System Fundamental Week 9 - CameronProvost/Tech-Journal GitHub Wiki

Networking Overview

Networks exist in many places in the world, not just when referring to computers. Some examples are road, telephone networks, electrical networks, cellular networks, and air traffic control networks. In terms of computers a network refers to two are more computers with the capability to share data and communicate with each other.

Network Topologies

A network topology is how the network is physically wired and layed out. Within a LAN network the most common way of connection is through the use of ethernet which is used to connect two devices direct;ly together or connect multiple devices to a hub or switch.Switches are more intelligent than hubs when it comes to communicating and transferring data across a network. When a hub receives data it broadcasts that data to every connected device apart from the original sender. A switch is able to choose specific destinations for the data.

The OSI Model

The Open Systems Interconnect or OSI is a standard model for information transfer across a network.The OSI model follows specific guidelines to ensure both data reliability and security. It also divides the network into layers which makes the OSI model easier to understand, teach, and it makes things easier for manufacturers and technicians. Each layer of the OSI model performs a different task making the system very efficient.

The TCP/IP Model

Network protocols are data communication languages. One of these languages is Transfer Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol.TCP/IP is the most common protocol, and it is required for a system to access the internet. TCP/IP is split into four layers and it describes how data flows through a computer.

Network Addressing

Network adapters have two network addresses assigned to them, a MAC address, and an IP address. Mac addresses are unique to that specific piece of hardware, and Ip address are unique within the local network, where they can be either dynamic or static. IPv4 is the current format for IP addresses however it is quickly changing to IPv6 due to more addresses being needed for the ever growing population of computers. A computer can have two IP addresses both a public and private address. The public address is assigned and is used to identify the computer when connected to the internet, where a private address is what is assigned to identify a system on a local network.

IP Addressing

IP addresses are broken down into two parts: the network number and the host number. The network number represents the network the computer is on and the host represents the specific computer.

Network Troubleshooting

When troubleshooting a network it comes down to how many devices are affected to determine the issue. The ping command is a useful tool when trying to see which devices are connected and able to communicate with each other. The ipconfig command shows the current computer configuration and will show if the device has an ip address which is helpful when finding the connectivity issues.

How would you classify Champlain's network (for example, is it a PAN, LAN, or WAN)? Justify your answer.

Champlain’s network would be a WAN because the devices are all interconnected on the same network, however the connected spans across the entire campus and use many different hubs and routers.

Between the OSI and TCP/IP Model, which one seems more useful for describing networks? Justify your answer

I think the TCP/IP model is more useful because it is what is used in the real world environment. The OSI model is great for when someone is first learning the basics, but the TCP/IP model covers the same thing but it is applicable to real world environments.

Suppose a colleague came to you and said that they could not connect to a website. How might you use some or all of the network tools from this chapter to diagnose the problem?

First is to identify if the computer can communicate with other devices using ping. If you the ipconfig and ip release commands maybe be a solution to reestablish the connection.

System Utilities

System utilities are functions built into the operating system to perform tasks and make other tasks easier for the user. File manager performs functions related to file management, the search utility allows the user to find a specific file. Image viewer allows pictures and graphics to be displayed, disk clean up, uninstaller, and disk defragmenter perform functions that relate to keeping the disk storage running and efficient. Backup and restore utilities allow the user to perform functions that provide a safe fall back and restore in the event of a system crash or issue. Personal firewall and antivirus programs protect the system from viruses or other harmful programs. File compression allows the user to shrink files to help save storage space. The media player is a program that allows the user to view video files and animations.