Networks

COMP 1010 Home > Networks

Introduction Computer networks, particularly the internet, have become a part of our everyday lives. The majority of people working the weather, have changed the way society communicates. For example, approximately half the population of North America currently have a Facebook account, and the importance of networks will only increase as devices that use networks (ie. laptops, tablets and smartphones) become more popular. This topic continues to be in the forefront of research as newer technologies and algorithms are required to transfer these large amounts of data from point to another point. Areas of research such as wireless ad-hoc networks and peer-to-peer networks are continuing to be in the forefront of this research.

...By Students "Not long ago, I knew nothing about networks, but that had to change when I wanted to upgrade the speed and reliability of the wireless network at home. I started by doing some research on routers, looking for faster download speeds and stronger signal. I learned about the various network standards in speed, range, encryption and wireless protocols. I also leaned about various features and techniques that help make a network more secure. The one thing that really surprised me when I was researching all these things is that I now find networks kinda cool."

More to come...

What is a Network?

A network is a link between two or more computers.

Courses

There are 4 courses required for the networking specialty at the U of M:

• Computer Networks I
• Computer Networks II
• Computer Security
• Cryptography and Cryptosystems

Career Opportunities

• Network Administrator : network administrators configure and manage LANs(Local Area Networks) and sometimes WANs(Wide Area Networks)
• Network (Systems) Engineer : network engineers focus primarily on system upgrades, evaluating vendor products, security testing, and so on
• Network (Service) Technician : focus more on the setup, troubleshooting, and repair of specific hardware and software products. Service Technicians in particular often must travel to remote customer sites to perform "field" upgrades and support
• Network Programmer/Analyst : write software programs or scripts that aid in network analysis, such as diagnostics or monitoring utilities
• Network/Information Systems Manager : supervise the work of administrators, engineers, technicians, and/or programmers. Network / Information Systems Managers also focus on longer-range planning and strategy considerations

References

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