NET-120-001N JGBB

This week, I reviewed networking concepts. A router is one kind of device used to connect different devices and allow them to communicate.  Most consumer and small business routers also integrate a networking switch and wireless access point for convenience.  A relatively new development is local wireless mesh networks to propagate a wireless signal and Internet connection throughout a building without having to run new cables or use coaxial or power line networking technologies (such as MoCA, HPNA, HomePlug or G.hn) to connect devices, although coaxial and sometimes power line networking can offer increased performance over wireless, especially in denser environments like apartment buildings, condos, or offices. One of the first things people wonder about IPv6 besides what it is, is do I have it?  The website http://ds.test-ipv6.com helps provide an answer to that question. Border Gateway Protocol is used in the core networks of the Internet, however it has some s...

An operating system is what needs to be installed/run on a computer to make it generally useful for an end user. One thing that pretty much all operating systems need is a file system.  This allows the OS to store and organize data on a storage medium.  Even the most rudimentary file system has ways to identify the location of a file. These days, there can be many types of files (images, videos, wireframe models, etc.) not just encoded text.  File systems need a way to organize files into folders or directories to make it easier for the end user and for programs to find the files they need. It is worth noting that in addition to Microsoft Windows, there are actually quite a few other operating systems out there.  Windows is a DOS-based operating system, whereas modern Apple macOS (also iOS) and other BSD-based operating systems are directly descended from UNIX.  (Originally, Apple Macintosh computers ran a completely unique operating system, but it ultimat...

Printers are actually one of the oldest I/O devices for computers, along with card readers (albeit the originals were punch cards, not SecureDigital or memory sticks).  Tape drives, discussed previously, are also one of the older I/O devices. Anyway, printers are used to put text and pictures on paper.  Virtual printers also exist, for making electronic books or similar documents, or for previewing items before printing them. Physical printers can work in several ways.  Early computer printers (such as daisy-wheel printers) worked similarly to typewriters and block printing presses, by striking the page with a character on the end of a rod or lever.  Another early design of computer printer that could actually print images, not just text, was the dot-matrix printer.  These worked by printing dots on a page, similar to pointillist artwork, by pushing down a rod with ink on the end.  Modern ink jet printers also print using dots, but spray a jet of ink on...

As you may know, I am a member of Internet Freedom for McHenry County and am also organizing an Althea Mesh Network  here in McHenry County.  The former is an organization, specifically a focus and action group, desiring Fiber-Optic connections to every home or premises in McHenry County and beyond, the latter is an effort to build an encrypted mesh network to serve the communities of McHenry County, especially Woodstock.  Both have similar goals in mind, but different methods and timescales.

Follow the link to learn more.   https://foldingathome.org/2020/03/15/coronavirus-what-were-doing-and-how-you-can-help-in-simple-terms/ Mike Tauler of Internet Freedom for McHenry County setup a team for Folding@Home.  It is team number: 255349.

This is a work in progress.  The Central Processing Unit, or CPU, is key to a computer, without it, nothing would function.  CPUs are what programs are ultimately run on, and having a powerful enough CPU with enough threads and enough Hz to run programs without slowing down to a crawl is important. Intel is somewhat notorious for having many CPU sockets and changing them every time a new generation of CPUs is launched.  AMD, conversely, tends to have fewer sockets and maintains compatibility between CPU generations for a little while, making upgrades more practical. In desktop systems, power supplies play a bit larger of a role in that someone designing a build needs to choose a power supply that is reliable (I hope!; some PC system builders cheaped out on power supplies in the past leading to an excess of warranty claims) along with having adequate power and efficiency while remaining on budget (unless you have an outrageous budget and can go all-in on every component...