Group Research: Networking-101

What is a computer network?
A computer network is a collection of computer and other kind of hardware connected to one another by communication devices that can be used to share any kinds of information and resources

Define and explain visually the difference between these different types of networks:
Local Area Network: LANs link computers in the close proximity to one another. It makes it easy to share the information on one computer to the other.
Wide Area Networks: WANs do the same as LANS (sharing computer’s information from one to another) but with a far apart proximity of half a mile or more.
Internet: The internet is a global network that connects from any part of the world to another. Using the internet, we can share information all across the planet to anyone.
Intranet: Intranet is a network that is restricted or private on the internet.
Metropoliatan Area Networks: MANs are computer networks made for the size of a city or a very large campus. MANs connect the networks of LANs to form.
Virtual Private Network: VPNs use the Internet to connect intermediate networks to smaller networks that would normally be impossible to connect to.

How do these two types of networks differ?
In a peer-to-peer network a group of computers is connected together so that users can share resources and information. There is no central location for authenticating users, storing files, or accessing resources. This means that users must remember which computers in the workgroup have the shared resource or information that they want to access. It also means that users must log on to each computer to access the shared resources on that computer.

In a server-based network, the server is the central location where users share and access network resources This dedicated computer controls the level of access that users have to shared resources. Shared data is in one location, making it easy to back up critical business information. Each computer that connects to the network is called a client computer. In a server-based network, users have one user account and password to log on to the server and to access shared resources.

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What is the difference between a client and a server?

Client is a smaller computer through which the information or application stored on the server is accessed by the user whereas server is a powerful computer that stores the data files and applications.

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What is the OSI model?
Essentially all networks that are used today are at least partially based on the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) standard. Developed in 1984 by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the standard is based on the OSI Reference Model, which is “a set of seven layers that define the different stages that data must go through to travel from one device to another over a network”

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Identity 5 different network architectures, explain what each does.
LAN – Local Area Network – connects network devices over a relatively short distance
MAN – Metropolitan Area Network – a network spanning a physical area larger than a LAN but smaller than a WAN
WAN – Wide Area Network – connects network devices over a wide distance- the internet is the largest WAN
WLAN – Wireless Local Area Network – connects network devices over a relatively short distance using Wi-Fi connections
SAN – Storage Area Network – connects servers to data storage devices
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Define and visual explain what the following terms mean:
Protocols: Protocols are digital messaging formats which have rules for how to exchange messages in or between computer systems.

TCP/IP: Internet Protocol suite is the set of protocols on the Internet. The are the most popular protocol stacks for the WANs.
FTP: File Transfer Protocol is the regular network protocol that can move one file from one computer to another over the Internet.
HTTP: Hypertext Transfer Protocol is the base of all data communication on the Internet. It is an application protocol which can distribute, collect, and spread information all over the world wide web.
Telnet: Telnet is used on the Internet or LANs for links to be sent from one computer to another.
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What is a router?
Routers transmit information between multiple interconnected networks and relay data to its destination.

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What is a network firewall?
A network firewall protects a computer network from unauthorized access and prevent the interception of data on the network.
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What is the difference between a web and ftp server?
Web servers “deliver […] content, [including] web pages, using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), over the World Wide Web”. The term can equally refer to the computer running the program. The FTP (File Transfer Protocol) server makes it possible to move, upload, download and transfer files online.

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What is an IP address?
Each machine in a network has a ‘unique identifier,’ which is distinct from every other computer. In the TCP/IP protocol this identifier is known as the IP address. IP addresses use binary bits to create a unique string of numbers separated by periods (IP version 4) or colons (IPv6).

Tinkering

Ok..hopefully I’m not the first to think that “tinkering” is KIND OF a funny word.  All joking aside though, tinkering is the process of manipulating the tools that already exist in your basic realm of being in order to create new, interesting, and imaginative ideas. I suppose you could say that tinkering is the physical evidence that you have an imagination and it’s working…which is a good thing because one needs a healthy imagination in order to function, especially if you are an art student like myself. Good old Albert knows what I’m talking about. Just knowing how to do something isn’t as important as being able to imagine the potential that the “something” has to give you.

Tinkering in New Media is exceptionally important. As media artists, we are constantly imagining what we could do with the technology of today and the technology that we’ll be able to use in the future. As artists, we draw, sketch, scribble, doodle, and create little ideas all over the corners of our art history notebooks while we’re learning about the historical significance of every single Greek sculpture. I am no exception. I now can’t bring a notebook to class because I will imagine all over it. Now I have to bring my laptop and disable the internet so I’m not allowed to imagine anything.

Now, I guess I could consider myself a fairly decent “tinkerer” (I know that probably isn’t an actually word…just bear with me) but I find I’ve only been able to work within one medium, being a pencil and paper. I’ve never been short on imagination…in fact sometimes I have too much and it hurts when I land back down on the ground (that would be my dose of reality). I am already eager to get a new idea or project rolling and I’ve usually got two or three ideas in the back of my head. However, I find that it can be hard to explain my ideas sometimes because I am only experienced with drawing my ideas out on paper. How is that a problem? I’m REALLY not very good at drawing. I would very much like to learn how else I can communicate my ideas to other people….other ways that don’t involve me drawing something. Ideas just don’t look so good when all you are drawing is stick figures.

For a slightly…well “interesting” webcomic featuring today’s word: IMAGINATION…click here.

Signing off in 3…2…1…

*lick*
oops..that’s gross.

I mean: *click*

Oral Presentations

Yeah, most people hate oral presentations. Why? Because we have to get up in front of a bunch of people and talk about something while in the back of our heads we know we are silently being judged, scrutinized, and critiqued by every single person that is watching. Because we know there’s a chance that someone might fall asleep. Because oral presentations are basically performances, and performances make us nervous! The list goes on and on and it’s different for each person. But we all get through them in some way or another because we possess at least one of the necessarily skills to make an oral presentation happen.

After countless elementary school and high school presentations (we all did them), I think I have this whole “oral presentation” thing down to somewhat of a science. The key to a good presentation starts with your content. You can be the best presenter in the world, but if you have lousy content, you presentation is obviously going to be lousy. By collecting and properly organizing all my information, I better prepare myself for the whole “presenting” part. The next step, the beginning of the presentation, is the part I have the most fun with. I like to create the most bizarre and quirky way to catch my audience’s attention so they realize that I might actually have something interesting to say and they can sleep later. When developing the body of the presentation, I always try to add little funny remarks or jokes in order to keep the audience interested as well. Conclusions are usually the parts that I have a problem with, because “And..uhm, yeah! So..that’s my project.” isn’t exactly a professional and mature conclusion to ANYTHING. I would like to pretend that I have some good advice on making good conclusions, but I honestly don’t. This is definitely something that I need to work on.

In terms of communication skills and dealing with nervousness, there are a few areas where I struggle, but I am slowly learning how to overcome those struggles. For example, I tend to talk WAY to fast, so I lose my audience when I am speeding through complex ideas and concepts. This is probably due to the small amount of nervousness I experience whenever I perform or present. The only way I can improve myself in this area is just to practice, practice, practice! In terms of communication skills, I am very confident that I need little improvement here, because I have never had any issues talking to other people. I look them in the eyes, I act naturally (facial expressions, gestures), I speak clearly with annunciate my words, and I remain energetic and interesting when I communicate (because I usually love the topic I’m talking about!). I also enjoy making people laugh, so I usually make an effort to do so at least once during my presentations.

Oh dear. This is the conclusion part that I am bad at. Let’s see if I can give this a decent effort.
“In conclusion, I am looking forward to bettering myself in the field of oral presentations because I know that it can only help me in the future.”

Wow. That’s very stiff, formal, and somewhat cheesy. Let’s just go with “And, uhm..yeah so that’s my blog post”.

 

Signing off in 3…2…1…

*click*