Computer basics

Internet

Internet is a globally interconnected network of computers, which can be used for data sharing and quicker data access. It is a type of wide area network under which multiple computers are connected over a large area. For most of the common people, the internet may mean the World Wide Web, which is a type of internet connection in which information is accessed with the help of Universal Resource Locators (URLs) and websites. However, this is not the case as the World Wide Web is just a collection of information. The internet can consist of other applications apart from the Web.

Type of computer networks

A computer network is a number of computers connected over areas, such as Local Area Network(LAN), Wide area Network(WAN), Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), or Personal Area Network (PAN).

1. PAN is the smallest network that may cover just one computer.
2. LAN connects two or more networks over a small place.
3. WAN is a group of LANs which are spread over a full area
4. MAN is a group of interconnected LANs over the same place.

A LAN can use multiple switches, which is a port receiving incoming data and forwards it to one or many ports (Udeagha et al., 2016). A client computer might request data from another computer, which is called a server.

Discussion of internet connections

DSL: Digital Subscribers Line (DSL) uses a telephone line connection and its port to provide internet connections.  DSL ranges from 256 Kbit/sec to 100 Mbit/sec.

Cable: Cable uses cable television network infrastructure for accessing internet. The range is from 20-100 Mbit/sec.

FTTH: Fiber To The Home (FTTH) involves the laying of optical fibres and their use to provide internet connections. The bandwidth for FTTH usually is 100Mbit/sec.

FTTN: Fiber to The Node (FTTN) uses fibre cable connected to a common point called a node, which is used to provide internet to multiple users through optical fibres. The connection can be shared. Typical bandwidth is 50-100 Mbit/sec (Grzybowski., Hasbi, & Liang, 2018)

Fixed broadband: It uses radio signals for internet connection. Speed can be up to 1 GB/sec.

Satellite: Satellite internet connection uses satellite dishes to provide access to internet. The range is from 12 to 100Mbitsec.

Layers in TCP/IP

1. Application layer: allows access to the network resources
2. Transport: used for delivering error messages and message delivery confirmations from one process to another
3. Internet: it is used to move packets of data from source to destination
4. Network Interface: used to ensure the transmission between two devices that are present on the same network.

As compared to TCP, the OSI (Open System Interconnection) layer model has seven layers. OSI uses then network layer, whereas TCP uses just the internet layer. Also, OSI has a distinguishable difference between the interface, services and protocols, whereas TCP has no such distinctions.

Difference between mobile generations

The second-generation mobile network (2G) used CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) and GSM technologies, which involved the use of radio signals. 3G connections used the HSPA network, which was a development of the 2G technology along with some upgrades for faster data transfers. The 4G connection used Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology, which is another improvement over the 3G technology and provides up to 1Gbps speed. The currently in development 5G technology is using the concept of millimetre waves for quicker data transfer and faster connections (Azam, Bashir, & Sohaib, 2019).

Content providers network

Content providers can create their network for many reasons. In their network, the content providers have more control over the user’s experience through the help of ISPs. It can also save costs by sending less traffic to the network of the provider. Also, if the ISPs demand charges for their services to the profitable service providers, the content provided can dodge that charges.

The google network allows Google to use any third-party partner sites to post advertisements (Burbidge, 2017). The user may choose the websites on which the ads will appear, upon which they need to make payment to Google after filling up a form, which will allow them to run their ads.

Network security and cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is the security branch that deals with the protection of the computer co0mpnents. In contrast, network security is a branch of cybersecurity concerns itself with the protection of only the network components and its peripherals. Network security includes external threats that may arise with the use of a shared network (Acemoglu, Malekian, & Ozdaglar, 2016). whereas cybersecurity can consist of external as well as internal threats to the system, with not necessarily the involvement of a shared network.

References:

Acemoglu, D., Malekian, A., & Ozdaglar, A. (2016). Network security and contagion. Journal of Economic Theory, 166, 536-585.

Azam, F., Bashir, S., & Sohaib, M. A. (2019). Millimetre Waves Frequency Reconfigurable Antenna for 5G Networks. Mehran University Research Journal of Engineering and Technology, 38(3), 619-626.

Burbidge, R. (2017). Can a domain name combined with third-party adverts generated by Google AdSense result in a successful trade mark infringement claim?. Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice, 12(7), 543-544.

Grzybowski, L., Hasbi, M., & Liang, J. (2018). Transition from copper to fiber broadband: The role of connection speed and switching costs. Information Economics and Policy, 42, 1-10.

Udeagha, C., Maye, R., Partrick, D., Humphery, D., Escoffery, D., & Campbell, E. (2016, March). Comparative analysis of performance of hub with switch local area network (LAN) using riverbed in University of Technology (Utech), Jamaica. In SoutheastCon 2016 (pp. 1-5). IEEE.