Richard Technology Class

Name: Richard V
Session 12: Computer and Network Homework


A few years ago, the idea of a network was less common. Today, however, the network entity has evolved from a technical design to a technology reality that can be found in the workplace as well as in the home. These networks vary in specialty, function, and equipment from the traditional network to the phone line to the power line to the wireless mode of operation. What they all have in common, however, is their increasing prevalence in our society today and the expansion of their usefulness beyond the realms of business and school to the personal and recreational.

In a typical day, I log into my computer in the morning. I have some roommates and our computers all have a wireless card built or installed into then. Being able to connect to the Internet via a wireless connection is especially great for my roommates since space is a premium. Since we are all in one network, we can share various files and devices. When I leave our apartment and come to school, I encounter the Dallas Baptist University network. In order to use the DBU wireless Internet, I have to set an account so that I can log in and be an authorized user. This wireless connection connects me to the school population who are able to take advantage of DBU’s technology resources for which I am especially grateful for the opportunity to do so. When I drive in the city, I usually encounter various intersections where there is a light system that signals “go,” “yield,” or “stop.” These light systems are connected to a network via the power line and are controlled by the city’s central transportation system in order to ensure safety, result in efficiency, and bring order for all citizens in the public domain.

If I stop by a place for a bite to eat like McDonald’s for lunch, the cashier takes my order and inputs it into a mini-computer that is part of a network for the entire restaurant. My order is then sent to the “kitchen” where an employee fills my order and then re-sends it to the front so I can receive my food. If I stop by a coffee shop that offers Wi-Fi connection, I can sip a cup of coffee and do some homework online by logging into the shop’s Internet access point. If I later stop at a grocery store to buy some food to cook for dinner, when I check out at the front of the store, the cashier will scan my item labels which are stored in the store’s computer system and network. This network makes my check out more convenient and efficient by mitigating the amount of time I have to wait. On the way home, if I stop by a friend’s home to pay a visit, I can watch some cable television with him in his living room or game room since the cable line runs through his house in a network. Altogether, I have encountered several computer systems and networks and have not even reached home yet. What a day of technology overload!