Computer Networks Basics

Computer Networks

• A computer network is two or more computers connected together.
• A protocol is a set of rules that computers on a network use to communicate with each other.
• A valid protocol for email addresses requires an '@' character to be used.

Network Hardware

• A hub is a hardware device that connects a number of computers together on a local network.
• A hub has ports that allow cables to be plugged in from each connected computer.
• A network cable is a piece of hardware that connects different devices together, often made up of a number of wires.
• A router is a hardware device that connects a home network to the internet via an internet service provider (ISP).
• A server is a powerful computer that provides services, such as shared access to files like text, images, sound, or video.

Network Communication

• Wired communication technology is exemplified by network cables.
• Bandwidth refers to the amount of data that can be moved from one point on a network to another point in a given time.

Data Transmission

• Downloading information to your computer requires receiving data from another device across the internet.
• Buffering occurs when data is arriving at your device at a slower rate than it is being processed.
• Large amounts of data sent across the internet are split into smaller units called packets.

Internet

• The internet is a worldwide network of computers made up of cables, routers, and other pieces of hardware used to connect devices together.
• An IP address is a unique address used to identify every device on the internet, consisting of 4 numbers ranging between 0 and 255, separated by dots.
• TCP is a protocol that splits messages across the internet into smaller pieces of data.

World Wide Web

• The World Wide Web refers to websites, web pages, and links.
• VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is an internet service that allows voice data to be sent over the internet.