Discovering

Computers 2012
Your Interactive Guide
to the Digital World
Objectives Overview

Discuss the purpose of the

List advantages of using a
components required for
Describe the uses of network, and differentiate
successful communications
computer communications among LANs, MANs, and
and identify various sending
WANs
and receiving devices

Differentiate between
client/server and peer-to- Differentiate among a star Describe the various
peer networks, and network, bus network, and network communications
describe how a P2P ring network standards
network works

See Page 459 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 2

for Detailed Objectives
Objectives Overview

Describe various types

Explain the purpose of Describe commonly
of lines for
communications used communications
communications over
software devices
the telephone network

Discuss different ways Describe various

to set up a home physical and wireless
network transmission media

See Page 459 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 3

for Detailed Objectives
Communications

• Computer communications describes a process in

which two or more computers or devices transfer
data, instructions, and information

Communications
Sending device Receiving device
channel

Page 460 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 4

Communications

Pages 460 – 461 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 5

Figure 9-1
Uses of Computer Communications

Blogs Chat rooms E-mail Fax

Instant
FTP Internet Newsgroups
messaging

Video
RSS VoIP Web
conferencing

Web 2.0 Web folders Wikis

Page 462 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 6

Uses of Computer Communications

• Users can send and receive wireless messages

using wireless messaging services

Pages 462 – 463 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 7

Figure 9-3
Uses of Computer Communications

Text messaging (SMS) allows users to send and receive short

text messages on a phone or other mobile device or computer

Picture messaging allows users to send pictures and sound files

Video messaging allows users to send short video clips

Wireless instant messaging allows wireless users to exchange

real-time messages with one or more other users

Pages 463 - 464 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 8

Uses of Computer Communications

• Wireless Internet access points allow people to connect

wirelessly to the Internet from home, work, school, and
in many public locations

Pages 464 – 465 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 9

Figure 9-4
Uses of Computer Communications

• A cybercafé is a coffeehouse, restaurant, or other

location that provides personal computers with
Internet access to its customers

Page 466 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 10

Figure 9-5
Uses of Computer Communications

• A global positioning system (GPS) is a navigation system

that consists of one or more earth-based receivers that
accept and analyze signals sent by satellites in order to
determine the GPS receiver’s geographic location
• GPS receivers are:

Available as a
Built into many
handheld
mobile devices
device

Page 466 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 11

Uses of Computer Communications

Page 467 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 12

Figure 9-6
Uses of Computer Communications

Groupware Voice mail

•Helps groups of people work •Allows someone to leave a voice
together on projects and share message for one or more people
•Computer in voice mail system
information over a network
•Component of workgroup converts an analog voice
message into digital form
computing •A voice mailbox is a storage
•Major feature is group
location on a hard disk in the
scheduling voice mail system
Page 467 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 13
Uses of Computer Communications

• Many programs provide a means to collaborate, or work

online, with other users connected to a server
• Collaboration software includes tools that enable users to
share documents via online meetings and communicate
with other connected users

Online Web
meetings conferences
Page 468 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 14
Uses of Computer Communications

Page 468 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 15

Figure 9-7
Uses of Computer Communications

• Web services enable

programmers to create
applications that
communicate with other
remote computers over
the Internet or on an
internal business network
• A mashup is a Web
application that combines
services from two or
more sources
Page 469 16
Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9
Figure 9-8
Networks

• A network is a collection of computers and

devices connected together via communications
devices and transmission media
• Advantages of a network include:
Facilitating Sharing
communication
s hardware
Sharing data
Pages 470 - 471 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 17
Networks

Page 470 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 18

Figure 9-9
Networks

• A local area network

(LAN) is a network that
connects computers
and devices in a limited
geographical area
• A wireless LAN (WLAN)
is a LAN that uses no
physical wires

Page 472 19
Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9
Figures 9-10 – 9-11
Networks

• A metropolitan area network (MAN) connects

LANs in a metropolitan area
• A wide area network (WAN)
is a network that covers a
large geographical area

Page 473 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 20

Figure 9-12
Networks

• The design of computers, devices, and media on a

network is sometimes called the network architecture
Client/server network Peer-to-peer network

Pages 473 – 474 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 21

Figures 9-13 – 9-14
Networks

• P2P describes an Internet network on which users

access each other’s hard disks and exchange files
directly over the Internet

Page 475 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 22

Figure 9-15
Networks

• A network topology refers to the layout of the computers

and devices in a communications network

Star network Bus network Ring network

Pages 475 – 477 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 23

Figures 9-16 – 9-18
Networks

An extranet
An intranet is
allows
an internal
customers or
network that
suppliers to
uses Internet
access part of
technologies its intranet

Page 477 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 24

Network Communications Standards

Ethernet Token ring TCP/IP

Wi-Fi Bluetooth UWB

IrDA RFID WiMAX

Page 477 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 25
Network Communications Standards

Ethernet is a network standard that specifies no computer controls when data can be
transmitted

The token ring standard specifies that computers and devices on the network share or pass
a special signal (token)

TCP/IP is a network standard that defines how messages are routed from one end of a
network to another

Page 478 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 26

Network Communications Standards

Page 479 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 27

Figure 9-19
Network Communications Standards

• Wi-Fi identifies any

network based on the
802.11 standard that
facilitates wireless
communication
• Sometimes referred to
as wireless Ethernet

Page 479 28
Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9
Figure 9-20
Network Communications Standards

• Bluetooth defines how two Bluetooth devices use short-

range radio waves to transmit data
• UWB (ultra-wideband) specifies how two UWB devices use
short-range radio waves to communicate at high speeds
• IrDA transmits data wirelessly via infrared (IR) light waves
• RFID uses radio signals to communicate with a tag placed in
or attached to an object, animal, or person

Pages 480 - 481 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 29

Network Communications Standards

Page 481 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 30

Figure 9-21
Network Communications Standards

WiMAX Wireless Application

Protocol (WAP)
(802.16)
•Developed by IEEE •Specifies how some mobile
•Towers can cover a 30-mile devices can display the
radius content of Internet services
•Two types are fixed wireless •Web
and mobile wireless •E-mail
•Provides wireless •Chat rooms
broadband Internet access •Uses a client/server network
Page 482 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 31
Communications Software

• Communications software consists of programs

that:
Manage the
Help users establish a
transmission of data,
connection to another
instructions, and
computer or network
information

Provide an interface
for users to
communicate with
one another Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9
Page 482 32
Communications Over
the Telephone Network
• The public switched telephone network (PSTN) is
the worldwide telephone system

Pages 482 – 483 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 33

Figure 9-23
Communications Over
the Telephone Network

Dial-up Dedicated
lines line

ISDN line DSL

Pages 483 - 485 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 34
Communications Over
the Telephone Network

Page 483 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 35

Figure 9-24
Communications Over
the Telephone Network
• ADSL connections transmit data downstream at a
much faster rate than upstream

Page 484 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 36

Figure 9-25
Communications Devices

• A communications device is any type of hardware

capable of transmitting data, instructions, and
information between a sending device and a
receiving device
• A dial-up modem converts signals between analog
and digital

Page 485 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 37

Communications Devices

• A digital modem sends and receives data and

information to and from a digital line
DSL Cable
modem modem

Page 486 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 38

Communications Devices

Page 486 39
Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9
Figures 9-26 – 9-27
Communications Devices

• A wireless modem uses the cell phone network to

connect to the Internet wirelessly from a
notebook computer, a smart phone, or other
mobile device

Page 487 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 40

Figure 9-28
Communications Devices

• A network card enables

a computer or device to
access a network
• Available in a variety of
styles
• Wireless network cards
often have an antenna

Page 487 41
Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9
Figure 9-29
Communications Devices

• A wireless access point is a central communications

device that allows computers and devices to transfer data
wirelessly among themselves or to a wired network

Page 487 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 42

Figure 9-30
Communications Devices

• A router connects
multiple computers or
other routers together
and transmits data to its
correct destination on a
network
• Many are protected by
a hardware firewall

Page 488 43
Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9
Figure 9-31
Communications Devices

• A hub or switch connects several devices in a

network together

Pages 488 – 489 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 44

Figure 9-32
Home Networks

• Home networks provide computers with the

following capabilities:
Connect to the Share a single high-
Internet at the speed Internet
same time connection

Access files and

programs on
Share
other computers
Page 489
peripherals
Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 45
Home Networks

• Types of wired home networks:

Powerline
Ethernet cable

Phoneline

Page 489 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 46

Home Networks

Page 490 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 47

Figure 9-33
Communications Channel
• The amount of data that can
travel over a communications
channel sometimes is called
the bandwidth
• Latency is the time it takes a
signal to travel from one
location to another on a
network
• Transmission media carries
one or more signals
• Broadband media transmit
multiple signals
simultaneously
Page 491 48
Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9
Figure 9-34
Physical Transmission Media

Page 492 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 49

Figure 9-35
Physical Transmission Media
Twisted-pair cable

Fiber-optic cable

Coaxial cable

Page 493 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 50

Figures 9-36 – 9-38
Wireless Transmission Media

Page 494 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 51

Figure 9-39
Wireless Transmission Media

• Cellular radio is a form of broadcast radio that is

used widely for mobile communications

Pages 494 - 495 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 52

Figure 9-40
Wireless Transmission Media

• Microwaves are radio waves that provide a high-

speed signal transmission

Page 496 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 53

Figure 9-41
Wireless Transmission Media

• A communications
satellite is a space
station that receives
microwave signals from
an earth-based station,
amplifies it, and
broadcasts the signal
over a wide area

Page 496 54
Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9
Figure 9-42
Video: Got Your Video Right Here

CLICK TO START

Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 55

Summary

Overview of How to join

communications
terminology and computers into
applications a network

Various
communications
devices, media, and
procedures
Page 497 Discovering Computers 2012: Chapter 9 56
Discovering
Computers 2012
Your Interactive Guide
to the Digital World
Chapter 9 Complete