Mr.

K Hinds | 2016
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CSEC ICT Module 4

Data Communication
Data communications refers to the transmission of this digital data between two or more
computers
Network
A computer network is a wired and/or wireless connection of two or more computers that allows
computers to exchange data and share resources.
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Types of networks
There are four basic types of networks. There is a Personal Area Network (PAN), Local Area
Network (LAN), Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN).
Personal Area Network (PAN)
A personal area network (PAN) is the interconnection of devices within a small range
(about 10 meters or less) a person. For example, a person traveling with a laptop, a
personal digital assistant (PDA), and a portable printer could interconnect them without
having to plug anything in, using some form of wireless technology (e.g. Bluetooth)
Local Area Network (LAN)
A local area network (LAN) is a group of computers and other networked devices that
share network resources (storage, printers, scanners, etc.) within a small geographic area
such as an office building or home.
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
A metropolitan area network (MAN) is a network that interconnects computer resources
in one or more geographic areas or regions. For example, a MAN can be used to connect
a company with multiple sites within a country.
Wide Area Network (WAN)
A WAN is a computer network that spans a large geographical area. Computers
connected to a wide-area network are often connected through public networks, such as
the telephone system. They can also be connected through leased lines or satellites. The
largest WAN in existence is the Internet.

Transmission Media
Cable/Wired Media
Physical media refers to the physical materials that are used to transmit information in
data communications. It is referred to as physical media because the media is physical
object such as copper or glass. It can be touched and felt, and has physical properties such
as weight and color. For a number of years, copper and glass were the only media used in
computer networking.
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Coaxial Cable

Coaxial cables are a type of cable that is used by cable

TV and data communications.
Taking a round cross-section of the cable, one would find
a single center solid wire surrounded by a braided or foil
conductor. Between the center wire and foil is an
insulator. Data flows through the center copper wire.

Twisted Pair

A type of cable that consists of two independently insulated

copper or aluminum clad wires twisted around one another.
The use of two wires twisted together helps to reduce
electromagnet interference. Twisted-pair cable is the least
expensive type of local-area network (LAN) cable.

Fiber Optic
Fiber optic is the medium used to transmit
information as light along a glass tube over
large distances. Fiber optic wire carries much
more information than conventional copper
wire and is far less subject to electromagnetic
interference. This type of cable is more
expensive than coaxial or twisted pair.
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Wireless Media
Wireless is a term used to describe telecommunications in which electromagnetic waves
(rather than some form of wire) carry the signal over part or all of the communication
path.
Satellite
Allows transmission of data across the globe using a global network of
satellite dishes and earth orbiting satellites.
Infra-Red
IR wireless -- the use of devices that convey data via IR (infrared)
radiation; employed in certain limited-range communications and control
systems
Microwave
Microwave communication is method of wirelessly sending data. It is very
similar to radio technology. Microwaves are right next to radio waves on
the electromagnetic spectrum

Wireless Technology – Bluetooth

A standard for the short-range wireless interconnection of cellular phones, computers, and other
electronic devices.

Wireless Technology – Wi-Fi

A facility allowing computers, smartphones, or other devices to connect to the Internet or
communicate with one another wirelessly within a particular area.

Other Terms
Hotspot
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Modem
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Bandwidth
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Broadband
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Narrowband
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Voice Band
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Communication Modes
Simplex
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Half Duplex
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Duplex
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Point to Point
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Broadcast
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Definitions Cont.
Internet
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Intranet
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Extranet
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Internet Concepts
For Homework, please give the definitions of the following terms. It is expected that you know
these terms as they are referred to multiple times in the exam.
 Email  Webpage
 News Group  Website
 Internet Relay Chat (IRC)  Blogging
 Telnet  Webserver
 File Transfer Protocol (FTP)  URL
 Upload  E Commerce
 Download  E Learning
 World Wide Web  Podcast
 Web Browser  Bulletin Board
 HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer  VOIP
Protocol)
 HTML/XHTML