Networks

Networks Devices
1. Modems
• Modulator demodulator
• Modulator-Device that converts digital signal to analogue signal
• Demodulator-Converts analogue to digital
ADSL(asymmetric digital subscriber line) or broadband
Modem operates upto 100 mb per second when using fibre optic cable
The term asymmetric means faster at downloading data than uploading
Internet access is 24 hours
Dial up
Modem operates up to 60kb

2. Hubs
• HARDWARE DEVICES THAT CAN HAVE NUMBER OF
DEVICES OR COMPUTER CONNECTED TO THEM.
• it take away data packets received at one of its ports and broadcast
to every computer in the network
• It means that hub is not very secure
3.Switch
• Similar to hub but much more efficient in the way of distributing data packets
• Checks data packet received and works out the destinations and send it to
appropriate address only
• Switch is more secure because the switches store MAC addresses of all
devices on a lookup table
In summary:
• Both are used to connect devices in LAN.
• Both use data packets.
• Hubs send data to every device on the network.
• Switches send data to a relevant device only.
• Switches have better security.
• Switches use lookup tables to determine the destination for a data packet.
• Switches use MAC addresses for relevant device location.
•
4.Bridge
• devices that connect one LAN to another LAN that uses the same protocol.
Unlike routers, they can’t communicate with external networks, such as the
internet.
Comparison:
• Bridges connect LANs together; routers connect various types of networks
together.
• Bridges scan MAC addresses while routers scan the IP addresses.
• Both send out data in form of data packets.
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 • Bridges connect networks with same protocol, routers can connect networks
with different protocols.
• Router uses routing tables to direct data packets, bridges don’t.
• Bridges has only two ports, routers have multiple ports.
5.Routers
• A device that enables data to be sent between different types of networks.
Used to connect a LAN to the internet, can be connected through cables
or wirelessly.
It can be used for:
o connecting networks and devices to the internet,
o storing computer addresses,
o routing data packets.
o When a data packet is received, the router checks if the packet is
intended for it or another network. If it’s meant for its own network,
then the data packet is routed to the local switch/hub. If not, the
data packet is sent to the relevant router, which send it to the
relevant device.
• They consult routing tables to know where to send the data.

Data packets
• Data is carried in the packet according to which protocols is used
• This information allows the router to route the data packet across a
network to its correct destination

6.Network interface card

• needed to allow a device to connect to a network. Turns binary data into electrical
signal that allows network access. Usually integrated into the motherboard.
• Each NIC is given a unique hardwired media access control (MAC) address.
• Media access control (MAC) address: a number which uniquely identifies a
device when connected to a network.
• First 6 hex digits identify the manufacturer’s code and the next 6 identify the
device’s serial number.

Difference between IP and MAC

• IP gives the location of the device on the internet whereas MAC identifies
the device connected the network but both have unique addresses
• IP will know your house you live in using post code or zone code whereas
MAC will identify each person living in that house
• If you move from the house the IP address will change whereas the MAC
address will remain unchanged
7 .Wi-Fi & Bluetooth
Both are used for wireless communication between devices. They both use
electromagnetic radiation as the carrier of data transmission.
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Bluetooth uses:
• When transferring data between 2 or more devices that are very close together.
• When speed of data transmission isn’t crucial.
• For low-bandwidth applications.
Wi-Fi uses:
• Full-scale networks.
• When data transfer rate is crucial.
• For uses where higher range and better security is required.

Differences and similarities wifi and bluetooth:

• Bluetooth uses a transmission frequency of 2.4 GHz, whereas Wi-Fi uses a range
of 2.4 – 5.0 GHz.
• Wi-Fi has a much faster data transfer rate.
• Wi-Fi has a higher geographical range in which it is effective.
• Bluetooth only allows up to 7 devices to be connected at a time, whereas the
number of devices connected to a Wi-Fi network depend on the router/routers
used.
• Bluetooth uses key matching encryption however, Wi-Fi uses WPA (Wi-Fi
protected access), and WEP (wireless equivalent privacy).

How to setup and configure a small network

Things to purchase:
• Hub, switch and any other devices to link
everything together in a network
• Network cables to connect devices together
• If connection to the internet is needed then a router
is required to do this
• A firewall is needed to protect the network against
hacking
• Servers to manage network security, store common
software and files
How to setup and configure a small network
• Setting up the IP account
• Setting up the system to allow the wireless
connectivity
• Configuring all the hardware and software
• Ensuring the high speed of bandwidth for the
internet
• Network licensed software put onto the server
• Setting up the privileges for the common shared
area
• Setting up the network manager level privilege

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 Cloud Computing
This is a method where data is stored on remote servers accessed through the internet.
The three types of cloud storage are:
1. Public Cloud - The customer and the cloud storage provider are different companies.
2. Private Cloud - The customer and the cloud storage provider are a single
organization.
3. Hybrid Cloud - Combines both public and private cloud options and allows for
sensitive data to remain private whilst providing public cloud services for less
sensitive information.
• Cloud data is duplicated and stored on other servers to ensure data availability during
system failures, upgrades and maintenance periods.
Advantages:
• Services can be scaled up or down according to changing requirements.
• Cloud storage eliminates the need for a business to purchase expensive equipment for
infrastructure and maintenance.
• Easily available globally allowing both remote working and data sharing.
• Providers offer high levels of ensuring that services are always available.
• Can offer an almost unlimited amount of storage.
• A backup of the data from the cloud will allow full data recovery in case of incidents.
• Files can be synced across multiple devices.
• No need to carry storage devices around.

Disadvantages:
• A stable internet connection is always required.
• Data storage in clouds may be vulnerable to security breaches.
• User is dependent on storage provider for reliability and availability of services.
• As the amount of storage or bandwidth required increases, the services may become
expensive over time.

Internet:
• The Internet is a very large global network that consists of many
other interconnected networks
• The world wide web is the vast collection of web pages that can be accessed
using a web browser
• The world wide web allows you to access information by using the internet

Characteristics:
• It is an open network meaning everyone has access to the same resources and
information as everybody else.
• People from all over the world can communicate with each other in real-time.
• Available to anyone who has a suitable device and access to any one of the
interconnected networks.

Uses:
• Education and training
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 • Social Networking
• Online shopping
• Entertainment

Intranet:
•Usually private and are used to send information securely and safely.
•Access to an organization’s Intranet is restricted and only accessible to authorized
users such as employees.
• Intranets have many advantages over the internet such as:
o better bandwidth than the internet,
o data is kept within the organization,
o less chance of hacking and attacks,
o administrators can manage access to external sites and links.
Characteristics:
• Private network that is accessible to employees within a company or organization.
• Usually behind a firewall to ensure security.
• Allows for document sharing and the use of collaboration tools between users.
• Can be customized to meet the specific requirements of the business.
• Users will require a username and password to access the Intranet.
•
Extranet:
• Private Intranet that also allows access by selected parties that reside outside of
the organization. These parties, for example, maybe customers, key stakeholders
or clients.
• Users will have an authorization level once they have successfully logged in
which will determine which resources they may access.
•
Similarities between the Internet, Intranet and extranet are as follows:
• They are all web based technologies
• They allow users to access information remotely
• They all use client server architecture
• They all use security measures such as authentication and encryption
• They all promote and facilitate information and resource sharing
•
Differences between the internet, intranet and extranet are as follows:
• The internet is a global network whereas an intranet/extranet is a private network
contained within an organization
• The use of the internet covers a wide range of purposes whereas an
intranet/extranet is designed for specific users and purposes
• Much of the information is publicly available whereas an intranet/extranet is not
• The internet is not owned solely by one person or organization whereas
intranets/extranets are owned usually by the organization.

Local Area Network (LAN): networks that are usually contained within a single
building or small geographical location. It is made up using hubs and/or switches which
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will connect several devices together. It is common for one hub or switch to be connected
to a router which will allow the LAN connectivity to other outside networks such as the
internet.
Advantages:
• Allows centralized management of updates, backups and software installations.
• Can secure its devices with the use of firewalls, antivirus software and other
security features to prevent unauthorized access.
• A LAN allows users on the network to share resources such as printers and other
peripherals.
Disadvantages:
• Network may not function properly in case of hardware failure.
• More prone to attacks than standalone computers.
• Data and peripheral accessing can be slow, based on network traffic.
• LAN networks require maintenance to ensure software being up-to-date.
•
Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN): Local Area Networks that allow devices to
connect wirelessly rather than using physical cables. Wireless Access Points (WAPs) are
connected to an existing wired network which provides wireless connectivity. Support a
vast range of devices such as smartphones and laptops and are very popular in public
areas such as shopping malls.
Advantages:
• Allows users to connect anywhere that is in the range of a Wireless Access Point
(WAP).
• Can be used in a variety of environments both indoors and out making them
highly flexible.
• As the requirements change, additional WAPs can be added relatively easily.
• Printer’s access can be given to wireless devices.
Disadvantages:
• The strength of their signals can be affected by obstacles such as walls.
• Speeds can be affected by high traffic areas.
• Can sustain interference from other devices which can affect performance and
connectivity.
• Can be vulnerable to security threats due to signal interception.
•

Wide Area Networks (WAN): is formed by several LANs being connected through a
router. It is expensive however it comes with a more enhanced security. Additional
hardware is needed for a WAN: Routers, modems and proxy servers.
Advantages:
• Provide the ability to connect geographically dispersed locations, such as offices
in different cities or countries.
• Offer the flexibility to scale up or down based on the needs of the organization.
• Administrators can monitor and manage the network infrastructure from a single
location.
Disadvantages:

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 • Setting up and maintaining a WAN can be expensive, especially when compared
to LANs.
• Cover larger distances and often rely on public networks or leased lines, which
can introduce latency and affect performance.
• WANs are subject to the reliability and availability of external service providers.

Security issues regarding data transfer

• Connection to a network exposes a user to:
• Hacking: Unauthorized access given to computer. Can lead to identity theft or the
misuse of personal information
• Phishing: Phishing involves getting sensitive information such as usernames,
passwords, and credit card detail, for malicious reasons, by mimicking a reliable
webpage on the network
• Pharming: This is malicious code installed on a user’s computer or on a web
server; the code will redirect the user to a fake website without their knowledge
(the user doesn’t have to take any action, unlike phishing).
• Viruses: Program code that replicates (copies itself) with the intention of deleting
or corrupting files and causing the computer to malfunction

Passwords
A common form of security and are often accompanied by a username or email address.
There are many ways to enhance the security of your password such as the following:
o Ensure that the password is changed regularly in case it has been obtained
illegally or accidentally
o Ensure that the password uses a combination of uppercase, lowercase,
numbers and special characters to make the password more difficult to
guess.
o iloveict is a weak password
o 1lov3ICT# is a strong password
• Anti spyware software can be run regularly to ensure that your information
including your password is not being passed to an unauthorized third party user.

Other authentication methods

• Zero login: It is a security concept that aims to eliminate traditional login
methods, such as usernames and passwords, by using biometrics or other
authentication factors for seamless and password-less access.
• Biometric Recognition: These methods of authentication use unique physical or
behavioral characteristics, such as fingerprints, iris scans, or voice recognition, to
verify a person's identity.
• Magnetic Stripes: These are authentication features on cards, storing data
magnetically. They enable secure identification and authorization by containing
encoded information that can be read by magnetic stripe readers.
• Smart Cards: Smart cards are portable devices that contain integrated circuits to
store and process data. They are used for authentication, identification, and secure

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 transactions in various applications such as banking, telecommunications, and
access control.
• Physical Tokens: It is a type of authentication that takes the shape of a real, solid
object. The user demonstrates ownership of the token through interaction with a
login system. Physical tokens have embedded clocks that create one-time
passwords (OTPs) when a PIN and other authentication information are entered.
• Electronic Tokens: These are applications that users install on their hardware,
such as smartphones. Say a person wants to access a website on a tablet computer.
To access this website, users must first authenticate themselves using electronic
tokens. With their smartphone, the user has already set up the electronic token
app. The user launches the app on their smartphone when the website asks them
to verify their identity. The program creates an OTP that is only good for a short
period of time.
Anti-malware software
• An anti-malware software is designed to protect devices against viruses and
malicious software. It has 3 mains purposes, detect, prevent and remove malicious
software.
It is installed onto a computer system and will operate in the background.
o Common features of Anti-Malware software include the following:
o Comparing the scanned files against a large database of known threats
o Real-time scanning
o Regular updates to gather an up to date list of known threats
o Quarantine of infected files
▪ Quarantining files allows threats to be automatically deleted.
▪ Allows the user to determine if the file is a legitimate threat and
not a false positive.
• Heuristic Checking: Instead of relying solely on a database of known viruses,
this method looks for behavioral patterns and other features in a file to identify
possible risks there.

Electronic Conferencing
1. Video Conferencing: It is a form of audio and video communication. It serves as a
stand-in for face-to-face meetings between a number of persons who may reside abroad
or in another region of the country. It utilizes a network in some way and is done in real
time.
The basic hardware includes:
• webcams,
• large monitors/television screens,
• microphones,
• speakers.

The software used are:

• webcam and microphone software drivers
• CODEC (coder and de-coder)
• Echo cancellation software
Advantages:

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 • Much easier to access important documents or bring in ‘experts’ at key parts of
the conference.
• Possible to hold conferences at short notice.
• Reduced travelling costs.
• No need to pay for hotel accommodation or venue hire.
• Reduces the cost of taking people away from their work for two or three days to
travel.
• Better to use video conferencing than have delegates travel to potentially unsafe
places around the world.
Disadvantages:
• Potential time lag in responses/delays when talking.
• Images can jerk.
• Very expensive to set up in the first place.
• Problems if the delegates live in different countries where the time zone
differences are large.
• Requires IT knowledge to some extent.
• Not the best for people who consider travelling a job-perk.
• Completely reliant on stable internet connections.

Audio Conferencing: Meetings held using audio (sound) technology are referred to as
audio conferencing. The normal telephone network can be used for audio conferencing,
which is frequently referred to as a phone conference.
The hardware required is:
• a computer (with built-in microphones and speakers)
• external microphone and/or speakers
• an internet phone
• a standard phone.
Advantages:
• Allows participants to join meetings from any location.
• Eliminates the need for travel expenses, such as transportation, accommodation,
and meals.
• saves time by eliminating travel time and allowing meetings to be scheduled and
conducted quickly.
Disadvantages:
• Lacks the visual aspect of face-to-face meetings, which can hinder
communication.
• Can limit interaction and engagement compared to in-person or video
conferencing.
• Heavily relies on technology, and technical issues such as poor audio quality,
background noise, or connectivity problems are common.

Web Conferencing:
Web conferencing, often known as webinars or webcasts, makes use of the
internet to enable conference calls. This system makes use of numerous
computers that are interconnected over the internet.

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It operates in real time, just like video conferencing, and enables the following
meeting types:
o business meetings to discuss new ideas
o presentations
o online education or training.
Advantages:
o Allows participants to see each other through video, providing a more
immersive and engaging experience compared to audio conferencing.
o Often offer screen sharing capabilities, enabling participants to share
presentations, documents, or other visual content in real-time.
o Often provide features like chat, polling, hand raising, and Q&A sessions,
fostering interactivity and engagement among participants.
Disadvantages:
o Heavily relies on internet connectivity and technical infrastructure.
o Can be susceptible to distractions and multitasking.
o Often have various features and settings that participants need to
familiarize themselves with, especially if they are new to the platform.

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