A specialized software, that
provides connectivity to a computer such that it can communicate
with other computers and devices on a network.

Q49.What is IDEA?
IDEA is the abbreviation for International Data Encryption Algorithm. It
is the replacement for the Data Encryption Standard (DES).

Q50.What is ASCII?
American Standard Code for Information Interchange.

Q51.What is Brouter?
Brouter is a device that functions as both a bridge and a router. It
forwards data within the networks and also routes data to individual
systems in a network.

Q52.How would you differentiate between

Firewall and Antivirus?
Another popular networking interview question.

Both are security applications used in networking.

A firewall prevents any unauthorized access in the private networks as
intranets. However, it does not protect against virus, spyware, or
adware.

An antivirus is a software that protects a computer from any malicious

software, virus, spyware, or adware.

Q53.How will you recover data from a Virus-

infected system?
We will install an OS and updated antivirus in a system that is free of
any viruses, and then connect the hard drive of the infected system as
a secondary drive. The hard drive will then be scanned and cleaned.
Data can now be copied into the system.

Q 54. What is ipconfig?

An acronym for Internet Protocol Configuration, Ipconfig is used on
Microsoft Windows to view and configure the network interface. It
displays all TCP/IP network summary information, available on a
network, and helps to modify the DHCP protocol and DNS settings.

Q 55. What is ifconfig?

It is an acronym for Interface Configuration and is used on Linux, Mac,
and UNIX operating systems. ifconfig configures and controls the
TCP/IP network interface parameters from Command Line Interface
while allowing the user to check the IP addresses of these network
interfaces.

Q 56. What is the semantic gap?

A semantic gap is a difference between high-level programming sets
in various computer languages and the simple computing instructions
used by microprocessors.

Q 57. What is the difference between a Domain

and a Workgroup?
The main difference is that where do the computer networks belong
to. If it is a home network then computers will be a part of a
workgroup, and if it’s a workplace network then the computers will be
a part of a domain.

Q 58. What Is NVT?

NVT stands for Network Virtual Terminal and is a representation of a
basic terminal. It is used at the start of a Telnet session.

Q 59. What Is BGP?

BGP or Border Gateway Protocol is a protocol used to transfer data
and information between different host gateways or autonomous
systems.

Q 60. What is Round Trip Time?

Round Trip Time or RTT is the time taken to send a message from one
end of a network to the other and back.

Q 61. What is 127.0.0.1 and localhost?

Localhost is the standard hostname given to the machine, and it is
represented by the IP address 127.0.0.1. Therefore, we can say that
127.0.0.1 and localhost are the same thing.

Q 62. Which are the most typical functional

units of the client/server applications?
The most typical functional units of the client/server applications are –

Presentation logic or user interface (e.g. – ATMs)

Business logic (e.g. – Account balance enquiry)
Data (e.g. – Bank account records)

Q 63. What are the Triggers?

Triggers are event-driven specialized procedures and are managed by
database management systems. It is capable of performing complex
actions and use the procedural languages full throttle.

Q 64. What is a Gateway?

Gateway is a hardware device that is connected to two or more
networks. It may be a router, firewall, server, or any other similar
device, and is capable of regulating traffic in the network.

Q 65. Is there a difference between a gateway

and a router?
A gateway sends the data between two dissimilar networks, while a
router sends the data between two similar networks.

Q 66. Explain 10Base-T.

10Base-T specifies data transfer rate, i.e., 10Mbps. Here the usage of
the term ‘Base’ specifies ‘Baseband’ and not ‘Broadband’. T denotes
the type of cable, which is a twisted pair.

Q 67. Name the user support layers

There are three types of user support layers –

Session Layer
Presentation Layer and
Application Layer

Q 68. What is Piggy Backing?

It is the process of gaining access to a restricted communications
channel by using an already established session by another user. This
technique is known to improve the efficiency of the bidirectional
protocols.

Q 69. What is asynchronous transmission?

It is a serial mode of transmission. It is the process of data
transmission where every character is a self-contained unit. Each
character in asynchronous transmission has its own start and stop
bits, along with an uneven interval between them.

Q 70. What is synchronous transmission?

Synchronous transmission refers to continuous data streaming in the
form of signals, accompanied by regular timing signals. These signals
are generated by the external clocking mechanism and ensure that
senders and receivers are in synchrony.
Q 71. What are the different types of
transmission media?
Transmission media has two broad types –

Guided media (wired)

Unguided media (wireless)

Q 72. What is Process Sigma?

Process Sigma measures the frequency of a task that is performed
without any error. It is expressed as a number of standard deviations
on a normal distribution.

Q 73. What is FMEA?

Failure Mode Effect and Analysis or FMEA is a qualitative and
systematic tool to identify potential failure modes in a system, the
reasons, and their effects.

Q 74. What is the backbone network?

It refers to a centralized infrastructure for distributing different routes
and data to different networks. Backbone networks connect LANs and
WANs.

Q 75. What is OSPF?

OSPF is an abbreviation for Open Shortest Path First. It is a routing
protocol that uses a link-state routing (LSR) algorithm to find out the
best possible path for data exchange.
You probably now have a good idea of the type of networking
interview questions can be asked in a hardware and networking
interview. Still, you need to be prepared to answer other types of
interview questions that will test your interpersonal, business or
methodology skills.

If you are someone who has recently started your career in

networking, you can think of enhancing your skills and getting a stamp
for it via professional hardware and networking course. Naukri
Learning offers a comprehensive range of courses to help you get
certified for various techniques and skills needed to be an expert in
the field.