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Lecture 5 - Telecommunications

This document discusses the evolution of telecommunications and computer networks. It describes how computers have increasingly been connected through networks, allowing users to easily access shared resources from anywhere. It outlines different types of computer networks including personal area networks (PANs), local area networks (LANs), metropolitan area networks (MANs), and wide area networks (WANs). Finally, it discusses various wired and wireless communication technologies used to transmit data across networks.

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33 views

Lecture 5 - Telecommunications

This document discusses the evolution of telecommunications and computer networks. It describes how computers have increasingly been connected through networks, allowing users to easily access shared resources from anywhere. It outlines different types of computer networks including personal area networks (PANs), local area networks (LANs), metropolitan area networks (MANs), and wide area networks (WANs). Finally, it discusses various wired and wireless communication technologies used to transmit data across networks.

Uploaded by

biancag_91
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Knowledge Society

Lecture 5

Telecommunications
 In the latter half of the 20th century, computer and telecommunication
technology have rapidly merged
 Today, a large number of computers are linked to some form of networks
 A network allows individuals to access shared resources easily and productively
 The ‘stand alone’ computer is quickly becoming a thing of the past
 Another trend is that of wireless networking where you can access resources
from anywhere

 Digital and Analogue


o Conversion from analogue based technology to digital technology (e.g.
mobile phones, TVs and sound systems)
o Digital refers to communication signals that are represented in a two
state (or binary) way
o Modern computers process binary data using electrical switches that
can either be on (1) or off (2)
 Computer networks
o A system of interconnected computers and telecommunications
equipment so that applications, data and peripherals can be shared
o Organisations that have set of computers have them networked
o Many homes also have their own networks
 Network types
o PAN =
 A personal area network wirelessly connects devices that are
used by individuals
 Bluetooth is often used to enable PANs
o LAN =
 A local area network connects computers and devices in a
limited geographical area
 A router directs communications messages between different
networks
 Used to connect a LAN to the internet
 A bridge is an interface between two networks of he same
types
 A gateway is an interface that connects two dissimilar
networks
 E.g. a gateway could be used to connect to LANs that run
different NOSs (network Operating Systems)

 There are two types of LANs


1. Client-server – consists of clients (typically PCs) that
request services from computers called servers
2. Peer-to-peer – consists of computers that can directly
communicate with one another, no servers
o 25 computers is the limit of this type of network
o MANs
 A Metropolitan Area Network is a commnuications network
covering a city
 An example of this is a mobile network
o WANs
 Wide Area Network covers a wide geographical area
 The ultimate WAN is th internet
 Communication channles and bandwidth
o A communication channel is the physical medium over which dadta
travels in a communication
o Data is transmitted via electromagnetic waves
o Waves differ because of their frequency (waves per second)
o The higher the frequency the faster the transmission
o A range of frequencies is called a band or bandwidth
o For digital signals this measured in bps (bits per second)
o The higher the bandwidth the faster the transmission of the signal
o Broadband connections are very high speed connections
 Wired communications

o Twisted pair
 Telephone cabling
 Consists of 2 shielded copper wires twisted around one
another
o Coaxial cable
 Better insulation than twisted pair and has a higher
transmission rate
o Fibre Optic
 Strands of class that transmit light
 They have a low error rate and many major under sea data
cables are now fibre optic
 Harder to tap/intercept that other wires, which provides greater
security
o Infrared
 Infrared signals are usually effective for a few meters
 Requires unobstructed view between transmitter and receiver
 Mobile devices such as PDAs often transmit infrared
o Broadcast Radio
 Normal AM and FM radio
o Microwave Transmitter
o Transmits voice and data through the air as microwaves
o Like infrared, line of sight technology
o Often used by telephone and pay TV companies
o Used if it is difficult to install a cable and line of sight is available (like
a desert)
 Satellites
o Use microwave technology in order to relay signals around earth
o Uplink = transmit data from the ground to the satellite
o Downlink is the opposite
o Three types of satellites occupy different orbits of the earth
1. GEO
2. MEO
3. LEO
 Short Range Wireless Communications
o Pagers
 Restaurants are using these devices so that customers can
‘page’ a waiter
o Global Positioning System (GPS)
 Uses satellites to locate objects on Earth
 Available for vehicles in order to navigate
 Also used to locate lost or stolen items
 Intranets and Extranets
o Intranet
 Organisation’s internal private network that is ‘contained’
internet
 Connecting intranets together to form a virtual private network
(VPN)
o Extranet
 Extension of an intranet
 Allows certain trusted people/organisations access to intranet
 Firewalls
o System of hardware and software that blocks unauthorised internal and
external users from accessing the intranet and sensitive data
o E.g. Bond has a firewall that prohibits people outside the campus
logging onto machines with the university

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