An Overview Of Telecommunications

Telecommunications
Electronic transmission of signals for communications

Telecommunications medium
Any material substance that carries an electronic signal to support communications between a sending and receiving device

Telecommunications protocol
Defines set of rules that governs the exchange of information over a communications medium

PROTOCOL:
In information technology, a protocol is the special set of rules that end points in a telecommunication connection use when they communicate. On the Internet, there are the TCP/IP protocols, consisting of: Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), which uses a set of rules to exchange messages with other Internet points at the information packet level Internet Protocol (IP), which uses a set of rules to send and receive messages at the Internet address level Additional protocols that include the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and File Transfer Protocol (FTP), each with defined sets of rules to use with corresponding programs elsewhere on the Internet Wireless protocols, 802.11 - applies to wireless LANs and provides 1 or 2 Mbps transmission in the 2.4 GHz band (referred to as "Wi-Fi") Bluetooth A low-cost, short range wireless specification for connecting mobile products. It is best suited for connecting PDAs, cell phones and PCs over limited distances.
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Basic Telecommunications Channel Characteristics

Coaxial cable
Offers cleaner and crisper data transmission (less noise) than twisted-pair wire

Fiber-optic cable
Transmits signals with light beams

Broadband over power lines

Potential problem: transmitting data over unshielded power lines can interfere with both amateur (ham) radio broadcasts and police and fire radios
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Basic Telecommunications Channel Characteristics Wireless communications options

Wireless transmission involves the broadcast of communications in one of three frequency ranges Radio, microwave, or infrared frequencies

Short Range Wireless Options

Near Field Communication (NFC)
Short-range wireless connectivity technology designed for cell phones and credit cards

Bluetooth
Wireless communications specification that describes how cell phones, computers, personal digital assistants, etc., can be interconnected

Ultra wideband (UWB)

Transmits large amounts of digital data over short distances of up to 30 feet

Zigbee
Form of wireless communications frequently used in security systems and heating and cooling control systems

Medium Range Wireless Options

Wi-Fi (the 802.11 family of protocols)
Wireless telecommunications technology brand owned by the Wi-Fi Alliance

Wireless access point

Consists of a transmitter with an antenna, receives the signal, and decodes it

Wi-Fi access points

Have maximum range of about 300 feet outdoors and 100 feet within a dry-walled building

Bandwidth and Media

Bandwidth:
speed at which data are communicated amount of data that can be transmitted in a fixed time period

Bits per second (bps): unit of measure for bandwidth Baseband: carry only one transmission at a time Broadband: carry multiple transmissions simultaneously Wave Spectrum Electromagnetic Spectrum

Networks and Distributed Processing

Computer network
Consists of communications media, devices, and software needed to connect two or more computer systems or devices Can transmit and receive information to improve organizational effectiveness and efficiency

Network Types
Personal area networks
Supports interconnection of information technology within a range of about 33 feet (Bluetooth)

Local area networks

Connects computer systems and devices within a small area (e.g., office or home (Wi-Fi)

Metropolitan area networks

Connects users and their devices in a geographical area that spans a campus or city

Wide area networks

Ties together large geographic regions

Network Types

Network Types

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Client/Server Systems
Client/server architecture
Multiple computer platforms are dedicated to special functions

Client
Any computer that sends messages requesting services from the servers on the network

File server systems

Users can share data through file server computing

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CLIENT/SERVER A network architecture in which each computer or process on the network is either a client or a server. Servers are powerful computers or processes dedicated to managing disk drives (file servers), printers (print servers), or network traffic (network servers ). Clients are applications that run on a PC. Clients rely on servers for resources, such as files, devices, and even processing power. Another type of network architecture is known as a peer-to-peer architecture because each node has equivalent responsibilities. Both client/server and peer-to-peer architectures are widely used, and each has unique advantages and disadvantages. Client-server architectures are sometimes called two-tier architectures. CLIENT The client part of a client-server architecture. Typically, a client is an application that runs on a personal computer or workstation and relies on a server to perform some operations. For example, an e-mail client is an application that enables you to send and receive e-mail.

SERVERS

A server is a computer or device on a network that manages network resources. For example, a file server is a computer and storage device dedicated to storing files. Any user on the network can store files on the server. A print server is a computer that manages one or more printers, and a network server is a computer that manages network traffic. A database server is a computer system that processes database queries. Servers are often dedicated, meaning that they perform no other tasks besides their server tasks. On multiprocessing operating systems, however, a single computer can execute several programs at once. A server in this case could refer to the program that is managing resources rather than the entire computer.

Cloud Computing
o With cloud computing, businesses borrow computing power and storage from independent entities like Amazon. o The reason it is such a growing trend is that computing becomes more flexible and occurs at a lower cost to the business. o A business uses cloud-based applications through a web browser, mobile app or lightweight desktop. o Software and data are stored at a remote location. o Many cloud computing companies advertise themselves as a greener and more energy-efficient option. o Cloud servers can be up to 80 percent utilized, as opposed to traditional servers which are 25-30 percent utilized, resulting in fewer total servers needed.

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