Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 1
DATA COMMUNICATION AND NETWORK SYSTEMS
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DATA COMMUNICATION AND NETWORK SYSTEMS
Download the Lessonotes Mobile Ghana app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.
Subject: Computing
Class: SHS 1
Term: 1st Term
Week: 18
Grade code: 1.1.3.LI.2
Strand code: 1
Sub-strand code: 3
Content standard code: 1.1.3.CS.1
Indicator code: 1.1.3.LI.2
Theme: COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE AND ORGANISATION
Subtheme: DATA COMMUNICATION AND NETWORK SYSTEMS
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This lesson introduces the fundamental concepts of computer networks. In our daily lives in Ghana, from sending a WhatsApp message to a friend in another region, using Mobile Money (MoMo), to watching videos on YouTube, we are constantly using network systems. Understanding how these networks are structured and the hardware that makes them work is essential for digital literacy in the 21st century. This lesson will demystify the technology we use every day, showing learners the "magic" behind the internet and local connections.
Part 1: What is a Computer Network?
A computer network is a collection of two or more computers and other devices (like printers, scanners, and smartphones) that are interconnected to share resources and exchange data. Resources: These can be hardware (e.g., a single printer shared by an entire office) or software (e.g., a shared database) and files (e.g., documents, music, videos). Data Exchange: This is simply communication, like sending an email or a WhatsApp message.
Think of it like a group of friends who agree to share their books. Instead of each person buying every single book, they can borrow from each other. The network is the agreement and the system they use to share. Part 2: Types of Network Systems (Based on Geographical Area)
We classify networks based on how large an area they cover. A. Local Area Network (LAN) Meaning: A network that connects devices within a limited and small geographical area. Scope: A single room, a building, or a small group of buildings on one site (a campus). Key Feature: Usually owned and managed by a single person or organization. Data transfer speeds are very high. Ghanaian Example: The computer lab in your school, where all computers are connected to each other and maybe to a single printer. An internet café in Circle, Accra, where all the computers can share files and an internet connection. Your home Wi-Fi network that connects your family's phones, laptops, and a smart TV. B. Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) Meaning: A network that connects multiple LANs across a larger area like a city or a large town. Scope: A whole city or a large university campus with multiple buildings spread out. Key Feature: It's bigger than a LAN but smaller than a WAN. It is often used by banks to connect their branches within one city. Ghanaian Example: A bank like GCB Bank connecting all its branches within Kumasi. The branch at Adum is connected to the branch at KNUST and the one at Suame. This single, city-wide network is a MAN. The network connecting the various colleges and faculties of the University of Ghana, Legon, across its large campus. C. Wide Area Network (WAN) Meaning: A network that spans a very large geographical area, such as a region, a country, or even the entire world. Scope: Country-wide or global. Key Feature: A WAN is essentially a network of networks. It uses infrastructure from telecommunication companies. Ghanaian Example: The Internet is the largest WAN in the world. The network that connects all branches of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) across the whole country. The office in Accra can communicate directly with the office in Tamale. The mobile network of MTN, Vodafone, or AirtelTigo that allows a person in Cape Coast to call or send data to someone in Bolgatanga.