Network technologies allow two or more computers to connect with each other. The most common of these technologies include Local Area Network (LAN), Wireless Area Network (WAN), the Internet via client servers and Bluetooth. Each of these computer network types serves a different purpose and you may find a need to use each one.
Local Area Network
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A Local Area Network (LAN) connects two or more computers together via Ethernet cables. For office networking, this is one of the most common network types, because of its reliability, stability and performance. This type allows computers to communicate directly with each other, as long as each computer on the network has been granted access to the computer with which it is trying to connect. A LAN can also take the external Internet connection and distribute it to all computers on the network, making it possible to pull up outside websites.
Wireless Area Network
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A Wireless Area Network (WAN) has the same function of connecting computers on a home or office network as a LAN, but it distributes the signal wirelessly. A wireless connection allows compatible desktop computers, laptops, smart phones and tablet devices to connect with one another. A wireless connection is most commonly used in homes to connect with the Internet. Wi-Fi hotspots that you find at local shops also use a WAN to distribute the Internet to their patrons.
Internet
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The Internet is the most commonly used network technology with billions of daily users throughout the world. An Internet provider services paying customers via client servers. The provider's servers are responsible for going out and finding the requested website and sending it through the cable lines back to the user. Websites are hosted on a client server, which then delivers the Web pages to your computer's browser.
Bluetooth
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Bluetooth is a relatively newer technology, which usually wirelessly connects accessories to a device, such as a Bluetooth headset that allows you to talk hands-free on your mobile phone. You can also create a Personal Area Network (PAN) with Bluetooth technology, which allows you to connect up to eight computers. The central computer is known as the master and the seven auxiliary computers are known as slaves. A slave computer must call up to the master to get access to the Personal Area Network (PAN), or to receive access to any of the other slave computers.
Modem, an acronym for modulator/demodulator, is a device that allows one computer to "talk" with another over a standard telephone line. Modems act as a kind of interpreter between a computer and the telephone line. Computers transmit digital data, expressed as electrical impulses, whereas telephones transmit voice frequencies as analog signals. To transmit digital data, the sending modem must first modulate, or encode, a computer's digital signal into an analog signal that can travel over the phone line. The receiving modem must then demodulate, or decode, the analog signal back into a digital signal recognizable to a computer. A modem transmits data in bits per second (bps), with the fastest modems transmitting at 56K (kilobits per second). An internal modem is housed within the computer itself, while an external modern is a separate device connected to the computer by cable.
A variety of protocols (standards, rules) govern the conversion of data to and from digital and analog. These also govern error correction and data compression. Error correction is necessary to detect and correct data that may have become lost or garbled as the result of a poor telephone connection. Data compression speeds the data transfer by eliminating any redundant data sent between two modems, which the receiving modem then restores to its original form. Individual modems vary in the types of protocols they support, depending on such factors as manufacturer and age.
Communications software enables a modem to perform the many tasks necessary to complete a session of sending and receiving data. To initiate a modem session, the user issues the command appropriate to the software being used; the software then takes over and begins the complicated process of opening the session, transferring the data, and closing the session.
To open the session, the software dials the receiving modem and waits for an answering signal. Once the two modem have established a connection, they engage in a process called "handshaking": they exchange information about the types of protocols each uses, ultimately agreeing to use a set common to both. For example, if one modem supports a more recent set of protocols then does the other, the first will agree to use the earlier set so that each is sending data at the same rate, with error correction and data compression appropriate to those protocols. The handshaking process itself is governed by its own protocol.
In addition to transmitting and receiving data, the communications software may also automate other tasks for the user, such as dialing, answering, redialing, and logging onto an online service.
The functionality provided by a traditional dial-up modem—the ability to send and receive information electronically—is also offered in other technologies that offer faster transmission speeds, although each is not without its disadvantages. Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Lines (ADSL), and Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL) all use more capacity of the existing phone to provide services.
At 128K, ISDN is more than twice as fast as a dialup modem, but not nearly as fast as ADSL or DSL. ADSL can deliver data at 8 mbps, but is available only in selected urban areas. DSL transmits at a high rate of speed, but to ensure reliable service, the user must be located near the phone company's central office or outlying transmitters. In addition, a DSL connection is always "on" and thus makes a computer more vulnerable to attacks from hackers. To secure a DSL connection, a user must install either a software package called a firewall or a piece of hardware called a router. With either of these in place, the DSL connection cannot be detected by outsiders.
Cable modems do not use phone lines. Instead, they utilize the same line that provides cable TV services to consumers. Offered by cable television companies, cable modems are about 50 times faster than a dialup modem, but transmission speed is dependent on the number of subscribers using the service at the same time. Because the service uses a shared connection, its speed decreases as the number of users increases. Satellite, or wireless, services are faster than a 56K modem, but slower than a DSL. In addition, the initial satellite installation is expensive. However, for users in rural areas who do not have access to other services, wireless service may be a viable option.
As Bonnie Lund states in Business Communication That Really Works!, "the speed with which we can exchange documents has revolutionized business communications," which in turn has enabled business to be done "faster, cheaper, and more efficiently." Modems, along with the related technologies, facilitate this rapid transfer of information between colleagues or customers, regardless of their location. Communications that, in the past, may have taken several days or even weeks to complete, can now be accomplished in a fraction of the time. For example, during a typical work day, an employee could use a modem to facilitate sending an email message to a customer, transmitting a spreadsheet containing the annual budget to a manager for review, or downloading a file from the Internet. On a busy day this will take place dozens of times.
Lund also notes that "modems are changing the work style of corporate America" by enabling workers to telecommute or telework. As Amy Joyce reported in the Washington Post, citing data from the Telework Association and Council (ITAC), "the number of employed Americans who performed any kind of work from home, from as little as one day a year to full time, grew from 41.3 million in 2003 to 44.4 million in 2004, a 7.5 percent growth rate." A related development is the "distributed office," used in many small businesses involved in consulting, software development, publishing, and similar industries were members of the company work from home communicating by e-mail and using a common network server available to each by one of the faster modes of telecommunications.
"Gateway Enables Remote Site Management." Product News Network. 18 April 2006.
Joyce, Amy. "Getting the Job Done at Home: Telecommuting Can Save Money and Boost Productivity." Washington Post. 26 June 2005.
Lund, Bonnie. Business Communication That Really Works! Affinity Publishing, Inc. 1995.
Poor, Alfred. "Phone as Modem?." Computer Shopper. April 2006.
Rae-Dupree, Janet. "Surfing the Web at Warp Speed with Minimal Expense." U.S. News & World Report. 19 June 2000.
A fax modem gives a computer the ability to connect to a phone line, either for dial-up internet or faxing.
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What is a fax modem?
A fax modem is a computer accessory that allows the transmission of data over a telephone line.
It can be used for a computer to connect to a dial-up internet server or fax machine.
Fax modems can be either an internal modem (attached to the inside of the computer) or an external one (typically connecting through a USB port).
Where can I get one?
Online is currently the best option – some retail outlets may stock one or two models.
What else will I need to send and receive faxes with a computer?
In some cases (such as with an online fax service) not even a fax modem is needed.
When using a Windows or Linux computer, you will need fax software (Windows already includes Windows Fax and Scan) as well as a land-line phone line (VoIP phone lines won’t work).
External (USB or Laptop) vs. Internal (PCI or Card)
External fax modems connect through a USB port (or similar) to provide the phone line connection. They can be used on either a desktop or laptop and are preferred because they only need to be inserted into the port to be installed.
Internal fax modems are either already installed on the computer or can be installed to an internal PCI port to provide the phone line connection. Unless a laptop already has an internal fax modem, it is difficult to install one. Some desktop users prefer their enclosing an internal fax modem in their computer as USB modems are a device hanging off of the main computer.
How does it work?
Fax modems work by communicating through an audio signal with the modem or fax machine on the other end of the phone line.
To a person, the audio signal sounds like a series of high-pitched computer beeps – to the modem, it’s the way of communicating information between the two computers (or the fax machine).
Do I already have a fax modem?
While modems have disappeared from most new computers, they are a feature that is still available.
Almost any computer produced since the year 2000 with a port to connect a phone jack (a smaller version of an ethernet port) should have fax modem capability.
Why do people still use fax modems?
Fax modems are most commonly used to make a computer a fax machine replacement (connecting it to a phone line) or for dial-up internet connection.
What will one cost?
Typically a fax modem will cost $15 – 40, depending on whether it is internal or external, and specific features.
Will it be compatible with my computer?
Operating system compatibility is the biggest question mark when it comes to fax modems.
Sometimes having a new operating system makes it more difficult to find a compatible fax modem – as the technology is old, manufacturers are reluctant to develop for the new operating systems.
Windows systems are compatible, and there are some modems available for Windows 7 and 8.
Apple systems are no longer compatible with fax modems – since the OS X 10.7 update, the Apple modem has no longer worked with the equipment.
Linux operating system compatibility is a question mark. While there are modems available, compatibility with the latest version of a specific operating system may not always be quickly updated.
Sources and External Resources
More Resources
- Computer
- Smartphone or Tablet
- iOS (iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch)
- Android
- Windows Phone
- Blackberry
- How to email a fax
- How to fax a PDF
- How to fax from a VoIP phone (such as Vonage, Skype, Magic Jack, or Google Voice
- How to fax from Google (Gmail, Google Docs, and Drive)
- How to fax from Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, and more)
- How to fax to an email address
- How to email a fax