Network Technology, Structure, and Protocols

¶ … Network Technology, Structure, and Protocols

Training users on how to get the most out of a computer network needs to be a continual, recurring process to make sure all the lessons are learned well over time. For many new users, there are literally hundreds of questions they have with regarding how to work with a network and get their jobs done, in addition to connecting with friends and family. There are five core areas of networks that people need to learn about the most however, and they are profiled in this analysis. Each area of networking is defined and what people should know about them, and why they should know it. In addition, a recommendation is made as to the best way to teach people about these technologies as well.

Fundamentals of Network Performance

There is a tendency on the part of new users to expect real-time, instant response from networks. This expectation has been created in part by the marketing and selling of networks by cable companies and world-known websites who promise amazing performance. Instead network performance varies significantly by time of day even in the same location. New users should know that there are many factors impacting overall network performance, from load levels of users in the same building, on the same T1 access lines, even to the level of system software supporting connections as well (Gilmer, 2010). All of these factors play a pivotal role in the performance of a given computer network at any point in time. The best way to teach people about this is to show them via graphical examples including infographics, videos and through the use of network analyzer equipment to show the overall performance of a network in real-time. Using a network analyzer to explain this point will be comparable to taking a car for a drive and watching the speedometer, as network analyzers can in real-time explain why and where networks are performing well or not. All of these elements would add to the education of someone learning about networks for the first time.

Cabling

Increasingly, computer networks are being defined by their Wi-Fi connections. Yet the backbone of every network includes cabling. It is essential for people just getting started on computer networks to realize how critical the various types of cabling used is. There are many different types of cable, yet the most prevalent that many users will run into is called CAT5 (or Category 5 cabling for short) (Gilmer, 2010). This type of cabling is essential for the creation of any network, hence the need for new users to understand the specifics of this type of cabling. There is also the need for understand how cabling working so when consumers set up their own networks at home, the thoroughly understand how this aspect of networking functions. The best way to teach people about networking is to set up a router, hub and switch and have them actively test out how it works on laptops and other devices.

Wireless and Wi-Fi

The dominant approach used today for connecting to network, wireless technologies including W-Fi is dominating the entire area of networking, from 3G and 4G on smartphones and tablet PCs to the development of hotspot technology on the attest iPad. This is the future of networking for many consumers. The reliance on Wi-Fi as a means to stay connected to business and friends has exponentially increased and will continue to for the long-term (Gilmer, 2010). The fundamentals of Wi-Fi are easily taught as they are based on IEEE standards that create a framework for teaching these technologies with clarity and insight (Greiner, 2001). Wi-Fi continues to increase in terms of speed as well, with 3G and 4G now commonplace. Consumers need to know about this technology and how it works to troubleshoot problems on their smartphones, tablet PCs and laptops. The best approach to managing the teaching process is to concentrate on how the IEEE standards define specific frequencies for each standard of Wi-Fi and how these various levels of performance vary by chipset and coding standards. Again, the best approach is to use actual examples with common devices to show how this performs.

Device Drivers Network Connectivity at the Operating System Level

The critical link in any device are the software that connects the network to the actual smartphone, tablet PC or laptop. How device drivers work is a critical skill for any consumer to understand, as they will often have to troubleshoot this to get their devices working again. Consumers need to know how to troubleshoot if a devices' drivers are not working, and also how to re-install them. Device drivers are so well designed today they can be quickly tested and evaluated through common, easily-learned steps (Gilmer, 2010). The best approach to teaching this is to concentrate on how device drivers are installed and work, showing consumers how this can be achieved within minutes.