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networking curriculum
support CD for senior
secondary studies

Topics
. Home
. Networking History
. Why network?
. OSI model
. Connecting up
. Protocols
. Technology
. Network types
. Topologies
. Issues
. Design factors
. Economic effects
. www links
. Site map
Print Formattednetworking > technologies

Network Technologies

Computer users need various interfaces to interact with computers, and most of these, such as keyboards, mouse and screens, are very obvious to users these days. However the other interfaces that deal with computer to computer communications are not quite as easy to relate to. Plugging in appliances to a 240 Volt power supply is easy to understand, the connectors make the circuit the electricity flows and the appliance works. This simple notion does not work when exchange of data occurs. Maintaining the integrity of the data and using its inbuilt addresses are the key concerns for connecting computers for data exchange.

Not all TCP/IP interfaces, or any other machine to machine communication interface require an Ethernet interface to operate properly. For example the PPP Protocol used to communicate in TCP/IP across a modem is a software design that utilises the serial port. The port has a real IP number and all the other attributes of the TCP/IP stack. Similarly software designers have also achieved the same end with USB interfaces as well. Other types of interface are also emerging such as using Infra-red ports to communicate with other computers or mobile telephones. Another example is the Blue Tooth interface that uses wireless at local user level to communicate between parts of a system.

Even with all the advances and variations mentioned above, the hardware Ethernet card plugged into the back of a computers still reigns supreme as the main type of computer to computer connection. It has the following advantages-

  • Very High Bandwidths Possible ( 1 gigabit/sec is now common on big sites)
  • Protocols are very well defined and reliable
  • Data is more secure
  • Access points are well defined
  • Supported by a wide range of connection devices and systems
  • Available at realistic prices for a wide range of site sizes

worksheets
. history
. why network
. osi model
. connecting
. protocols
. technology
. topologies (tla)
. issues
. network types
. design
. economics
. economics (cs)
   - solutions -

quizzes
. why network
. osi model
. connecting
. protocols
. technology
. topology
. issues
. network types
. design
. economics

| Home | History | Why Network? | OSI Model | Connecting up | Protocols | Technology | Networks Types | Topologies | Issues | Design Factors | Economic effects |
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