A protocol is a method of sending different types of data from one computer to another.

Protocols are important because they are the transportation devices of the internet, they are the ones responsible for transportation of data.

Open protocols are protocols used for data transportation throughout a very wide area of connection.

An IP address is a string of decimal numbers ranging from 0 to 225 that identifies a computer.

People use URLs instead of IP addresses because it is easier to remember than an IP address.

Each computer must have an IP address so that the data downloaded from the internet can be delivered to the correct place.

Data packets are documents that are cut up into pieces making it easier to transfer the document from one place to another.

You need different protocols because if you have one protocol it will make the network system extremely slow.

A network is 2 or more computers, and often other devices (like printers, external hard drives and so on), that are linked together so they can share hardware and transfer data to each other.

3 examples of people using networks in everyday life is: online gaming, using a printer, and talking on Facebook.

In a large organization, a network administrator is responsible for keeping the network running efficiently and securely

Advantages of a network:

Being able to share printers, faxes and scanners among network users reduces the amount of devices needed. And saves money on space

Printers that are connected to networks work faster than single user printers.

A single connection to the internet provides many things including email, web and file access services to all network users.

Disadvantages of a network:

A careless user can bring a virus into the network, causing major damage to the computer software

Invasion of privacy and identity theft is very likely to happen

Users may accidentally send their files and information to the wrong person without realizing it

The biggest threats to the security of a network are viruses and hackers. But they can also come from inside the firewall in the form of workers accidentally causing careless or malicious incidents. It also can be in the form of mechanical breakdowns, thefts and fires

Three things you can do to make your network more secure is:

To keep a backup of your important files

Set permissions to sensitive and important files

Make sure when sending files and information that the recipients are trustworthy.

The way that cellphones connect to the internet is that they have in built antennas in them, which they use to send and retrieve packets of digital information via cellphone towers using radio waves

The main type of cable used in office and home networks are unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cables.

UTP cables have 4 pairs of wires. Each pair of wires twist around each other to reduce interference with the signal on the wire. The wires are color coded so that it's easier to assemble the rj45 connectors.

Another computer connecting device is called an optical fiber cable.

The typical speed of transmission on a UTP cable is around 100 Mbps.

The main advantage of UTP cables is that it has the optimum balance of speed, cost, reliability, security. The disadvantage is that if a company moves to a different building the wiring has to be left behind and it is expensive to make major changes to the wiring.

The way that data moves back and forth from optical fibers is that it moves packets of data in the form of light pulses. The core of an optical fiber cable carries the light pulses and the cladding reflects the light pulses back into the core.