National University of Modern Languages (NUML)

Introduction to Information
Technology

LECTURE 4
Lecturer:
Sadia Ramzan
NUML Multan
Internet

The basis for the Internet began in 1969 as ARPANET.

How do you connect to this network of networks? You
need three things:
 An access device, such as a personal computer with
a modem;
 A means of connection, such as a telephone line,
cable hookup, or wireless capability;
 An Internet access provider, such as an Internet
service provider (ISP), a commercial online service
provider, or a wireless Internet service provider
The Internet & the Web

CONNECTING TO THE INTERNET:

 Narrowband,
 Broadband, &
 Access Providers

However you connect to the

Internet, the bandwidth will
determine the speed of your
connection.
Bandwidth

 In general terms, bandwidth , or channel

capacity, is an expression of how much
data— text, voice, video, and so on—
can be sent through a communications
channel in a given amount of time.
 The type of data transmission that allows
only one signal at a time is called
baseband transmission.
 When several signals can be transmitted
at once, it’s called broadband
transmission.
Broadband

► Broadband —high-speed—
connections include various kinds
of high-speed wired connections,
such as coaxial and fiber-optic
cable, as well as DSL and wireless
connections, such as satellite.
THE PHYSICAL CONNECTION:
WIRED OR WIRELESS?
Among the principal means of connection
are
 telephone (dial-up) modem (used
mostly in rural areas);
 high-speed phone lines, including DSL
modem and T1 and T3 lines;
 cable modem; and
 wireless modem, including satellite and
other through-the-air links
DATA TRANSMISSION SPEED

 Data is transmitted in characters or

collections of bits.
 A bit, is the smallest unit of information
used by computers.
 Today’s data transmission speeds are
measured in bits, kilobits, megabits, and
gigabits per second:
BPS

 bps: A computer with an old modem

might have a speed of 56,000 bps, which
is considered the minimum speed for
visiting websites with graphics.
 The bps stands for bits per second (8 bits
equals 1 character [a byte, p. 31], such
as A, 3, or #. )
Kbps

 Kbps: Kilobits per second , or Kbps , are 1

thousand bits per second. The speed of
a modem that is 56,000 bps may be
expressed as 56 Kbps.
Mbps & Gbps

 Mbps: Faster means of connection are

measured in megabits per second, or
Mbps —1 million bits per second.
 Gbps: At the extreme are gigabits per
second , or Gbps —1 billion bits per
second.
UPLOADING &
DOWNLOADING
 The number of bits affects how fast you can
upload and download information from a
remote computer.
 Downloading is the transmission of data from a
remote computer to a local computer, as from a
website to your own PC—for example,
downloading a movie.
 Uploading is the transmission of data from a local
computer to a remote computer, as from your
PC to a website you are constructing or putting
one of your videos on YouTube.
Narrowband (Dial-Up
Modem)
 Low Speed but Inexpensive
 Dial-up modems are used primarily in rural areas,
where broadband connections are not always
available.
 The landline telephone line that many people
use for voice calls is still the cheapest means of
online connection and is available everywhere.
 dial-up connections —use of landline telephone
modems to connect computers to the Internet.
CONNECTING THE MODEM

 A modem is a device that sends and receives

data over telephone lines to and from
computers. A dial-up modem is attached to the
telephone wall outlet.
 Most dial-up modems today have a maximum
speed of 56 Kbps.
 The modem in the computer must negotiate with
the modems used by the Internet access
provider, the regional, national, or wireless
organization or business that connects you to the
Internet
High-Speed Phone Lines: More
Expensive but Available in
Cities & Most Towns
 Dial-up connections are becoming obsolete, in
favor of high-speed connections.
 Waiting while your computer’s modem takes 25
minutes to transmit a 1-minute low quality video
from a website may have you pummeling the
desk in frustration.
 To get some relief, you could enhance your POTS
—“plain old telephone system”— connection
with a high-speed adaptation. The choices are
DSL and T1/T3, available in most major cities,
though not in many rural areas.
DSL LINE

 DSL (digital subscriber line) uses regular phone

lines, a DSL modem, and special technology to
transmit data in megabits per second.
 Incoming data is significantly faster than
outgoing data. That is, your computer can
receive data at the rate of 7–15 Mbps, but it can
send data at only 384 Kbps–1 Mbps.
 A big advantage of DSL is that it is always on (so
you don’t have to make a dial-up connection),
and, unlike cable, its transmission rate is relatively
consistent. Also, you can talk on the phone and
send data at the same time.
DSL Line

 There is one big drawback to DSL: You have to

live within 4.5 miles of a phone company central
switching office, because the access speed and
reliability degrade with distance.
 However, DSL phone companies are building
thousands of remote switching facilities to
enhance service throughout their regions.
 Another drawback is that you have to choose
from a list of Internet service providers that are
under contract to the phone company you use,
although other DSL providers exist.
Problem for Telephone Internet
Connections: The Last Mile

 The medium that connects homes and business to the

central switching office is usually old copper wire,
which slows data movement.
 The length of the connections from all homes and
businesses to the telephone’s central switching office,
is often called the “last mile.”
 This “last mile” of old, often poor-quality copper wire is
what really slows things down.
 This problem can be solved by installing newer
transmission media, but communications companies
are reluctant to incur this cost. There are about 130
million phone lines in the United States that use 650
million miles of copper wire.
Cable Modem: Close
Competitor to DSL
 Cable connections can be faster than DSL and
are more popular in the United States.
 Cable modems can transmit (upload) outgoing
data at about 2–8 Mbps and incoming data at
up to 100 Mbps. (The common residential
transmission rate is 6–30 Mbps.)
 A cable modem connects a personal computer
to a cable-TV system that offers an Internet
connection.
 The cable runs underground from a street cable-
box connection to the house or business; it is
separate from the phone line.
Cable Modem

 The advantage of a cable modem is that, like a

DSL connection, it is always on.
 However, unlike DSL, you don’t need to live near
a telephone switching station.
 A disadvantage, however, is that you and your
cable-TV-viewing-Internet-surfing neighbors are
sharing the system, and consequently, during
peak-load times
Satellite Wireless
Connections
 Satellite connections provide Internet access
without telephone lines or cables; however,
satellite connection involves signal delay.
 communications satellite , a space station that
transmits radio waves called microwaves from
earth-based stations.
 Satellite Internet connections, which cost about
$25–$100 per month, are always on. To surf the
Internet using this kind of connection, you need
an Internet access provider that supports two-
way satellite transmission.
Other Wireless Connections:
Wi-Fi, 3G, & 4G
 Newer mobile wireless connections are
becoming the most popular type of connectivity.
 More and more people are using laptop
computers, tablet computers, smartphones, and
other mobile devices to access the Internet
through wireless networks, which use radio
waves to transmit data.
WI-FI (Wireless Fidelity)

 Wi-Fi is the name given to any of several

standards— called 802.11 standards—set by the
Institute o Electrical and Electronic Engineers
(IEEE) for wireless transmission.
 One standard, 802.11b, permits wireless
transmission of data at up to 54 Mbps for 300–500
feet from an access point, a station that sends
and receives data to and from a Wi-Fi network
Hotspots

 Many airports, hotels, libraries, convention

centers, and fast-food facilities offer so-called
hotspots —access points for the public to use to
access Wi-Fi networks.
 The hotspot can get its Internet access from DSL,
cable modem, T1 local area network, dial-up
phone service, or any other method.
3G WIRELESS

 3G , for “third generation,” carries both voice

and Internet traffic; it is loosely defined as high-
speed wireless technology that does not need
access points because it uses the existing
cellphone system.
 This technology, which is found in many mobile
devices such as smartphones and tablets, can
transfer data at rates as high as 3.8 Mbps (or
even more);
 t is being provided by AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, T-
Mobile, and others.
4G WIRELESS

 4G , for “fourth generation,” is specifically built for

Internet traffic; it is a successor to 3G and 2G
standards, aiming to provide data rates up to 100
Mbps or more, although most providers now deliver in
the range of 6–11 Mbps.
 Whereas 3G networks carry voice and Internet traffic,
4G networks are built specifically for Internet content,
which means they don’t require equipment to route
voice phone calls, thus creating energy efficiencies.
 4G smartphones have been released by Motorola,
Apple, Samsung, HTC Evo, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon,
Google, and a few other companies.
Internet Access Providers

 Users need to know how to choose an Internet

access provider that is right for them.
 Internet service provider (ISP) —a local, regional,
or national organization that provides access to
the Internet for a fee.
 The ISP may own the facilities that it uses to
deliver services, or it may lease the facilities of
another provider.
 Examples of national providers are Comcast,
CenturyLink, Charter, Cox Cable, AT&T, Frontier,
and Verizon
WISP

 A wireless Internet service provider (WISP)

enables users with computers containing wireless
modems—mostly laptops, tablets, and
smartphones—to gain access to the Internet.
 A WISP offers public wireless network services
and Internet access.
 WISPs typically install Wi-Fi wireless hotspots in
airports, hotels, cafés, and other public business
places.
 Examples of WISPs are AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile,
Credo, and Verizon Wireless