CHAPTER

COMMUNICATIONS
AND NETWORKS

9-2

Competencies
Discuss connectivity, the wireless revolution,
and communication systems
Describe physical and wireless communications
channels
Discuss connection devices
Describe data transmission factors

2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

9-3

Competencies cont.
Discuss networks and key network terminology
Describe the different types of networks
Describe network architectures
Describe organizational uses of Internet
technologies

2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

9-4

What is Communication?

The process of sharing data, programs, and

information between two or more computers
2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

9-5

Communications Today

2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

9-6

Communication Systems

2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

9-7

Communication Channels
Channels carry data from one computer to
another
Two categories of communication channels
Physical connection
Wireless connection

2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

9-8

Physical Connections
Telephone lines

Coaxial cable

Fiber-optic cable

2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

9-9

Wireless Connections
Infrared
Broadcast radio
Microwave
Stations
Bluetooth

Satellite
Uplink/Downlink
Global Positioning
System

2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

More on Satellites

910

Global positioning
Network of 24 satellites
Owned by the Defense Department

Global positioning system (GPS)

Devices used to determine location
Provides navigational support

2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

Connection Devices

911

Types of signals
Analog
Digital

Types of modems
Internal
External
PC Card
Wireless
2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

Types of Connections

912

Digital subscriber line (DSL)

Uses existing phone lines
ADSL (Asymmetric digital subscriber line)

Cable modems
Uses existing TV cable
Provides speeds as fast as DSL at a lower cost

Satellite/air connection services

Seven times faster than dial-up
Slower than DSL & cable modem
2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

User Connection Costs & Speeds

Type

Fee

Speed

Seconds to Get
Images

Dial-up

$16

56 kbps

45.0

DSL

50

1.5 mbps

1.7

Cable Modem

40

1.5 mbps

1.7

Satellite

70

900 kbps

2.8

913

2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

Bandwidth

914

Measurement of the capacity of the channel

Categories
Low bandwidths or Voiceband
Medium band
Broadband
Used for high capacity transmission
Used by DSL, cable & satellite

2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

Protocols

915

Set of communication rules

Standard for Internet: TCP/IP
Transmission control protocol/Internet protocol
Identifies devices
Reformats information

2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

Networks

916

A computer network is a communication system

Connects two or more computers
Allows information exchange

2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

Network Terms
Node
Client
Server
Hub
Network interface cards
(NIC)

917

Network operating
system (NOS)
Distributed processing
Host computer
Network manager

2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

Network Types

918

Local area networks

Home networks
Metropolitan
area networks
Wide area networks

2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

Network Architecture

919

Architecture describes how a network is

arranged
Arrangement is called topology
Types of network topology
Star
Bus
Ring
Hierarchical
2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

Star Network

920

Smaller computers linked

to a central unit
Central unit is called the
network hub
Control is maintained by
polling

2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

Bus Network

921

Each device handles its own communication control

There is no host computer
Has a common connecting cable called a backbone

2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

Ring Network

922

Each device is connected

to two other devices
No central file server or
computer
Useful in a decentralized
environment

2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

Hierarchical Network

923

Several computers linked

to a central host
Computers are hosts to
other computers
Useful in centralized
organizations

2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

Strategies

924

Strategy is a way of coordinating the sharing of

information and resources
Common network strategies
Terminal
Client/server
Peer-to-peer

Peer-to-Peer Network System

2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

Organizational Internets

925

2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

Internets and Extranets

926

Intranets
Private network within an organization
Provides information to employees

Extranets
Private network that connects organizations
Used to allow suppliers and others access

Firewalls
Security system
Protects against external threats
2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

A Look to the Future

Wireless Robotic Car

927

Pod car (Personalization on Demand)

Predicts and responds
Designed to learn and adapt to an individual's
driving needs and habits

2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

Key Terms
802.11 (239)
analog signal (240)
application server (243)
asymmetric digital
subscriber line (ADSL)
(241)
backbone (249)
bandwidth (241)
base station (245)
bits per second (bps)
(240)

928

Bluetooth (239)
broadcast radio (238)
broadband (242)
bus (249)
bus network (249)
cable modem (241)
cellular phone system
(245)
client (243)
2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

Key Terms
client/server network
system (251)
coaxial cable (238)
communications (246)
communication channel
(237)
communication device
(237)
communication server
(243)

929

communication system
(237)
computer network (243)
connection device (237)
connectivity (236)
database server (243)
data transmission
specification (237)
dedicated server (243)
2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

Key Terms
demodulation (240)
dial-up service (240)
digital signal (240)
digital subscriber line
(DSL) (241)
dish (239)
Distributed data
processing system (249)
distributed processing
(243)

930

Domain name server

(DNS) (242)
downlink (239)
external modem (240)
extranet (243)
fiber-optic cable (238)
file server (243)
firewall (253)
Gnutella (252)
2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

Key Terms
global positioning (239)
global positioning system
(GPS) (239)
hierarchical network
(249)
home network (245)
host computer (243)
hub (243)
hybrid network (249)

931

infrared (238)
internal modem (240)
intranet (253)
IP address (Internet
Protocol address) (242)
LAN adapter (243)
line of sight
communication (238)
Local area network
(LAN) (244)
2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

Key Terms
low bandwidth (241)
medium band (242)
metropolitan area
network (MAN) (245)
microwave (239)
microwave station (239)
modem (240)
modulation (240)
Napster (251)

932

network administrator
(243)
network architecture
(248)
network gateway (244)
network hub (248)
network interface card
(NIC) (243)
network manager (243)
2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

Key Terms
network operating
system (NOS) (243)
node (243)
packet (242)
PC card modem (240)
peer-to-peer network
system (252)
polling (248)
printer server (243)

933

protocol (242)
proxy server (254)
receiving device (237)
regional network (245)
ring network (249)
satellite (239)
Satellite/air connection
service (241)
sending device (237)
2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

Key Terms
server (243)
star network (248)
strategy (250)
TCP/IP (transmission
control protocol/Internet
protocol) (242)
telephone line (238)
terminal network system
(250)

934

time-sharing system
(249)
T1, T2, T3, T4 lines
(240)
topology (248)
transceiver (238)
transfer speed (240)
transfer rate (240)
transmission medium
(237)
2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

Key Terms
twisted pair (238)
uplink (239)
voiceband (241)
voice grade (241)
Web server (243)
wide area network
(WAN) (245)
Wi-FI (wireless fidelity)
(239)

935

wireless LAN (WLAN)

(245)
wireless modem (240)
wireless receiver (245)

2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

FAQs

936

What is fiber-optic cable?

My Palm Pilot uses Bluetooth. What is it?
What is a modem?
What is DSL? How does it work?
How fast is broadband bandwidth?
What is a local area network?
What is meant by peer-to-peer?
2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights

Discussion Questions

937

Discuss what is meant by the wireless

revolution.
Discuss the four types of service connections.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the
four network topologies.
Explain the connections in a home network.
Describe the different network topologies.
Describe a GPS system.
2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights