Week 2: Computing Essentials

Lesson 3: Network Connectivity

When you heard of terms: Network, Internet, or Connectivity, what comes into your mind?
When we say Network in computing terminology it is a group of different computer or digit devices that
is interconnected with each other. And according to Techopedia.com, “Network Connectivity describes
the extensive process of connecting various parts, a network to one another, for example, through the
use of routers, switches, and gateways, and how the process works”.

On this lesson, we will be discussing some of the basic terminologies about Network
Connectivity such as intranet, extranet, internet, protocol, LAN, WAN, and packets. More advance
terminologies will be discussed later in the following chapters.

Let us begin by defining the first three terminologies namely, Intranet, extranet, and internet.
Basically, this three can categorized as on because of their similar networking method and according to
the Tutorialspoint.com “Intranet is a networking system in which multiple PCs are connected to each
other but are not available to the world outside the intranet.” Meaning intranet is a type of network
that is only available to the resources or computers inside an organization. Most companies are utilizing
this type of technology to protect their data from the outside networks or outside intruders known to be
hackers.

So next is Extranet, if we define intranet is inside network then Extranet can be defined as
outside network. What do I mean about that? Extranet is also a networking system that allows outside
networks to connect to your inside network securely. For example, you have an integrated inventory
system that has suppliers in it then you can allow your suppliers system to connect securely into your
system to provide you with their updated supplies and as well as their available inventory.

And lastly, we have Internet; According again to Tutorialspoint.com. Internet is a world-wide /

global system of interconnected computer network. Its uses standard Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and
every computer in an internet I defined by unique IP address. These IP address serve as the house
address of the computer to identify their location. A special Computer DNS (Domain Name Server) is
used to give name to the IP address so that user can locate a computer by a name. So if I will to
summarize the definition given by TutorialPoint.com, Internet only means WWW or Worldwide web and
it is the network that we use every now and then such as Facebook, the Twitter, the google, the yahoo,
and many more.

Next thing to define is Protocol. What is protocol? According to Computerguru.com “A Network

Protocol is a specialized language that enables network computers to communicate. Different types of
computers using different operating systems, can communicate with each other, and share information
if they follow the network protocols. A protocol suite is a set of related protocols that come from a
single developer or source. While a protocol stacks is a set of two or more protocols that work, together
with each protocol covering a different aspect of data communication.”

With the definition given computerguru.net, we can say that protocol is like a common language
we use to be understood and to understand people from other countries. Like for example English
language, if we go to other country like Japan, If we speak using our native language the people in that
country will no understand us but if we use English language then there will be some people of that
country that will understand us. And it goes the same way with computers is we connect MAC
computers with intel computers and they user their native protocols then they could not connect to one
another but if they will use common protocols then they could not connect to one another but if they
will use common protocols then they can connect to one another.

After discussing what protocol is? We can now discuss the two different type of Networks
namely LAN (LOCAL AREA NETWORK) and WAN (WIDE AREA NETWORK). LAN according to
Creatibewisdom.com is smaller network that is within one location or between several buildings. And
when we say LAN it can be in one room, several rooms in a floor, between floors or can be between
building but connected locally meaning LAN doesn’t use service providers to transport data from one
location to another location or from one building to another building.

And WAN accruing to Creative-Wisdom.com is a giant network spanning across several cities or
even several continents, And if we talked about WAN, we are also talking about several Service Provider
Technologies that can be used to transport the date from one location to another location like Leased
Lines, VPN, ATM, ISDN and many more. To sum up the definition of LAN and Wan, LAN is contained in a
smaller are or smaller network while WAN is into a much wider geographical scope that uses Service
Provider Technologies.

Last topic for this lesson is Packets. And more advance topic for Network Connectivity will be
discussed in Chapter 4 of this course module. Packets are the mot basic unit that transferred over a
network. When communicating over the most network, Packets are the envelops that carry your data
into pieces from one end point to the other. And packets are the protocol data unit for the Network
Layer of the OSI Model.
Lesson 6: People behind these systems

This is the last lesson for Chapter 1: Computing Essential and what we will be discussing here are
some of the career path that leads to Information Technology or Computer Science. Nd for this lesson
we will be using the Computing Essential Book of O’Leary.

People are the most important part of an information system. People are touched hundred of
times daily by computers and the purpose of the information systems is to make people, or end-users
like you, more productive. Here are some of the fasted growing career opportunities in the field of
information technology.

1. Webmasters – develop and maintain web sites and web resources. Webmasters also monitors and
initiates steps to increase the traffic at websites.

2. Software Engineers – Analyze user’s needs and create application software. They have a background
in programming and focus on the design and development of programs.

3. Database Administrators – use specialized database management software to determine the most
efficient ways to organize and access a company’s data. Additionally, they are responsible for
maintaining database security ad backing up the corporate databases.

4. System Analysts – Address specific organization need for information. Working with end users and
other computer professionals, they follow the step in the systems life cycle which includes preliminary
investigation analysis, design, development, implementation, and maintenance.

5. Computer Programmers – Create, test, and troubleshoot program used by computers. Most
programmers work for companies that create and sell software’s, but programmers may also be
employed in various other business.

There are still lots of different position or work opportunities that is related to Information
Technology and Computer Science, but we will just stick to what O’Leary have discussed in his book.