Computer Networking

Data cables are wires that connect computers on a network. Unless the computer is wireless, it requires a data cable to access the Internet and the local network. Data cables have several types,...

According to Cisco Systems, Inc., a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a private network that has been created over a public network such as the global Internet community that allows for...

Businesses that operate computer networks and that allow employees to connect to the network both from the inside and outside use firewalls as a form of security. In addition, businesses can use...

An SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer. SSL was created by Netscape. The purpose of SSL is to transmit sensitive data over the Internet.

Fiddler is a Web Debugging Proxy which logs all traffic between your computer and the Internet. It allows you to inspect all traffic, set breakpoints, and "fiddle" with incoming or...

Real Time Transport Protocol (RTP) is used to facilitate real-time data transfer. It enables Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communication by transporting data flow through two ports in real time.

Network intrusion is a hot topic in the computer security arena due to the rising threat of hackers in both local and remote contexts. Local--e.g., someone walks into a company and uploads a virus...

The purpose of Internet encryption software is to protect personal data sent over computer networks from third parties. Encryption software is common in all modern computer communication and is...

Computer forensics is a science concerned with the gathering and analyzing of digital evidence. This evidence can take many forms and its analysis has many uses. Digital evidence is found within...

Computer Forensics Analysis is a new science. It involves the gathering of latent information (or evidence) digitally and the application of the scientific method to analyze that information....

Management information systems are used by organizations to track, store, manipulate and distribute information to the appropriate people when necessary. Using a management information system can...

A client server network exists between two or more computers. Typically there is at least one server and one client. Client computers can contact the server computer to request services, such as...

No matter what you call it Management Information Systems (MIS), Information Technology (IT) or simply Information Systems (IS), it all involves computers and the manipulation of information....

A secure tunnel creates an encrypted data link between two computers or two networks. Encrypting the data between two points allows it to travel over the public Internet with far less risk of data...

Communication is the process of sharing a message. A conversation between two people is an example of communication. Data communications refers to the sharing of a virtual message. Electronic...

A computer network consists of two or more computers connected by any of several physical mediums. This connection allows for the transmission of data between the computers, or nodes, on the...

As the Internet expands the borders of our home networks become the last secure space that our data has and that is only if we are lucky enough to have a fully secure home network. There are...

BDP is the acronym for the term "Bandwidth Delay Product," which is used in the field of data communications. BDP refers to the total of a data link's capacity times its end-to-end delay. BDP...

Without routers, packets of data would wander aimlessly around the Internet. These stripped-down, purpose-built computers vary in size, power and number of port connections. Their sole task:...

The Internet was first established in the late 1960s by a group of academics whose work was underwritten by the US Department of Defense . Their work would not have been possible without queueing...

Firewalls are security programs or hardware that limit what type of information can be sent and received from certain computer users. Firewalls do not necessarily know what type of traffic is...

Internet Protocol (IP) refers to the method in which data is delivered between hardware devices over the World Wide Web. Information is conveyed between two hosts: the source and the destination...

In comparing mobile data plans, the two broadest categories are cellular (such as EV-DO or EDGE) and wireless, or WiFi. When comparing these services, look at availability, data rates, bit caps...

Authentication is the way in which someone is credentialed to gain access to a Web or Internet resource. When building a resource, you must identify an authentication method. Without one, users...

An Ethernet connection is based on the Ethernet standard and involves connecting Ethernet network devices, plus the jack on each device, with a cable. The connection can also refer to the Ethernet...

Network cable is simple and functional in design and construction. Over the decades, it has evolved as technology has advanced in speed and volume used on home and business networks. All network...

Hubs and switches are two of the more common networking devices that people see today. While both devices will repeat data that is received, the switch will only send the information out to...

A T1 connection is a type of high-speed data connection. It can be used for phone services, transferring data over a network, and also as a high-speed Internet connection. A T1 connection is...

You are thinking about getting rid of your DSL (digital subscriber line). You've seen commercials for 3G but aren't sure what it is. Your friends and colleagues use mobile devices that support...

A network is "an interconnected system of things or people" (wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn). Here we will focus on networks of computers. Networks have become the norm in most office...

Switches are devices used in connecting a Local Area Network, otherwise known as a LAN. A home network consisting of two computers that share an Internet connection and possibly a printer is a...

Reading ethernet packets on a network is an advanced technique that allows administrators to analyze traffic. If hacker attempts are made, the administrator can read the packets and determine the...

Just as two people can communicate successfully through the use of a single language, two computing devices can network effectively if communication is governed by the same protocol. Specifically,...

Planning a server room is important to the safety and integrity of corporate data. A server room needs to be isolated from environmental elements like heat and moisture, and it needs to be in a...

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI-DSS, or PCI for short) is a set of compliance regulations adopted by major financial institutions such as VISA, Mastercard, American Express and...

Running a good Local Area Network (LAN) takes planning and maintenance. The more planning you put into the project up front, the less maintenance you will have on an ongoing basis. The analogy of...

A wireless cable modem is an integral part in any home network that is connected to the Internet. The cable modem is the device that actually receives a signal from the Internet, which it then...

Backing up your computer data is the only way to truly protect yourself from loss in the event of catastrophic failure of your system, or damage from an outside source. There are many ways to back...

Computers communicate with the Internet by sending and receiving data through a network connection such as Ethernet or wireless. Different types of communications, such as for websites, chat, or...

Data transfer is the movement of digital information from place to another. Typical data is transferred to and from a computer system. Data transfer can be done using the Internet as well as...

The basic job of a cable router is to decide which computer on your local area network should receive data from another computer on your network--or from which external source in the case of a...

Often, online services and networking hardware are labeled and advertised as offering speeds in Mbps (megabits per second). It can be confusing to decipher an Mbps speed rating to determine what...

Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices are a great way to give yourself more space to store files. You can connect to NAS devices with every PC on your network and share information seamlessly and...

There are many uses of fiber optic cables. They are ideal for data transmission, networking, light guides, wiring, and sensory pickup.

If you have a Bluetooth-enabled PC as well as a Bluetooth enabled cell phone or smartphone, you can connect to the Internet on your PC by using your cell phone's data connection. When...

In the United States, the vast majority of homes have a computer. The homes that have computers also typically have Internet service, and even individuals who do not have regular Internet service...

A data warehouse is a repository of a company's electronic data, and it usually has a multitude of redundant servers for storing data. Find out how data warehouses are used to retrieve information...

A data projector is a piece of hardware used to display images or screen shots from a computer to a wall or big screen. Find out how data projectors work through a VGA or RCA connection with help...

In a world where computers are used for virtually all financial and personal transactions, the need to safeguard data is more important than ever. In the Internet age, millions of people are...

Fiber-optic cables transmit data by modulating light waves. These light waves travel along optic threads made of either glass or plastic, surrounded by layers of protective material. Because the...