Chapter 9 - Communications and Networks Introduction We live in a truly connected society.

. Increased connectivity potentially means increased productivity especially in the business world. You will learn more about the concept of connectivity and the impact of the wireless revolution in this chapter. Communications

The process of sharing data, programs, and information between two or more computers. Communications Today Numerous applications depend on communication systems Wireless revolution E-mail, Instant messaging (IM), Internet telephone, and Use of mobile or wireless devices Electronic commerce The revolution is the support of more than just the Connectivity uses computer networks to link people and wireless telephone resources Many devices can and will connect to one another Going wireless has been the most dramatic change without any physical connection Microcomputers. minicomputers, and mainframes can all be connected Communication Systems Four basic elements Connection devices Sending and receiving devices Data transmission specifications Communication channel Electronic systems that transmit data from one location to another Communication systems can be wired or wireless Basic elements Sending and receiving devices computer or a specialized communication device Communication channel carries the message Connection devices act as an interface between sending and receiving devices; convert outgoing messages into packets (key term) that can travel across the communication channel Data transmission specifications rules and procedures that coordinate the sending and receiving devices Communication Channels Channels carry data from one computer to another Two categories of communication channels Physical connection Wireless connection Channels are essential to a communication system They carry data Types of channels Telephone lines Broadcast radio Coaxial cables Microwave Fiber-optic cable Satellite Infrared Physical Connections Ethernet cable (Twisted pair cables) consists of twisted pair cable; slowest; being phased out by more advanced and reliable media Coaxial cable single solid copper core; 80 times transmission of twisted pair; television and computer networks Fiber optic 26,000 times capacity of twisted pair cable; more secure and reliable; best over limited distances; lighter, more reliable, and less expensive than coaxial cable

Wireless Connections Radio frequency (RF) Satellite Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) 802.11 GPS Bluetooth Infrared Microwave Short distances Line of sight Line of sight Wireless connections do not use a solid substance to connect; uses the air itself Types of wireless connections are: Infrared Light waves used over short distances Sometimes called line of sight communications Sending and receiving devices must be in clear view of one another Broadcast radio Uses towers called transceivers (key term) Web-enabled devices follow a standard known as Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) Microwave Uses high-frequency radio waves Also line of sight Used for short distances Satellite uses satellites orbiting about 22,000 miles above the earth as microwave relay stations; many of these offered by Intelsat, the International Telecommunications Satellite Consortium which is owned by 114 governments and forms a worldwide communications system Satellites can be used to send and receive data; Uplink is sending data to satellite and Downlink refers to receiving data from a Satellite GPS (Global Positioning system) use a network of 24 satellites owned and managed by the Defense Department which continuously sends location information to earth Communication Channels Summary

Connection Device Signals Signals Sent analog telephone signals; continuous electronic wave Sent digital computer signals; presence or absence of an electronic pulse; on/off

Connection Devices Types of modems Telephone Cable DSL Wireless Modem modulator-demodulator Modulation (key term) is the name of the process for converting from digital to analog Demodulation (key term) is the name of the process for converting from analog to digital Telephone can be either internal or external; connects computer directly to a telephone line DSL uses standard phone lines; external and uses either USB or Ethernet Cable coaxial cable same as your television; uses either USB or Ethernet Wireless modem Does not use cables Also known as WWAN (wireless wide are network modem) (key term) Signals are sent through the air Transfer Speed or transfer rate (key term)-measured in bits per second (key term); the higher the speed the faster the transfer rate Connection Services Dial-Up services Leased lines T1 T3 and DS3 have higher capacity Digital subscriber line (DSL)

Cable

Uses existing phone lines One type widely used is ADSL

Uses existing TV cable Seven times faster than dial-up Provides speeds as fast as DSL at a lower cost Slower than DSL & cable modem Satellite/air connection services Cellular Services - use 3G cellular network Standard telephone lines and conventional modems use a dial-up service o Slow o Still popular, but many are using other types of connections T1, T2, T3, and T4 leased lines do not require conventional modems and provide very high capacity and is expensivemainly used by corporations not typical end user; T1 lines provide a speed of 1.5 mbps (mega bits per second)(key term) which is over 26 times as fast as a conventional modem DSL uses existing telephone lines to provide high-speed connections; uses DSL modems Cable Cable connections reach 90% of homes in America but not all cable companies support cable modems presently Satellite/air connection services Uses just what it sayssatellite and air connections; older satellites couldnt upload and dial up was still used for the process; but newer satellites are two-way satellites capable of handling both uploading and downloading; available almost anywhere but slower than DSL Cellular services option for mobile devices and laptops using 3G cellular networks (key term) current access is limited but growing download speed 400 700 Kpbs and upload at 50 Kbps future service to have speeds equal to DSL

Typical User Connection Costs & Speeds

This is a good time to discuss the various connection services available to the public Verizon Comcast Time Warner Others Bandwidth Measurement of the capacity of the channel Categories Voice band also known as low bandwidth Broadband Medium band Baseband Several technical matters affect data communications One is bandwidth bits-per-second (bps) transmission capability of a channel Three types: Voiceband also known as low bandwidth; standard phone line; too slow for many types of transmissions especially high-quality video; typical speeds are 56 to 96 kbps Medium band with special leased lines to connect minicomputers and mainframes as well as to transmit data over long distances (for larger computer systems); not typically used by individuals Broadband used for high-capacity transmissions (DSL, cable, satellite connections); specialized high-speed devices; effectively transmits high-quality video and other communication needs; typically 1.5 mbps; higher speeds possible Baseband widely used to connect individual computers that are located close to one another Protocols Set of communication rules Rules for exchanging data between computers Standard for Internet: TCP/IP (Transmission control protocol/Internet protocol) Identification - Identifying sending and receiving devices (IP address); (key term) Internet unique number address; domain name server (DNS) (key term) converts text-based addresses to IP addresses Packetization allows message to be broken into so easier to transmit over Internet through various interconnected networks; allows message to be reassembled at destination

Networks A computer network is a communication system

Connects two or more computers Allows information exchange

Computer Networks Node any device connected to a network Client a node that requests and uses resources available from other nodes Server a node that shares resources with other nodes; dedicated servers specialize in performing specific taskscould be an application server, communication server, database server, file server, printer server, or Web server Directory server a specialized server that manages resources such as user accounts for an entire network Host large centralized computer Switch the center or central node for other nodes; previously done by something called a hub Network interface cards (NIC) connects the computer to a network Network operating system (NOS) software to control and coordinate activities between computers on a network Network administrator a computer specialist; network administrator Network Types Communications networks differ in geographical size. Three important types are: LANs Computers and devices linked in close proximity to each other Linked by cable Typically use a bus (key term) form of organization With gateways, LANs can be connected to other LANs or any other type of network. Ethernet (key term) is one standard for connecting network nodes together. Home Networks LANs are now being commonly used by individuals in home/apartments; allow different computers to share resources including a common Internet connection; can be connected by various means including a wireless LAN (key term) (WLAN) that uses radio frequencies to connect computers; all communications pass through the networks centrally located wireless receiver (key term) or base station (key term) Home networking includes the following: Radio frequency, telephone lines, electric wiring, cables, NIC/adapter cards Wireless LAN wireless local area network All communications pass through the networks centrally located wireless access point Personal Area networks works within a very small area Connects cell phones to headsets, PDAs to other PDAs, keyboards to cell phones, etc. MANs (metropolitan area network) also known as a regional network; (key term) span distances up to 100 miles Network linking nodes and resources within the geographical bounds of a city Cellular phones can extend the reach of a MAN WANs (wide area networks) Countrywide and worldwide networks Use microwave relays and satellites to reach users Internet is the widest WAN Network Architecture Networks are connections of two or more computers that work together to exchange information and share resources The network architecture describes how the network is arranged and how the resources are coordinated and shared Network architecture also describes how a computer network is configured and what strategies are used Arrangement is called topology Types of network topology Legacy Current Star Ring Bus Tree Hybrid Mesh

Star Network Smaller computers linked to a central unit Central unit is called the network switch Control is maintained by routing Host large centralized computer, usually a mainframe

Star network (Key Term) nodes are connected to a single computer called a network hub All communications pass through the switch; each connecting device is asked (polled) whether it has a message to send and then each device is in turn allowed to send its message Most widely used network topography today Bus Network Each device handles its own communication control All communications travel along this bus There is no host Not as efficient as star, but it is low cost and widely Has a common connecting cable called a backbone or bus used Ring Network Each device connected to two others forming a ring Computers No central files server or computer can perform processing tasks on Messages passed around ring until reach correct own destination Can also Often used to link mainframesespecially over share programs, data, and other wide geographical areas resources Useful in decentralized organization Makes possible distributed data processing system (key term) Tree Network Sometime called a hierarchical network The central node is connected to two or more subordinate nodes that in turn are connected to other subordinate nodes Useful in centralized organization Hybrid Network Combination of different topologies Large organizations have a complex of smaller networks Smaller networks use a variety of configurations Connected together they form a hybrid Mesh Network Newest type of topology Wireless technologies Does not use a specific type of layout are frequently used Requires that each node have more than one connection to other nodes Principal Network Configurations

Network Strategies Every network has a way of coordinating the sharing of information and resources There are four common strategies: o Terminal server network processing power is centralized in one large computer o Client/Server o Peer-to-peer o Distributed Organizational Networks Intranets Intranets use browsers, Web sites, and Web pages like the public Internet; typically include e-mail, mailing lists, newsgroups, and FTP services Private network within an organization Provides information to employees Extranets Purpose is to increase efficiency and reduce costs Private network that connects organizations Used to allow suppliers and others access Network Security

Firewalls Organizational firewalls include a proxy server (key term) that is a gatekeeper; all communications between the outside world and an organization must pass through the proxy server where the source and content of each communication is evaluated; end users have many of the same concerns regarding security as organizations and can use firewalls as well. Hardware & software Protects against external threats Intrusion detection systems (NIDS) Uses advanced pattern matching and heuristics Can recognize signs of a network attack and disable access before an intruder can do damage Virtual private network (VPN) Creates a secure private connection between a remote user and an organizations internal network Creates the equivalent of a dedicated line between a users home or laptio computer and a company server A Look to the Future Telepresence Lets You Be There Seeks to create the illusion that you are actually at a remote location Early implementations mainly focus on an extension of video-conferencing Someday could beyond simple voice