October 14, 2025 • 26 mins
What if your “all-in-one” router is doing too much—and your Wi‑Fi “speed” isn’t the real bottleneck? We pull back the rack door and trace the digital bloodstream from SOHO setups to enterprise backbones, translating jargon into choices you can actually make. Starting with LANs, WANs, WLANs, and SANs, we map how scope changes design, cost, and risk, then contrast the convenience of a home gateway with the clarity of dedicated roles—routers, switches, firewalls, and load balancers—working like a well-tuned orchestra.
We get tactile with the gear: NICs and their 48‑bit MAC addresses, patch panels that keep closets sane, and switches that forward with CAM tables instead of shouting like hubs. You’ll hear where managed switches earn their IP address (management only), why VLANs and QoS matter, and how Power over Ethernet (802.3af/at/bt) cuts clutter while powering VoIP phones, APs, and cameras with fewer failure points. From copper categories (Cat6/6A) and clean terminations to testers, toners, and taps, we highlight the unglamorous steps that prevent the worst outages.
Then we cut the cord. We chart Wi‑Fi’s arc—802.11a/b/g to n, ac, and 6/6E—clarifying bands, channels, MIMO, and OFDMA so your network stops fighting itself. We talk survey tools, interference traps, and when to steer clients to the right lanes. Fiber gets its due as the distance champion—single‑mode for long haul, multi‑mode for shorter runs—with connector gotchas that can burn hours. And because connectivity is more than Wi‑Fi, we touch Bluetooth peripherals, RFID access, NFC payments, and long‑range links that fill gaps where cables can’t go.
To anchor the learning, we run quick cert‑style questions—switches and MACs, routers and IPs, PoE’s true advantage, and Wi‑Fi 5’s 5 GHz focus—so you can test yourself in real time. Whether you’re building a home lab, prepping for CompTIA, or planning an upgrade at work, you’ll leave with practical mental models and checklists you can use today. If this helped you think a layer deeper, follow, share with a friend who’s studying, and drop a review with your biggest networking win or question—what should we unpack next?
Interviews with Tech Leaders and insights on the latest emerging technology trends.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Art By Sarah/Desmond
Music by Joakim Karud
Little chacha Productions
Juan Rodriguez can be reached at
TikTok @ProfessorJrod
ProfessorJRod@gmail.com
@Prof_JRod
Instagram ProfessorJRod
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:27):
Welcome to Technology Channel.
I'm Professor J Wild.
In this episode, NetworkingUnlocked.
From Lions to Life Live.
Let's happen.
(01:09):
Welcome back, Tech Enthusiasts.
You tune in to Technology Tap,where we keep tapping into
technology one bite at a time.
I'm your host, Professor J-Ron.
Today we're diving into thedigital bloodstream of your
connected world.
Network hardware.
Now, before I start, I just wantto say if you notice that I have
a little bit of a cold, Iactually do.
(01:29):
It's the weather here in theEast Coast.
It changes a lot from being veryhot to being very cold from one
day to the next.
Plus, if you've had a couple ofdays of rain.
So if I sound a littlecongested, that's what it is.
But the show must go on.
And I have to be cranking thisout for you guys to be listening
to.
All right, so we'll start withthe basics, understanding
(01:51):
network types.
When you connect your laptop,your phone, and your printer at
home, you've created a LAN, alocal area network.
It's the small local bubblewhere your devices share
resources.
Expand that concept to connectto offices across cities or
continents, and you just enteredWAN territory, a wide area
(02:12):
network.
You might also encounter awireless LAN or W LAN, which
brings Wi-Fi connectivity viaIEEE 802.11 standard, MANS or
Metropolitan Area Networks thatserves campuses or city grids,
PANS, personal area networkslike Bluetooth.
(02:32):
So the example of a PAN that Ilike to give is when you go to
your car and you connect fromyour phone to your Bluetooth
radio, that's a PAN network.
And it seems like Camtea mergeman and Cam used to have campus
area network, but it looks likein the in the new version, the
1201 and 1202, they've they'vegotten rid of CAN, campus area
(02:56):
network, and merged it toMetropolitan Area Network.
And SAN, storage area networkfor high-speed storage access
and data center.
So now let's picture the SOHOsetup, small office, home
office.
It's the one-stop shop router.
It's a one-stop shop with therouters handling everything.
DHCP, DNS, Wi-Fi, maybe even alittle firewire, firewall.
(03:21):
Contrast that with an enterprisenetwork, everything is separate.
You got separate routers,switches, firewalls, load
balancers, all communicatinglike a digital orchestra.
Finally, think of a data center,the modern temples of
computation.
Roles of servers hum underclimate-controlled air, the LED
(03:42):
lights flickering like citylights, security redundancy, and
consistent uptime defines them.
Let's move over to the physicalcomponents, the hardware that
makes the network real.
Start off with the NIC, thenetwork interface card, where
Ethernet, fiber, or wireless,every single where whatever it
(04:07):
is, Ethernet, fiber, orwireless.
And every NIC carries a unique48-bit MAC address.
It's 48 bits, guys.
There's some students of minewho keep thinking it's 64.
It is 48.
So if you're one of my studentswho's listening, it's a 48-bit.
Well, next time I put that onthe quiz, get it right.
(04:29):
Half identifying themanufacturer of the OUI and the
half unique to the card.
It's your device digitalfingerprint on the network.
So basically, when they comelooking for you, they know
they're looking for a laptopthat's a Dell.
And when I mean they looking foryou, I mean the cops.
Next, patch panel.
Imagine them as the organizedheart of your network closet.
(04:52):
Walljacks lead here.
Technician uses a punch downtool to terminate cables neatly
on the rear and connectedswitches ports on the front via
RJ45 connectors.
Then switches where data meetsdirections.
Switches maintain a cam tablemapping MAC address to ports.
(05:13):
They isolate collision domainsbut share a broadcast domain
unless segmented by VLANs orrouters.
So what cam, a cam table is acontent addressable module table
where it lists all your MACaddresses of your devices.
So when a message when a packetcomes in, it knows, oh yeah,
(05:33):
this needs to go to computer A.
It's not like a hub, right?
A hub would say, hey, are you A,hey are you A, hey I U A.
With the CAM table, when thepacket comes in, it knows, oh
yeah, I gotta send this to Abased on the MAC address.
So switches work with MACaddress.
You'll find unmanaged switches,simple plug and play units,
(05:55):
perfect for home use, andmanaged switches offering
configuration interface, VLANsupport, quality of service, and
security monitoring.
Modular models let you scale upby adding cards.
Manage switch required an IPaddress, but it's only for
management purposes.
Normally a switch, you know, anunmanned switch doesn't need an
(06:18):
IP address.
If you're using an IP addressfor a switch, it's a managed
switch.
To manage switch.
And you only need it to manageit.
You only need the IP to get intothe interface to manage it.
Next, and then there's powerover Ethernet, a life-saving
device like VoIP phones andsecurity cameras.
They have the 802.3AF standard,the 802.3AT, and the 802.3BT
(06:46):
standards.
They deliver up to 90 wattsthrough Ethernet cables.
No extra power bricks, justelegant efficiency.
So imagine security cameras,right?
You have them in the building,and you don't want the
electricity, the electricaloutlet exposed, right?
Because somebody just comes inand unplugged it.
With a power over Ethernet, youcan power it via the Ethernet
(07:10):
card.
Via the switch with an Ethernetcable.
Not the Ethernet card, Ethernetcable.
You could power it.
Real world example (07:18):
a university is making is installing hundreds
of IP cameras, which can powerthem directly from the PoE.
Simplifying installation,improving reliability, and
cutting cost.
Next, a network is only as goodas its cabling.
Let's start with unshieldedtwisted pair.
(07:40):
Four pairs of copper wire twiststo reduce interference, reliable
up to 100 meters of 360 feet.
Then shielded twisted pair, eachpair wrapped in foil, sometimes
with an extra branded shield.
Ideal for industrialenvironments with EMI.
(08:01):
Cabling catalogs, categories orCAT standards defined bandwidth
and frequency.
Cat 5, Cat 6, 6A, and 7.
They have a CAT 8, is the newestone.
And beyond, they are backwardcompatible, but performance
climbs with each revision.
(08:46):
Connectors, RJ45 for Ethernet,RJ11 for phones.
Tools of the trade include wirestrippers, crimpers, crimpers,
and punch down tools for cleanprofessional terminations.
And we actually, I had mystudents over the weekend do
their RJ45 cable for the firsttime.
(09:06):
So they usually, one of theschools that I teach, they they
love that that I come in and Ihave the students make the
cables.
It's a nice, it's you know, it'sa nice exercise, it's a nice
lab.
Those of you who are teachersout there, try to get your
students to at least make anRJ45 cable on their own.
You never know when you mightneed it in the industry if you
(09:29):
get a job.
You know, first time it's gonnatake them like 45 minutes to an
hour, so make sure you you leavea lot of time in your lab.
Don't make it for 15 minutesbecause they'll they will not
get it done.
But a good 45 an hour the firsttime, it's a good, it's a good
lab time for you.
You uh for any teachers outthere looking, listening to this
(09:49):
and thinking of a lab idea.
Testing gears matters too.
Cable testers verify continuity,toner probes, traces cables
through walls, and loop backplug test nick and switchboards.
Need to inspect traffic, use anetwork tap.
Passive models copy trafficwhile active ones regenerate
(10:10):
signals.
Always use plenum rated cableand air dust for safety and
direct burrow cables outdoors.
New to optical fiber, thechampion of bandwidth and
signal, single mode for longhaul links using laser light,
multi-mode for shorter runs withLEDs.
Connectors use ST, SC, and LC astheir standard connectors at the
(10:34):
end.
And this is one thing that Inever thought that they would
do, Verizon.
I didn't think Verizon wouldever have fiber inside your
home.
Because if you ever see a fibercable, it's very delicate.
It's made of glass.
And I upgraded to the 2GBVerizon and they installed
(10:57):
fiber.
So you gotta be careful, you'regonna get the two gig.
Is it do I see much of adifference in it?
Not really.
When you download stuff, youdownload faster.
I don't really see any delays,but the Verizon Tech explained
it to me.
He says you just get more lanes.
With two gigs, you just get morelanes.
(11:17):
So it seems like it, you know,it'll download stuff faster.
I don't know if it's really twogig.
I mean, I do a speed test, itsays it's two gig, but I don't
know.
It kind of feels the same.
Uh and don't forget coax cables,still used for modern cables,
labeled by the RG ratings, andusing F type connectors.
(11:39):
These are the, you know, if youstill have cable boxes, right?
It's it's Coaxial.
You know, the the way itconnects to the back of your
modem, it's is coaxal or somemodems.
The new ones I don't think docoaxo anymore.
All right, next, wirelessnetworking.
Let's cut the cord literally.
At the center is the accesspoints defined by SSID, which
(12:00):
simply is the MAC address of theaccess points.
I'm sorry, BSSID, which issimply the MAC address of the
access point.
Wi-Fi operates at 2.4 gigahertz,5 gigahertz, and now, and this
is new for the new Comp T exam,6 GHz BAN.
Early standards like 802.11A, 5GHz, 54 MB per second, and
(12:26):
802.11b and G 2.4 GHz between 11and 54 megabits per second, gave
us early home Wi-Fi.
Then came 802.11N, whichintroduced MIMO, multiple in,
multiple output, and channelbonding up to 600 megabytes per
second, branded Wi-Fi 4.
(12:47):
Next, Wi-Fi 5 802.11 AC, faster,more efficient, leveraging Move
MIMO and delivering over 2 GB onthe 5 GHz band.
Then 8 and then Wi-Fi 6 802.11 Xand 6E adding OFDMA triple band
(13:08):
flexibility and theoreticallyspeeds exceeding 4 gigs.
In the future, Wi-Fi 7 802.11 BEpromises an eye watering 46
gigabytes across the 2.4, 5, and6 gigahertz band.
That's VR ready wireless.
(13:28):
When is that gonna happen?
Who knows?
I'm still waiting for IPv6.
When installing wirelessnetworks, considered SSID
naming, channel selection, andfrequency planning to avoid
interference.
Use Wi-Fi analyzers to measuresignal strength, detect
overlapping channels, and spotdead on dead zones.
(13:50):
Beyond Wi-Fi, we have Bluetooth,RFID, and NFC.
Bluetooth connects headsets andperipherals.
RFID tracks inventory and grantsbadge access.
And NFC powers contactlesspayments.
Finally, long-range wirelesssolutions use licensed and
unlicensed spectrum to connectremote areas, showing that
(14:14):
connectivity truly has noboundaries.
Alright, on to our fourquestions.
Here are the rules.
I will ask for, I would read thequestion, read the choices, go
back, reread the question andthe choices, give you five
seconds to answer, and hopefullyyou can get it right.
Alright, question one.
(14:36):
Which device maintains a tablethat maps maps MAC address to
switch port?
A router, B bridge, C switch, Dhub.
I'll read it again.
Which device maintains a tablethat maps MAC address to switch
ports?
A router, B bridge, C switch, Dhub.
(14:57):
I'll give you five seconds tothink of the answer.
Five, four, three, two, one.
Alright, the answer is C.
A switch uses a CAM table toassociate MAC address with
physical ports.
Switches reduce collisions bydirecting traffic only to
intended destination ports.
(15:17):
Hub doesn't do that, bridgedoesn't do that.
Router does IP addresses.
So switches go with MAC address,routers go with IP address.
If you know that for the Compteexam, you would get at least
four or five questions.
But you have to stick with thatin your head, right?
(15:38):
You see a question that has theword switches in it, and one of
the answers is MAC address,that's probably the answer.
Just like if you see the wordrouter in the question and one
of the choices is IP address,that is probably the answer.
And hubs is bits.
unknown (15:57):
Right?
SPEAKER_00 (15:57):
If you see bits and one of the choices is hubs,
that's part of the answer.
Alright.
Question two.
What is the primary advantage ofpower over Ethernet?
A higher data rates?
B power and data through onecable.
C reduce interference.
(16:17):
D greater range.
I'll read it again.
What is the primary advantage ofpower over Ethernet?
A.
Higher data rates.
B.
Power and data through onecable.
C reduce interference.
D through greater range.
I'll give you five seconds tothink about it.
Five.
Four three two one.
(16:41):
The answer is B.
Power over Ethernet deliverselectrical power and network
data over the same internetcable.
PoE simplifies deviceinstallation, especially for
VoIP phones and IP cameras.
Makes it a lot easier.
And VoIP phones are the phonesthat you have in your house.
(17:02):
If you still have a home phonethrough your cable company,
that's a VoIP phone.
That's a voiceover IP phone.
How do you know?
Because you can call anywhere inthe country and they don't
charge your long distance.
For those of you who remember,we actually had long distance
companies in this country whereyou had your regular phone bill
(17:22):
and then you had your longdistance bill, which was
separate.
Right?
And you paid more for the longdistance, and you paid a lot of
money for long distance.
I remember if you call from NewYork to New Jersey, you know,
they told you to wait until 9o'clock.
It was like 75 cents a minute.
75 cents a minute.
And they always told you to callafter nine that it was cheaper.
(17:44):
And during the before that, itwas really expensive to call
long distance.
So VoIP actually took the longdistance company out of
business.
Most of them ended up becomingwireless carriers.
If you look at the history ofthe long distance phone
companies, they ended upbecoming wireless carriers.
MCI, Sprint, ATT, right?
(18:07):
They all became mobile.
They all paid it to mobile.
So all right, question three.
Which fiber type supports thelongest transmission distance?
A multi-mode fiber, B singlemold fiber, C coax cable, D cat
unshielded twisted pair.
(18:27):
I read it again.
Which fiber type supports thelongest transmission distance?
A cat multi-mode fiber, B singlemold fiber, C coax cable, D cat
six untwisted, unshieldedtwisted pair.
I'll give you five seconds.
Think about it.
Five, four, three, two, one.
(18:50):
And the answer is B single mode.
Single mode fiber uses a laserlight source for long distance
link.
It offers minimal minimalattenuation, ideal for
enterprise backbones andinternet service providers.
Alright, hopefully you're threefor three.
And if you are, let's let's gofour for four.
(19:14):
Which what frequency band does802.11 AC Wi-Fi 5 primarily use?
A 2.4 gigahertz only.
B 5 gigahertz only.
C 2.4 and 5 gigahertz.
Or D 6 GHz only.
I'll read it again.
(19:34):
Which frequency band does 802.11AC Wi-Fi 5 primarily use?
A 2.4 gigahertz.
B 5 gigahertz only.
C 2.4 and 5 gigahertz.
Or D 6 GHz only?
I'll give you five seconds tothink about it.
(19:55):
5.
4 3 2 1.
And the answer is B 5 GHz.
802.11 AC operate on the 5 GHzband only.
Wi-Fi 5 improved throughput andreduced interference through the
Mu, MIMO, and wider channels.
(20:16):
So if you got them all right,I'll give it up to you.
Alright.
Got them all right.
Congratulations.
You did really, really you didan outstanding job.
Actually, before I leave, uh youknow, I want to find out if
anybody has taken the the new1201 and 1202 exam.
Just if you have, please emailme Professor Jrod, that's J R O
(20:41):
D at Gmail.com.
And let me know what did youthink, especially if you took
the 1201 and maybe you took oneprior to that, you know, the 9
or the 10 or the 11.
Just let me know how differentit is.
And I know they they've added abunch of stuff.
I'm looking at the domains, andit's pretty much the same.
Like some of them are more, someof them are less, but not maybe
(21:03):
by a percentage of two from theother exam.
But I know they added a lot morestuff, and a lot of stuff that
they had before, they still haveit, but they they they lump it
together as legacy.
You know, they because they theyfeel like you might encounter it
as a as a tech later on, likethe PC PCI port, right?
(21:25):
That you might encounter that,you know, the white one.
Then you might still encounterthat.
I mean, who would have that inthis age?
I don't think anybody would havethat at this time.
But you know, if you take in the1201 or the 1202, yeah, let me
know.
Hit me up.
Let well, first of all, let meknow how you did.
Hopefully you passed.
I'm sure you did.
(21:45):
But yeah, uh, especially if youtake in one previously, like,
let me know like what's thedifference.
Is it you know, you don't haveto give me any answers or
anything.
I'm not looking for that.
I just want to know if you takein two of them, how different it
was.
I know a lot of people, a lot ofmy students rushed to get the
1101 and the 1102 prior toexpiring last month.
(22:07):
Uh, there was a lot of themunder the deadline who were
really, really gunning to get itdone.
And I saw a lot of postings bymy students, and then some, you
know, text me telling me thatthey took it in their past, but
I saw a lot of them taking it atthe last minute because of the
looming deadline.
But now we're all in on 1201 and1202.
You know, I want to see howdifferent the exam is if you
(22:29):
take in any of the previousones.
You know, I'm teaching an A plusclass and going over this the
new stuff, but it's just I justwant to see if this they're
probably, you know, Camtiadoesn't make earth-shattering,
earth-shattering changes ontheir exams.
But I, you know, I'm I'm very,very curious to find out if
anybody's taken one.
I took the 901.
(22:50):
That's how far back I took it,and I just keep renewing it, you
know, by taking another exam.
So I, you know, I I took it in2015.
So I've had it for 10 years.
I've renewed it, you know, byjust taking other exams.
Network Plus and then SecurityPlus, you know, so I've renewed
(23:11):
it, I guess, a bunch of times.
Now it doesn't expire to 2028,but I gotta do my cloud
resertification.
And I'm gonna do it throughSurpmaster.
And then that, I think that willrenew it again.
I'm not sure.
I got Pen Plus a couple of weeksago, and it renewed some of
them.
I don't think it renewed the Aplus one.
(23:32):
So I think with the cloud, it'llrenew it again, and it'll expire
in 2031, I think.
So I don't know.
I don't know.
At one point they had my certsall expiring on different dates,
and I always thought that itwould always expire with the
highest one.
You know, I had different years.
I don't know if they fixed that.
I don't know, I don't know.
(23:52):
But they all expired in 2028.
I got three more years.
I got three years to study foranother one.
I don't know what I'm gonna do.
I don't know what exam I'm gonnastudy for next.
I got a little bit of time.
We'll see what happens.
But anyway, if anybody's taking,and then there's a whole bunch
of other ones.
There's Data X, there's SecuritySomething, a new one.
(24:13):
There's a whole bunch of themthat they're doing, which is
good to see.
You know, they're doing like adata analytics one.
I think that's Data Plus.
It's good to see, but you know,I don't think anybody has any
classes on those yet.
They're fairly new.
We'll see, we'll see.
It's changing, guys.
The landscape is changing, andthen I'm a little concerned that
Camtia got bought out by anequity firm.
(24:35):
We'll see what happens.
You know, equity firms usuallymean I want my money.
They like the mob.
I don't care what happens, Iwant my money.
So we'll we'll we'll see whathappens with the changes.
But that's gonna do it.
So when you're wiring a patchpanel, configuring a switch, or
securing a wireless link,remember networks are the
(24:57):
nervous systems of our digitalworld.
Keep learning, keep building,and above all, keep tapping into
technology.
This has been a presentation ofLittle Touch of Productions, art
(25:20):
by Sabra, music by Joe Kim.
We're now part of the Pod MacNetwork.
You can follow me at TikTok atProfessor Jrod at J R O B, or
you can email me at ProfessorJrod at J R O D at Gmail.
Welcome to Technology Channel.
I'm Professor J Wild.
In this episode, NetworkingUnlocked.
From Lions to Life Live.
Let's happen.
(01:09):
Welcome back, Tech Enthusiasts.
You tune in to Technology Tap,where we keep tapping into
technology one bite at a time.
I'm your host, Professor J-Ron.
Today we're diving into thedigital bloodstream of your
connected world.
Network hardware.
Now, before I start, I just wantto say if you notice that I have
a little bit of a cold, Iactually do.
(01:29):
It's the weather here in theEast Coast.
It changes a lot from being veryhot to being very cold from one
day to the next.
Plus, if you've had a couple ofdays of rain.
So if I sound a littlecongested, that's what it is.
But the show must go on.
And I have to be cranking thisout for you guys to be listening
to.
All right, so we'll start withthe basics, understanding
(01:51):
network types.
When you connect your laptop,your phone, and your printer at
home, you've created a LAN, alocal area network.
It's the small local bubblewhere your devices share
resources.
Expand that concept to connectto offices across cities or
continents, and you just enteredWAN territory, a wide area
(02:12):
network.
You might also encounter awireless LAN or W LAN, which
brings Wi-Fi connectivity viaIEEE 802.11 standard, MANS or
Metropolitan Area Networks thatserves campuses or city grids,
PANS, personal area networkslike Bluetooth.
(02:32):
So the example of a PAN that Ilike to give is when you go to
your car and you connect fromyour phone to your Bluetooth
radio, that's a PAN network.
And it seems like Camtea mergeman and Cam used to have campus
area network, but it looks likein the in the new version, the
1201 and 1202, they've they'vegotten rid of CAN, campus area
(02:56):
network, and merged it toMetropolitan Area Network.
And SAN, storage area networkfor high-speed storage access
and data center.
So now let's picture the SOHOsetup, small office, home
office.
It's the one-stop shop router.
It's a one-stop shop with therouters handling everything.
DHCP, DNS, Wi-Fi, maybe even alittle firewire, firewall.
(03:21):
Contrast that with an enterprisenetwork, everything is separate.
You got separate routers,switches, firewalls, load
balancers, all communicatinglike a digital orchestra.
Finally, think of a data center,the modern temples of
computation.
Roles of servers hum underclimate-controlled air, the LED
(03:42):
lights flickering like citylights, security redundancy, and
consistent uptime defines them.
Let's move over to the physicalcomponents, the hardware that
makes the network real.
Start off with the NIC, thenetwork interface card, where
Ethernet, fiber, or wireless,every single where whatever it
(04:07):
is, Ethernet, fiber, orwireless.
And every NIC carries a unique48-bit MAC address.
It's 48 bits, guys.
There's some students of minewho keep thinking it's 64.
It is 48.
So if you're one of my studentswho's listening, it's a 48-bit.
Well, next time I put that onthe quiz, get it right.
(04:29):
Half identifying themanufacturer of the OUI and the
half unique to the card.
It's your device digitalfingerprint on the network.
So basically, when they comelooking for you, they know
they're looking for a laptopthat's a Dell.
And when I mean they looking foryou, I mean the cops.
Next, patch panel.
Imagine them as the organizedheart of your network closet.
(04:52):
Walljacks lead here.
Technician uses a punch downtool to terminate cables neatly
on the rear and connectedswitches ports on the front via
RJ45 connectors.
Then switches where data meetsdirections.
Switches maintain a cam tablemapping MAC address to ports.
(05:13):
They isolate collision domainsbut share a broadcast domain
unless segmented by VLANs orrouters.
So what cam, a cam table is acontent addressable module table
where it lists all your MACaddresses of your devices.
So when a message when a packetcomes in, it knows, oh yeah,
(05:33):
this needs to go to computer A.
It's not like a hub, right?
A hub would say, hey, are you A,hey are you A, hey I U A.
With the CAM table, when thepacket comes in, it knows, oh
yeah, I gotta send this to Abased on the MAC address.
So switches work with MACaddress.
You'll find unmanaged switches,simple plug and play units,
(05:55):
perfect for home use, andmanaged switches offering
configuration interface, VLANsupport, quality of service, and
security monitoring.
Modular models let you scale upby adding cards.
Manage switch required an IPaddress, but it's only for
management purposes.
Normally a switch, you know, anunmanned switch doesn't need an
(06:18):
IP address.
If you're using an IP addressfor a switch, it's a managed
switch.
To manage switch.
And you only need it to manageit.
You only need the IP to get intothe interface to manage it.
Next, and then there's powerover Ethernet, a life-saving
device like VoIP phones andsecurity cameras.
They have the 802.3AF standard,the 802.3AT, and the 802.3BT
(06:46):
standards.
They deliver up to 90 wattsthrough Ethernet cables.
No extra power bricks, justelegant efficiency.
So imagine security cameras,right?
You have them in the building,and you don't want the
electricity, the electricaloutlet exposed, right?
Because somebody just comes inand unplugged it.
With a power over Ethernet, youcan power it via the Ethernet
(07:10):
card.
Via the switch with an Ethernetcable.
Not the Ethernet card, Ethernetcable.
You could power it.
Real world example (07:18):
a university is making is installing hundreds
of IP cameras, which can powerthem directly from the PoE.
Simplifying installation,improving reliability, and
cutting cost.
Next, a network is only as goodas its cabling.
Let's start with unshieldedtwisted pair.
(07:40):
Four pairs of copper wire twiststo reduce interference, reliable
up to 100 meters of 360 feet.
Then shielded twisted pair, eachpair wrapped in foil, sometimes
with an extra branded shield.
Ideal for industrialenvironments with EMI.
(08:01):
Cabling catalogs, categories orCAT standards defined bandwidth
and frequency.
Cat 5, Cat 6, 6A, and 7.
They have a CAT 8, is the newestone.
And beyond, they are backwardcompatible, but performance
climbs with each revision.
(08:46):
Connectors, RJ45 for Ethernet,RJ11 for phones.
Tools of the trade include wirestrippers, crimpers, crimpers,
and punch down tools for cleanprofessional terminations.
And we actually, I had mystudents over the weekend do
their RJ45 cable for the firsttime.
(09:06):
So they usually, one of theschools that I teach, they they
love that that I come in and Ihave the students make the
cables.
It's a nice, it's you know, it'sa nice exercise, it's a nice
lab.
Those of you who are teachersout there, try to get your
students to at least make anRJ45 cable on their own.
You never know when you mightneed it in the industry if you
(09:29):
get a job.
You know, first time it's gonnatake them like 45 minutes to an
hour, so make sure you you leavea lot of time in your lab.
Don't make it for 15 minutesbecause they'll they will not
get it done.
But a good 45 an hour the firsttime, it's a good, it's a good
lab time for you.
You uh for any teachers outthere looking, listening to this
(09:49):
and thinking of a lab idea.
Testing gears matters too.
Cable testers verify continuity,toner probes, traces cables
through walls, and loop backplug test nick and switchboards.
Need to inspect traffic, use anetwork tap.
Passive models copy trafficwhile active ones regenerate
(10:10):
signals.
Always use plenum rated cableand air dust for safety and
direct burrow cables outdoors.
New to optical fiber, thechampion of bandwidth and
signal, single mode for longhaul links using laser light,
multi-mode for shorter runs withLEDs.
Connectors use ST, SC, and LC astheir standard connectors at the
(10:34):
end.
And this is one thing that Inever thought that they would
do, Verizon.
I didn't think Verizon wouldever have fiber inside your
home.
Because if you ever see a fibercable, it's very delicate.
It's made of glass.
And I upgraded to the 2GBVerizon and they installed
(10:57):
fiber.
So you gotta be careful, you'regonna get the two gig.
Is it do I see much of adifference in it?
Not really.
When you download stuff, youdownload faster.
I don't really see any delays,but the Verizon Tech explained
it to me.
He says you just get more lanes.
With two gigs, you just get morelanes.
(11:17):
So it seems like it, you know,it'll download stuff faster.
I don't know if it's really twogig.
I mean, I do a speed test, itsays it's two gig, but I don't
know.
It kind of feels the same.
Uh and don't forget coax cables,still used for modern cables,
labeled by the RG ratings, andusing F type connectors.
(11:39):
These are the, you know, if youstill have cable boxes, right?
It's it's Coaxial.
You know, the the way itconnects to the back of your
modem, it's is coaxal or somemodems.
The new ones I don't think docoaxo anymore.
All right, next, wirelessnetworking.
Let's cut the cord literally.
At the center is the accesspoints defined by SSID, which
(12:00):
simply is the MAC address of theaccess points.
I'm sorry, BSSID, which issimply the MAC address of the
access point.
Wi-Fi operates at 2.4 gigahertz,5 gigahertz, and now, and this
is new for the new Comp T exam,6 GHz BAN.
Early standards like 802.11A, 5GHz, 54 MB per second, and
(12:26):
802.11b and G 2.4 GHz between 11and 54 megabits per second, gave
us early home Wi-Fi.
Then came 802.11N, whichintroduced MIMO, multiple in,
multiple output, and channelbonding up to 600 megabytes per
second, branded Wi-Fi 4.
(12:47):
Next, Wi-Fi 5 802.11 AC, faster,more efficient, leveraging Move
MIMO and delivering over 2 GB onthe 5 GHz band.
Then 8 and then Wi-Fi 6 802.11 Xand 6E adding OFDMA triple band
(13:08):
flexibility and theoreticallyspeeds exceeding 4 gigs.
In the future, Wi-Fi 7 802.11 BEpromises an eye watering 46
gigabytes across the 2.4, 5, and6 gigahertz band.
That's VR ready wireless.
(13:28):
When is that gonna happen?
Who knows?
I'm still waiting for IPv6.
When installing wirelessnetworks, considered SSID
naming, channel selection, andfrequency planning to avoid
interference.
Use Wi-Fi analyzers to measuresignal strength, detect
overlapping channels, and spotdead on dead zones.
(13:50):
Beyond Wi-Fi, we have Bluetooth,RFID, and NFC.
Bluetooth connects headsets andperipherals.
RFID tracks inventory and grantsbadge access.
And NFC powers contactlesspayments.
Finally, long-range wirelesssolutions use licensed and
unlicensed spectrum to connectremote areas, showing that
(14:14):
connectivity truly has noboundaries.
Alright, on to our fourquestions.
Here are the rules.
I will ask for, I would read thequestion, read the choices, go
back, reread the question andthe choices, give you five
seconds to answer, and hopefullyyou can get it right.
Alright, question one.
(14:36):
Which device maintains a tablethat maps maps MAC address to
switch port?
A router, B bridge, C switch, Dhub.
I'll read it again.
Which device maintains a tablethat maps MAC address to switch
ports?
A router, B bridge, C switch, Dhub.
(14:57):
I'll give you five seconds tothink of the answer.
Five, four, three, two, one.
Alright, the answer is C.
A switch uses a CAM table toassociate MAC address with
physical ports.
Switches reduce collisions bydirecting traffic only to
intended destination ports.
(15:17):
Hub doesn't do that, bridgedoesn't do that.
Router does IP addresses.
So switches go with MAC address,routers go with IP address.
If you know that for the Compteexam, you would get at least
four or five questions.
But you have to stick with thatin your head, right?
(15:38):
You see a question that has theword switches in it, and one of
the answers is MAC address,that's probably the answer.
Just like if you see the wordrouter in the question and one
of the choices is IP address,that is probably the answer.
And hubs is bits.
unknown (15:57):
Right?
SPEAKER_00 (15:57):
If you see bits and one of the choices is hubs,
that's part of the answer.
Alright.
Question two.
What is the primary advantage ofpower over Ethernet?
A higher data rates?
B power and data through onecable.
C reduce interference.
(16:17):
D greater range.
I'll read it again.
What is the primary advantage ofpower over Ethernet?
A.
Higher data rates.
B.
Power and data through onecable.
C reduce interference.
D through greater range.
I'll give you five seconds tothink about it.
Five.
Four three two one.
(16:41):
The answer is B.
Power over Ethernet deliverselectrical power and network
data over the same internetcable.
PoE simplifies deviceinstallation, especially for
VoIP phones and IP cameras.
Makes it a lot easier.
And VoIP phones are the phonesthat you have in your house.
(17:02):
If you still have a home phonethrough your cable company,
that's a VoIP phone.
That's a voiceover IP phone.
How do you know?
Because you can call anywhere inthe country and they don't
charge your long distance.
For those of you who remember,we actually had long distance
companies in this country whereyou had your regular phone bill
(17:22):
and then you had your longdistance bill, which was
separate.
Right?
And you paid more for the longdistance, and you paid a lot of
money for long distance.
I remember if you call from NewYork to New Jersey, you know,
they told you to wait until 9o'clock.
It was like 75 cents a minute.
75 cents a minute.
And they always told you to callafter nine that it was cheaper.
(17:44):
And during the before that, itwas really expensive to call
long distance.
So VoIP actually took the longdistance company out of
business.
Most of them ended up becomingwireless carriers.
If you look at the history ofthe long distance phone
companies, they ended upbecoming wireless carriers.
MCI, Sprint, ATT, right?
(18:07):
They all became mobile.
They all paid it to mobile.
So all right, question three.
Which fiber type supports thelongest transmission distance?
A multi-mode fiber, B singlemold fiber, C coax cable, D cat
unshielded twisted pair.
(18:27):
I read it again.
Which fiber type supports thelongest transmission distance?
A cat multi-mode fiber, B singlemold fiber, C coax cable, D cat
six untwisted, unshieldedtwisted pair.
I'll give you five seconds.
Think about it.
Five, four, three, two, one.
(18:50):
And the answer is B single mode.
Single mode fiber uses a laserlight source for long distance
link.
It offers minimal minimalattenuation, ideal for
enterprise backbones andinternet service providers.
Alright, hopefully you're threefor three.
And if you are, let's let's gofour for four.
(19:14):
Which what frequency band does802.11 AC Wi-Fi 5 primarily use?
A 2.4 gigahertz only.
B 5 gigahertz only.
C 2.4 and 5 gigahertz.
Or D 6 GHz only.
I'll read it again.
(19:34):
Which frequency band does 802.11AC Wi-Fi 5 primarily use?
A 2.4 gigahertz.
B 5 gigahertz only.
C 2.4 and 5 gigahertz.
Or D 6 GHz only?
I'll give you five seconds tothink about it.
(19:55):
5.
4 3 2 1.
And the answer is B 5 GHz.
802.11 AC operate on the 5 GHzband only.
Wi-Fi 5 improved throughput andreduced interference through the
Mu, MIMO, and wider channels.
(20:16):
So if you got them all right,I'll give it up to you.
Alright.
Got them all right.
Congratulations.
You did really, really you didan outstanding job.
Actually, before I leave, uh youknow, I want to find out if
anybody has taken the the new1201 and 1202 exam.
Just if you have, please emailme Professor Jrod, that's J R O
(20:41):
D at Gmail.com.
And let me know what did youthink, especially if you took
the 1201 and maybe you took oneprior to that, you know, the 9
or the 10 or the 11.
Just let me know how differentit is.
And I know they they've added abunch of stuff.
I'm looking at the domains, andit's pretty much the same.
Like some of them are more, someof them are less, but not maybe
(21:03):
by a percentage of two from theother exam.
But I know they added a lot morestuff, and a lot of stuff that
they had before, they still haveit, but they they they lump it
together as legacy.
You know, they because they theyfeel like you might encounter it
as a as a tech later on, likethe PC PCI port, right?
(21:25):
That you might encounter that,you know, the white one.
Then you might still encounterthat.
I mean, who would have that inthis age?
I don't think anybody would havethat at this time.
But you know, if you take in the1201 or the 1202, yeah, let me
know.
Hit me up.
Let well, first of all, let meknow how you did.
Hopefully you passed.
I'm sure you did.
(21:45):
But yeah, uh, especially if youtake in one previously, like,
let me know like what's thedifference.
Is it you know, you don't haveto give me any answers or
anything.
I'm not looking for that.
I just want to know if you takein two of them, how different it
was.
I know a lot of people, a lot ofmy students rushed to get the
1101 and the 1102 prior toexpiring last month.
(22:07):
Uh, there was a lot of themunder the deadline who were
really, really gunning to get itdone.
And I saw a lot of postings bymy students, and then some, you
know, text me telling me thatthey took it in their past, but
I saw a lot of them taking it atthe last minute because of the
looming deadline.
But now we're all in on 1201 and1202.
You know, I want to see howdifferent the exam is if you
(22:29):
take in any of the previousones.
You know, I'm teaching an A plusclass and going over this the
new stuff, but it's just I justwant to see if this they're
probably, you know, Camtiadoesn't make earth-shattering,
earth-shattering changes ontheir exams.
But I, you know, I'm I'm very,very curious to find out if
anybody's taken one.
I took the 901.
(22:50):
That's how far back I took it,and I just keep renewing it, you
know, by taking another exam.
So I, you know, I I took it in2015.
So I've had it for 10 years.
I've renewed it, you know, byjust taking other exams.
Network Plus and then SecurityPlus, you know, so I've renewed
(23:11):
it, I guess, a bunch of times.
Now it doesn't expire to 2028,but I gotta do my cloud
resertification.
And I'm gonna do it throughSurpmaster.
And then that, I think that willrenew it again.
I'm not sure.
I got Pen Plus a couple of weeksago, and it renewed some of
them.
I don't think it renewed the Aplus one.
(23:32):
So I think with the cloud, it'llrenew it again, and it'll expire
in 2031, I think.
So I don't know.
I don't know.
At one point they had my certsall expiring on different dates,
and I always thought that itwould always expire with the
highest one.
You know, I had different years.
I don't know if they fixed that.
I don't know, I don't know.
(23:52):
But they all expired in 2028.
I got three more years.
I got three years to study foranother one.
I don't know what I'm gonna do.
I don't know what exam I'm gonnastudy for next.
I got a little bit of time.
We'll see what happens.
But anyway, if anybody's taking,and then there's a whole bunch
of other ones.
There's Data X, there's SecuritySomething, a new one.
(24:13):
There's a whole bunch of themthat they're doing, which is
good to see.
You know, they're doing like adata analytics one.
I think that's Data Plus.
It's good to see, but you know,I don't think anybody has any
classes on those yet.
They're fairly new.
We'll see, we'll see.
It's changing, guys.
The landscape is changing, andthen I'm a little concerned that
Camtia got bought out by anequity firm.
(24:35):
We'll see what happens.
You know, equity firms usuallymean I want my money.
They like the mob.
I don't care what happens, Iwant my money.
So we'll we'll we'll see whathappens with the changes.
But that's gonna do it.
So when you're wiring a patchpanel, configuring a switch, or
securing a wireless link,remember networks are the
(24:57):
nervous systems of our digitalworld.
Keep learning, keep building,and above all, keep tapping into
technology.
This has been a presentation ofLittle Touch of Productions, art
(25:20):
by Sabra, music by Joe Kim.
We're now part of the Pod MacNetwork.
You can follow me at TikTok atProfessor Jrod at J R O B, or
you can email me at ProfessorJrod at J R O D at Gmail.
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