Information And Communication Technology

INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER NETWORKS AND COMMUNICATIONS

COMPUTER NETWORK

A computer network is a system of interconnected computers and peripheral devices. For example, it may connect computers, printers, scanners and cameras. Using hardware and software, these interconnected computing devices can communicate with each other through defined rules of data communications. In a network, computers can exchange and share information and resources.

A computer network may operate on wired connections or wireless connections. When two or more networks are linked or connected and are able to communicate with one another using suitable hardware and software, it is called an internetwork.

COMMUNICATIONS

Communications is about the transfer of information from a sender, across a distance, to a receiver. Using electricity, radio waves or light, information and data in the form of codes are transmitted through a physical medium such as wire, cable, or even the atmosphere.

Therefore, in order to make communications possible from computers, across telephones and radios and back to computers and other digital devices again, there must be a signal translator, which we call – a modem. The modem, which is short for modulator or demodulator, converts digital signals into analog and back again into digital signals for information to move across the telephone line.

CONNECTIONS FOR NETWORKING

• a physical medium – to allow data to travel across it from device to device
• a set of rules called protocols to ensure that interconnected computing devices have the same standards for exchange of information to occur smoothly.
• a system application for managing network information flow to ensure that data transmission sent from one device is received by the intended receiver.