COMPUTER NOTES ON NETWORKING

Hardware Accessories :
Accessories which are used in hardware are called hardware accessores. For example- DECORATIVE NUT A447, PUSHBUTTON CAP A212 etc.

Configuration :
The hardware configuration functions retrieve information such as processor, hardware profile, and keyboard information.

Operating System :
An operating system (OS) is a set of software that manages computer hardware resources and provides common services for computer programs. The operating system is a vital component of the system software in a computer system

Software :
Computer software, or just software, is a collection of computer programs and related data that provides the instructions for telling a computer what to do and how to do it. Software refers to one or more computer programs and data held in the storage of the computer for some reasons.

Random Access Memory :

Random Access Memory, RAM, also known as main memory or system memory, is a term commonly used to describe the memory within a computer. Unlike ROM, RAM is a volatile memory and requires power; if power is lost, all data is also lost.

Read Only Memory :

Read-Only Memory, ROM is memory that is capable of holding data and having that data read from the chip. However, ROM is not capable of being written to or having its data modified. UnlikeRAM, ROM is non-volatile and capable of keeping its contents regardless if it has power or not. A good example of ROM is EEPROM, which is used for the computer BIOS.

central processing unit(CPU) :

The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is responsible for interpreting and executing most of the commands from the computer's hardware and software. The CPU could be considered the "brains" of the computer.

Post :
power-on self-test, the POST is a test the computer must complete to verify all hardware is working properly before starting the remainder of the boot process. If the computer passes the POST the computer will often return a single beep and if unsuccessful will create a beep code that indicates the error.

Beep code listing and Power On Self Test help and support POST troubleshooting steps. How does a computer work? 2. When referring to a message board, a post refers to an article published on an Internet newsgroup, forum, or other bulletin board area. It is also the act of publishing such a message.

Kernel :
When referring to a computer operating system, the kernel is the first section of the operating system to load into memory. The computer kernel can be responsible for such things as: disk drive management, interrupt handler, file management, memory management, process management, etc.

BIOS :
Short for Basic Input/Output System, the BIOS, ROM BIOS, orSystem BIOS is a chip located on all motherboards that contain instructions and setup for how your system should boot and how it operates. In most PCs, the BIOS has 4 main functions as-POST, Bootstrap Loader, BIOS drivers, BIOS or CMOS Setup

Networks :
A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of computers and other hardware components interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information.

Intranet :
It is the generic term for a collection of private computer networks within an organization. An intranet uses network technologies as a tool to facilitate communication between people or work groups to improve the data sharing capability and overall knowledge base of an organization's employees.

LAN :
A local area network (LAN) supplies networking capability to a group of computers in close proximity to each other such as in an office building, a school, or a home. A LAN is useful for sharing resources like files, printers, games or other applications.

Straight Cable :
You usually use straight cable to connect different type of devices. This type of cable will be used most of the time.

Cross Cable :
Ethernet crossover cables are most often used in home networks when connecting two ethernet computers without a hub. An Ethernet crossover cable has it's send and receive wires crossed. When using a hub or switch, this is automatically done for you.

Rollover Cable :
You can identify a roll-over cable by comparing the two modular ends of the cable. Holding the cables side-by-side, with the tab at the back, the wire connected to the pin on the outside of the left plug should be the same color as the wire connected to the pin on the outside of the right plug.
Router Pin name WhiteOrange Orange White Green Blue WhiteBlue Green WhiteBrown Brown Router Pin 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Direction Workstation Workstation Pin Pin name 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Brown White-Brown Green White-Blue Blue White-Green Orange WhiteOrange

LAN Structure :
Networks are usually classified using three properties: Topology, Protocol, and Architecture. Topology specifies the geometric arrangement of the network. Common topologies are a bus, ring, and star. A bus topology means that each computer on the network is attached to a common

central cable, called a bus or backbone. This is a rather simple network to set up. Ethernets use this topology. A ring topology means that each computer is connected to two others, and they arranged in a ring shape. These are difficult to set up, but offer high bandwidth. A star topology means all computers on the network are connected to a central hub. These are easy to set up, but bottlenecks can occur because all data must pass through the hub. You can consult the diagram below to see these three topologies:

Internet :
A global network connecting millions of computers. More than 100 countries are linked into exchanges of data, news and opinions. Unlike online services, which are centrally controlled, the Internet is decentralized by design. Each Internet computer, called a host, is independent.

Wide Area Network :

A WAN spans a large geographic area, such as a state, province or country. WANs often connect multiple smaller networks, such as local area networks (LANs) or metro area networks (MANs).

ISP :
An Internet service provider (ISP) is an organization that provides access to the Internet.

Public IP :
An IP address is considered public if the IP number is valid and falls outside any of the IP address ranges reserved for private uses by Internet standards groups.

Static IP :
When we talk about IP addresses of home computers, we are usually referring to two types of address. One is your external IP address the one that the world sees as your Internet connection. Then you have your private IP addresses internally on your home network. Even if you only have one computer on your home network, it will have a private IP given to it by the router. Private IP addresses cannot be routed over the Internet and are strictly for private use. There are a few possible ranges of private IP address, but for most home users this will be 192.168.*.* (where * can be anything).

IP Routing :
IP Routing is an umbrella term for the set of protocols that determine the path that data follows in order to travel across multiple networks from its source to its destination.

IP Tables :
Ip tables is a user space application program that allows a system administrator to configure the tables provided by the Linux kernel firewall and the chains and rules it stores. Different kernel modules and programs are currently used for different protocols.

IP Address :
An Internet Protocol address (IP address) is a numerical label assigned to each device (e.g., computer, printer) participating in a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication.

Types of IP Address :
1.Static 2.Shared Thus, using more than one site on an IP address is called a Shared IP address. If a site has its own IP address, and shares with no one else, it is called a Static IP address.

Traffic Controller :
In computer networking, network traffic control is the process of managing, prioritising, controlling or reducing the network traffic, particularly Internet bandwidth, used by network administrators, to reduce congestion, latency and packet loss. This is part of bandwidth management. In order to use these tools effectively, it is necessary to measure the network traffic to determine the causes of network congestion and attack problems.

Open System Interconnection model :

The OSI, or Open System Interconnection, model defines a networking framework for implementing protocols in seven layers. Control is passed from one layer to the next, starting at the application layer in one station, and proceeding to the bottom layer, over the channel to the next station and back up the hierarchy. Application (Layer 7): This layer supports application and end-user processes. Communication partners are identified, quality of service is identified, user authentication and privacy are considered, and any constraints on data syntax are identified. Presentation (Layer 6): The presentation layer works to transform data into the form that the application layer can accept.

Session (Layer 5): This layer establishes, manages and terminates connections
between applications. The session layer sets up, coordinates, and terminates conversations, exchanges, and dialogues between the applications at each end. Transport (Layer 4): This layer provides transparent transfer of data between end systems, or hosts, and is responsible for end-to-end error recovery and flow control. It ensures complete data transfer.

Network (Layer 3): This layer provides switching and routing technologies, creating logical
paths, known as virtual circuits,for transmitting data from node to node. Data Link (Layer 2): At this layer, data packets are encoded and decoded into bits. It furnishes transmission protocol knowledge and management and handles errors in the physical layer, flow control and frame synchronization. Physical (Layer 1): This layer conveys the bit stream - electrical impulse, light or radio signal -- through the network at the electrical and mechanical level. It provides the hardware means of sending and receiving data on a carrier, including defining cables, cards and physical aspects. Fast Ethernet, RS232, and ATM are protocols with physical layer components.