Computer Studies / Data Processing · Lesson 9

ICT, the internet, e-mail, the web, networks, topologies and devices

JAMBWAECNECO

What the syllabus asks

JAMB: Section F Basics and applications of ICT 1 (meaning, types: broadcasting, telecommunication (PSTN, mobile, CSPT, satellite, fixed wireless), data networks (PAN, LAN, MAN, WAN, internet), information systems, GPS); 2 Applications (teleconferencing, video conferencing, telecommuting, telecomputing, messaging, information search and archival, e-learning, telemedicine, e-commerce, e-government,…

WAEC: ICT (same types and applications; gadgets), Internet (terms, browsers, features, services), e-mail (steps, address fmemail@fmegovng.org), networking (types, topologies, devices incl. bridge, advantages), WWW (history, Nigeria’s contribution, HTTP and HTML, e-mail vs website), cables and connectors (RJ45, RJ11, T-connector; power, data, printer, USB, monitor, serial cables; male and female)

NECO: ICT (same types and applications; gadgets), Internet (terms, browsers, features, services), e-mail (steps, address fmemail@fmegovng.org), networking (types, topologies, devices incl. bridge, advantages), WWW (history, Nigeria’s contribution, HTTP and HTML, e-mail vs website), cables and connectors (RJ45, RJ11, T-connector; power, data, printer, USB, monitor, serial cables; male and female)

What you will learn

State the meaning of ICT and describe its types with examples.
Describe telecommunication systems, including PSTN, mobile, satellite and fixed wireless, and GPS.
Explain ICT application areas and the operation of ICT gadgets such as ATM and POS.
Define the internet and common internet terms.
Name browsers and describe browser features.
Describe internet services.
Explain e-mail services, the steps to create an account and send mail, and the parts of an e-mail address.
Give the meaning of WWW, HTTP, HTTPS, HTML and XML, the history of the web and its uses and disadvantages.
Define a computer network, its types and advantages.
Compare star, bus and ring topologies.
Explain the functions of network devices and identify cables and connectors.

Key points

ICT = Information and Communication Technology; types: broadcasting, telecommunication, data networks, information systems, satellite.
Telecom: PSTN (landline, circuit switched), mobile (GSM; commercial GSM in Nigeria from August 2001), packet switching, satellite and fixed wireless phones.
Applications: tele/video conferencing, telecommuting, telecomputing, messaging, e-learning, telemedicine, e-commerce, e-government, e-library.
Gadgets: mobile phones, fax, ATM, POS, dispensing machines, automated cash registers, radio, TV, scanners.
Internet = global network of networks using TCP/IP; ISP gives access; browser displays pages.
Terms: home page, browse, browser, chatroom, cybercafé, HTTP, HTML, ISP, web page, website, URL, hyperlink, IP address, DNS.
Browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari (Internet Explorer and Netscape are retired). Search engines (Google, Bing) are websites, not browsers.
Services: e-mail, discussion groups, IM/chat, Telnet, Usenet, FTP, WWW, virtual meetings.
E-mail address = user name @ domain name (fmemail@fmegovng.org); website addresses have no @.
WWW: Tim Berners-Lee, CERN, 1989; HTTP transfers, HTTPS secure, HTML describes, XML structures data.
Philip Emeagwali: 1989 Gordon Bell Prize for parallel computing; not the inventor of the internet.
Networks: PAN < LAN < MAN < WAN; intranet (internal), extranet (selected outsiders), internet.
Topologies: star (central hub/switch), bus (backbone, terminators), ring (loop); mesh links = n(n − 1)/2.
Devices: NIC, hub (all ports), switch (one port), router (between networks), modem (modulates), gateway (different protocols), repeater (boosts), bridge (joins segments), access point.
Cables: twisted pair (RJ45), telephone (RJ11), coaxial (BNC, T-connector), fibre (light); USB, HDMI/VGA, serial, parallel, power; male (pins) and female (sockets).

Start here: ICT: meaning and types

ICT stands for Information and Communication Technology. It is the group of technologies (computers, telephones, networks, broadcasting equipment, satellites and the software that runs them) used to capture, process, store, retrieve and transmit information.

Types of ICT (syllabus)

Broadcasting: sending one signal from a station to many receivers at the same time. Examples: radio broadcasting (AM and FM stations in every state), television broadcasting (terrestrial stations such as NTA) and satellite broadcasting (satellite TV decoders receive channels from geostationary satellites).
Telecommunication: two-way communication over a distance by electrical, radio or optical signals: telephones, mobile phones, fax (see 9.2).
Data networks: networks of computers that exchange data: PAN, LAN, MAN, WAN and the internet (see 9.10).
Information systems: systems that collect and process data to give information, e.g. a data processing system (a bank’s accounts system, the JAMB registration system) and the Global Positioning System (GPS).
Satellite communication: using artificial satellites to relay signals for TV, telephone, internet and navigation. Nigeria’s communication satellite NigComSat-1R was launched in 2011.

GPS

GPS is a system of satellites (operated by the United States) that continuously broadcast time signals. A receiver in a phone or car picks up signals from at least four satellites and calculates its position by measuring how long each signal took to arrive. Uses: maps and directions, ride-hailing apps, tracking delivery vans and stolen vehicles, surveying, farming and aviation. Other satellite navigation systems include Russia’s GLONASS, Europe’s Galileo and China’s BeiDou.

Benefits of ICT to society

Faster communication, easy access to information, new jobs (phone repairers, web designers, data analysts), efficient banking (mobile transfers), e-learning, better health services and transparent government services. Problems include cybercrime, job losses through automation, the digital divide between those with and without access, health effects of long screen use, and loss of privacy.

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Practice questions

1. The internet is

a worldwide network of interconnected computer networks
one computer in America
a word processor
a type of cable

Show answer

A: a worldwide network of interconnected computer networks
It links millions of networks using TCP/IP.

2. A network covering a school building is a

Show answer

D: LAN
Local Area Network.

3. A topology in which all computers connect to a central hub or switch is

bus
mesh
star
ring

Show answer

C: star
Failure of the hub stops the network.

4. In a bus topology, computers share

no connection
a single backbone cable
a central switch
a ring of cables

Show answer

B: a single backbone cable
Terminators at each end.

5. A device that connects different networks and forwards packets between them is a

router
keyboard
repeater
hub

Show answer

A: router
Home Wi-Fi routers connect a LAN to the internet.

Key words

ICT: Information and Communication Technology.
Broadcasting: Sending one signal to many receivers at once, e.g. radio and TV.
PSTN: Public Switched Telephone Network: the traditional fixed-line telephone system.
GSM: Global System for Mobile Communications, the 2G digital mobile standard.
GPS: Global Positioning System: satellites that let a receiver work out its location.
Telecommuting: Working from home or elsewhere using ICT links instead of travelling to the office.
Telemedicine: Delivering medical care at a distance through ICT.
Internet: The global network of interconnected computer networks using TCP/IP.
ISP: Internet Service Provider: a company that gives users access to the internet.
Browser: Software for finding and displaying web pages.
Web page: A single document on the WWW.
Website: A collection of related, linked web pages under one domain.

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