Components of Computing Networks
Client and Server
Definition
Server
A device or software that manages and hosts a computer network.
Definition
Client
A device or software that connects to and uses a computer network.
- Imagine you are sending a message to a group chat with your friends via a social media messaging app.
- Your message is first delivered to a secure server, which then performs the necessary operations.
- The central server then redistributes the message to all the clients (your friends in the group chat).
Servers are optimized for handling multiple simultaneous requests, making them essential for large networks like the internet.
Modem
- The modem is responsible for converting digital data from computer devices into a format that can be transmitted over a telephone line or a different connection.
- It acts as a bridge between the local network and the Internet Service Provider (ISP).
Think of the modem as a translator. It converts the "language" of your devices into one that the ISP understands and vice versa.
Router
- The router directs data packets between the local network and the internet.
- It ensures that data sent from a device reaches the correct destination and that responses are routed back to the original device.
- It is able to connect many different networks together and redistribute data throughout networks.
Hub
- Basic device that connects multiple devices in a network.
- Broadcasts data to all connected devices, regardless of the intended recipient.
- Simple, but often inefficient.
Switch
- More efficient alternative to a hub.
- Examines the destination of each data packet and forwards it only to the intended device.
- Reduces unnecessary traffic and improves network performance.
Wireless Access Point (WAP)
- Wireless device that creates and expands a LAN to a wider area.
- Used to cover wider areas, such as company buildings.
- Explain how the server interacts with the clients in network communication.
- Explain the difference between a router and a modem.
- Evaluate why a switch is more efficient than a hub.
