Computer and Wireless Networking Basics

Computer and Wireless Networking Basics

By Bradley Mitchell, About.com Guide to Wireless / Networking

These pages review the types of designs, equipment, protocols and other technologies essential to building computer networks. You will learn how home and other private networks, public hotspots and the Internet function.

1. Fundamental Computer Networks Concepts
2. Types of Computer Networks
3. Types of Network Equipment
4. Ethernet

5. Wireless Local Area Networks
6. Internet Service
7. TCP/IP and Other Internet Protocols
8. Network Routing, Switching and Bridging

Fundamental Computer Networks Concepts

In the world of computers, networking is the practice of linking two or more computing devices together for the purpose of sharing data. Networks are built with a combination of computer hardware and computer software. Some explanations of networking found in books and tutorials are highly technical, designed for students and professionals, while others are geared more to home and business uses of computer networks.

• What Is Computer Networking?
• What Is Wireless Networking?
• World Wide Web (WWW)

• Client-Server Networks
• Peer-to-Peer Networks
• Free Computer Networking Books for Students

Types of Computer Networks

Networks can be categorized in several different ways. One method defines the type of a network according to the geographic area it spans. Alternatively, networks can also be classified based on topology or on the types of protocols they support.

• Introduction to Area Networks
• Introduction to Network Topologies
• Packet Switching
• Network Protocols

Types of Network Equipment

The building blocks of a wireless home network can include network adapters, routers and/or access points. Wired networks (and many wireless ones) also use cables of varying types. Finally, business and larger-scale networks often employ so-called high-end equipment for specialized purposes.

• What Is a Network Router?
• Routers vs Hubs vs Switches
• Wireless Network Hardware
• Network Cables

• Network Adapters
• Modems
• What Is a Lag Switch?

Ethernet

Ethernet is a physical and data link layer technology for local area networks. Homes, schools and offices around the world all commonly use Ethernet standard cables and adapters to network personal computers.

• What Is an Ethernet Card?
• CAT5 Ethernet Cables
• Ethernet Patch Cables
• What Is Gigabit Ethernet?

• WoL - Wake-on-LAN
• Autosensing
• Ethernet Q&A Interactive Quiz

Wireless Local Area Networks

Wi-Fi is the most popular wireless communication protocol for local area networks. Private home and business networks, and public hotspots, use Wi-Fi to networks computers and other wireless devices to each other and the Internet. Bluetooth is another wireless protocol commonly used in cellphones and computer peripherals for short range network communication.

• 802.11a vs 802.11b vs 802.11g
• Introduction to Wireless Hotspots
• Wi-Fi Equipment Gallery
• How Many Computers Can Share One Wi-Fi Network?
• How Does Using Wi-Fi Affect Computer Battery Life?

• What Is Bluetooth?
• GHz (Gigahertz) and MHz (Megahertz)
• Wireless Spread Spectrum Communication
• dB / dBm (decibel)

Internet Service

The technologies used to connect a network to the Internet are different than those used for local area networks. Common forms of Internet connectivity include DSL, cable modem and fiber.

• Internet Connection Alternatives for Home Networks
• DSL vs Cable Modem Internet
• Types of DSL
• T1 and T3 Lines
• Fiber Optic Cable

TCP/IP and Other Internet Protocols

TCP/IP is the primary network protocol of the Internet. A related family of protocols built on top of TCP/IP allow Web browsers, email and many other applications to communicate across networks globally. Applications and computers using TCP/IP identify each other with assigned IP addresses.

• Internet Protocol Tutorial
• Who Invented TCP/IP and the Internet?
• Internet Domain Names and Extensions
• What Is a DNS Server?
• WHOIS

• ICMP - Internet Control Message Protocol
• HTTP - Hypertext Transfer Protocol
• NTP - Network Time Protocol
• NetBIOS

Network Routing, Switching and Bridging

Most computer networks direct messages from source to destination devices using any of three techniques called routing, switching and bridging. Routers use certain network address information contained inside messages to send them ahead to their destination (sometimes indirectly via one or more additional routers). Switches use much of the same technology as routers but typically support local area networks only. Bridging allows messages to flow between two different types of physical networks.

• Spanning Trees
• What Is a Routing Table?
• Network Backbone
• CIDR - Classless Inter-Domain Routing
• QoS - Quality of Service

All about System

All About System.....

Microsoft first began development of the Interface Manager (subsequently renamed Microsoft Windows) in September 1981. Although the first prototypes used Multiplan and Word-like menus at the bottom of the screen, the interface was changed in 1982 to use pull-down menus and dialogs, as used on the Xerox Star. Microsoft finally announced Windows in November 1983, with pressure from just-released VisiOn and impending TopView.

Windows promised an easy-to-use graphical interface, device-independent graphics and multitasking support. The development was delayed several times, and Windows 1.0 hit the store shelves in November 1985. However, the selection of applications was sparse, and Windows sales were modest. As we can tell by simply looking around any office or computer lab, Windows sales have increased, and today, according to OneStat.com, the Windows OS is installed on 97% of all computers.

Since it's inception Windows has been widely criticized among the geek community for the numerous bugs and incompatibilities present within the operating system. Although these observations may have some foundation in the past, they are perpetuated by it's envious little brothers, Linux and the Macintosh OS. These operating systems share a relatively small share of the market, and are constantly alleging unfair business practices (some of which are true). Today the Windows XP OS rivals all others for stability and ease of use, which is quite an accomplishment for having to implement an operating system that must operate on technology developed by hundreds of manufactures, unlike the Macintosh OS which only must run on machines developed by Apple. With that being said, any machine as complex as Windows is bound to have some bugs, and we will learn some strategies that could be used to not only fix, but to prevent them.

Troubleshooting PCs is one of the most difficult subjects to teach. There is something very instinctual about it, but that urge has to be tempered with scientific research and facts. There are no answers here, only methods to approaching and solving problems. In this class you will learn different methods of PC Troubleshooting and how to invoke these methods by using different aspects of your PC.

Create a User Account and a VPN Client Exchange Users Group in Active Directory

Create a User Account and a VPN Client Exchange Users Group in Active Directory
Perform the following steps at the domain controller to create the user account and the VPN Exchange Users group in the Active Directory:
1. At the domain controller machine on the Internal network, click Start and point to Administrative Tools. Click on Active Directory Users and Computers.
2. In the Active Directory Users and Computers console, expand the domain name, msfirewall.org, and then click on the Users folder.
3. Right click the Users folder, point to New and click User.
4. In the New Object – User wizard, enter the First name of User1. Leave the Initials, Last name and Full Name text boxes empty. In the User logon name text box, enter user1. Click Next.
5. Enter a password for user1 and confirm the password in the Confirm Password text box. Remove the checkmark from User must change password at next logon and place checkmarks in the User cannot change password and Password never expires check boxes. Click Next.
6. Accept the default settings on creating an Exchange mailbox page and click Next.
7. Click Finish on the last page of the Wizard.
8. Right click the user1 user account and click Properties.
9. In the user1 Properties dialog box, click the Dial-in tab. Select the Allow access option in the Remove Access Permission (Dial-in or VPN) frame. Click Apply and OK.