Module 1: Communication in a Connected World

Question 1

1.1.2 Everything is Online

“Hey Shad, are you online?” “Of course, I am!” How many of us still think about whether or not we are “online”? We expect our devices, cell phones, tablets, laptops and desktop computers to always be connected to the global internet. We use this network to interact with our friends, shop, share pictures and experiences, and learn. The internet has become such a part of everyday life that we almost take it for granted.

Normally, when people use the term internet, they are not referring to the physical connections in the real world. Rather, they tend to think of it as a formless collection of connections. It is the “place” people go to find or share information.

Answer 1

Noted

Question 2

Who Owns The Internet?

Answer 2

No one

Question 3

The _ is a worldwide collection of interconnected networks, cooperating with each other to exchange information using common standards.

Answer 3

internetwork or internet for short

Through telephone wires, fiber-optic cables, wireless transmissions, and satellite links, internet users can exchange information in a variety of forms.

Question 4

Everything that you access online is located somewhere on the _. Social media sites, multiplayer games, messaging centers that provide email, online courses — all of these internet destinations are connected to local networks that send and receive information through the internet.

Answer 4

global internet

Question 5

_ allow handheld devices to receive news and emails, and to send text.

Answer 5

Intelligent networks

Question 6

_ instantly connects people around the globe.

Answer 6

Video conferencing

Question 7

_ connect globally to share voice, text, and images.

Answer 7

Phones

Question 8

_ connects thousands of people seamlessly.

Answer 8

Online gaming

Question 9

Local Networks

Answer 9

• Small Home Networks
• Small Office and Home Office (SOHO) Networks
• Medium to Large Networks
• World Wide Networks

Question 10

_ come in all sizes. They can range from simple networks consisting of two computers, to networks connecting hundreds of thousands of devices.

Answer 10

Local networks

Question 11

_ are networks installed in small offices, or homes and home offices.

Answer 11

Small office/Home office (SOHO) networks

SOHO networks let you share resources such as printers, documents, pictures, and music, between a few local users.

Question 12

_ let you share resources such as printers, documents, pictures, and music, between a few local users.

Answer 12

SOHO networks

Question 13

In business, _ can be used to advertise and sell products, order supplies, and communicate with customers.

Answer 13

large networks

Communication over a network is usually more efficient and less expensive than traditional forms of communication, such as regular mail or long distance phone calls.

Question 14

_ allow for rapid communication such as email and instant messaging, and provide consolidation and access to information stored on network servers.

Answer 14

Networks

Question 15

The _ is considered a “network of networks” because it is literally made up of thousands of local networks that are connected to each other.

Answer 15

internet

Business and SOHO networks usually provide a shared connection to the internet.

Question 16

_ connect a few computers to each other and to the internet.

Answer 16

Small home networks

Question 17

The _ allows computers in a home office or a remote office to connect to a corporate network, or access centralized, shared resources.

Answer 17

SOHO network

Small Office and Home Office Networks

Question 18

_ can have many locations with hundreds or thousands of interconnected hosts.

Answer 18

Medium to large networks

such as those used by corporations and schools

Question 19

The _ is a network of networks that connects hundreds of millions of computers world-wide.

Answer 19

internet

World Wide Networks

Question 20

The internet connects more computing devices than just desktop and laptop computers. There are devices all around that you may interact with on a daily basis that are also connected to the internet. These include mobile devices, home devices, and a variety of other connected devices.

Answer 20

Noted

Question 21

Mobile Devices

Answer 21

• Smartphones
• Tablets
• Smartwatches
• Smart Glasses

Question 22

_ are able to connect to the internet from almost anywhere.

Answer 22

Smartphones

Smartphones combine the functions of many different products together, such as a telephone, camera, GPS receiver, media player, and touch screen computer.

Question 23

_ combine the functions of many different products together, such as a telephone, camera, GPS receiver, media player, and touch screen computer.

Answer 23

Smartphones

Question 24

_, like smartphones, also have the functionality of multiple devices.

Answer 24

Tablets

Question 25

With the additional screen size, they are ideal for watching videos and reading magazines or books. With on-screen keyboards, users are able to do many of the things they used to do on their laptop computer, such as composing emails or browsing the web.

Answer 25

Tablets

Question 26

_ can connect to a smartphone to provide the user with alerts and messages. Additional functions, such as heart rate monitoring and counting steps, like a pedometer, can help people who are wearing the device to track their health.

Answer 26

Smartwatches

Question 27

A wearable computer in the form of glasses, such as Google Glass, contains a tiny screen that displays information to the wearer in a similar fashion to the Head-Up Display (HUD) of a fighter pilot. A small touch pad on the side allows the user to navigate menus while still being able to see through the smart glasses.

Answer 27

Smart Glasses

Question 28

Connected Home Devices

Answer 28

* Security Systems * Household appliances * Smart TVs * Gaming consoles

Question 29

Many of the items in a home, such as _, lighting, and climate controls, can be monitored and configured remotely using a mobile device.

Answer 29

Security Systems

Question 30

_ such as refrigerators, ovens, and dishwashers can be connected to the internet. This allows the homeowner to power them on or off, monitor the status of the appliance, and also be alerted to preset conditions, such as when the temperature in the refrigerator rises above an acceptable level.

Answer 30

Household appliances

Question 31

_ can be connected to the internet to access content without the need for service provider equipment. Also, it can allow a user to browse the web, compose email, or display video, audio, or photos stored on a computer.

Answer 31

Smart TV

Question 32

_ can connect to the internet to download games and play with friends online.

Answer 32

Gaming consoles

Question 33

Other Connected Devices

Answer 33

* Smart Cars * RFID Tags * Sensors and Actuators * Medical Devices

Question 34

Many modern cars can connect to the internet to access maps, audio and video content, or information about a destination. They can even send a text message or email if there is an attempted theft or call for assistance in case of an accident. These cars can also connect to smartphones and tablets to display information about the different engine systems, provide maintenance alerts, or display the status of the security system.

Answer 34

Smart Cars

Question 35

_ can be placed in or on objects to track them or monitor sensors for many conditions.

Answer 35

Radio frequency identification (RFIDs) tags

Question 36

Connected _ can provide temperature, humidity, wind speed, barometric pressure, and soil moisture data. _ can then be automatically triggered based on current conditions.

Answer 36

Sensors and Actuators ## Footnote For example, a smart sensor can periodically send soil moisture data to a monitoring station. The monitoring station can then send a signal to an actuator to begin watering. The sensor will continue to send soil moisture data allowing the monitoring station to determine when to deactivate the actuator.

Question 37

_ such as pacemakers, insulin pumps, and hospital monitors provide users or medical professionals with direct feedback or alerts when vital signs are at specific levels.

Answer 37

Medical devices

Question 38

What type of network allows computers in a home office or a remote office to connect to a corporate network?

Answer 38

small office home office (soho) network

Question 39

What can be placed in or on a package so that it can be tracked?

Answer 39

RFID tag

Question 40

_ in its raw form is the information you input or created.

Answer 40

Data

Question 41

Types of Data

Answer 41

Volunteered Data Inferred Data Observed Data

Question 42

_ is data that you offer yourself.

Answer 42

Volunteered Data ## Footnote You realize the data is being collected about you and you are agreeing to share or store the data.

Question 43

_ is data that you generate by your activities.

Answer 43

Inferred data ## Footnote It is based on analysis of **volunteered** or **observed** data. example: credit cards

Question 44

_ is data that is captured by recording the actions of individuals.

Answer 44

Observed Data ## Footnote Example: location data when using cell phones

Question 45

Computers and networks only work with binary digits, _ and _.

Answer 45

zeros, ones

Question 46

Each bit can only have one of two possible values, _ or _.

Answer 46

0, 1 ## Footnote A bit is stored and transmitted as one of two possible discrete states. This can include two directions of magnetization, two distinct voltage or current levels, two distinct levels of light intensity, or any other physical system of two discrete states. For example, a light switch can be either On or Off; in binary representation, these states would correspond to 1 and 0 respectively.

Question 47

The term _ represents the smallest piece of data.

Answer 47

bit ## Footnote Humans interpret words and pictures, computers interpret only patterns of bits.

Question 48

The term bit is an abbreviation of “_.”

Answer 48

binary digit

Question 49

Every _ (mouse, keyboard, voice-activated receiver) will translate human interaction into binary code for the CPU to process and store.

Answer 49

input device

Question 50

Every _ (printer, speakers, monitors, etc.) will take binary data and translate it back into human recognizable form.

Answer 50

output device ## Footnote Within the computer itself, all data is processed and stored as binary.

Question 51

Computers use _ to represent and interpret letters, numbers and special characters with bits.

Answer 51

binary codes

Question 52

A commonly used code is the _. With this, each character is represented by eight bits.

Answer 52

American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) ## Footnote For example: * Capital letter: A = 01000001 * Number: 9 = 00111001 * Special character: # = 00100011

Question 53

Each group of eight bits, such as the representations of letters and numbers, is known as a _.

Answer 53

byte

Question 54

_ can be used to represent almost any type of information digitally including computer data, graphics, photos, voice, video, and music.

Answer 54

Codes

Question 55

After the data is transformed into a series of bits, it must be converted into _ that can be sent across the network media to its destination.

Answer 55

signals

Question 56

_ refers to the physical medium on which the signals are transmitted.

Answer 56

Media ## Footnote Examples of media are copper wire, fiber-optic cable, and electromagnetic waves through the air.

Question 57

A _ consists of electrical or optical patterns that are transmitted from one connected device to another.

Answer 57

signal ## Footnote These patterns represent the digital bits (i.e. the data) and travel across the media from source to destination as either a series of pulses of electricity, pulses of light, or radio waves. Signals may be converted many times before ultimately reaching the destination, as corresponding media changes between source and destination.

Question 58

There are three common methods of signal transmission used in networks:

Answer 58

* **Electrical signals** - Transmission is achieved by representing data as electrical pulses on copper wire. * **Optical signals** - Transmission is achieved by converting the electrical signals into light pulses. * **Wireless signals** - Transmission is achieved by using infrared, microwave, or radio waves through the air.

Question 59

Transmission is achieved by representing data as electrical pulses on copper wire.

Answer 59

Electrical signals

Question 60

Transmission is achieved by converting the electrical signals into light pulses.

Answer 60

Optical signals

Question 61

Transmission is achieved by using infrared, microwave, or radio waves through the air.

Answer 61

Wireless signals

Question 62

In most homes and small businesses, network signals are transmitted across _ or _.

Answer 62

copper wires (cables) Wi-Fi enabled wireless connections

Question 63

Larger networks employ _ cables in order to reliably carry signals for longer distances.

Answer 63

fiber-optic

Question 64

A basic unit of information that represents one of two discrete states is known as _.

Answer 64

bit

Question 65

When using your credit card to make purchases at several places, the credit card company can use this information to learn about your location and your preferences. This type of personal data is known as:

Answer 65

inferred data

Question 66

Which of the following methods of signal transmission uses frequencies or pulses of light?

Answer 66

optical signals

Question 67

_ is the capacity of a medium to carry data.

Answer 67

Bandwidth ## Footnote Streaming a movie or playing a multiplayer game requires reliable, fast connections. To support these "high bandwidth" applications, networks have to be capable of transmitting and receiving bits at a very high rate. Different physical media support the transfer of bits at different speeds. The rate of data transfer is usually discussed in terms of bandwidth and throughput.

Question 68

_ measures the amount of data that can flow from one place to another in a given amount of time.

Answer 68

Digital bandwidth ## Footnote Bandwidth is typically measured in the number of bits that (theoretically) can be sent across the media in a second.

Question 69

Common bandwidth measurements are:

Answer 69

* Thousands of bits per second (Kbps) * Millions of bits per second (Mbps) * Billions of bits per second (Gbps) ## Footnote Physical media properties, current technologies, and the laws of physics all play a role in determining available bandwidth.

Question 70

Bits per second

Answer 70

bits per second (bps)

Question 71

Thousands of bits per second

Answer 71

kilobits per second (Kbps) | 10^3 bps

Question 72

Millions of bits per second

Answer 72

megabits per second (Mbps) | 10^6 bps

Question 73

Billions of bits per second

Answer 73

gigabits per second (Gbps) | 10^9 bps

Question 74

Trillions bits per second

Answer 74

terabits per second (Tbps) | 10^12 bps

Question 75

_ is the measure of the transfer of bits across the media over a given period of time.

Answer 75

Throughput

Question 76

Due to a number of factors, throughput does not usually match the specified bandwidth. Many factors influence throughput including:

Answer 76

* The amount of data being sent and received over the connection * The types of data being transmitted * The latency created by the number of network devices encountered between source and destination

Question 77

Difference between bandwidth and throughput

Answer 77

**Bandwidth** is the maximum data transfer rate a network can handle, measured in bits per second (bps). **Throughput**, on the other hand, is the actual data transfer rate achieved, which can be lower due to network congestion, latency, or errors. Bandwidth represents the network's capacity, while throughput reflects real-world performance. A network with high bandwidth may still have low throughput if there are inefficiencies or bottlenecks.

Question 78

_ refers to the amount of time, including delays, for data to travel from one given point to another.

Answer 78

Latency

Question 79

_ do not take into account the validity or usefulness of the bits being transmitted and received.

Answer 79

Throughput measurements ## Footnote Many messages received through the network are not destined for specific user applications. An example would be network control messages that regulate traffic and correct errors.

Question 80

In an internetwork or network with multiple segments, throughput **cannot be faster** than the slowest link of the path from sending device to the receiving device. Even if all or most of the segments have high bandwidth, it will only take one segment in the path with lower bandwidth to create a slowdown of the throughput of the entire network. There are many online speed tests that can reveal the throughput of an internet connection.

Answer 80

Noted

Question 81

What measurement includes any latency encountered during data transmissions?

Answer 81

bits per second

Question 82

# What Did I Learn in this Module? **Network Types** The **internet** is not owned by any individual or group. The **internet** is a worldwide collection of interconnected networks (internetwork or internet for short), cooperating with each other to exchange information using common standards. Through **telephone wires**, **fiber-optic cables**, **wireless transmissions**, and **satellite links**, internet users can exchange information in a variety of forms. **Small home networks** connect a few computers to each other and to the internet. The **SOHO network** allows computers in a home office or a remote office to connect to a corporate network, or access centralized, shared resources. **Medium to large networks**, such as those used by corporations and schools, can have many locations with hundreds or thousands of interconnected hosts. The **internet** is a network of networks that connects hundreds of millions of computers world-wide. There are devices all around that you may interact with on a daily basis that are also connected to the internet. These include mobile devices such as **smartphones**, **tablets**, **smartwatches**, and **smart glasses**. Things in your home can be connected to the internet such as a **security system**, **appliances**, your **smart TV**, and your **gaming console**. Outside your home there are **smart cars**, **RFID tags**, **sensors** and **actuators**, and even **medical devices** which can be connected.

Answer 82

Noted

Question 83

# What Did I Learn in this Module? **Data Transmission** The following categories are used to classify types of personal data: * **Volunteered data** - This is created and explicitly shared by individuals, such as social network profiles. This type of data might include video files, pictures, text, or audio files. * **Observed data** - This is captured by recording the actions of individuals, such as location data when using cell phones. * **Inferred data** - This is data such as a credit score, which is based on analysis of volunteered or observed data. The term **bit** is an abbreviation of “binary digit” and represents the smallest piece of data. Each bit can only have one of two possible values, **0** or **1**. There are three common methods of signal transmission used in networks: * **Electrical signals** - Transmission is achieved by representing data as electrical pulses on copper wire. * **Optical signals** - Transmission is achieved by converting the electrical signals into light pulses. * **Wireless signals** - Transmission is achieved by using infrared, microwave, or radio waves through the air.

Answer 83

Noted

Question 84

# What Did I Learn in this Module? **Bandwidth and Throughput** **Bandwidth** is the capacity of a medium to carry data. **Digital bandwidth** measures the amount of data that can flow from one place to another in a given amount of time. Bandwidth is typically measured in the **number of bits** that (theoretically) can be sent across the media in a second. Common bandwidth measurements are as follows: * Thousands of bits per second (**Kbps**) * Millions of bits per second (**Mbps**) * Billions of bits per second (**Gbps**) **Throughput** does not usually match the specified bandwidth. Many factors influence throughput including: * The **amount of data** being sent and received over the connection * The **latency** created by the number of network devices encountered between source and destination **Latency** refers to the amount of time, including delays, for data to travel from one given point to another.

Answer 84

Noted