Networking Technologies in Today’s Education Essay Example

for most applications and media file viewing. However, in a workstation, additional external monitors may be used, so the laptop's video system must support that configuration.

The camera must have a minimum of 3MP.

In today's world, having a wireless connection is crucial for any computer, including ours. Without it, the computer will not be suitable for online studies as internet access will only be limited to wired connections.

An operating system handles memory and storage. There are several operating systems to choose from, but it is advised to use Windows as it supports multiple applications. Windows 10 is the most advanced and therefore highly recommended.

A router is also necessary.

A wireless router is a device that connects to your internet service provider's modem and allows you to share your broadband connection with multiple devices. The router has the necessary hardware to turn your home into a personal wireless hotspot. To understand how a computer connects to the internet, we need to consider the role of internet service providers (ISPs) who facilitate the connection between your computer and all other computers worldwide. When connecting to an ISP, you receive a unique IP address that identifies your computer on the internet. Once everything is set up and all equipment is working, the computer uses TCP/IP to establish a connection with the router and communicate with other devices.

The router assigns your computer the local IP address 192.168.191.1. It then seeks an IP address from the ISP to establish an internet connection, assigning your WAN address as 175.51.129.89.

While browsing the internet, you enter the URL http://www.abcuniversity.com to access

the ABC University server.

The DNS translates this URL into the IP address 69.72.169.241.

The TCP/IP packet containing this request passes through multiple routers and computers until it reaches its destination at that IP address.

The TCP/IP packet is transmitted to its destination and establishes communication with the other computer. The other computer responds by sending the data back to your computer.

Services Required to Connect to ABC University

To connect to the internet, you will need an internet connection provided by an internet service provider (ISP). The choice of ISP and internet service depends on availability and offerings in your area.

The most common types of internet service include:

• Dial-up: This is a slow type of connection that uses phone lines. If you only have one phone line, you cannot use both landline and internet simultaneously.
• DSL: DSL offers faster broadband compared to dial-up.
• Cable: This type of connection utilizes cable TV, providing broadband. It can be faster than dial-up and DSL but is limited to areas with cable TV.
• Satellite: Satellite internet uses broadband without cables or phone lines, connecting via satellites. It works worldwide but may be affected by weather conditions. Satellite connections are typically slower than DSL or cable.
• 3G and 4G: These are wireless connections commonly used with mobile phones. They connect wirelessly through your ISP's network.

In today's networks, data is transferred using packet switching.The process includes breaking messages into packets and sending them between computers. The receiving end then combines the packets to recreate the original message, with each packet containing a header and data area of specified maximum size.

The header of a message includes the addresses and sequencing information for both the

source and destination computers. The Domain Name System (DNS) simplifies working with internet addresses by providing mnemonic textual addresses. DNS servers convert these mnemonic textual addresses into numeric Internet addresses. An IP address is utilized to identify a host machine on the Internet.

An IP port is a numerical identifier used to distinguish a specific application on an Internet host machine. Unlike serial communications, which only allow for 4 ports, there is no limitation on the number of ports for IP. Specific applications are assigned dedicated port numbers. In modern networks, data is transmitted via packet switching, where messages are divided into packets and exchanged between computers.

At the destination, data are extracted from one or more packets and used to reconstruct the original message. Each packet has a maximum size, and consists of a header and a data area. The header contains the addresses of the source and destination computers and sequencing information necessary to reassemble the message at the destination.

Connection to ABC University

Protocols govern the communications between two computers connected to the network. They define rules for addressing, routing, error detection and recovery, sequence and flow controls, etc.

A protocol specification includes the syntax and semantic. The syntax defines the message types and formats, while the semantic defines the entity's actions during specific events. For instance, the HTTP protocol facilitates communication between web browsers and servers. Request for Comments (RFC) provides specifications for internet communication protocols. For example, RFC 821 describes the communication between SMTP server and client. Protocols are typically designed following a layered architecture, like the OSI reference model.

Entities at each layer of the network communicate with entities at the

preceding layer. The exchange of Protocol Data Units (PDUs) occurs between layers, where each layer adds or removes its own header. This means that a PDU from one layer may become data for the next layer.

The Network layer performs similar functions to the physical, data link, and network layers in the OSI model. It maps IP addresses to physical network addresses and encapsulates IP datagrams in a format understood by the network.

The Internet layer is crucial in TCP/IP as it is based on the Internet Protocol (IP), which provides a framework for transmitting data between two places (A and B).

The Transport layer relies on two main protocols: TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) and UDP (User Datagram Protocol).

The Application Layer combines functionalities from the OSI application, presentation, and session layers. Protocols used in this layer include HTTP, FTP, SMTP, etc.

UDP is a connectionless protocol built on top of IP that allows specification of port numbers but lacks an error detection facility. Its packet-size limit matches that of IP at 64Kb.

TCP/IP supports data transmission without verification.The Internet has developed several application protocols, built on top of TCP/IP, to enable tasks such as file transfer, terminal connections, group communication, email services, and network management. The evaluation of this system relies on factors including traffic, network engineering, network architecture, and interconnection. The protocols utilized in these processes include FTP (File Transfer Protocol), Telnet, NNTP (Network News Transfer Protocol), SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), and SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol).

My ISP is encountering various issues with its network. Having a reliable and fast network is crucial for an excellent ISP experience. However, the system has several shortcomings, including slow internet speeds.

Despite advertising high bandwidths like 10MBps or more, the actual speeds users receive are much slower due to sharing with all connected individuals.

Another issue is the high cost of my ISP's internet connection and service fees compared to other providers in the country. This problem is further exacerbated by the slow internet speeds provided.

Moreover, there is poor response time from technical support due to a large number of dial-in users. The overwhelming amount of customers causes an overload, resulting in unanswered assistance requests.

Additionally, there is an imbalanced customer to modem ratio in my ISP's case. While a good ratio is typically between 10:1 to 12:1, my ISP's ratio ranges from 20:1 to 30:1 which is very poor. Especially during peak hours, this imbalance leads to internet connection slowdowns.

To be considered a good ISP, it is important to have a fast modem speed of at least 100mbps.The equipment used for building a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and a traditional wired Local Area Network (LAN) share some similarities. The connection should be either dynamic SLIP or dynamic PPP, while also recommending a fast backbone connectivity like a t3 connection.

Both networks require network interface cards or network adapter cards. A wireless LAN PC card, which has a built-in antenna, is utilized for connecting notebook computers to a wireless network. Usually, this card is inserted into the suitable slot on the side of the notebook; however, some may be internal. Desktop computers can also establish a connection with a wireless network by inserting a wireless network card into one of its internal PCI slots.

An access point in a wireless network operates like a hub in wired networks. It

transmits and receives signals via adapter cards on nearby computers while allowing integration with an existing wired network. However, the main distinction between wired and wireless networks is their method of connecting computers; wired networks use cables whereas wireless networks do not.

Wireless networks eliminate the need for physical cables to connect computers and can be established as ad hoc/peer-to-peer or local area networks. However, when transferring large files, the wireless network may exhibit noticeable slowness. This is especially important to consider when delivering multimedia applications to multiple users over the network. Furthermore, because a wireless network's range may extend beyond building walls, it becomes accessible from outside. As a result, it is essential to take into account the security features offered by the equipment in order to guarantee that only authorized users can access the network and safeguard data.

Systems set up screen shots

The process of setting up an IP address on Windows
An Internet address consists of 4 bytes separated by periods. For example, 136.102.233.49. The first three bytes (R= 1, 2, 3) represent the network address, while the remaining bytes (H = 3,2,1) are used for the host machine. These addresses are numeric quantities that computers are designed to work with but can be difficult for humans to remember. An example of an IP address is 204.160.241.98.

Test results from a ping to www.google.com
A ping test measures the latency in a computer network indicating how long it takes for data to travel from one computer to another on the network. Optimal ping results show minimal packet loss (less than 3%).

If your ping test yields multiple "Request Timed Out" responses or a delay time of "Maximum =

100ms" or more, it can cause audio to be dropped. Conducting an Internet connection speed test, like using www.speedtest.net, confirms the download speed, upload speed, and network latency. Regularly performing these tests offers vital information for troubleshooting media streaming issues on your home network. It is crucial to effectively manage the maintenance schedule of your network to ensure data safety, prevent security breaches, and achieve optimal performance.To ensure the effective maintenance of a network, it is recommended to perform the following tasks:

- Physical hardware check: Verify hardware termination, identify any computer hardware faults, test functionality of peripherals, check for disconnected cables, and investigate error indicators or lights.

- Software updates and licensing: Check for operating system updates, update all third-party applications, ensure antivirus software is fully updated, and verify product licensing.

- Disk management: Check disk for data integrity and consistency, monitor disk capacity, inspect network shares and disable unnecessary ones, analyze disk performance and usage.

- Event logs and services: Inspect system logs (including applications and security logs), check for failed services to start, disable unnecessary services. Archive old events with appropriate dates.

- Anti-virus: Review scan schedule time to ensure completion of scans. Clear quarantined items regularly. Monitor antivirus definition updates. Check event history for updates and detected viruses.

- Security: Enable firewall and router logs. Troubleshoot any findings as needed.

• Perform security checks on other applications and files if necessary.
• Check wireless authentication encryption, access control, and logs.
• Verify password strength policies.

Microsoft Exchange mail system:

• Inspect exchange event logs.
• Review mailbox space usage and identify any large mailboxes.
• Schedule a database compact using eseutil tools.

Network performance:

• Analyze network utilization rates.