Chapter 7

Networks and
Communication Devices
Key Topics
• Basic Concepts & Terminology
• Types of Networks
• Network Media
• Network Protocols
• Network Hardware
Basic Concepts & Terminology

• Network is a collection of objects or people which have some

common attributes.
• Computer Network is a collection of computers and other
hardware devices which are connected together.
• In a computer network, users can:
› Share hardware (printers, scanners etc.)
› Share software (Google, MyGUST, Office365 etc.)
› Exchange Data (Dropbox, iCloud, OneDrive etc.)
› Electronically Communicate with Others (text messaging,
voice messaging, video messaging etc.)
Basic Concepts & Terminology

• When devices are connected and ready to send/receive data,

they are said to be Online.
• When devices are not connected or not ready to send/receive
data, they are said to be Offline.
• When a device sends data, the action is also called Transmission.
• When data is sent to a large number of devices, it is called
Broadcast.
• When data is copied to another device, the action is called
Upload.
• When data is copied from another device, the action is called
Download.
 Types of Networks – Architecture

• Architecture is the way networks are designed to

communicate
• Client Server Networks
› Client: PC or other
device on the network
that requests and
utilizes network
resources
› Server: Computer
dedicated to
processing client
requests
 Types of Networks – Architecture
• Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks have all computers at the
same level
• Internet peer-to-peer computing is performed via
Internet
 Types of Networks – Location

• Local Area Network (LAN)

› Small geographical area (office, campus, etc.)
› Personal Area Network (PAN)
› Connects personal devices for one individual,
such as his or her portable PC, mobile phone, and
portable printer
• Wide Area Network (WAN)
› Large geographical area (Internet)
› Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
› Serves a metropolitan area
› Municipal Wi-Fi projects
 Types of Networks – Accessibility

• Intranet
› Internal or Private to an organization
› Is only accessible to members of the organization
› SIS, Email, MyGUST are Intranet applications
• Internet
› Is a Public network
› Is accessible to every one
› GUST website is an Internet application
• Extranet
› Internal network providing some access to outsiders
› Individuals outside the organization have limited access
› Examples of Extranet?
Network Media

• Wired Media
› The PC is physically cabled to the network
› Common in schools, businesses, and government facilities
• Wireless Media
› Typically use radio waves to send data through the air
› Rapidly becoming more popular in homes and businesses
› Wireless hotspots are commonly available in public
locations
Network Media

• Twisted-pair cable
› Pairs of wires twisted together
› Used for telephone and network connections
• Coaxial cable
› Thick center wire
› Used for computer networks, short-run telephone
transmissions, cable television delivery
• Fiber-optic cable
› Glass or fiber strands through which light can pass
› Used for high-speed communications
Network Protocols

• Ethernet is the most widely used communications

protocol for wired LANs
› Uses twisted-pair, coaxial, or fiber-optic cables.
› Original (10Base-T) Ethernet networks ran at 10 Mbps.
› Newer 100 Mbps, 1Gbps, and 10 Gbps and 100 Gbps
versions are common.
› 400 Gigabit Ethernet and Terabit Ethernet are being
considered.
 Network Protocols

• Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) is a family of wireless

networking standards also known as 802.11
› Also called Wireless Ethernet.
› Current standard for wireless networks in home and office.
› Designed for medium-range transmission.
› Wi-Fi hardware built into most notebook PCs and many
consumer devices today.
Network Protocols

• Bluetooth is very short range (less than 10 feet)

wireless technology
› Is used for communication between computers or mobile
devices and peripheral devices.
› Bluetooth devices are automatically networked with each
other when they are in range.
Network Protocols
• First Generation Cellular – Had voice only
• 2G Cellular – Had both voice and data, faster
• 3G Cellular – A current standard also known as EDGE
› Typical speeds are between 1 and 4 Mbps
• 4G Cellular – A faster current standard
› Typical speeds are between 3 to 15 Mbps
› Versions include LTE, LTE-Advanced
• 5G Cellular – Next generation version under
development
 Network Hardware

• Modem is a device that connects a computer to the

Internet or to another computer
› Most modems use a phone line
› The term is used for Internet connection device, even if not connecting
via a phone line
› Type of modem needed depends on the type of Internet access being
used
› Conventional dial-up
› Cable
› Fixed wireless
› DSL
 Network Hardware

• Also known as Network Card

• Connects computers to a LAN
• Available for both wired and wireless media
• Is a type of Expansion Card
› Mostly internal hardware but external models are also
available
Network Hardware

• Hub / Switch
› Central device that connects all of the devices on the
network
• Wireless Access Point
› Used to connect devices to a network wirelessly
• Router
› A device that connects two different networks
› Connects your home network to internet
› Is also known as Gateway
 Chapter 8

The Internet
Key Topics
• Basic Concepts & Terminology
• Internet Connection Options
• World Wide Web
• Electronic Mail (Email)
• Other Common Applications
Basic Concepts & Terminology

• Internet is the largest and most well-known computer network,

linking millions of computers all over the world.
› Allows sending messages and information across any type of
computer and communication media.
› The internet has been operational for many decades.
• ARPANET is the previous form of the internet.
› Initially connected four supercomputers.
› Eventually grew into today’s Internet.
Basic Concepts & Terminology

• Internet addresses are used to access resources on the Internet

› IP Address: Numeric address that identifies computers
(207.46.138.20)
› Domain Name: Text-based address that identifies
companies or organizations (microsoft.com, gust.edu.kw)
› Uniform Resource Locator (URL): Identifies Computers or
web pages (http://www.pbskids.org , http://www.cnn.com ,
https://mygust.gust.edu.kw)
› E-mail Address: Identifies people for e-mail exchange
(jsmith@cengage.com , gust0004420@gust.edu.kw)
 Basic Concepts & Terminology
• IP addresses are numeric and unique
• Domain Names correspond to IP addresses
• Top-level domains (TLDs) identify type of organization
or its location
› .com
› .edu
› .net
› .gov
› .mil
› .org
› .kw
› .ae
› .uk
Internet Connection Options

• You need to make three decisions:

1) Determine the type of device you will use to access the
Internet (Desktop, Laptop, Smart Phone, Tablet etc.)
2) Select the type of connection desired
› Fixed Location (DSL, Satellite, Cable etc.)
› Mobile (Cellular 3G, 4G etc.)
3) Decide on the Internet service provider to be used
World Wide Web

• World Wide Web is the collection of Web pages available

through the Internet.
› Proposed by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989.
› Originally had only text-based content.
› Release of better browsers in 1993 led to graphical content.
› Wide variety of content available via Web pages today.
World Wide Web

• Web Server: Computer which stores Websites

• Website: Collection of Webpages
• Web Browser: Used to display Web pages
• Website Home Page: The first page displayed when the website
is accessed
• Browser Home Page: The first page displayed when the browser
is opened
World Wide Web

• Search Site is a web site that helps find web pages containing
information.
› Examples are: Google, Bing etc.
• Typically use a Search Engine and a database containing
information about web pages to locate appropriate Web pages
› Search site tools vary by search site
› Typically search using keywords.
› Can search for music files, image files, maps, people, videos,
etc.
World Wide Web

• To search, type the URL of a search site or search using the

Address bar of your browser.
• For better results:
› Use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT)
› Use multiple search sites
› Use appropriate keywords
› Use synonyms (different words that mean the same thing)
› Use variant word forms (variations of your keywords,
alternate spellings, etc.)
› Use wildcards (such as * to search for keyword patterns)
Electronic Mail (EMail)

• Electronic Mail or Email is a service through which electronic

messages are exchanged via private networks or the Internet.
• Email service can be accessed through:
› Conventional programs (like MS Outlook) or web-based
access (like Gmail)
• In addition to text, email messages can contain photos, attached
files etc.
Other Common Applications

• Other activities available through the Internet include:

› Online Communications (Skype, WhatsApp etc.)
› Social Networking (Instagram, Twitter, Snap Chat etc.)
› Online Shopping & Investing (Amazon, Taw9eel etc.)
› Online Entertainment (Netflix, YouTube etc.)
› Online News, Reference and Information (CNN, Alrai,
Wikipedia etc.)
› Online Education (MyGUST, edx, Udemy, LinkedIn etc.)
Questions ???