Networks can consist of different type of networks, for example: LAN (Local Area Network) and WAN (Wide
Area Network). A LAN s two or more connected computers in a room or building, whereas a A WAN is a Wide
Area Network covering a large geographical area such as a city, country or continent. Some Advantages of
LAN are: you are able to share your peripherals, you can use a file server so that you are all able to access
files, the computers on the network can be centrally managed.
When you are creating something such as a LAN it can be quite expensive, for example
when buying equipment you need things like; a central hub (Server), multiple
computers, wires to connect all the computers (Ethernet Cable), as you can imagine all
this would come at a high price.
Peer-To-Peer
The
client-server
model is the
relationship
between two
computers in
which one,
the client,
makes a
service
request from
another, the
server. The
key point
about a
client-server
model is that
the client is
dependent
on the server
to provide
and manage
the
information.
Client-Server
In a P2P
network, no
single
provider is
responsible
for being the
server. Each
computer
stores files
and acts as a
server. Each
computer
has equal
responsibility
for providing
data.
The Internet
The internet is a global
network of computers
that any computer can
join. It is a WAN - which
is a series of connected
LANs.
Data packets are sent
between computers using
protocols that manage how
data is sent and received.
The internet also uses
different models - such as
the client-server model and
the P2P model - to connect
computers in different ways.
The internet is leading to
more and more people using
cloud computing to store
files and use web
applications online.
Every device on the internet has a unique IP
address. The IP address is included in a data
packet. IP addresses are either 32-bit or 128-bit
numbers. The address is broken down into four
8-bit numbers . Each octet can represent a number
between 0 and 255 and is separated by a full stop,
eg 192.168.0.12.
Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) is a
basic programming language for building
web pages. It uses a set of predefined
tags that the web browser then
interprets and renders/displays.
Images can be saved in a variety of file formats. Different
file formats exist because some are better at certain
tasks than others. Graphics packages allow the user to
save their work in compatible file formats that can be
used in a variety of software programs - eg .jpg, .gif, .tiff.
Most digital cameras automatically save photographs as
.jpg.
Compression is used to
reduce file sizes and
change various attributes
of an image file.
Compression can be lossy or
lossless. Lossless compression
means that as the file size is
compressed, the picture quality
remains the same - it does not
get worse. Also, the file can be
decompressed to its original
quality. Lossy compression
permanently removes data.