GNVQ ICT - Intermediate

Unit 10 - Networks and Communications

Hyperlinks on the level above: [Home Page for Unit 10] [ The Internet ]

Hyperlinks:

On this level:

Connection Speed
Growth of the Internet

On the level below:

Connection speed:

The Internet is a multi-purpose communication tool that relies for the transfer of data on the connections between millions of computers.  The speed of the slowest link between any of these computers will have a major effect on the apparent speed of the Internet. 

All computers must have additional hardware to make it possible for them to connect to the Internet.  This is often a device called a modem.  Modems can be either internal (inside the main system unit) or external.  The photo on the left shows an internal modem which has not yet been fitted inside the computer case.  The photo on the right shows an external modem which is then connected to the computer using either a serial cable or a USB connection.

This “slowest link” is often the telephone line between the user’s modem and the ISP – but the increasing use of ISDN (up to 2* faster than the fastest “normal” modem) and ADSL (“broadband” which is up to 40* faster) lines has speeded up this for some users prepared to pay the extra cost for these technologies.  The number of Internet users also affects the speed - during the afternoon it appears to run slower as this is morning in the USA – a time of peak use in that country.

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Please email your comments to mail@ictgnvq.org.uk    Created by K C Parry - Please email your comments to kcparry@ictgnvq.org.uk