Lesson 1

COMMUNICATION AND INTERNET TECHNOLOGIES

What Is Internet Communication?

Definition: Internet communication refers to the exchange of data,

information, and messages between individuals, devices, or systems over
the internet.

 Internet communication enables you to communicate with people over

the web.
 The communication process takes place in any form, such as
1. messages,
2. voice,
3. video calls.

How can we communicate over the internet?

 Internet communication can take many forms, including:

1. Email
2. Instant messaging (e.g., WhatsApp, Slack)
3. Video conferencing (e.g., Zoom, Skype)
4. Social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter)
5. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls (e.g., Skype, Google Voice)
6. Online forums and discussion boards
7. Blogs and microblogs (e.g., WordPress, Twitter)
8. Collaborative tools (e.g., Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams)

 Communication through the Internet is quite useful for users and

businesses.
 Some of the prime characteristics of internet communication are listed
below:
 Accessibility
 Extension of Existing IT Technology
 Flexibility of Communication
 Security
 Easy to Use
 Interaction with Other Media
 Low Cost

 Some risks and concerns in internet communication include:

 Privacy and data security.
 Spam and phishing emails.
 Misinformation and cyberbullying on social media.
  Technical issues and network disruptions.
 Dependency on technology.
Lesson 2
DATA TRANSMISSION
 Data transmission refers to the process of sending and receiving
data between two or more devices via cables (such as telephone lines
or fiber optics) or wireless systems.

 Data transmission involves converting data into signals that can be

transmitted over a medium and then converting those signals back into
data at the receiving end.
 For example, digital computers use modems to transform outgoing
digital electronic data into a format compatible with telephone lines
and then back into the original electronic data at the receiving end.

Methods of Data Transmission

1. Cable Transmission:
 This method uses physical cables, such as telephone lines or
fiber optics, to transmit data.
 Cable modems are used to modulate and demodulate signals,
allowing for higher data transfer rates compared to ordinary
telephone circuits.

2. Wireless Transmission:
 This method uses wireless systems, such as Wi-Fi or cellular
networks, to transmit data.
 Portable devices like smartphones and tablets receive data
wirelessly over these networks

Data transmission is crucial for various applications, including:

 Internet Connectivity: Data is transmitted over the internet using
both wired (e.g., DSL, cable) and wireless (e.g., Wi-Fi, cellular)
methods.
 Telecommunications: Voice and video calls rely on data
transmission to send audio and video signals between devices.
 Streaming Media: Services like Netflix and YouTube use data
transmission to deliver video content to users.

When dealing with data transmission, it is important to consider factors

such as:
 Transmission Speed: The rate at which data is transmitted can
affect the performance of applications that rely on real-time data,
such as video conferencing.
  Signal Compatibility: Ensuring that the transmitted signals are
compatible with the receiving devices is crucial for accurate data
transmission.
 Data Integrity: Protecting data from loss or corruption during
transmission is essential for maintaining the quality and reliability of
the transmitted data.
 Data transmission is the movement of data (bits) between at least
two digital devices or between two components of the computer.
 Data transmission can be over a short distance (e.g. from your
computer to a plugged-in device) or over longer distances (e.g.
networks).
 When data needs to be sent from one device to another, it is
important to consider how that transmission is going to occur.

Factors to be considered and agreed between sender and

receiver
1. Direction of transmission (i.e. one direction or both)
 Simplex,
 Half Duplex or
 Full Duplex (Duplex)
2. Method of transmission (how many bits are sent at the same time)
 Serial or
 Parallel
3. Synchronisation method between the two devices
 Asynchronous and
 Synchronous

Direction of data transmission

 Simplex, Half Duplex and Duplex are the three possibilities for
the direction of data transmission.
1. Simplex
 Simplex is data transmission in one direction only. Two
directional transmissions are not possible.
 E.g. a radio station broadcast, Microphone to computer, Keyboard
to computer, computer to printer etc.

2. Half Duplex
  Data transmission in both directions is possible, but not at the
same time.
 e.g. Walkie-talkies

3. Full Duplex
 Data transmission is possible in both directions and at the same
time (simultaneously).
 e.g. Telephone call, Voice over IP, Video conferencing, Instant
messaging, Broadband connection etc.

Key Differences Between Simplex, Half Duplex and Full Duplex

Simplex:
 Direction: Unidirectional (one-way).
 Example: Radio broadcast, where the station transmits, but the
receiver doesn't send back data.
 Performance: Least efficient as it only utilizes one direction of the
communication channel.
Half-Duplex:
 Direction: Bidirectional (two-way) but not simultaneously.
 Example: Walkie-talkies, where one person can talk at a time, and
the other must listen.
 Performance: Better than simplex, as it allows both devices to
transmit, but only one at a time.
Full-Duplex:
 Direction: Bidirectional and simultaneously.
 Example: Telephone call, where both parties can speak and listen
at the same time.
 Performance: Most efficient, as it utilizes both directions of the
communication channel simultaneously.

Difference 1
 In a Simplex mode of transmission, the signal can be sent only in
one direction; hence, it is unidirectional.
 On the other hand, in half duplex, both the sender and receiver can
transmit the signal but, only one at a time,
 whereas, in full duplex, the sender and receiver can transmit the
signal simultaneously at the same time.

Difference 2
 The performance of full duplex is better than half duplex and
simplex because it better utilizes the bandwidth, as compared to
half duplex and simplex.