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CCNA Exploration - Network Fundamentals

1 Living in a Network-Centric World

1.0 Chapter Introduction

1.0.1 Chapter Introduction

Page 1:

We now stand at a critical turning point in the use of technology to extend and empower our humannetwork. The globalization of theInternethas succeeded faster than anyone could have imagined. The manner in which social, commercial, political and personal interactions occur is rapidly changing to keepup with the evolution of this global network. In the next stage of our development, innovators will use theInternet as a starting point for their efforts - creating new products and services specifically designed totake advantage of the network capabilities. As developers push the limits of what is possible, thecapabilities of the interconnected networks that form the Internet will play an increasing role in thesuccess of these projects.This chapter introduces the platform of data networksupon which our social and business relationshipsincreasingly depend. The material lays the groundwork for exploring the services, technologies, andissues encountered by network professionals as they design, build, and maintain the modern network.In this chapter, you will learn to:Describe how networks impact our daily lives.Describe the role of data networking in the human network.Identify the key components of any data network.Identify the opportunities and challenges posed by converged networks.Describe the characteristics of network architectures: fault tolerance, scalability, quality of serviceand security.Install and use IRC clients and a Wikiserver .

1.0.1 - Chapter Introduction

Video narration text:"Welcome, welcome to a brand new day, a new way of getting things done. Welcome to a place wheremaps are rewritten and remote villages are included. A place where body language is business language.Where people subscribe to people and not magazines, and the team you follow now follows you.Welcome to a place where books rewrite themselves. Where you can drag and drop people wherever they want to go, and a phone doubles as a train ticket, plane ticket, or a lift ticket. Welcome to a placewhere a wedding is captured and recaptured again and again. Where a home video is experiencedeverywhere at once. Where a library travels across the world. Where businesses are born, countries aretransformed, and we are more powerful together than we ever could be apart. Welcome to the humannetwork."

1.1 Communicating in a Network-Centric World

1.1.1 Networks Supporting the Way We Live

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Among all of the essentials for human existence, the need to interact with others ranks just below our need to sustain life. Communication is almost as important to us as our reliance on air, water, food, andshelter.

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The methods that we use to share ideas and information are constantly changing and evolving. Whereasthe human network was once limited to face-to-face conversations,mediabreakthroughs continue toextend the reach of our communications. From the printing press to television, each new development hasimproved and enhanced our communication.As with every advance in communication technology, the creation and interconnection of robust datanetworks is having a profound effect.Early data networks were limited to exchanging character-based information between connected computer systems. Current networks have evolved to carry voice, video streams, text, and graphics between manydifferent types of devices. Previously separate and distinct communication forms have converged onto acommon platform. This platform provides access to a wide range of alternative and new communicationmethods that enable people to interact directly with each other almost instantaneously.The immediate nature of communications over the Internet encourages the formation of globalcommunities. These communities foster social interaction that is independent of location or time zone.

1.1.1 - Networks Supporting the Way We Live

The diagram depicts a map of the world with people interconnected on various continents, representingthe human network.

Page 2:The Global Community

Technology is perhaps the most significant change agent in the world today, as it helps to create a worldin which national borders, geographic distances, and physical limitations become less relevant, andpresent ever-diminishing obstacles. The creation of online communities for the exchange of ideas andinformation has the potential to increase productivity opportunities across the globe. As the Internetconnects people and promotes unfettered communication, it presents the platform on which to runbusinesses, to address emergencies, to inform individuals, and to support education, science, andgovernment.

Click PLAY to watch how the Internet, and its underlying technology, brings opportunities to peoplewherever they live or work.1.1.1 - Networks Supporting the Way We Live

The video presents a story of a small town in Brazil where the Internet and computers have enabled themto connect with the rest of the world and brought opportunities to people."Tiradentes is a very small town, with no newspaper delivery, no computers, and TV has been availablefor just a few years. Digital inclusion has been a breakthrough in Tiradentes history. Wireless meshtechnology connected Tiradentes with the whole world. The week we went live on the Net, 158 peopleaccessed our website." A candy store owner states, "I downloaded new recipes to increment thebusiness." "Surveillance cameras help monitor security of historical buildings. At the same time, touristsanywhere will be able to access our site and see images of the city online. Who would imagine somethinglike this. Tiradentes is a small, historical tourist town. It will continue to be, but now with digital inclusion,medical exams are sent to specialists over the Net, significantly reducing the need for people to commuteto hospitals in larger cities. Due to the excitement of using computers to browse the Net, children haverenewed interest in learning to read and write. It changed our lives. It changed everything!"

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It is incredible how quickly the Internet became an integral part of our daily routines. The complexinterconnection of electronic devices and media that comprise the network is transparent to the millions of users who make it a valued and personal part of their lives.Data networks that were once the transport of information from business to business have beenrepurposed to improve the quality of life for people everywhere. In the course of a day, resources

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available through the Internet can help you:Decide what to wear using online current weather conditions.Find the least congested route to your destination, displaying weather and traffic video fromwebcams.Check your bank balance and pay bills electronically.Receive and sende-mail, or make an Internet phone call, at an Internet cafe over lunch.Obtain health information and nutritional advice from experts all over the world, and post to a forumto share related health or treatment information.Download new recipes and cooking techniques to create a spectacular dinner.Post and share your photographs, home videos, and experiences with friends or with the world.Many uses of the Internet would have been hard to imagine just a few years ago. Take for example, oneperson's experience publishing a home music video:

"My goal is to make my own movies. One day, my friend Adi and I made a video as a surprise for her boyfriend's birthday. We recorded ourselves lip-synching to a song and dancing around. Then wedecided, why not post it. Well, the reaction has been huge. It's had over 9 million views so far, and themovie director Kevin Smith even did a short spoof of it. I don't know what draws people to the video.Maybe it's the simplicity of it, or the song. Maybe it's because it's spontaneous and fun, and it makes people feel good. I don't know. But I do know that I can do what I love and share it online with millions of people around the world. All I need is my computer, digital camcorder, and somesoftware. And that's anamazing thing."

1.1.1 - Networks Supporting the Way We Live

The diagram depicts a computer with Internet access to traffic conditions, weather forecasts, world news,and online banking. Caption text: "The way we live is supported by services delivered by the datanetwork."

Page 4:Lab Activity

Use satellite imagery available through the Internet to explore your world.

Click the lab icon for more details.1.1.1 - Networks Supporting the Way We Live

Link to Hands-on Lab: Using Google Earth to View the WorldUse satellite imagery available through the Internet to explore your world.

1.1.2 Examples of Today's Popular Communication Tools

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The existence and broad adoption of the Internet has ushered in new forms of communication thatempower individuals to create information that can be accessed by a global audience.

Instant Messaging

Instant messaging (IM) is a form of real-timecommunication between two or more people based on typedtext. The text is conveyed via computers connected over either a private internal network or over a publicnetwork, such as the Internet. Developed from earlier Internet Relay Chat (IRC) services, IM alsoincorporates features such as file transfer, voice, and video communication. Like e-mail, IM sends awritten record of the communication. However, whereas transmission of e-mail messages is sometimesdelayed, IM messages are received immediately. The form of communication that IM uses is calledreal-time communication.