B1 Connectivity GapFill

The most useful way of using devices is when they are connected to a network.

A network can either be wired using copper cable or  glassaluminiumplasticgold fibre-optic cable, or use no cables at all between the access point and the user’s device – a  dial-upwirelesswiredPAN network.

As a result, most devices now have either  USBaudioan Ethernetvideo port (e.g. on a network adapter / interface card) or a Wi-Fi receiver, or sometimes both.

In your home broadband setup, you will have a  routerswitchwireless access pointPoE switch that includes a modem that will create and connect your  lightlocallayerland area network (LAN) to your Internet service provider (ISP), allowing you access to the Internet. It may also act as a network  jackEthernetswitchfirewall which allows data to be sent between your devices – e.g. you may have a wireless printer on your home network.

A large business will have a more sophisticated setup. For example, all of the data may pass through a security device called a hard  LANWANfirewallantivirus to block malicious traffic. There will also be several  modemsdevelopmentsnodesswitches that route data between wired devices on the network. One or more wireless  bridgespacketsmodemsaccess points might be installed throughout the building to allow staff to connect laptops and tablets.

Copper cables are run through the walls, on cable trays and above suspended ceilings in offices. They are formed from copper cables in  pairsquadscoressingle strands that are twisted together, and have different standards based on shielding and the speed of data transmission (Cat 6 or 7 vs Cat 5e) – but they can only be run for  20015010100 metres. Therefore  aluminiumfibrePVCcopper might be run between switches that require a greater span.

In homes and businesses, the most reliable and fastest connection to a router is a  wiredwirelessad-hocWAN network, which is also secure because it cannot be accessed outside the building. Wireless networks, however, are prone to interference – the signal may have difficulty travelling through  paperglassairwalls and floors, or suffer from interference from overlapping networks and electronic equipment. However, wireless connections are often used for their  speedquality of serviceflexibilityhigh latency and cheapness because devices don’t need to be connected to a wall with wires, and the setup costs are less. Wireless extenders may need to be installed to address the range issue, and in the home, the router should ideally be located in the middle of the property.