Essential Computer Networking Terminology and Setup

Key Networking Concepts and Components

Definitions of Wireless and Wired Technologies

• Wi-Fi: Short for Wireless Fidelity, this term names the set of protocols for wireless networking through radio frequency.
• Bluetooth: A wireless communication protocol that uses radio frequencies and allows a range of up to 10 meters.
• Switch: A device used in cable network connections that toggles or selects the position to prioritize information at any time, ensuring data packets reach only their intended recipient.
• Hub: A device that allows the connection of multiple computers using a wired network. Data received are sent to all computers connected to it.
• PCI Bus: A bus or connector device located on the motherboard. Sound cards, network cards, capture cards, TV tuner cards, and modem cards connect to these ports.
• MAC Address: To display your computer's address over the network in Windows, run the command console and type the command ipconfig /all.
• MBPS: A unit that describes data transmission speed, representing millions of bits transmitted during one second.

Fundamentals of Computer Networks

• A computer network is the set of interconnected computers and electronic devices aimed at sharing computing resources and services.
• Networks can be classified into four types: PAN (Personal Area Network), LAN (Local Area Network), MAN (Metropolitan Area Network), and WAN (Wide Area Network).
• The distribution or pattern that describes the network is called network topology. Different network topologies include: bus, star, ring, tree, and mesh.
• The devices involved in a network are the network card, connection cable, the switch or router, and the router (repeated for emphasis).
• Wireless devices operate using electromagnetic waves propagating in space between a transmitter and a receiver antenna, capturable by any Wi-Fi antenna.
• The main purpose of a computer network is to share resources, including both files and devices.

Manually Configuring a Network Connection

Step 1: Assign the IP Address. We must know the router's IP direction so our team can assign an IP address within the same range. This means the first three digits must be equal, and the last digit must be different. The last digit should be between 2 and 225 and must not be repeated on any other device on our local network.

Step 2: Assign the Subnet Mask. The subnet mask defines the range admitted for working on the same network, which is part of a local network. It allows the creation of smaller networks within the local network. A common subnet mask is 255.255.0.0.

Step 3: Assign the DNS Server. This is the address of the server computer located at our Internet Service Provider (ISP) and should be provided by the company that supplies our Internet service.