From the course: Cert Prep: ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC)

Network types

From the course: Cert Prep: ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC)

Start my 1-month free trial Buy for my team

Network types

“

- The computers that we use are powerful by themselves, but they become even more powerful when they're connected to each other. That's the role of a network. Connecting computer systems together whether it's within an office or to the global internet. Networks allow us to send email messages around the world, stream video, print to a printer down the hall, and perform many other important tasks. The networks that we have in our homes and offices are called local area networks, or LANs. LANs connect devices together that are in the same building so that they can talk to each other, and the servers, printers, and other devices located in the office. LANs are then connected to wide area networks, or WANs. These WANs connect together offices in different locations, and they also connect us to the internet. When our LAN is connected to a WAN, that allows us to become a part of the global internet and communicate with anyone we'd like. Now we'll talk more about how that global network functions later in the course. For now, let's talk about how devices connect to the local area network. We have two basic options. Wired network connections function by connecting a cable called an ethernet cable from a computer to a network jack in the wall. Behind that wall plate, there are more cables running back to switches and other network devices that make the network function. The ethernet cables that we use for wired networks have plugs at the end that look like this one. This is called an RJ-45 connector, and it's an industry standard. You'll sometimes hear the RJ-45 connector referred to as an eight pin connector. That's because it has eight copper pins on the end. If you were to cut an ethernet cable open, you'd find that there are actually eight small wires inside. Each one of those wires connects to one of the pins on the connector. Now you may also come across RJ-11 connectors in your work. These connectors look similar to RJ-45 ethernet connectors, but they're smaller. These are the types of connector that were used for landline telephones, and they're quite similar to RJ-45 connectors, except that they only have six pins. This wireless router provides both RJ-45 and RJ-11 ports. The yellow RJ-45 ports on the right are used for ethernet connections to computers and other devices, while the green RJ-11 ports on the left allow you to connect a traditional telephone. Wired networks have the advantage of offering very high speed connections, but they come with the major inconvenience of requiring physical cables between devices. For that reason, we often rely on wireless networks to make life a little more convenient. Wifi networks create powerful wireless LANs that allow us to use smartphones, laptops, and other network devices anywhere in our home or office. You've probably also used a couple of other wireless networking technologies. Bluetooth networks make up what we call personal area networks, or PANs. These Bluetooth networks are usually created by a computer or a smartphone, and they're designed to support a single person. The main use of Bluetooth networks is to create wireless connections between a computer and its peripherals. Bluetooth allows us to use wireless headsets and connect our phones to our cars for hands free access. The range of a Bluetooth network is around 30 feet or 10 meters. Near field communication, or NFC technology, allows extremely short range wireless connections. For two devices to communicate using NFC, they need to be no more than a couple of inches apart. NFC technology is often used for wireless payments and building access control systems. Now, Bluetooth and NFC networks aren't general purpose networks that connect many computers together, but they're very useful for short range applications.

Contents