Week 02 Flashcards
Define telecommunications
Telecommunications, also known as telecom, is the exchange of information over significant distances by electronic means
What standard of communicating is usually considered computing vs telecommunications?
Computing would be communication inside chip, between components of computer or to a storage device in same room as computer (peripherals)
Telecommunications would be communicating between computers in different rooms/ building/ country etc
Line can be blurred between the two.
Define Peripherals
A peripheral is any computing device or equipment that is part of the computer but doesn’t perform any core computing process.
What is a computer network?
A communications system that connects computers and peripheral devices. It Enables data/information transfer, Improves internal communication and allows for Sharing resources
What are examples of resources in terms of hardware, software and peripherals
- Servers, Processing, Storage (hardware)
– Applications, data, files (software)
– Peripherals (e.g. printers, DVD burners, etc.)
(hardware)
What are the five components of a computer network?
Hardware
Software
Media
Network design
Protocols
Any IT system needs hardware to provide the physical equipment and software to control that equipment.
Networks requires devices to send and receive network communication, cables and wireless media to transmit the messages and devices to route network
communications through this media. Networks also require suitable software to control all of this.
What are examples of media needs for a computer network
– Twisted-pair wire
– Co-axial cable
– Fibre-optic cable
– Wireless
* Radio, Microwave,
Satellite
What is a twisted Pair wire in terms of telecommunications media?
A twisted-pair cabling system is a cable consisting of one or several pairs of copper wires. It is an ordinary telephone wire, but telephone networks were never designed for high speed networks
What is a co axial cable in terms of telecommunications media
Sturdy copper or aluminium wire wrapped with spacers to insulate and protect it. Co-axial cable was traditionally used for TV and is still used for cable TV networks which also carry digital data (adapted for computer as has high bandwidth.
What is a fibre optic cable in terms of telecommunications media
One or more hair-thin filaments of glass fibre wrapped in a protective jacket. Fibre-Optic does not carry an electrical signal and uses light, which can carry an enormous amount of data. But, fibre optics cannot be easily connected to machines which require a traditional cable or wireless connection
Define bandwidth
The maximum amount of data transmitted over an internet connection in a given amount of time
What are some of the pitfalls of a wireless connection vs wired networks
– Generally slower than wired connections
– Subject to interference
– Subject to congestion
– Easier to intercept
– Convenient but it is inferior to wired networks
Define LAN
A local area network (LAN) is a collection of devices connected together in one physical location. Serves users within a limited geographical area
(normally ~2 Km) e.g. Belfield
Define MAN
(Metropolitan Area Network) - Covers a geographic area the size of a city or suburb. high speed communication within a city, for instance between Dublin hospitals
Define VPN
(Virtual private network) - Used by organisation to establish secure intranets and extranets. VPN runs on another network and provides extra security or routes the data in a different way. Can pretend to have IP address in another country.
Define WAN
(Wide Area Network)
– Covers a wide geographical area, such as a state or
a country
Define ethernet
Technology that allows us to connect multiple devices to form a LAN
Describe the set up of a LAN
PCS are connected to a switch via cabling. Network cable within buildings, we can get Wi-Fi to devices connected to that cable and to the router connected to fibre optic “spine” of the LAN (tends to only be for big LAN)
What are the primary types of communications networks?
Wide Area
Local Area
Virtual Private
Client/Server
Peer-to-peer
Describe the client/server model as a network model
Workstation users (clients) share services of a centralised computer, called a server. Will have more specialised machines at the centre of the network
Describe the peer to peer model as a network model
Computers share equally with each other, without using a central server - it is useful for a small number of
machines in a small office or household. Such networks are not very secure and are difficult to manage. ex: household shared drive
What is the function of the client systems in a client/ server network
End user personal computers or networked computers - provide user interface and perform processing on applications
What is the function of the server in a client/ server network
Used to manage network - shared computation, application control and distributed databases
What is the function of a large server in a client to server network
Central database control, security and directory management - heavy duty processing
