What's involved in Connectivity

                                NG02c Review

The answers are at the end of this document.

  1.  What are two physical devices used to connect one 
      computer to another? 

  2.  What do we call the software used to control the 
      connection between two computers?

  3.  What are two types of communications links that 
       can be used to connect computers?

  4.  What two words are the origin of the word "modem"?

  5.  What two types of device does a modem connect?

  6.  What do we call a modem that is simply a circuit 
      board to be installed in a computer?

  7.  What do we call a modem that comes with its own 
      case and power supply?

  8.  What are the advantages and disadvantages of a 
      modem installed in a computer as compared with 
      one in its own case? 

  9.  What are some popular speeds for modems?

  10. What are the advantages and disadvantages of 
      using high speeds with modems?

  11. What are two types of communication software?

  12. Software for modem control comes in two types. 
      What are they?

  13. What are the advantages of general purpose 
      comunication software as compared with special-
      purpose software? 

  14. What are two things needed to link computers into 
      a local area net?

  15. What are two types of cabling used to connect 
      computers? 

  16. What is a "protocol"?

  17. What is the purpose of a protocol?

  18. What is a network?

  19. What is a network connection?



ANSWERS:

      1. Modem, LAN, some type of cable, fiber optic, 
         or satelite, or infrared 
   
      2. Communication software, or comm software

      3. LAN (Local Area Network), or Modem, or Serial, 
         or Parallel, or WAN (Wide Area Network) 

      4. Modulator, Demodulator

      5. Computer and Telephone

      6. "Internal" modem

      7. "External" modem

      8. Advantages - Less desktop clutter, more 
         secure; Disadvantages - harder to upgrade or 
         move to another computer. 

      9. 28,800, 33,000, 56,600 baud or BPS 

     10. Advantage - rapid transfer of information; 
         Disadvantage - less reliable with poor phone 
         connections, more expensive. 

     11. Modem Control software and Local Area Network 
         software 

     12. General purpose software, and software for 
         specific services. 

     13. It allows you to connect to nearly all on-line 
         services. 

     14. Operating system interface software; network 
         connection circuits; wires between computers. 

     15. Twisted pair; coaxial; 10-base-2; 10-base-5; 
         10-base-T; fiber optic 

     16. A "protocol" is an engineering standard that 
         defines how devices will exchange information.

     17. To serve as a language which computer devices 
         use to "talk" to one another 

     18. A group of computers connected together to 
         exchange signals. 

     19. What is a network connection? A physical link 
         between two or more computers.