1.3 Computer networks, connections and protocols Flashcards
Sub topic = Wired and wireless networks, protocols and layers
Wired connection
A wired network uses cables to connect devices, such as laptop or desktop computers, to the Internet or another network
Wireless connection
The use of a wireless network enables enterprises to avoid the costly process of introducing cables into buildings or as a connection between different equipment locations.
Wi-Fi
It is a communication technology that makes use of radio waves in order to connect to a local area network. It is also widely used to connect to the internet from a laptop or smart phone whilst out and about.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a type of radio communication and networking protocol combined.
Encryption
Encryption means to scramble a message in such a way that only the people who are meant to read it can do so
IP address
The IP address is the unique address given to a computer. It allows one computer to communicate with another one by sending data packets containing the destination IP address.
MAC address
Short for Media Access Control address. This is the unique identifier assigned to a network card or Wi-Fi adapter
Standards
A standard is a set of rules and definitions that characterize some aspect of a product
Protocol
A “ protocol’ is the agreed method of communication to be used within the network. For example the network protocol for the internet is TCP/IP.
TCP/IP
It stands for Transmission Control Protocol. TCP is responsible for checking that data has been delivered correctly from your computer
HTTP
HTTP stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol. HTTP is the set of rules that are used for transmitting files, (text, graphics, sound, video etc) over the World Wide Web
HTTPS
HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. It is the protocol where encrypted HTTP data is transferred over a secure connection.
FTP
The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a standard network protocol used for the transfer of computer files between a client and server on a computer network
POP
Post Office Protocol (POP) means that all of your email is downloaded from your Internet Service Provider to your own personal computer and (usually) deleted from the server.
IMAP
Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) means that all of your email is saved on your Internet Service Provider’s servers.
SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol: a protocol for transferring email messages over the internet.
Protocol layering
In networking, layering means to break up the sending of messages into separate components and activities.
factors that affect network performance
bandwidth - high bandwidth, faster data transfer speed
NUMBER OF DEVICES CONNECTED - network load, bandwidth used up.
Latency - time delay
Errors in Transmission - due to distortion or noise
INTERFERENCE - cordless phones, electromagnetic signal = dropped connections.
Thick walls = weak wifi connection