ACS-1803 Introduction to Information Systems Quiz

Computer Networking

• A computer network is a group of two or more computing devices connected by a medium, allowing the exchange of electronic information.
• Networks have existed from the early stages of human civilization, e.g., Ancient Rome's water supply system.

Telecommunications

• Telecommunications refers to the electronic transmission of signals for communications.
• Telecommunications medium: any material substance that carries an electronic signal to support communications between a sending and receiving device.

Network Topology and Types

• Network Topology refers to how the communication links and hardware devices are arranged on a network.
• Types of network topologies: Star, Bus, Mesh.
• Network types: Personal Area Network (PAN), Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN).

Client/Server Systems

• Client/Server architecture features multiple computer platforms dedicated to special functions, e.g., database management, printing, or communications.
• A client is any computer that sends messages requesting services from the servers on the network.
• A database server sends only the data that meets a specific query—not the entire file.

Speed of Transmission

• Channel bandwidth: the rate at which data is exchanged, measured in bits/sec.
• Broadband communications: a telecommunications system that can transmit data very quickly (> 25 Mbps).
• Measured in bits per second (bps): Kbps (thousands), Mbps (millions), Gbps (billions).

Transmission Media

• Wired (guided) transmission media: signals are guided along a solid medium.
• Wireless transmission media: the signal is broadcast over airwaves as a form of electromagnetic radiation.
• Types of transmission media:
  • Twisted-pair wire
  • Coaxial Cable
  • Fiber Optic
  • Wireless: Wi-Fi, Radio, Microwave, Infrared

Wireless Technologies

• Wireless transmission involves the broadcast of communications in one of three frequency ranges: Radio, Microwave, or Infrared frequencies.
• Near Field Communication (NFC): Short-range wireless connectivity used on cellphones and credit cards.
• Bluetooth: Wireless technology for distances of 10-30 feet, with a speed of 2Mbps.

The Internet

• The Internet is a large, worldwide collection of networks that use a common protocol to communicate with each other.
• The largest, "network of networks".
• ARPANET: The ancestor of the Internet, started by the U.S. Department of Defense in 1969.

How the Internet Works

• TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) approach:
  • Breaks information into small chucks called data packets.
  • Manages the transfer of the packets from computer to computer.
  • Reassembles data packets into a message at the destination.
• IP Address: A coding system used to identify computers on the internet, consisting of four numbers between 1 and 254, separated by dots.

Packet Switching

• Internet uses packet switching to enable users to transmit across it concurrently.
• What is to be sent down the network is 'sliced up' into packets.
• Each packet has a header with source and destination address.

Uses of the Internet

• Email
• FTP (File Transfer)
• Search Engines
• eCommerce
• Banking
• Education
• Collaboration
• Social Networking
• Internet of Things (IoT)

Internet of Things (IoT)

• A network of physical objects embedded with sensors, processors, software, and network connectivity capability.
• Enables devices to exchange data with the manufacturer, device operators, and other connected devices.
• Examples of using sensors and IoT to monitor and control key operational activities:
  • Asset monitoring
  • Construction
  • Agriculture
  • Manufacturing
  • Monitoring parking spaces
  • Predictive Maintenance
  • Retailing
  • Traffic monitoring