Chapter 8 Networking And Digital Communication

Question 1

What is a computer network?

Answer 1

A system of two or more computers linked together and each impute is called a node it has 3 essential components:

1) Hardware
2) Software
3) People

There are four types of networks:

1) Wide area network (WAN, extends on a large physical distance, like the internet which is the largest WAN, each LAN is a node on the WAN)
2) Metropolitan area network (MAN, large network designed for a whole city)
3) Local area network (LAN, where computers are physically close to each other “Computer labs” every single node has is unique adress)
4) Personal area network (PAN, networks used for communications between devices of one person like Bluetooth headphone and your phone)

Question 2

What is a bandwidth (Network speed)?

Answer 2

1) Quantity of data transmitted per second (Kbs, Mbps, Gbps), depends on the transmission media (copper wire or fiber optic where 1 fiber optic can replace 10,000 copper telephone cables), & on the amount of traffic on the network

Question 3

What are the network components?

Answer 3

1) Network interface card (for each node on a network to communicate with other nodes, there is wireless and wired)
2) Routers (Hardware devices or software programs that routes messages as they travel between networks, it connects two or more networks together)
3) Switches/Hubs (allows any node on the network to communicate with any other node)

Question 4

What are the networking models?

Answer 4

1) Client/server model (one or more computers act as a dedicated server while the rest are clients)
2) Peer-to-peer model (every computer on this network is both a client and a server, it is faster, no single failure point, all Downloader are also uploaders)

Question 5

What is the networking softwares?

Answer 5

1) network operating system (NOS) available on servers handling communication requests from multiple clients

Question 6

What are the communication protocols?

Answer 6

Rules that allows 2 or more entities to transmit information, it is also required for data exchange if someone is talking at 200Kbps and the other is listening at 100Kbp the message wont get through.

Example is TCP/IP which controls the exchange of data between computers on the internet (HTTP, FTP, DHCP, DNS) via breaking the information into smaller pieces called packets

Question 7

What are the type of connections?

Answer 7

1) Modem connection (transmission through telephone lines, conversion at both ends, speed 56.6Kbps)
2) Broadband connection (has a greater bandwidth than modems)

The types are:
1) DSL (digital subscriber line, telephone lines)
2) Cable modems (uses fast TV cables)
3) Satellite connections (uses TV dishes)
4) Optical fibers (Sea cables)

Question 8

What is meant by a wireless network?

Answer 8

A computer network that uses wireless data connections between nodes, like WAN, Cell phone networks, Wireless sensor network, (technology standards are WI-FI, WI-Max, Infrared, Bluetooth, 3G 2000KKbps, 4G 100,000kbs, 5G1Gbps)

Question 9

What is a WI-FI?

Answer 9

• fastest growing wireless technology
• uses radio waves to link computers
• allows peer to peer communication
• affected by objects blocking the signal, Antenna placement, other wireless devices on the same area
• bandwidth are 600-9608 for WI-FI6, 433-6933 for WI-FI5, 72-600Mbs for WI-FI4

Question 10

What is a Wi-Max?

Answer 10

A radio based technology, with a family of wireless broadband communication standards, a single tower can provide access to 25 square mile area

Question 11

What is a Bluetooth?

Answer 11

Wireless technology standard for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances, designed to quickly and automatically connect devices, uses low power, low cost transmission over 10-100 meters

Question 12

What is meant by tethering?

Answer 12

Cabling a laptop to a mobile to get internet connection

Question 13

What is a mobile hotspot?

Answer 13

Tethering done over a WI-FI where the internet connected device acts as a portable wireless access point (WAP)

Question 14

What are the measures that helps in securing our communication?

Answer 14

1) setup a password
2) use encryption and wireless security protocols

-WEP wired equivalent privacy (lowest protection)
- WPA (WI-FI protected access)
-WPA2 (WI-FI protected access version 2 (most secure))

Question 15

What are the advantages of networks?

Answer 15

1) shares computer hardware resources
2) shares data and software programs
3) enables people to work, play and communicate together

Question 16

What is meant by the internet of things IOT?

Answer 16

Emerged due to real-timeanalytics,machine learning, sensors, automation andembedded systems.
The interconnection via the Internet of computing devices embedded in everyday objects, enabling them to send and receive data

Applications:
Smart Home
Smart Cities

Challenges:
Security
Privacy
Massive amounts of Data

Question 17

What are the types of specialized networks?

Answer 17

1) blockchain:

A system in which a record of transactions are maintained across several computers that are linked in a peer-to-peer network. verified by network nodes and recorded in a public ledger.

Applications:Cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum), Is a digital asset designed to work as a medium of exchange that uses strong cryptography to secure financial transactions.

Question 18

What is meant by interpersonal computing?

Answer 18

• Human-to-human digital communication, Users spend around 70% of connected time on the internet to communicate with other users

Applications:
Emails
Chatting
Blogging
Video teleconferencing
Computer Telephony
Social Networking
Information Sharing

Question 19

What is meant by online communication?

Answer 19

It allows people to interact while being physically located at different places.

Synchronous communication:

• Real time communication between all parties
• Instant messaging (IM), Audio conferencing, & video conferencing

Asynchronous communication:

• Poster and reader don’t have to be logged in simultaneously
• Emails, Newsgroup, Forums
• Text messaging using SMS technology

Question 20

What are the different types of blogging?

Answer 20

1) Blogs (Web log)

2 Micro blogs (posting small pieces of digital content like texts, pictures, links, short videos)

3) Video blood (Vlog)

Question 21

What are the issues of social networking?

Answer 21

Pros:

1) easily accessible
2) inexpensive
3) informed & connected

Cons:
1) privacy
2) oversharing (information overload)
3) addiction at the expense of personal relationships

Question 22

How can a community collaborate over the network?

Answer 22

Crowdsourcing: using the internet and the intelligence of the crowd to accomplish a task or solve a problem for the benefit of all

Different forms:
Crowdsolving: a collaborative, yet holistic way of solving a problem using many people

Crowdfunding: the collection of funds from the crowd to sponsor a project, e.g. Kickstarter, gofundme, indiegogo

Non commercial work, e.g. Anyone can contribute to it, Wikipedia

Question 23

What are the different ways used to share resources?

Answer 23

1) Peer-to-Peer:
File sharing without posting on central server (music), e.g. torrents

2) Grid Computing:
Sharing processing power rather than data

3) Cloud Computing:
Resources come from the internet

Question 24

What are some of the survival tips online?

Answer 24

1) Maximize work by system

2) Store Names in Address book

3) Don’t share emails/ passwords

4) Don’t display privacy matters

5) Don’t open suspicious mails

6) Don’t open suspicious links (phishing)

7) Keep your system up to date

8) Cross check online information

9) Beware of fake stories circulating

10) Avoid information overload