Technical Terms - Internet (A-Z) - Socket

What is a socket in terms of computer networking?

• A type of computer virus

• A software component that helps programs communicate over a network

• A physical device used to connect networking cables

• A type of computer monitor

How do applications establish network connections using sockets?

• By creating a direct cable connection

• By using an API to create a socket managed by the operating system

• By sending data through the power supply

• By writing their own networking protocol

What does a socket address combine?

• A URL and a MAC address

• A Port number and a URL

• An IP address and a Port number

• An IP address and a MAC address

What happens when an application needs to send data out over the network?

• The data is printed on paper

• The data is sent directly to the recipient

• The data is written to the socket

• The data is stored in a separate file

How does the operating system know where to forward data packets?

• By sending all packets to a central server

• By randomly selecting a destination

• By checking the socket address of each packet

• By looking at the data content

What port number is commonly used for HTTP connections?

• 21

• 8080

• 443

• 80

What is the purpose of a socket when visiting a website?

• To play online games

• To store browsing history

• To connect to a remote web server

• To display advertisements

What does the web browser do when sending a request for a webpage?

• Sends the request to the operating system

• Sends the request to the web server through the socket

• Writes the request to a file

• Creates a new socket

What does the operating system do when receiving the requested page from the web server?

• Deletes the page

• Looks at the socket address and sends it back to the web browser

• Stores the page in a cache

• Sends it to a different server

How do applications on clients interact with sockets?

• They create sockets when launching and maintain them in a listening state

• They only use physical connections

• They never use sockets

• They can open and close sockets as needed