The Components of a Telecommunications System

Computers are connected using a number of different types of communication channels. These include both wired and wireless connections. Wired connections consist of an actual physical cable, such as copper wire or fiber optics. Wireless connections do not use a physical cable but transfer data using waves at a particular part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Why do we need a computer network? Transferring files between individual computers can be accomplished using physical media, such as DVDs or external hard drives, but a computer network makes it possible to transfer data between computers without having to use physical media.

Some of the advantages of computer networks are:

• File sharing
• Internet connection sharing
• Sharing of peripheral devices
• Improved cost efficiency
• Increased storage capacity

The network itself can also carry out tasks that are difficult for any single computer to do. These network services have become increasingly important as many different types of devices are connected to each other.

The transmission media of a computer network describes the material substances that carry energy waves, which include the data being transferred. The two main categories are wired connections, which use physical cables, and wireless connections, which use electromagnetic waves and do not require a physical medium. The most commonly used wired connections use twisted-pair cables, coaxial cables and fiber optic cables. The most commonly used wireless connections use radio waves, microwaves and infrared waves.

Management methods for networks include peer-to-peer, mainframes and client/server. In a peer-to-peer, or P2P, network, the tasks are allocated among all the members of the network, and there is no real hierarchy. In a client/server network, a number of network clients or workstations request resources or services from the network. One or more network servers manage and provide these resources or services. In mainframe systems, a very powerful computer does all of the processing, and very basic terminals are used to access the mainframe system.

Computers in a network have to be connected to each other in some sort of system. The layout of the interconnections between the computers in a network is called network topology. There are a number of different topologies, including point-to-point, bus, star, ring, mesh, tree and hybrid. Each one has its own unique strengths and weaknesses.

• Input and output devices
• Telecommunication channels
• Telecommunication processors
• Control software
• Messages
• Protocols

A computer network is a system of computers and peripheral devices that are connected electronically. Computer networks can be described in terms of their size, transmission media, management method and network topology. Important properties of computer networks are bandwidth, cost and reliability.

• Define and identify telecommunications systems and its six basic components
• Describe the types of telecommunications systems such as the computer network
• Detail the types of networks that are available to us
• Determine the various properties tied to network systems