Summary Grade 12 CAT module 2.1

CAT module 2.1 Internet connections and
services
 The internet is a worldwide computer network.
 A WAN is a network that is spread over a wide geographical area such
as a country, city, or even continent.
 The purpose of a WAN is to facilitate the sharing of computer
resources, and the means of electronic communication over a wide
area.
 The internet of things (IOT) is a trend for all things to connect to the
internet so that they can be monitored and controlled wherever you
are. These connected devices contain CPU’s, sensors and software.
Internet connections:
ISP- internet service provider:
 ISP is a company that has a permanent, fast internet connection and
sells internet access and services to individuals and organisations for a
monthly fee.
 The monthly fee depends on the type of access that is chosen.
 Examples of ISPs: Vodacom, Telkom, MTN, MWEB etc.
 ISPs offer the following services: email, web page hosting, wireless and
wired internet access, fax-to-email and spam filtering.
Criteria for types of internet connections:
 In terms of internet connection most people would prefer a broadband-
a high speed, high-bandwidth connection to the internet.
 Bandwidth: refers to the amount of data that can be transferred from
one point to another in a given period of time.
 Factors to consider when choosing a broadband package consider the
following:
1. Mobility: do I want a fixed connection or is mobility essential?
2. The speed of the line or connection.
3. Cap: Amount of data
4. Shaped or unshaped: Shaped: preference is given to certain services
on the internet such as email, downloading and browsing. Unshaped:
All the internet services are given the same priority. Shaped connection
works well unless you want a specific need such as wanting to do a lot
of online gaming.
Wired versus wireless connections:
Wired connection- ADSL and fibre
 ADSL (asymmetrical digital subscriber line) is a permanent digital
connection to the internet through a telephone line or a landline. The

, connection is split into 2 channels one for making normal calls and one
for connecting to the internet.
 Fibre: Data is transmitted along glass tubes. Much faster than ADSL.
 More bandwidth in the copper wires in ADSL.
Cost of connection:
 The cost of your ADSL or fibre internet connection includes a monthly
ISP cost, depending on the chosen data package. For ADSL you also
pay a fixed monthly cost for the line rental and normal telephone rates.
 ADSL provides cheaper connections to the internet than cellular
connections.
 ADSL and fibre are more stable than cellular connections.
 Fibre is much faster than ADSL
 Fibre uses light and is not affected by electrical interference
Wireless connections- cellular technology:
 3G/4G and LTE are the generations of cellular technology that are in
use.
 A 3G or 4G dongle can be used for a desktop computer or laptop to
connect it to a cellular connection for internet access.
Advantage:
 You can have mobile access to the internet using your mobile device.
Disadvantages:
 If you are in an area that has poor cellular coverage, you will have
limited or slow access.
 You can never escape communication, which can result in information
overload.
 You might need to limit the amount of data you use.
Internet services:
Real-time messaging:
 Instant messaging is like SMS without the cost.
 WhatsApp, Twitter DM, Snapchat, Facebook messenger,
 A chatroom is an online space that you go onto to chat with people-
usually strangers.
Advantages:
 You can talk to more than one period at the same time in real time,
provides can opportunity to talk to people regardless of geographical
location, some applications are on a variety of operating systems, cost
effective etc.
Disadvantages: