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Networking FUNdamentals
Computer Networks cover a lot of ground. Networks allow computers to talk to each other even when at opposite sides of the planet. To the electrical engineer the subject focusses on the hardware. For the computer scientist it is more about the algorithms that allow different computers to talk using that hardware in reliable, secure ways. Let's look at a couple of different aspects to give a flavour.
Solve a networking problem: fix the pipes
One of the major issues in networking is finding the best way for data to travel round the network. With old-style telephone calls, when you made a call to a friend there was a physical link made so that everything you said travelled along the same path from start to finish. With digital networks your data (whether your voice, emails a movie or the contents of a web page) doesn't have to all go the same way. It is broken into parts known as data packets. Each part can go whichever way is best for the network or the person. One issue is finding ways to send data between two points so that as many data packets can travel at once as possible. What is needed is an algorithm computers controlling the network can follow that guarantees to solve this problem.
Can you permanently fix Pinky's Pipes PickleNetworks that work for people
Creating a network that works is much more than getting the wires in the ground, putting the masts up and getting the packets from one place to the other. There are many different and important services a network must provide. Each builds on the lower level services that already exist. One important service is to provide ways to make sure that only the people you want to can read your communications (cryptography). Another is in making sure you don't send more data than you need to (data compression).
Little Data
We need to compress data before it is sent over networks so that it gets there as quickly as possible. The more data there is, the longer it takes to break it up into bits, send all the bits and put them back together again. Compressing data is not just important for networking. It is also important so that we can cram more songs on our iPods, and files on our computers. The tricky thing is we need to shrink it in a way that loses no information whatsoever. How can that be done? Surely if there is less data there, we must have lost something! How does that bit of magic work?
Compress Vicky Pollard to find outPick a song you like with repetitive lyrics and use the same method to compress it...then rescue it again.
Some Brilliant Networking Fantasy
We recommend you read Terry PratchettÕs brilliant book 'Going Postal' for a fun fantasy about inventing and making money from networking technology on DiscWorld. Loads of computer scientists who've read any Terry Pratchett's books love them instantly even if they don't read much else.
