FORM 4: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

SECTION 1

Computer Fundamentals and Information Processing

❖ LESSON 9 – DATA COMMUNICATIONS, NETWORKS AND THE INTERNET

Books Referenced:

LOG ON TO IT for CSEC

Richard Birbal and Michele Taylor
OXFORD EXCELLENCE FOR THE CARIBBEAN – INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Glenda Gay & Ronald Blakes

DATA COMMUNICATIONS

This is the transmission of data from one location to another for direct
use or for processing.

A data communication system is made up of the following:

(1) Hardware

(2) Software

(3) Communications facilities

What is Bandwidth?
Bandwidth determines the volume of data that can be transmitted in a
given time. It can be grouped into three classes of channels.

A narrow-band channel, which is almost obsolete, e.g. a telegraph system.

A voice-band channel, which is one of the most widely used methods of

transferring data, e.g. a telephone/landline is a voice-band.

A broadband channel, which allows for the transmission of large volumes of

data at high speeds.
How data can be transmitted

o Simplex – permits data to flow in one direction. You can either send data
or receive data, but not both. E.g. A public address system

o Half-duplex – can alternately send and receive data. You can either send
data but not receive it or receive data but not send it. E.g. a two-way
radio system where you can either talk or listen, but not at the same
time.

o Full-duplex – can simultaneously send and receive data. E.g. a telephone,

where you can both talk and hear simultaneously.

Networks
A network is a group of two or more computers linked together so that they
can share resources (hardware, software and data) and can communicate
with one another. The Internet is a network of networks that connects
computers worldwide via a huge set of telecommunications links.
Types of Networks
o LAN – Local Area Network
o WAN – Wide Area Network
o PAN – Personal Area Network
o MAN – Metropolitan Area Network

A local area network (LAN) is a collection of devices connected together

in one physical location, such as a building, office, or home. A LAN can
be small or large, ranging from a home network with one user to an
enterprise network with thousands of users and devices in an office or
school.
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/switches/what-is-a-lan-local-area-network.html

In its simplest form, a wide-area network (WAN) is a collection of local-

area networks (LANs) or other networks that communicate with one
another. A WAN is essentially a network of networks, with the Internet
the world's largest WAN.
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/switches/what-is-a-wan-wide-area-
network.html?dtid=osscdc000283

A metropolitan area network (MAN) is a computer network that connects

computers within a metropolitan area, which could be a single large city,
multiple cities and towns, or any given large area with multiple buildings.
A MAN is larger than a local area network (LAN) but smaller than a wide
area network (WAN). MANs do not have to be in urban areas; the term
"metropolitan" implies the size of the network, not the demographics of
the area that it serves.
https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/network-layer/what-is-a-metropolitan-area-network/

A personal area network (PAN) connects electronic devices within a user's

immediate area. The size of a PAN ranges from a few centimeters to a few
meters. One of the most common real-world examples of a PAN is the
 connection between a Bluetooth earpiece and a smartphone. PANs can also
connect laptops, tablets, printers, keyboards, and other computerized
devices.
https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/network-layer/what-is-a-personal-area-network/

Network Technologies
Networks use a number of specialist technologies including transmission
media, wireless technologies and network hardware.

Transmission Media

These include:

o Twisted pair cable

o Coaxial cable
o Fibre optic cable

A twisted pair cable is a type of cable made by putting two separate

insulated wires together in a twisted pattern and running them parallel to
each other. This type of cable is widely used in different kinds of data and
voice infrastructures.

Experts point out that twisted pair cabling is often used to help avoid certain
kinds of signal interference. Two different types of twisted pair cable,
unshielded twisted pair (UTP) and shielded twisted pair (STP) are used in
different kinds of installations. UTP is common in Ethernet installations,
while STP is used in various kinds of networks to prevent crosstalk and
electromagnetic interference. STP cable can also help to provide
grounding.

https://www.techopedia.com/definition/13433/twisted-pair-cable

A coaxial cable is a type of shielded and insulated copper cable that is

used in computer networks and to deliver cable TV services to end users. A
coaxial cable is used by cable TV service providers to stretch transmission
lines from their branch or control offices to residential and business
subscribers.
It consists of four primary components, as follows:

• A core copper wire, which serves as the primary channel

• A dielectric plastic insulator, which surrounds the copper
• A braided copper/aluminum sheath beneath the insulator. This is
used to protect from external electromagnetic interference.
• The last layer, which is made of Teflon or plastic coating, is used to
protect the inner layers from physical damage, such as fire and
water.

Coaxial cables tend to carry signals at a greater distance and are a good
choice for weak signals, due to their layered protection.
https://www.techopedia.com/definition/15981/coaxial-cable

Fiber optic refers to the technology and medium used in the transmission of
data as pulses of light through a strand or fiber medium made of glass or
plastic (optical fiber), versus being sent as electrical pulses through
conductive metal, like copper wires. Optical fiber technology can carry
much more data than conventional copper wires and is less prone to
electromagnetic interference, simply because data is transmitted in the
form of light, rather than electricity.

Fiber optic technology uses glass fibers to transmit data at blazing fast
speeds, although not as fast as the speed of light. This is because the
general notion of the speed of light, which is 299,792,458 meters per
second, occurs in a vacuum. In reality, the speed at which light travels
greatly varies, depending on the medium through which it passes.
To decode data, special hardware with light sensors is needed for each
terminal of the fiber optic cable. This technology is considerably more
expensive because manufacturing this type of cable is more expensive,
and even connecting two ends requires expensive measures.
https://www.techopedia.com/definition/14931/fiber-
optic#:~:text=Fiber%20optic%20technology%20uses%20glass,as%20the
%20speed%20of%20light.&text=To%20decode%20data%2C%20special%
20hardware,of%20the%20fiber%20optic%20cable.
Wireless Communications
This allows for communications without the use of physical connections.
The benefits include portability, flexibility, increased productivity for
organisations and lower installation costs.

o Wi-Fi – (Wireless Fidelity), the most popular means of communicating

data wirelessly. Uses radio waves to provide wireless connectivity. It
provides high-speed wireless access to a network or the Internet.

 WLANs – Wireless LAN

 Hotspots

o Bluetooth – allows various electronic devices to make their own

connections to each other within a close range. E.g. A laptop and
Bluetooth speakers. It allows for the exchange of data over short
distances among wired and wireless devices.

o Microwave – uses a line of sight and a dish aerial and allows for the
creation of wireless links over a wide range and with a high data-carrying
capacity. It is often used in places where it is not practical to lay a fibre
optic cable. It needs a line of sight and uses a dish aerial, like a larger
version of a television satellite dish.

o Infrared – uses infrared light, which is invisible to our eyes, to transmit

small amounts of data over short distances. E.g. keyboards and mice
using infrared to connect wirelessly to a computer.