The document provides an overview of data communications, networks, and the internet, detailing the components of data communication systems, types of data transmission, and various network types such as LAN, WAN, MAN, and PAN. It also discusses network technologies, including transmission media like twisted pair, coaxial, and fiber optic cables, as well as wireless communication methods like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and microwave. The information is aimed at understanding the fundamentals of information technology and its applications in networking.
The document provides an overview of data communications, networks, and the internet, detailing the components of data communication systems, types of data transmission, and various network types such as LAN, WAN, MAN, and PAN. It also discusses network technologies, including transmission media like twisted pair, coaxial, and fiber optic cables, as well as wireless communication methods like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and microwave. The information is aimed at understanding the fundamentals of information technology and its applications in networking.
The document provides an overview of data communications, networks, and the internet, detailing the components of data communication systems, types of data transmission, and various network types such as LAN, WAN, MAN, and PAN. It also discusses network technologies, including transmission media like twisted pair, coaxial, and fiber optic cables, as well as wireless communication methods like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and microwave. The information is aimed at understanding the fundamentals of information technology and its applications in networking.
The document provides an overview of data communications, networks, and the internet, detailing the components of data communication systems, types of data transmission, and various network types such as LAN, WAN, MAN, and PAN. It also discusses network technologies, including transmission media like twisted pair, coaxial, and fiber optic cables, as well as wireless communication methods like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and microwave. The information is aimed at understanding the fundamentals of information technology and its applications in networking.
❖ LESSON 9 – DATA COMMUNICATIONS, NETWORKS AND THE INTERNET
Books Referenced:
LOG ON TO IT for CSEC
Richard Birbal and Michele Taylor OXFORD EXCELLENCE FOR THE CARIBBEAN – INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Glenda Gay & Ronald Blakes
DATA COMMUNICATIONS
This is the transmission of data from one location to another for direct use or for processing.
A data communication system is made up of the following:
(1) Hardware
(2) Software
(3) Communications facilities
What is Bandwidth? Bandwidth determines the volume of data that can be transmitted in a given time. It can be grouped into three classes of channels.
A narrow-band channel, which is almost obsolete, e.g. a telegraph system.
A voice-band channel, which is one of the most widely used methods of
transferring data, e.g. a telephone/landline is a voice-band.
A broadband channel, which allows for the transmission of large volumes of
data at high speeds. How data can be transmitted
o Simplex – permits data to flow in one direction. You can either send data or receive data, but not both. E.g. A public address system
o Half-duplex – can alternately send and receive data. You can either send data but not receive it or receive data but not send it. E.g. a two-way radio system where you can either talk or listen, but not at the same time.
o Full-duplex – can simultaneously send and receive data. E.g. a telephone,
where you can both talk and hear simultaneously.
Networks A network is a group of two or more computers linked together so that they can share resources (hardware, software and data) and can communicate with one another. The Internet is a network of networks that connects computers worldwide via a huge set of telecommunications links. Types of Networks o LAN – Local Area Network o WAN – Wide Area Network o PAN – Personal Area Network o MAN – Metropolitan Area Network
A local area network (LAN) is a collection of devices connected together
in one physical location, such as a building, office, or home. A LAN can be small or large, ranging from a home network with one user to an enterprise network with thousands of users and devices in an office or school. https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/switches/what-is-a-lan-local-area-network.html
In its simplest form, a wide-area network (WAN) is a collection of local-
area networks (LANs) or other networks that communicate with one another. A WAN is essentially a network of networks, with the Internet the world's largest WAN. https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/switches/what-is-a-wan-wide-area- network.html?dtid=osscdc000283
A metropolitan area network (MAN) is a computer network that connects
computers within a metropolitan area, which could be a single large city, multiple cities and towns, or any given large area with multiple buildings. A MAN is larger than a local area network (LAN) but smaller than a wide area network (WAN). MANs do not have to be in urban areas; the term "metropolitan" implies the size of the network, not the demographics of the area that it serves. https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/network-layer/what-is-a-metropolitan-area-network/
A personal area network (PAN) connects electronic devices within a user's
immediate area. The size of a PAN ranges from a few centimeters to a few meters. One of the most common real-world examples of a PAN is the connection between a Bluetooth earpiece and a smartphone. PANs can also connect laptops, tablets, printers, keyboards, and other computerized devices. https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/network-layer/what-is-a-personal-area-network/
Network Technologies Networks use a number of specialist technologies including transmission media, wireless technologies and network hardware.
Transmission Media
These include:
o Twisted pair cable
o Coaxial cable o Fibre optic cable
A twisted pair cable is a type of cable made by putting two separate
insulated wires together in a twisted pattern and running them parallel to each other. This type of cable is widely used in different kinds of data and voice infrastructures.
Experts point out that twisted pair cabling is often used to help avoid certain kinds of signal interference. Two different types of twisted pair cable, unshielded twisted pair (UTP) and shielded twisted pair (STP) are used in different kinds of installations. UTP is common in Ethernet installations, while STP is used in various kinds of networks to prevent crosstalk and electromagnetic interference. STP cable can also help to provide grounding.
A coaxial cable is a type of shielded and insulated copper cable that is
used in computer networks and to deliver cable TV services to end users. A coaxial cable is used by cable TV service providers to stretch transmission lines from their branch or control offices to residential and business subscribers. It consists of four primary components, as follows:
• A core copper wire, which serves as the primary channel
• A dielectric plastic insulator, which surrounds the copper • A braided copper/aluminum sheath beneath the insulator. This is used to protect from external electromagnetic interference. • The last layer, which is made of Teflon or plastic coating, is used to protect the inner layers from physical damage, such as fire and water.
Coaxial cables tend to carry signals at a greater distance and are a good choice for weak signals, due to their layered protection. https://www.techopedia.com/definition/15981/coaxial-cable
Fiber optic refers to the technology and medium used in the transmission of data as pulses of light through a strand or fiber medium made of glass or plastic (optical fiber), versus being sent as electrical pulses through conductive metal, like copper wires. Optical fiber technology can carry much more data than conventional copper wires and is less prone to electromagnetic interference, simply because data is transmitted in the form of light, rather than electricity.
Fiber optic technology uses glass fibers to transmit data at blazing fast speeds, although not as fast as the speed of light. This is because the general notion of the speed of light, which is 299,792,458 meters per second, occurs in a vacuum. In reality, the speed at which light travels greatly varies, depending on the medium through which it passes. To decode data, special hardware with light sensors is needed for each terminal of the fiber optic cable. This technology is considerably more expensive because manufacturing this type of cable is more expensive, and even connecting two ends requires expensive measures. https://www.techopedia.com/definition/14931/fiber- optic#:~:text=Fiber%20optic%20technology%20uses%20glass,as%20the %20speed%20of%20light.&text=To%20decode%20data%2C%20special% 20hardware,of%20the%20fiber%20optic%20cable. Wireless Communications This allows for communications without the use of physical connections. The benefits include portability, flexibility, increased productivity for organisations and lower installation costs.
o Wi-Fi – (Wireless Fidelity), the most popular means of communicating
data wirelessly. Uses radio waves to provide wireless connectivity. It provides high-speed wireless access to a network or the Internet.
WLANs – Wireless LAN
Hotspots
o Bluetooth – allows various electronic devices to make their own
connections to each other within a close range. E.g. A laptop and Bluetooth speakers. It allows for the exchange of data over short distances among wired and wireless devices.
o Microwave – uses a line of sight and a dish aerial and allows for the creation of wireless links over a wide range and with a high data-carrying capacity. It is often used in places where it is not practical to lay a fibre optic cable. It needs a line of sight and uses a dish aerial, like a larger version of a television satellite dish.
o Infrared – uses infrared light, which is invisible to our eyes, to transmit
small amounts of data over short distances. E.g. keyboards and mice using infrared to connect wirelessly to a computer.
