A: Modern technologies Flashcards
describe ad hoc networks
- temporary networks with two or more computing devices
- they do not require Wi-Fi access points or routers to work
- used between two devices to connect them together so they can share files+ internet access
- commonly used in PANs
pros+cons of ad hoc networks
/ easy set up, no specialist hardware required (eg. routers)
X less secure, no central device has control which can make them unmanageable
performance issues of ad hoc networks (3)
- poor signal can reduce access to the internet
- devices can disconnect if they use Bluetooth and are too far away
- many devices sharing a connection can make it very slow
describe security issues with open Wi-Fi
- doesn’t require a password to connect, therefore doesn’t use encryption - insecure
- open Wi-Fi sends all data from your device to the access point in plain-text
- this means that a hacker can view sensitive data such as passwords to services
describe ways to connect to open Wi-Fi securely (2)
- only connect to Wi-Fi that uses WPA2 encryption
- use a virtual private network (VPN) which encrypts everything between you and the VPN provider
describe personal hotspots and tethering
- personal hotspots allow you to connect devices to either a smartphone or small pocket device
- connections are made using either Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
- connecting to a hotspot is known as tethering
describe personal area networks (PAN)
- allow you to connect computers/devices together using Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
- only have a range of a few metres- connection is weaker/lost if further than 10m
- eg. phone connecting to an in car entertainment system to play music/ make hands free phone calls
describe how homes/businesses connect to the internet
- most connect to the Internet using a copper cable
- fibre cable connections often only provide fibre to the green cabinet in the street - Fibre To The Cabinet (FTTC)
- speeds up to max 80 Mbps
- some businesses/homes have fibre to the premises - higher speeds
state methods of connecting homes to the Internet (3)
- cables (copper or fibre) - FTTC/FTTP
- mobile
- satellite - very expensive, used in remote areas with no infrastructure (wires), lower speeds
how do blackspots affect network availability
- country is divided into areas called cells which each have a mobile phone transmitter
- if no transmitter is present in the cell there will be no signal -> blackspot
- hills (rural) and buildings (urban) can also block signals+ create blackspots
describe the difference in network availability in rural and urban locations
- city locations normally have faster internet than rural ones
- the cost of installing infrastructure (eg. fibre cables) is cheaper in urban - cost can be shared by many customers if the population is denser
- city locations have the option of fibre to the home+ cables+ mobile, whereas rural locations often only have mobile
- blackspots caused by hills in rural areas and buildings in urban areas
describe how Internet is provided at rural music festivals (cs)
- rural homes/businesses only have the option
of connecting to a mobile network for Internet access - these mobile networks are normally set up to cope with just a few hundred people in rural areas
- over 100,000 people at festivals trying to connect to the network base station -> connection is slow as being shared
- phone companies (EE/BT) can bring more base stations on vans to which make new cells for phones to connect to (eg. Glastonbury)
describe the difference in network availability in developed+ developing countries
- developing countries do not have as much money for infrastructure/ smartphones/ cables
- fewer cables reaching rural areas mean countries have to use expensive satellites
- internet connection is unreliable/slow as natural disasters/ hazardous weather causes damage to infrastructure
- therefore lower usage in developing countries
name different access rights (3)
-> cloud storage allows different users to have different rights
* owner/manager - change access rights, delete files
* edit/write/modify - users can make changes/delete files
* read/view - basic right
how are photo/video access rights set up in engagement platforms eg. Instagram by users? (cs)
- in account privacy settings
- private (viewable by followers) or public
name cloud storage features (6)
-> users store files/data on the Internet
* data can be stored in multiple locations
* a professional company manages the data storage
* devices are synchronised to the cloud - changes made on one device are synchronised with the cloud server then passed on to all other connected devices
* 24/7 availability - servers in data centre are constantly operating
* redundancy - file backups in multiple areas
* only pay for storage used
* scalability (scalable storage) - system/resources/processing power can be increased in size
state pros of using cloud storage (3)
- only charged for the amount of storage used - can rent more when needed (business growth) or release some to save money without having to buy new servers, more cost-effective
- data stored on Internet so can be accessed anywhere+ on several devices provided there is an Internet connection - good for company staff located in different timezones/ working from home or abroad/ travelling
- off-site server infrastructure dealt with by cloud company in a data centre - saves space+money, highly trained professionals to keep data secure, constantly in operation
state cons of using cloud storage (2)
- data stored offsite in data centres controlled by the cloud company - less control
- relies on Internet - can take a long time to upload or download files with slow Internet connection, remotely stored data becomes inaccessible, leads to costly downtime
describe a cloud storage service (cs)
-> Dropbox
* works across many platforms – Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
* files can be synchronised across devices
* accounts are free to set up
* paid subscriptions are required for extra storage and to enable more features
define a server
An item of hardware which responds to requests by processing data and sending replies
define a data centre
-> a building which stores a centralised collection of servers
* professional engineers will manage
the computers
* the buildings will have temperature
control and air conditioning
* very high uptimes (constantly operating) for data, almost 100%
describe security (3) and backup (2) protections used for data in data centres
Security
* door entry locks – biometric and physical
* security staff and CCTV
* fire protection systems
Backups
* power backups - diesel generators, batteries
* backups of the data both onsite and offsite
define scalability
- the ability to easily increase the size of computing storage or processing power
- used for online cloud storage/computing
- differs from offline storage - requires the purchase of new hard disks, storage is not scalable as limited no. disks can be used
pros of online cloud computing softwares (6)
- versions of the software are consistent between users
- everyone can edit the most up to date copy of a file
- versions of files can be regularly automatically saved
- collaboration tools show who is editing a file and allow communication (messaging/chat)
- files accessible from any browser/computer in the world
- easy to set up new employees – no specialist software to install
name online applications which use cloud computing
-> accessed through a web browser or an app on user’s device
* office suites: G Suite / Google Docs / Office 365
-> along with cloud storage eg. Google Drive / OneDrive
* Amazon Web Services AWS (used by Netflix to deliver video (cs))
* specialist software eg. for accounting / CRM
define a platform and examples
-> the computer hardware + operating system that runs on it
(cross-platform - software that runs on many platforms)
* a PC running Windows 10
* a smartphone running Android
* an Amazon Echo running Fire OS
name platform features (6)
- input method (keyboard, voice, touch, controller)
- hard disk technology (magnetic / SSD)
- durability
- portability
- RAM (processor speed)
- screen size
cons of cloud platforms
- the price may increase whilst subscribing to the service
- updates may happen without being wanted and may require staff training
- a different company will be responsible for the security of data being stored. Will it be secure enough?
How easy is the system for staff to use?
