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Chapter 1
Introduction to Networking
It is important to be able to recognize and name the major components of a PC for the following three reasons: Computers are important network-building devices. an! networking devices are special-purpose computers" with man! of the same parts as #normal# PCs. $or !ou to view the online curriculum" !our own computer must be in working order" which means that !ou might need to occasionall! troubleshoot simple problems in !our computer%s hardware and software.

Concept Questions &emonstrate !our knowledge of these concepts b! answering the 'uestions in the (ngineering )ournal space provided. 1. *he transistor and the integrated circuit made modern computers possible. (+plain wh!. The invention of a semiconductor transistor opened up many possibilities for making smaller, more reliable computers. Millions of transistors can now be placed on one small piece of semiconductor. Further microminiaturization of integrated circuits leads to widespread use of PCs in homes and businesses. ,. If !our computer doesn%t power up" what steps might !ou take to identif! and correct the problemf your computer does not power up as e!pected, consider verifying the following" .. Power cord is plugged into wall socket. Power switch is switched to the on #$% position. Motherboard power inlet is securely fastened.

(+plain how to do the following: /. 0elect the 1IC card. The network card selection should involve consideration of the following" &us type #PC , '(, ) '(, and so on% *etwork topology #bus, ring, star%

Medium type #+TP, 'TP, $,&ase-, $,&ase., $,&aseF% Transport speed #$ Mbps, / Mbps, $, Mbps, $0 Mbps, $,, Mbps, $,,, Mbps%

2. 0et the correct IP address. The P address selected should be on the same network or subnetwork as the other devices that need to be accessed. This should be a uni1ue address that is not currently being used by any other nodes on the local network. C. /djust the displa! 3if necessar!4. The display can easily be changed by selecting the display icon from the control panel. 'elect the setting option and choose the desired resolution and color depth. Click (pply to reflect changes. (nother way is to right2click the mouse and choose the properties window. &. Install and set up the browser. +se the installer program to install and configure your browser. 3nce installed, add any necessary browser plug2ins such as Flash or 'hockwave. Choose your method of connectivity, usually dialup or local2area network #4(*%. The first connection attempt after install will invoke the nternet 5izard +tility. Vocabulary Exercise &efine the following terms as completel! as !ou can. 5se the online curriculum or Chapter 1 of the Cisco Networking Academy Program CCNA 1 and 2 Companion Guide" *hird (dition" material for help. ('C #(merican 'tandard Code for nformation nterchange% 6/n 7-bit code 38 bits plus parit!4 for character representation. &ackplane6Ph!sical connection between an interface processor or card and the data buses and power distribution buses inside a Cisco chassis. &ackplane components62ackplane" interface" mouse port" network card" parallel port" and other miscellaneous ports. &inary6*he binar! number s!stem" or 2ase ," is made up entirel! of 9s and 1s. Computers use 2ase , to e+press IP addresses. &its6(ach variable set b! a computer is represented as being a 9 or a 1. *hese 9s and 1s represent a circuit being open or closed" or a capacitor being charged or uncharged. (ach 9 and 1 is said to be a bit. &us6/ collection of wires through which data is transmitted from one part of a computer to another. It connects all the internal computer components to the CP5. *he Industr! 0tandard /rchitecture 3I0/4 and the Peripheral Component Interconnect 3PCI4 are two t!pes of buses.

&ytes6*erm used to refer to a series of consecutive binar! digits that are operated upon as a unit 3for e+ample" an 7-bit b!te4. Capacitor6/ capacitor consists of two conducting metal plates separated b! an insulating material. Capacitors store energ! in the form of electrostatic fields. C6273M drive6/ compact disk read-onl! memor! drive: a device that can read information from a C&-;< . Central processing unit #CP+% 6*he part of a computer that controls all the other parts. It fetches instructions from memor! and decodes them. *his action ma! cause it to transfer data to or from memor! or to activate peripherals to perform input or output. )!pansion slots6/n opening in a computer where a circuit board can be inserted to add new capabilities to the computer. Floppy disk drive6/ disk drive that can read and write to flopp! disks" usuall! in the . => 1.?? 2 or @ A> 1., 2 format. 8ard disk drive6*he device that reads and writes data on a hard disk. *wo main t!pes of drive interfaces are current in toda!Bs computers: the Integrated &rive (lectronics 3I&(4 drive and the 0mall Computer 0!stem Interface 30C0I: pronounced scuzzy4 drive. 5suall! referred to b! interface t!pe and capacit! 3 2 or C2: for e+ample" 19 C2 0C0I drive4. ntegrated circuit # C% 6/ device made of semiconductor material: it contains man! transistors and performs a specific task. (n interrupt re1uest line # 79% 6/ signal informing a CP5 that an event that needs its attention has occurred. 4ight emitting diodes #4)6s%6/ semiconductor device that emits light when a current passes through it. 4ocal2area network 34(*%6D/1s consist of computers" network interface cards" networking media" network traffic control devices" and peripheral devices in a single building or geographicall! limited area. D/1s make it possible for businesses that use computer technolog! to efficientl! share items" such as files and printers" and to make communications such as e-mail possible. *he! tie together data" communications" computing" and file servers. Microprocessor6/ silicon chip that contains a CP5. Monitor connector6*he part of a video cable that plugs into a port or an interface. 0EC/ connectors are t!picall! a 1@-pin connector. Motherboard:*he main printed circuit board of a microcomputer. Mouse port / port designed to connect a mouse to a PC. *etwork614 Collection of computers" printers" routers" switches" and other devices that are able to communicate with each other over some transmission medium

*etwork card:14 /n e+pansion board inserted into a computer so that the computer can be connected to a network. ,4 2oard that provides network communication capabilities to and from a computer s!stem. /lso called an adapter. * C #network interface card% 6/lso called a LAN adapter" it plugs into a motherboard and provides a port to connect to the network. / 1IC communicates with the network through a serial connection" and with the computer through a parallel connection. (ach card re'uires an I;F" an IG< address" and an upper memor! address to work with &<0 or Hindows I@GI7 Parallel port:/n interface capable of transferring more than one bit simultaneousl!. It is used to connect e+ternal devices" such as printers. PC components6Components found within a personal computer include the motherboard" video card" network adapter" hard drive" CP5" memor!" sound card" C&;< drive" flopp! drive" and power suppl!. Personal computer subsystems:0ubs!stems of a personal computer include the s!stem bus" C&-;< drive" CP5" e+pansion cards" e+pansion slots" flopp! disk drive" hard disk drive" motherboard" and power suppl!. Power cord:/ cord used to connect an electrical device to an electrical outlet to provide power to the device. Power supply6*he component that supplies power to a computer. *he power suppl! converts /C power to &C and breaks it into the amounts needed b! different devices. Printed circuit boards #PC&s% 6 / thin plate on which chips 3integrated circuits4 and other electronic components are placed. Protocol614 $ormal description of a set of rules and conventions that govern how devices on a network e+change information. ,4 $ield within an IP datagram that indicates the upper la!er 3Da!er ?4 protocol sending the datagram. 7andom2access memory #7(M% 6/lso known as read-write memor!" ;/ new data written into it and stored data read from it. / drawback of ;/ re'uires electrical power to maintain data storage. 7esistor6/ device made of a material that opposes the flow of electric current. 7ead2only memory #73M% 61onvolatile memor! that can be read" but not written" b! the microprocessor. ;< retains its contents even when the computer is turned off. 'erial port:/n interface that can be used for serial communication in which onl! one bit is transmitted at a time. 'mall, discrete components6Components that are usuall! found in a laptop. *hese components are smaller6the e+pansion slots become PC CI/ or PC slots" where 1ICs" modems" hard drives" and other useful devices" usuall! the size of a thick credit card" can be inserted into the PC CI/ slots along the perimeter. can have is that it

'older6/ conductor that is made up a mi+ture of lead 3Pb4 and tin 30n4" and water with ions. 'ound card6/n e+pansion card that handles all sound functions. 'ubnetwork6In IP networks" a network sharing a particular subnet address. 0ubnetworks are networks arbitraril! segmented b! a network administrator in order to provide a multilevel" hierarchical routing structure while shielding from the addressing comple+it! of attached networks. 0ometimes called a subnet. 'ubnetwork mask6/ .,-bit address mask use in IP to indicate the bits of an IP address that are being used for the subnet address. 0ubnet masks filter the network portion of an address from the host portion. 'ystem unit6*he main part of a PC: the s!stem unit includes the chassis" the microprocessor" the main memor!" the bus" and the ports. It does not include the ke!board or the monitor" or an! e+ternal devices connected to the computer. Throughput6;ate of information arriving at" and possibl! passing through" a particular point in a network s!stem. Transistor 6/ device that amplifies a signal or opens and closes a circuit. ;ideo card6/ board that plugs into a PC to give it displa! capabilities. 5eb browser6Craphic user interface 3C5I4-based h!perte+t client application" such as Internet (+plorer" osaic" and 1etscape 1avigator" used to access h!perte+t documents and other services located on innumerable remote servers throughout the HHH and Internet. 5ide2area networks #5(*s46&ata communications networks that serve users across a broad geographic area and often use transmission devices provided b! common carriers. $rame ;ela!" 0 &0" and J.,@ are e+amples of H/1 technologies. 5ildcard mask6/ .,-bit 'uantit! used in conjunction with an IP address to determine which bits in an IP address should be ignored when comparing that address with another IP address. / wildcard mask is specified when setting up access lists. Focus Questions 1. Hhat are the major components of a PCComponents found within a personal computer include the motherboard, video card, network adapter, hard drive, CP+, memory, sound card, C62 73M drive, floppy drive, power supply Hhat is the information flow in an idealized computer&oot instructions:'tored in 73M until they are sent out. 'oftware applications:'tored in 7(M after they are loaded. 7(M and 73M:Constantly talk to the CP+ through the bus. (pplication information:'tored in 7(M while applications are being used.

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'aved information:Flows from 7(M to some form of storage device. )!ported information:Flows from 7(M and the CP+, through the bus and e!pansion slots, to the printer, the video card, the sound card, or the network card. .. Hhat is the relationship of 1ICs to PCsThe * C enables hosts to communicate with a network and is, therefore, considered a key network component. &escribe the components of a PC compared to those of a laptop. The main difference is that components in a laptop are smaller:the e!pansion slots become PCMC ( or PC slots, where * Cs, modems, hard drives, and other useful devices, usually the size of a thick credit card can be inserted into the PCMC ( slots along the perimeter. Hhat is data throughput and how does it relate to digital bandwidthThroughput refers to the actual, measured bandwidth, at a specific time of day, using specific nternet routes, while downloading a specific file. The throughput is often far less than the ma!imum possible digital bandwidth of the medium that is being used. Hhat factors affect bandwidth and throughput- Hhat units measure the 'uantit! of information'ome factors that determine throughput and bandwidth include the following" nternetworking devices Type of data being transferred Topology *umber of users +ser<s computer 'erver computer Power2 and weather2induced outages Congestion 8. Low do binar! numbers represent alphanumeric data(lphanumeric characters are converted to data that can travel across the internetwork. The data is put into a packet or a datagram that contains a network header with source and destination logical addresses. These addresses help network devices send the packets across the network along a dynamically chosen path. )ach network device must put the packet into a frame. The frame includes a header with the physical address of the ne!t directly connected device in the path.

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The frame must be converted into a pattern of $s and ,s #bits% for transmission on the medium #usually a wire%.

CCNA Exam e!iew Questions *he following 'uestions help !ou review for the CC1/ e+am. /nswers appear in /ppendi+ 2" #CC1/ (+am ;eview Fuestions /nswer Me!.# 1. Hhich of the following best defines networking/. / set of rules or procedures that are either widel! used or officiall! specified 2. / connection of computers" printers" and other devices for the purpose of communication C. / set of rules that govern how computer workstations e+change information &. / device that is connected to a computer to provide au+iliar! functions Hhich of the following terms refers to a connection of computers" printers" and other devices for the purpose of communication/. Peripheral 2. 1etwork C. ainframe &. Protocol Hhich of the following terms is used in computing to refer to ph!sical parts or e'uipment/. Lardware 2. 0oftware C. Protocol &. 1etwork Hhich of the following terms is used in computing to refer to programs or applications/. Lardware 2. 0oftware C. Peripheral &. 1etwork Hhich of the following terms refers to devices that are connected to a computer to provide au+iliar! functions such as printing" added disk space" scanning" or C&;< /. Protocol 2. 0oftware C. Peripheral &. 1etwork

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Hh! are individual PCs not efficient or cost effective for business applications/. Individual PC use re'uires businesses to duplicate e'uipment and resources. 2. It is difficult for businesses to communicate 'uickl! or efficientl! b! using individual PCs. C. It is difficult to provide management for operating individual PCs. &. /ll of the above. Hhat is a standalone computer/. / computer that manages data efficientl! 2. / computer that shares files and printers with other computers C. / computer that operates independentl! from other computers &. / computer that has a different operating s!stem Hhat kind of computer operates independentl! from other computers/. ainframe 2. PC C. ac &. 0tandalone Hh! did standalone computers become an inefficient and ineffective wa! for businesses to operate/. 2usinesses had to duplicate e'uipment and resources. 2. It was difficult to communicate 'uickl! or efficientl! b! using standalone computers. C. It was difficult to provide management for operating standalone computers. &. /ll of the above. Hhat does the term protocol mean in computing terms/. / tool that allows acintosh and PC computers to communicate with each other 2. / universal translator that allows different kinds of computers to share data C. / description of a set of rules and conventions that govern how devices on a network e+change information &. *he language that all the computers on a network must use to communicate with each other Hhich of the following best defines protocol/. / formal description of a set of rules and conventions 2. / device that is connected to a computer to provide au+iliar! functions C. / group of people who are assigned to work as a team &. *he connection of computers" printers" routers" and switches

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Hhat is a formal description of a set of rules and conventions called/. Peripheral 2. Protocol C. 0tandard &. 1etwork Hh! are protocols important/. 2! setting rules" protocols allow different t!pes of computers to talk to each other. 2. 2! consolidating the industr!" protocols save companies mone!. C. 2! forming electronic islands" protocols b!pass the sneaker net. &. 2! using common carriers" protocols manage data efficientl!. Hhat must all computers on a network be able to do for the network to operate properl!/. Print to a local printer 2. Connect to a telephone line C. 5se C&-;< s &. 0peak the same language / protocol allows which of the following to be linked into a network/. <nl! PC terminals and workstations 2. <nl! acintosh computers and peripherals C. <nl! PCs to a mainframe &. /n! t!pe of computer terminal or workstation

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