Networking Part 2: Devices

Media is what data travels through.  There are three main types of media: Copper, Fiber (glass), and Air.
    Copper: Signal can travel 300 meters unrepeated.
    Fiber: Signal can travel 3000 meters unrepeated in single mode, 2000 meters unrepeated in multi mode.
    Air- Signal can travel 300 meters unrepeated.

Devices:

Repeater- Retimes and regenerates networks signals
Hub- multi-port repeater, huge collision domain
    Collision Domain- Area where collisions occur
Bridge- Filters traffic based on physical addresses (MAC addresses)
Switch- multi-port bridge with lots of collision domains
    Micro Segmentation- Create a lot of collision domains
Router- routes data packets based on IP address
    IP- Internet Protocol Address
NIC- Network Interface Card.  This gives you your digital "fingerprint"

Switches are much better than repeaters, hubs, and bridges.  They do everything the first three do, except with less problems.  Since they have a lot of small collision domains instead of one huge one (like a hub), there is less chance a collision will occur.

My First Flash Movie

This is my first Flash movie for my Communications Technology class.

Networking

Bits, Cookies, Bytes, RAM, Static, Dynamic, Compression, HTTP, HTTPS.
All familiar terms, popping up while you play around on your computer.  For me, at least.
Now I know what they mean... Sort of.  Let's find out what these common network terms mean.

Bits are the smallest unit of information.  Cookies are 4 bits and Bytes are 8 bits.

RAM is Random Access Memory, which is what your computer uses whenever you have applications open.  If your computer's slow, this is usually one of the main reasons- you're clogging up your RAM space.

Static means unchanging, and dynamic means changing.  Static is the reason everything you do on the internet can be traced.  A URL is dynamic.

Compression happens when you shrink data.  You can compress images or files so they take up less memory.

HTTP is hyper text transfer protocol, and HTTPS is basically the same, except it's secure (see the S on the end)

Some less familiar terms (for me, anyway): Node, Encapsulation, De encapsulation, Encryption, FTP, Bandwidth, Throughput.

Node- network ready device
Encapsulation- wrapping of data
De encapsulation- very obvious if you know encapsulation, it means unwrapping of data
Encryption- securing data
FTP- file transfer protocol
Bandwidth- maximum amount of data that can travel at a given time
Throughput- actual amount of data traveling at a given time (always less)

OSI is a seven layered reference model.  It goes as follows:
    7) Application (browsers, email) Data
    6) Presentation (common data format, encryption and compression) Data
    5) Session (virtual session, end-to-end conversations like facebook chat) Data
    4) Transport (quality of service, flow control) Segments
    3) Network (routing, logical/dynamic IP addressing) Packets
    2) Data Link (MAC Address- not the computer, media access control-/Physical Static address) Frames
    1) Physical (bits, binary, voltage) Bits

There is an introduction to networking.  Not too confusing, I hope, but these are just the basics.

Fun With Pixels

In my Communications Technology class, we've been learning a "bit" about pixels.  I was surprised to find only one pixel joke on the internet, so here are some cheesy pixel jokes to share with your nerdier (or, as I like to say, more tech savvy)  friends this holiday season.

A pixel walked into a bar... Just kidding... Pixels can't walk...

What's the difference between a pixel and you?  A pixel is more complex.

My pixel has more depth than your pixel.

I trained my pixels to understand binary code.

You're so intellectually underdeveloped, a pixel could beat you at chess.

My pixels rebelled and made all of my Facebook pictures look fat.

I think we're going a little overboard with the "Go Green" thing.  The other day when I was working in Photoshop, all of my pixels turned black and refused to change color except for a moment when they informed me that they were "preserving light energy".

    That's all for now.  I'm proud to add seven more pixel jokes to the world's vast collection.

Minecraft

Since it's that Christmas time of year again, I'm going to continue blogging about things that are on my Christmas list.  First, the Butterfly in a Jar... Now Minecraft.

What is Minecraft?

In Minecraft, anything is possible.  It's a fabulous world that constantly changes and regenerates.  

You can play with friends or on your own, and basically... You can do whatever you want.  

You can build a house, or a fortress, or a secret lair.  

 You can atack your neighbors or set sail into the unknown water.  

You can make bridges or destroy islands.  

You can farm sheep, if that's what you want.

You can do ANYTHING.

However, if you don't want to pay $26.95 for a computer game, which is completely understandable (but crazy), there IS a free app for iPod (and maybe other Apple devices) that is a very limited version of Minecraft, but still fun. 

Not nearly as good as the real thing, but hey, it's still something.

It's at the top of my Christmas list, and I think it should definitely be on yours, too.

Butterfly in a Jar

What's at the top of my Christmas list?  Take a look at this.

They're electronic butterflies in jars.  How  awesome is that?

My personal favorite is the blue morpho, but everybody's different.

I really want to have one of these, because they're cool, obviously, but also to carry around with me and shock people.  What would you think if you saw someone carrying a butterfly around?  See?  Shocking.

These are the things that make life wonderful.

If you think these are as fabulous as I do, watch this video... and be AMAZED.

Now it's on the top of your Christmas list, too, huh?

Thought so.

Time to get rid of HIB!

For those of you who haven't heard of this, HIB stands for harassment intimidation and bullying.  Obviously, it's not the greatest thing out there.

I think it's time to get rid of HIB once and for all.

Doesn't it seem like it's been around too long?  I mean, really, I feel like I can start by saying... hmm... forever?  Even the cavemen would beat each other up.  They couldn't talk,  but... same idea.
And dinosaurs?  They appear to have been pretty violent.

Enough is enough.  You'd think with everything that's available to us now, people wouldn't need to stoop so low and hurt others, both mentally and physically.  Shouldn't we be past that primitive sort of manipulation and intimidation?

Let's smile at the people who other, less "developed" people (i.e. cavemen) would beat up.  Let's say hello to those who other, less mature people would make fun of (i.e. older generations).  Let's go down as the generation who rid the world of HIB, once and for all.


I don't know about you, but to me, that sounds like a pretty awesome thing to be a part of.