NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF

LESOTHO
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CS1311A
COMPUTER APPRECIATION,
AWARENESS AND SKILLS
Morolong KJ (Mr.)
CMP 207
kj.morolong@nul.ls
 Course Objectives
Computer Literacy Computer System Computer Hardware

What you will learn? What you will learn? What you will learn?
Computer literacy definitions Basic functions of Tangible components of a
and benefits. computers and categories. computer.

Computer Software Computer Networks Computer Security

What you will learn? What you will learn? What you will learn?
How to communicate with a Basic computer networking, The internet and basic
computer through programs. together with common computer security.
networking devices
 COMPUTER NETWORKS
►A network is a collection of computers and devices connected
together via communications devices and transmission media

►Advantages of Networking include

 Facilitating communications

 Sharing data and information

 Sharing hardware

 Sharing software

 Transferring funds
 COMPUTER NETWORKS

►Classification of Network
 Local Area Network (LAN)

 Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

 Wide Area Network (WAN)

►The main differentiation among these classifications is their area of

coverage
 COMPUTER NETWORKS

►A local area network is a network that connects computers and

devices in a limited geographical area

►Examples such as a home, school computer laboratory, office building

or closely positioned group of buildings

►A wireless LAN (WLAN) is a LAN that uses no physical wires

COMPUTER NETWORKS
 COMPUTER NETWORKS

►A metropolitan area network is a high-speed network that connects

local area networks in a metropolitan area

►Example such as a city or town and handles the bulk of

communications activity across that region
COMPUTER NETWORKS
 COMPUTER NETWORKS

►A wide area network is a network that covers a large geographic area

(such as a city, country, or the world) using a communications channel
that combines many types of media such as telephone lines, cables,
and radio waves.

►The Internet is the world’s largest WAN

COMPUTER NETWORKS
 COMPUTER NETWORKS

Network Number of
Cost Speed
Size computer

LAN Fastest Smallest

Low Small

High Larger Slower Large

MAN

Higher Largest Slowest Largest

WAN
 NETWORK ARCHITECTURE

►The design of computers, devices, and media on a network

is called the network architecture

►Two types
 Client/server
 Peer-to-peer
 NETWORK ARCHITECTURE

►One or more computers act as a server; the other computers on the

network request services from the server

►A server controls access to the hardware, software, and other

resources on the network and provides a centralized storage area for
programs, data, and information

►The clients are other computers and mobile devices on the network
that rely on the server for their resources
 NETWORK ARCHITECTURE

►is created when two or more computers are connected and share
resources without going through a separate server computer.
 NETWORK ARCHITECTURE

Peer-to-peer network
Client/server network
 COMPUTER NETWORKS

►Network topology
 refers to the layout of the computers and devices in a communications network

1. Star topology

2. Bus topology

3. Ring topology
 COMPUTER NETWORKS

►Star topology
 All computers and devices on the network connect to a central device e.g. hub
or switch

 All data that transfers from one node to another passes through the hub or
switch
 COMPUTER NETWORKS

►Bus topology
 Consists of a single central cable, to which all computers and other devices
connect

 The bus in a bus network transmits data, instructions, and information in both
directions
 COMPUTER NETWORKS

►Ring topology
 A cable forms a closed loop (ring) with all computers and devices arranged
along the ring

 Data transmitted on a ring network travels from device to device around the
entire ring, in one direction
 TRANSMISSION MEDIA

►Physical transmission media

 Twisted-pair cable

 Coaxial cable

 Fiber-optic cable
 TRANSMISSION MEDIA

►Wireless transmission media

 Infrared

 Radio waves
o Bluetooth - short-range radio waves to transmit data between two Bluetooth devices at a
rate of 1Mbps within 10 meters

o Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) - transfers data between devices at a rate of 11-54 Mbps within
100 meters

 Satellite
End of Lecture 4