Simplex:

In this communication style data can send only and basically it is one way or uni-direction
communication. This type of communication is not widely used for transmit trusted data because it can
not send any error or control signal to sender terminal.

This style of communication is vastly used in Radio and TV where we can see and hear or receive data
only but we can not send any information data by the same channel.

Half-Duplex:

Half-Duplex is another type of communication style where data can and send and receive but not at the
same time. In this communication type, if data is send from one end, then we can not send data from
another that means communication establish in one direction.

This communication vastly used in walkie-talkie, intercom, string phone etc. The practical example is,
when we talk with walkie-talkie or intercom we can talk only one way that means one can speak at a
time and another should hear on that time and after hearing he has to say over to start speaking from
other end.

Full-Duplex:

In Full-Duplex communication, data can send and receive at the same time from both ends that means
both way bi-direction communications simultaneously. In this style we can send data from A end to B
end and B end can send data to A end at the same time without any interruption or overlapping data.

A Full-duplex Ethernet with two twisted pair is the best example of Full-Duplex communication which is
widely used for faster data communication and it also increases data capacity. We can use this for
multipurpose data communication at the same time like internet, cable TV and phone etc with the same
cable.
Networks used to interconnect computers in a single room, rooms within a building or buildings on one
site are called Local Area Network (LAN). LAN transmits data with a speed of several megabits per
second (106 bits per second). The transmission medium is normally coaxial cables.

LAN links computers, i.e., software and hardware, in the same area for the purpose of sharing
information. Usually LAN links computers within a limited geographical area because they must be
connected by a cable, which is quite expensive. People working in LAN get more capabilities in data
processing, work processing and other information exchange compared to stand-alone computers.
Because of this information exchange most of the business and government organisations are using
LAN.

Major Characteristics of LAN

· every computer has the potential to communicate with any other computers of the network

· high degree of interconnection between computers

· easy physical connection of computers in a network

· inexpensive medium of data transmission

· high data transmission rate

Advantages

· The reliability of network is high because the failure of one computer in the network does not
effect the functioning for other computers.

· Addition of new computer to network is easy.

· High rate of data transmission is possible.

· Peripheral devices like magnetic disk and printer can be shared by other computers.

Disadvantages

If the communication line fails, the entire network system breaks down.

Use of LAN

Followings are the major areas where LAN is normally used

· File transfers and Access

· Word and text processing

· Electronic message handling

· Remote database access

· Personal computing

· Digital voice transmission and storage

4.4.2 Wide Area Network

The term Wide Area Network (WAN) is used to describe a computer network spanning a regional,
national or global area. For example, for a large company the head quarters might be at Delhi and
regional branches at Bombay, Madras, Bangalore and Calcutta. Here regional centers are connected to
head quarters through WAN. The distance between computers connected to WAN is larger. Therefore
the transmission medium used are normally telephone lines, microwaves and satellite links.

4.4.3 Characteristics of WAN

Followings are the major characteristics of WAN.

1. Communication Facility: For a big company spanning over different parts of the country the
employees can save long distance phone calls and it overcomes the time lag in overseas
communications. Computer conferencing is another use of WAN where users communicate with each
other through their computer system.

2. Remote Data Entry: Remote data entry is possible in WAN. It means sitting at any location you can
enter data, update data and query other information of any computer attached to the WAN but located
in other cities. For example, suppose you are sitting at Madras and want to see some data of a computer
located at Delhi, you can do it through WAN.
3. Centralised Information: In modern computerised environment you will find that big organisations
go for centralised data storage. This means if the organisation is spread over many cities, they keep their
important business data in a single place. As the data are generated at different sites, WAN permits
collection of this data from different sites and save at a single site.

4.4.4 Examples of WAN

1. Ethernet: Ethernet developed by Xerox Corporation is a famous example of WAN. This network
uses coaxial cables for data transmission. Special integrated circuit chips called controllers are used to
connect equipment to the cable.

2. Aparnet: The Aparnet is another example of WAN. It was developed at Advanced Research
Projects Agency of U. S. Department. This Network connects more than 40 universities and institutions
throughout USA and Europe.

Difference between LAN and WAN

· LAN is restricted to limited geographical area of few kilometers. But WAN covers great distance
and operate nationwide or even worldwide.

· In LAN, the computer terminals and peripheral devices are connected with wires and coaxial
cables. In WAN there is no physical connection. Communication is done through telephone lines and
satellite links.

· Cost of data transmission in LAN is less because the transmission medium is owned by a single
organisation. In case of WAN the cost of data transmission is very high because the transmission
medium used are hired, either telephone lines or satellite links.

· The speed of data transmission is much higher in LAN than in WAN. The transmission speed in LAN
varies from 0.1 to 100 megabits per second. In case of WAN the speed ranges from 1800 to 9600 bits
per second (bps).

· Few data transmission errors occur in LAN compared to WAN. It is because in LAN the distance
covered is negligible.

Transmission Modes in Computer Networks (Simplex, Half-Duplex and Full-Duplex)

Transmission mode means transferring of data between two devices. It is also known as communication
mode. Buses and networks are designed to allow communication to occur between individual devices
that are interconnected. There are three types of transmission mode:-
Simplex Mode

Half-Duplex Mode

Full-Duplex Mode

Simplex Mode

In Simplex mode, the communication is unidirectional, as on a one-way street. Only one of the two
devices on a link can transmit, the other can only receive. The simplex mode can use the entire capacity
of the channel to send data in one direction.

Example: Keyboard and traditional monitors. The keyboard can only introduce input, the monitor can
only give the output.

Half-Duplex Mode

In half-duplex mode, each station can both transmit and receive, but not at the same time. When one
device is sending, the other can only receive, and vice versa. The half-duplex mode is used in cases
where there is no need for communication in both direction at the same time. The entire capacity of the
channel can be utilized for each direction.

Example: Walkie- talkie in which message is sent one at a time and messages are sent in both the
directions.
Full-Duplex Mode

In full-duplex mode, both stations can transmit and receive simultaneously. In full_duplex mode, signals
going in one direction share the capacity of the link with signals going in other direction, this sharing can
occur in two ways:

Either the link must contain two physically separate transmission paths, one for sending and other for
receiving.

Or the capacity is divided between signals travelling in both directions.

Full-duplex mode is used when communication in both direction is required all the time. The capacity of
the channel, however must be divided between the two directions.

Example: Telephone Network in which there is communication between two persons by a telephone
line, through which both can talk and listen at the same time

What are the types of Computer Networks?

In computer networks, the data is passed in the form of packets. The devices that transmit or
receive this data, such as a phone or a computer, are referred to as nodes. There are three main types of
networks:

1. Local Area Network (LAN): It is usually a small network that is restricted to a small geographic area. A
computer network available only to the residents of a building can be called a LAN.

2. Wide Area Network (WAN): As the name implies, these networks cover a broad range of geographic
area. WANs are used to connect LANs and other types of networks together so that users and
computers can communicate with computers in other regions. An example of a WAN is the much-used
and loved, Internet.
3. Metropolitan Area Network (MAN): MAN is a network that connects the users with computer
resources in a geographic area that is larger than LAN but not quite as large as WAN.

Computers takes input through input devices like keyboard and mouse. Every actions on or by the input
devices are converted into electromagnetic signals. These electrical signals are sent to Signal Processing
Units, which converts the analog signal into digital one and transfers it directly to processor or to
processor via memory for further processing. Like sensors inside the mouse record every movement of
mouse into electrical signals and transfer it to ADC (analog to digital converter.)

Before data is processed by a computer, it has to be fed into the computer using a keyboard, mouse or
another input device. The central processing unit (CPU) analyzes the raw data and processes it into
sensible information. The CPU receives instructions from the user and issues prompts accordingly. After
the data is processed, it is translated to output formats that are easily understandable by the user.

The processed data is displayed on the computer for editing, viewing or playing. The computer’s CPU
then receives instructions from the user to save the data securely on the hard drive. Later, the user can
choose to modify, copy, move, edit or delete the data. Some of the output values that data is converted
into are documents, video files and audio files.

A computer system is comprised of three main parts: hardware, software and users. All components
connected to the computer via cable or wireless access point are hardware. These are primarily the
tangible parts that include the CPU, monitor, keyboard and mouse. In addition, machines such as
printers and scanners are considered part of the computer's hardware. Software consists of the
computer applications installed on the computer and used to execute functions. Users are the people
who provide instructions to the computer.

Before data is processed by a computer, it has to be fed into the computer using a keyboard, mouse or
another input device. The central processing unit (CPU) analyzes the raw data and processes it into
sensible information. The CPU receives instructions from the user and issues prompts accordingly. After
the data is processed, it is translated to output formats that are easily understandable by the user.

The processed data is displayed on the computer for editing, viewing or playing. The computer’s CPU
then receives instructions from the user to save the data securely on the hard drive. Later, the user can
choose to modify, copy, move, edit or delete the data. Some of the output values that data is converted
into are documents, video files and audio files.
A computer system is comprised of three main parts: hardware, software and users. All components
connected to the computer via cable or wireless access point are hardware. These are primarily the
tangible parts that include the CPU, monitor, keyboard and mouse. In addition, machines such as
printers and scanners are considered part of the computer's hardware. Software consists of the
computer applications installed on the computer and used to execute functions. Users are the people
who provide instructions to the computer.

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Types of computer software

Software is the program that run the computer and allows us to use it. There are different types of
computer software, all of which serve a specific purpose. In learning about computers, one of the first
steps is to understand the major types of software, their uses, and applications.

Types of Computer Software

System Software

System software coordinates the activities and functions of hardware and software, and it controls the
operations of computer hardware and provides an environment or platform for all the other types of
software to work in. It is the most basic type of software in any computer system, which is essential for
other programs, applications and the whole computer system to function.

(System software examples – Microsoft Windows XP, Mac O

S, Linux, Windows Vista, Ubuntu, device drivers, etc.)

Application Software

Application software is what helps the user perform the tasks of his/her choice. They are non-essential
software which are installed and run, depending upon the requirements, in the environment provided
by the system software.
(Application software examples – MS Office, OpenOffice, Media Players, MS Access, educational
software, media development software, Antivirus software, etc. )

Programming Software

Programming software is used to write, test, debug and develop other software programs and
applications. The various programming language editors such as Eclipse – a Java language editor –
appear under this category. They are used for creating both the system as well as application software.

(Programming software examples – Turbo C, Xilinx, Kiel, compilers, debuggers, Integrated Development
Environment (IDE), etc.)

Sub-types of Computer Software

Apart from the above main types of software there are many other subtypes, which will be mentioned
below.

Freeware – Freeware is a type of software that anyone can download from the Internet and use for free.

(Examples – Google Talk, Yahoo Messenger, uTorrent, etc.)

Shareware – Shareware is usually distributed for free on a trial basis. It can be shared without violation
of any laws. They usually stop working or prompt the user to purchase the full version, once the trial
period expires.

(Examples – BearShare, Kazaa, Winzip, etc.)

Registry Cleaners – When you install a lot of software – or games for example – your computer’s
registry becomes clogged. Registry cleaners are used to clean up or delete all the invalid registry entries
which has the benefit of speeding up your computer.

(Examples- TuneUp Utilities, Eusing, etc.)

Content Control Software – This kind of software allows you to control the content that can be accessed
by a user on a computer. They are mostly used for restricting access over the Internet.

(Example- K9 Web Protection, PGSurfer, etc.)

Project Management Software – As its name suggests, project management software is a software
package that helps multiple users to work on a project simultaneously. It allows them to schedule
events, network with the other users, allocate resources, etc.

(Example- Microsoft Office Project Server, HyperOffice, 24SevenOffice, etc.)

Utility Software – These are usually small programs that help the management of the hardware and the
application software installed on a computer.

(Example- Disk defragmenters, Disk cleaners, etc.)

Open Source Software – This is a type of software for which the source code is available to all users
(open). As such, anyone can make changes to it and release their own new version.

(Example – Linux, Android OS, OpenOffice, etc.)

Web Browsers – Browsers are programs that allow you to surf or browse web pages on the Internet.
(Example – Internet Explorer, Safari, Mozilla Firefox, etc.)

With constant advancements in the field of software engineering, several new software and applications
are being developed every day. Hence, the list provided above shouldn’t be considered definitive, as in
the coming years, many more newer types of software would have been developed.

For more information from the source, click here.

By Bryan Banfield| May 8th, 2018|IT Support|Comments Offon Types of computer software

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A Local Area Network (LAN) is a group of computer and peripheral devices which are connected in a
limited area such as school, laboratory, home, and office building. It is a widely useful network for
sharing resources like files, printers, games, and other application. The simplest type of LAN network is
to connect computers and a printer in someone's home or office. In general, LAN will be used as one
type of transmission medium.

It is a network which consists of less than 5000 interconnected devices across several buildings

WAN (Wide Area Network) is another important computer network that which is spread across a large
geographical area. WAN network system could be a connection of a LAN which connects with other
LAN's using telephone lines and radio waves. It is mostly limited to an enterprise or an organization.

A Metropolitan Area Network or MAN is consisting of a computer network across an entire city, college
campus, or a small region. This type of network is large than a LAN, which is mostly limited to a single
building or site. Depending upon the type of configuration, this type of network allows you to cover an
area from several miles to tens of miles

A computer network is a group of computers connected with each other through a transmission
medium such as cable, wire etc. In this guide, we will discuss the types of computer networks in detail.

Types of Computer Network

Types of computer network

There are mainly three types of computer networks based on their size:

1. Local Area Network (LAN)

2. Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

3. Wide area network (WAN)

1. Local Area Network (LAN)

Local Area Network (LAN)

1. Local area network is a group of computers connected with each other in a small places such as
school, hospital, apartment etc.

2. LAN is secure because there is no outside connection with the local area network thus the data which
is shared is safe on the local area network and can’t be accessed outside.

3. LAN due to their small size are considerably faster, their speed can range anywhere from 100 to
100Mbps.

4. LANs are not limited to wire connection, there is a new evolution to the LANs that allows local area
network to work on a wireless connection.

2. Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

MAN network covers larger area by connections LANs to a larger network of computers. In Metropolitan
area network various Local area networks are connected with each other through telephone lines. The
size of the Metropolitan area network is larger than LANs and smaller than WANs(wide area networks),
a MANs covers the larger area of a city or town.

3. Wide area network (WAN)

Wide area network (WAN)

Wide area network provides long distance transmission of data. The size of the WAN is larger than LAN
and MAN. A WAN can cover country, continent or even a whole world. Internet connection is an
example of WAN. Other examples of WAN are mobile broadband connections such as 3G, 4G etc.

The computer's brain.

A computer uses a Central Processing Unit or CPU to do all its decision-making and data processing. The
CPU has an internal set of instructions it follows when it receives a command. Programmers use
different languages to give the CPU commands. These languages are more human readable than the
CPU's machine language. The CPU follows the programmer's logic to process the data given it.

Data as output.

Part of the programmer's instructions will be how to save the processed data. Again data can be written
to a file, but output usually goes to a printed report as well. A payroll system will produce several types
of output, it prints checks, updates accounting databases and produces files that are sent to the
government to show the amount of taxes withheld.

Garbage in, garbage out.

The data that is input to the computer must be good data, or the output will be useless. Computers on
their own are unintelligent machines. They follow the instructions given them, and process data without
thought