Chapter 7- Data Communications, networks and the internet
Data communication refers to the transmission of data from one location to another for direct
use or for further processing. A data communication system is made up of hardware, software
and communication facilities.
Data in any communication system is moved
from one location to another via data
communication channels or transmission links.
These channels are classified according to
bandwidth. Bandwidth determines the volume of
data that can be transmitted in a given time. The
wider the bandwidth, the more data it can transmit.
There are three types of bandwidths:
1) A narrow band channel, which is almost obsolete, for example a telegraph system
can transmit data at slow speeds of between 10 and 30 bits per second.
2) A voice band channel can transmit data as you reach up to 64 kbps. Eg. telephone
line/ landline.
3) A broadband channel can transmit large volumes of data at speeds of over 45.48
Mbps. communication satellites, coaxial cables, fibre optic cables & microwave links
are commonly used to provide these channels.
Modes of Transmission
The transmission lines that carry the data are classified according to the direction of data
flow: Simplex, Half-duplex, Full-duplex/duplex
A simplex line permits data to flow in only one direction. You can send data or receive data,
but not both. Example: Public Announcement system
A half-duplex line can alternately send and receive data. This means that at any particular
time you can either send data but not receive it, or receive data but not send it. Example:
Two-way radio/walkie-talkie
A full-duplex or duplex line can simultaneously send and receive data. Example: telephone
Networks
A network is a group of two or more computers linked together so that they can share
resources (hardware, software and data) and communicate with one another. Networks are
usually described in terms of the area they cover and
how they are arranged (topology).
Networks By Geographical Area
● Personal Area Network (PAN)
● Local Area Network (LAN)
● Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
● Wide Area Network (WAN)
A local area network (LAN) consists of a
collection of microcomputers connected
within a small geographical area so that they
can share information and peripherals, and
also communicate with each other. The two
types of LANs are client or server networks
and peer-to-peer networks.
A wide area network (WAN) can connect
computers and peripherals across a large
geographical area such as a city, a state or countries.
A personal area network (PAN) is a computer
network organised around an individual person
and is set up for personal use only. PANs typically
involve a computer, smartphone, printer, and/or
some other personal device such as a tablet.
A metropolitan area network (MAN) is a network that
interconnects users with computer resources in a geographic area or
region larger than that covered by a large local area network (LAN),
but smaller than the area covered by a wide area network (WAN).
The term is applied to the interconnection of networks in a city into a
single larger network. It is also used to mean the interconnection of
several local area networks by bridging them with higher-capacity lines. The latter usage is
also sometimes referred to as a campus network.
LANs can be described by the way in which the computers are connected and how they
communicate with one another: client/server networks and peer-to-peer networks.
A client/server network is one in which any computer on the network can be designated as
the server, although most such networks will have a specially designed computer that
operates as a dedicated server and has faster processor, more RAM and a lot more storage
space. A file server may look after the organisation of the files on the network while the print
server coordinates printing on the network and looks after the sending and receiving of faxes
and email.
The server contains the software that manages:
● A shared hard disk
● Requests from users
● The protection of data
● The security of the system
A peer-to-peer (P2P) network allows every computer to communicate with every other
computer in the network. No computer is designated as a server. Instead, each computer can
be considered as both a client and a server. This is because a user can access data from any
computer on the network vice versa. For this type of networking, P2P networks are limited to
about ten machines, after which the performance drops
and the system becomes cumbersome.
They are used mainly in small businesses and
departments, as they are easy to set up for small
networks where you perhaps only need to share files
and a printer.
Networks use a number of specialist technologies including transmission media, wireless
technologies and network hardware.
Transmission media
In a cabled network, all the computers and other peripheral devices on the network are
attached by cables. These cables fall into three categories:
- Twisted Pair cable
- Coaxial Cable
- Fibre Optic Cable
Twisted pair cables are a convenient and inexpensive method of
connecting computers and peripherals in a network. It is the most common
method for the cabling of a LAN in a building. It is quite flexible, and the
plugs and sockets used are easy to install.
Cables- CAT5 and CAT6(carry data 10 Gbit/sec)
Coaxial Cable is more expensive than twisted pair cable because its
transmission capabilities are higher. It is used to transmit voice, video and
data. It is stiffer and more difficult to fit connectors. It can carry signals over
longer distances. It is most commonly found in cable television networks.
Fibre Optic Cable is relatively expensive. It enables large volumes of digital data to be
transmitted extremely fast and virtually error-free. Fibre optic
cable is well suited to sending signals over long distances and
so are often used for the cabling under the streets that link
phone and data networks.
Wireless Communication
Wireless communications offer organisations and users many benefits such as portability,
flexibility, increased productivity and lower installation costs. Wireless technologies, in the
simplest sense, enable one or more devices to communicate with each other without physical
connections(without cabling). They use radio frequency, microwave or infrared transmissions
as the means for transmitting data.
Wireless communications range from complex systems such as WiFi networks and mobile
phone networks, to simple devices such as wireless headphones, microphones and other
devices that do not process or store information.
WiFi is the most popular means of communicating
data wirelessly within a fixed location. It is a
standard way of replacing the cables in a LAN. A
LAN can mix cabled and wireless devices, and WiFi
is the way in which these devices connect into the
rest of the LAN. A LAN that uses wireless
technology is often called a wireless LAN or WLAN.
The other widely-used technology is Bluetooth Technology. Bluetooth is a standard
developed by a group of electronics manufactures that allows any type of electronic
equipment(computers, digital video cameras, cell phones, tablets, keyboards, cars, and so on)
to automatically make their own connections to each other when they are close enough
without wires, cables or any direct action from a user.
Microwave
Wi-Fi is suitable for short-range wireless connections, but it is not a good choice for
applications that require longer wireless links. Microwave communication allows you to
create wireless links over a wider range and with a higher data-carrying capacity. It is often
used in places where it is not practical to lay a fibre optic cable. It needs to have a line of
sight and use an aerial dish, like a larger version of a television satellite dish.
Infrared uses infrared light, which is invisible to our eyes, to transmit small amounts of data
over short distances. Devices such as keyboards and mice can use infrared to connect
wirelessly to a computer.
Network Hardware
Before a PC can become part of a network it must be fitted with a network interface card
(NIC). A NIC is a device that enables wireless or wired capabilities on a device that did not
previously support it. Most modern devices come pre-equipped with a NIC that is installed on
the device’s motherboard. Laptops, tablets, cell phones, and other wireless devices have WiFi
NICs built into the devices.
A modem (short for ‘modulator/demodulator’) is a hardware device that allows a computer
to send and receive data over a telephone line or a cable or satellite connection. The main
purpose of a modem, when used in a home networking environment, is to establish a
connection between your home internet connection and your internet service provider (ISP).
It is important to know which modem you are using, as they provide different speeds and
bandwidth.
A router acts as an interface between two networks. It helps to facilitate communication
between your home’s network and the internet service provider’s (ISP’s) network. A router
can also select the best route for packets (data broken into small pieces for easier
transmission) to take in large interconnected networks. Routers also provide advanced
functionality such as a built in firewall to help protect the network from unwanted attacks
from hackers and some malware.
A network switch is used to share network connections and boost the signal so that it can go
over longer distances. In a typical home network, your router might have four connections for
wired devices. If you wanted to add more than that you would connect a switch to one of
these connections and the switch would have four, eight or more connections on it. In the
transmission media section, the twisted pair cables should not be longer than 100m. This
might be a problem in a big office. Here we would have a switch at the server connected to
other switches in each area of the building.
An access point is a device that is attached to a LAN network, which contains a radio
transmitter/receiver, encryption facility and communications software. It translates computer
signals into wireless signals, which it broadcasts to wireless NICs on the network. NICs
equipped for wireless communications receive these signals and can transmit back. They
have a fixed or detachable radio antenna instead of the usual coaxial cable. The access point
and the NIC communicate with one another using a 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) radio band.
Network Privacy
The Internet is a network made up of other networks, which connects computers worldwide
via a huge set of telecommunications links. Individual networks may be owned by
universities, research facilities, governments etc. Being part of a network means you can
freely access, share and exchange info, but individual sites may restrict access.
An Intranet can be thought of as a micro version of the internet within a company or
organisation. It offers the same features as the global internet but in a localised environment.
Eg. factory site, office.
Authorised users within a company can use the company’s intranet to find information stored
on it easily and quickly.
Extranets
If a company has an intranet and allows limited access to it by people outside the company,
the intranet is referred to as an extranet. A company may set up an extranet, to provide
technical support to its customers.
The Internet Does not have a central authority. There are organisations that develop technical
parts of the network, therefore it has very few rules and answers to no single organisation.
ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) This is a private nonprofit
Corporation with responsibility for Internet Protocol address space allocation and root
server system management functions.
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
The protocol used by devices to connect to and communicate over the internet. All forms of
communication are based on some form of protocol. Computers connected to the internet use
a TCP/IP which is a set of protocols used to transfer data from one computer to another over
the internet. A protocol is a set of rules that defines how computers interact or communicate
with each other.
Internet service provider (ISP)
An ISP is a company that has a direct connection to the internet and gives users access to it,
usually for a fee. Eg. digicel, flow, bMobile.
Applications of the internet
- Communication
- Searching for information
- Finding books
- Study material
Services of the internet
- Terminal emulation services (TES)
- File access and transfer services
- Communications services
- The world wide web (WWW)
File transfer protocol (FTP) is a set of rules for communicating over the internet. It enables
you to find an electronic file stored on a computer (elsewhere) and to download it (take a file
from a computer on the internet and copy it to a storage device on your computer). It also
enables you to upload files.
Email enables users locally and worldwide to send electronic messages to one individual or
to a group of individuals.
Voice-over internet protocol (VoIP)
VoIPis the transmission of telephone calls over computer networks. It uses the internet rather
than traditional communications lines to support voice comms.
Podcasting is an online audio content that is delivered via an RSS feed over the internet.
World Wide Web (WWW)
The internet and WWW are not the same thing, the Web is a large subset of the internet. The
Web is a global collection of millions of hypertext and hypermedia documents, linked
hyperlinks and URLs. A hypertext document that contains a hyperlink to another document.
Hypertext allows you to move easily from one document to the next.
Hypermedia is a general name for documents that contain links to text, graphic, sound or
video files.
A computer that stores and makes available hypertext and hypermedia docs is called a web
server.
HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is a programming language that you can use to create
web pages. It contains standard codes that determine how a web page is structured and
formatted.
In order to find, retrieve, display and send hypermedia, you need a browser. (microsoft
internet explorer, google chrome, opera, firefox)
