Definitions-

1.     Define the term- Protocol:

Rules determining the format and transmission of data, it is a set of rules which is used by computers to communicate with each other across a network.

2.     What are the following protocols used for?

-          TCP/IP: is one of the core protocols of the Internet Protocol Suite. It provides reliable, ordered delivery of a stream of bytes from a program on one computer to another program on another computer.

-          http:// - Hypertext Transfer Protocol- it is when computers communicate webpages to one another and is used to access a server that is supporting www protocol.

-          Smtp://- Simple Mail Transfer Protocol- it is used to transfer email messages between computers.

-          Pop- Post Office Protocol is a technology used for downloading messages from an email server to your computer.

-          FTP - File Transfer Protocol- used to download a file from a server supporting the FTP Protocol

3.     What does GUI stand for? What was used before GUI?

GUI stands for Graphical User Interface. Before GUI became common, computers worked with a text-base interface. In these interfaces users interacted with the computer by typing commands, meaning users had to memorize commands in order to use them. DOS, for example, was a common operating system in the late 1980s and the early 1990s.

4.     There are two methods of data transmission – serial and parallel. Explain the difference between them.

The difference between serial and parallel is that the serial transmissions only use 2 wires for transmitting and receiving data and only 1 for sending or receiving, and can only send one bit at a time whereas parallel cabels use several wires for data transmission and is much faster than serial therefore 8 or more wires are carrying data ‘parallel’ to each other to its destination.

5.     Define the term “URL”. Explain the components that make up the url.

URL is an abbreviation of ‘Uniform/Universal Resource Locator’, it is the global address of documents and other resources on the World Wide Web. It is a standard for identifying a resource (site, name, application, etc.) across a computer network, example internet.

6.  In the context of data transmission, what is “error detection”?

In the context of data transmission, error detection is the detection of errors caused by noise or other impairments during transmission from the transmitter to the receiver.