Digital Visual Interface[edit]

Digital Visual Interface

DVI

Display Port[edit]
Display Port
Mini Display Port on Apple MacBook

Display port-cable

Display Port

E-Sata[edit]
ESata
Shown on a Hard-Drive Dock

IEEE 1394 interface (FireWire)[edit]

IEEE 1394 interface

PS/2[edit]
PS/2 connector

Mini-DIN connector

Serial[edit]
Serial port

DE-9

VGA[edit]
VGA connector

D-sub 15

SCSI[edit]
SCSI

File:SCSI 25-50.jpg|

HDMI[edit]

HDMI

Audioport[edit]
Phone connector

Physical shapes[edit]

Port connectors may be male or female, but female connectors are much more common. Bent pins are easier to
replace on a cable than on a connector attached to a computer, so it was common to use female connectors for the
fixed side of an interface.
Computer ports in common use cover a wide variety of shapes such as round (PS/2, etc.), rectangular (FireWire,
etc.), square (Telephone plug), trapezoidal (D-Sub the old printer port was a DB-25), etc. There is some
standardization to physical properties and function. For instance, most computers have a keyboard port (currently a
Universal Serial Bus USB-like outlet referred to as USB Port), into which the keyboard is connected.
Physically identical connectors may be used for widely different standards, especially on older personal computer
systems, or systems not generally designed according to the current Microsoft Windows compatibility guides. For
example, a female 9-pin D-subminiature connector on the original IBM PC could have been used for monochrome
video, color analog video (in two incompatible standards), a joystick interface, or for a MIDI musical instrument digital
control interface. The original IBM PC also had two identical 5 pin DIN connectors, one used for the keyboard, the
second for a cassette recorder interface; the two were not interchangeable. The smaller mini-DIN connector has been
variously used for the keyboard and two different kinds of mouse; older Macintosh family computers used the miniDIN for a serial port or for a keyboard connector with different standards than the IBM-descended systems.

Electrical signal transfer[edit]

Electronically, hardware ports can almost always be divided into two groups based on the signal transfer:

Serial ports send and receive one bit at a time via a single wire pair (Ground and +/-).

Parallel ports send multiple bits at the same time over several sets of wires.

After ports are connected, they typically require handshaking, where transfer type, transfer rate, and other necessary
information is shared before data are sent.
Hot-swappable ports can be connected while equipment is running. Almost all ports on personal computers are hotswappable.
Plug-and-play ports are designed so that the connected devices automatically start handshaking as soon as the hotswapping is done. USBports and FireWire ports are plug-and-play.
Auto-detect or auto-detection ports are usually plug-and-play, but they offer another type of convenience. An autodetect port may automatically determine what kind of device has been attached, but it also determines what purpose
the port itself should have. For example, some sound cards allow plugging in several different types of audio
speakers; then a dialogue box pops up on the computer screen asking whether the speaker is left, right, front, or rear
for surround sound installations. The user's response determines the purpose of the port, which is physically a1/8"
tip-ring-sleeve mini jack. Some auto-detect ports can even switch between input and output based on context.
As of 2006, manufacturers have nearly standardized colors associated with ports on personal computers, although
there are no guarantees. The following is a short list:
Main article: PC System Design Guide

Orange, purple, or grey: Keyboard PS/2

Green: Mouse PS/2

Blue or magenta: Parallel printer DB-25

Amber: Serial DB-25 or DB-9

Pastel pink: Microphone 1/8" stereo (TRS) minijack

Pastel green: Speaker 1/8" stereo (TRS) minijack

FireWire ports used with video equipment (among other devices) can be either 4-pin or 6-pin. The two extra
conductors in the 6-pin connection carry electrical power. This is why a self-powered device such as a camcorder
often connects with a cable that is 4-pins on the camera side and 6-pins on the computer side, the two power
conductors simply being ignored. This is also why laptop computers usually have only 4-pin FireWire ports, as they
cannot provide enough power to meet requirements for devices needing the power provided by 6-pin connections.
Optical (light) fiber, microwave, and other technologies (i.e., quantum) have different kinds of connections, as metal
wires are not effective for signal transfers with these technologies. Optical connections are usually a polished glass or
plastic interface, possibly with an oil that lessens refraction between the two interface surfaces. Microwaves are
conducted through a pipe, which can be seen on a large scale by examiningmicrowave towers with "funnels" on them
leading to pipes.
Hardware port trunking (HPT) is a technology that allows multiple hardware ports to be combined into a single group,
effectively creating a single connection with a higher bandwidth, sometimes referred to as a double-barrel approach.
This technology also provides a higher degree of fault tolerance because a failure on one port may just mean a slowdown rather than a dropout. By contrast, in software port trunking (SPT), two agents (websites, channels, etc.) are
bonded into one with the same effectiveness; i.e., ISDN B1 (64K) plus B2 (64K) equals data throughput of 128K.

Net port

Understanding The Differences Between Internet Connections

When determining which type of Internet connection is right for you or your family, its
important to understand the distinction between each connection. In todays age, there
are numerous ways to connect laptops, desktops, mobile phones, gaming consoles, ereaders and tablets to the Internet. Some of the most widely used Internet connections
are described below.

Wireless
Radio frequency bands are used in place of telephone or cable networks. One of the greatest advantages
of wireless Internet connections is the always-on connection that can be accessed from any location that
falls within network coverage. Wireless connections are made possible through the use of a modem,
which picks up Internet signals and sends them to other devices.

Mobile
Many cell phone and smartphone providers offer voice plans with Internet access.
Mobile Internet connections provide good speeds and allow you to access the Internet
on the go.

Hotspots
Hotspots are sites that offer Internet access over a wireless local area network (WLAN)
by way of a router that then connects to an Internet service provider. Hotspots utilize WiFi technology, which allows electronic devices to connect to the Internet or exchange
data wirelessly through radio waves. Hotspots can be phone-based or free-standing,
commercial or free to the public.

Dial-Up
Dial-up connections require users to link their phone line to a computer in order to
access the Internet. This particular type of connectionalso referred to as analog
does not permit users to make or receive phone calls through theirhome phone
service while using the Internet.

Broadband

This high-speed Internet connection is provided through either cable or telephone

companies. One of the fastest options available, broadband Internet uses multiple data
channels to send large quantities of information. The term broadband is shorthand for
broad bandwidth. Broadband Internet connections such as DSL and cable are
considered high-bandwidth connections. Although many DSL connections can be
considered broadband, not all broadband connections are DSL.

DSL
DSL, which stands for Digital Subscriber Line, uses existing 2-wire copper telephone
line connected to ones home so service is delivered at the same time as landline
telephone service. Customers can still place calls while surfing the Internet.

Cable
Cable Internet connection is a form of broadband access. Through use of a cable
modem, users can access the Internet over cable TV lines. Cable modems can provide
extremely fast access to the Internet.

Satellite
In certain areas where broadband connection is not yet offered, a satellite Internet
option may be available. Similar to wireless access, satellite connection utilizes a
modem.

ISDN
ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) allows users to send data, voice and video
content over digital telephone lines or standard telephone wires. The installation of an
ISDN adapter is required at both ends of the transmissionon the part of the user as
well as the Internet access provider.
There are quite a few other Internet connection options available, including T-1 lines, T-3
lines, OC (Optical Carrier) and other DSL technologies.
As you decide what Internet connection is the best fit for your needs, you may wish to
narrow down your selection based on your preferred download and upload speeds.
Reliably fast speeds and comprehensive coverage make it easier than ever to stream

your favorite TV shows and movies, share photos, chat with friends and play games
online.