(6) Communications, Internet, and Wireless Technology

Definition of networking technologies

Technologies that allow devices to connect, communicate, and share information

Definition of ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network)

• The first network and precursor to the internet

• A US military-funded project

• In 1969, the first four nodes were able to communicate:

  • UCLA, Stanfrod, MIT, and University of Utah

Solution to incompatible early networks

A common protocol: Transmission Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), allowing different networks to communicate with each other

Definition of internet

A global interconnected network of networks that connects computers and devices using standard protocols

Definition of TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)

The foundational set of rules that governs how devices connect and communicate across the internet and priviate networks

Seven stages of internet history

1. 1960s: early networking ideas — research exploring the way to connect computers

2. 1969: ARPANET begins — the first successful connection was made between computers

3. 1970s: protocols and emails — the first email protocol was developed, which we still use

4. 1983: birth of the modern internet — ARPANET officially switched to TCP/IP

5. 1989-1991: WWW/HTML — internet became easy to use

6. 2000s: broadband and social media — platforms such as Google, Facebook, and Youtube transformed communications and media

7. 2010s to today — smartphones, cloud computing, and AI became major parts of internet use

Definition of packet (internet term)

A block of data transmitted across a network

Definition of packet-switching (internet term)

A mode of data transmission in which a message is broken into several parts, which are sent interdependently over whatever route is best for each packet, and reassembled at the destination

Definition of hub (internet term)

Connects other devices to the network and sends packets to all devices connected to it

Definition of bridge (internet term)

Connects two networks and filters packets

Definition of switches (internet term)

Connects multiple devices and filters backets based on destination

Definition of router

Receives and analyze packets, then sends them to specific destinations

Definition of Internet Protocol (IP) address (internet term)

A unique number that identifies a computer or device

Definition of domain name (internet term)

A unique number that identifies a computer or device

Definition of Domain Name System (DNS) (internet term)

A common name for a website, so you do not have to remember the IP address

Definition of protocol (internet term)

A set of rules that allow devices to exchange information

Four groups of the first internet users (1980s)

• Governmental organizations

• Academic organizations

• Military organizations

• Research organizations

World Wide Web (WWW) origins

• Created in 1989

• Definition of WWW: a system of interlinked web pages and resources that users access through the internet

• Hypertext was developed to make communication easier, built using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

Definition of broadband technologies

Methods used to provide high-speed internet access for browsing, streaming, video calls, and downloading files using various transmission media, such as telephone lines, cable TV lines, fiber-optic lines, wireless signals, or satellites

Comparison of different broadband technologies

1. DSL: telephone lines, medium speed, wide availability

2. Cable: coaxial cable, high speed, urban/suburban availability

3. Fiber optic: optical fiber, very high speed, growing availability

4. Wireless: radio waves, medium-high speed, wide availability

5. Mobile broadband: cellular network, high speed, very wide availability

6. Satellite: satellites, medium-high speed, available in remote areas

How the WWW works

1. You type a website address into a browser

2. The browser sends a request to a web server

3. The server sends the webpage data back

4. The browser displays the webpage

Difference between the internet and WWW

• Internet: global network infrastructure; connects computers worldwide; includes e-mail, gaming, FTP, etc.

• WWW: a service running on the internet; connects webpages and websites; includes mainly websites and web browsing

  • Internet = the network; WWW = websites/webpages that use that network

Definition of File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server

A dedicated computer or software program that stores files and allows users to upload, download, or manage them over a network

Stages of Web development

1. Web 1.0 — web pages, not interactive, people find and view information but do not interact with it

2. Web 2.0 — users can communicate with websites and each other, includes Youtube and Facebook

3. Web 3.0 (new era) — semantic web, in which the goal is to make internet data machine-readable

• Read → Read + Write → Read + Write + Own

Definition of organizational networking

The system of connecting computers, devices, people, and resources within an organization so they can communicate and share information efficiently

Four types of organizational networks

1. LAN: Local Area Network inside an office/building

2. WAN: Wide Area Network connecting branches

3. WLAN: Wireless Local Area Network (Wi-Fi)

4. VPN: secure remote access network

Definition of wireless networking

Technology that allows devices to communicate and access the internet without physical wires or cables, using radio signals instead

Three main steps of how wireless networking works

1. A wireless (Wi-Fi router/access point) sends radio signals

2. Devices with wireless adapters receive the signals

3. Data is transmitted between devices and the internet

Five wireless networking technologies

1. Wi-Fi: a radio signal sent from a wireless router to a nearby devices; it translates the signal into data you can see and use

2. Mobile network: a radio network distributed over land areas called cells, each served by at least one fixed-localion transceiver, known as a cell tower (4G/5G)

3. Bluetooth: short-range wireless interconnection of devices

4. Satellite wireless: uses satellites to provide internet access in remove areas

5. VoIP: sends voice calls over the Internet Protocol

Three types of networking access

1. Intranet: connecting employees within the organization (LAN)

2. Extranet: connecting and allowing partenrs into your network for specific things (e.g. supply chain management)

3. Internet: connecting the public and acting as a worldwide ‘network of networks’, linking computers via cables, fiber optics, and wireless signals

Definition of Local Area Network (LAN)

Connects personal computers and other digital devices within a 500-meter radius; LANs require their own dedicated channels

Definition of Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

A network that spans a metropolitan area, usually a city and its major suburbs; its geographic scope falls between a WAN and a LAN

Definition of Wide Area Network (WAN)

Spans broad geographical distances (regions, continents, or the globe); the most powerful WAN is the Internet

Definition of Campus Area Network (CAN)

A computer network that spans a limited geographic area

Difference between in-house and cloud computing

• In-house: an organization owns and manages its own computers, servers, software, and data on its own premises

• Cloud computing: the on-demand delivery of computing services, including servers, storage, databases, networking, and software over the internet from a ‘cloud’ company

Limitations to cloud computing

• Security: you do not control the cloud as somebody else does

• Access: if you lose the internet, it is over

• Service from a giant host might not be as good as what you get in-house

• Locked into a specific service provider

• Is not always as easy as it seems