Advance Access Complete Hardware Book

© Copyright – 2014, B.C.A.S. Kandy Campus.
All Rights Reserved
What is a Computer?
A computer is an electronic device that operates information, or data. It has the ability
to store, retrieve, and process data.
You can use a computer to type documents, send email, play games, and browse the Web.
You can also use it to edit or create spreadsheets, presentations, and even videos.
A Basic Computer System
By: K.Dhilshan Diploma in Hardware with

Networking
Diploma in Hardware with Networking
Categories of Computer (By Performance)

Handheld / Mobile Computers
 Small, Portable and wireless communication device.

 A computer that fits into a pocket, runs on batteries, and is used while holding in our
hand.
 Can be synchronized with a personal computer as a backup.
Personal Computer:
 Personal Computers are desktop computers design for an individual home or office
use.
 Can perform all kinds of basic computing needs with more accuracy and faster than
mobile computers.
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Mini /Workstation Computer

 Desktop computer which is usually more powerful than a Personal Computer.
 It allows high quality graphics and high performance.
 It can work with many CPUs at a time while the desktops cannot do so.
 It is used in some special fields like in engineering and for research purposes in
medical field.
Server Computers:
 Designed to support a computer network that allows you to share files, application
software, hardware, such as printers and other network resources.
 Mainframes, personal computers can be used as a server.
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Mainframe Computer:
 Large powerful computer often serving many connected terminals.
 Large expensive computer capable of simultaneously processing data for hundreds
or thousands of users.
 Less expensive than Supercomputer
Super Computer:
 The fastest computer in the world
 The most expensive.
 Process trillions of instructions in a second
 Using by some exclusive group only (google, NASA, NSA)
Categories of Computer (By Brands)
 IBM Standard Computer(PC)

 Apple Computer (MAC)
The elements that are needed for a successful computer operation
1. Hardware (physical components)

E.g.: Motherboard, CPU, RAM, Monitor, etc.….
2. Software (programs)
E.g.: Operating System, MS Office Package, Adobe Photoshop, etc.…….
3. Live ware (users or operators)

E.g.: Human Being.
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Software
Software
System Software Application Software
Operating Programming General Special

System Language Purpose Purpose
Windows 7 C# Microsoft Accounting

Word Software
Ubuntu JAVA Photoshop Diagnostic

Utilities
MAC O/S Visual Basic Google

Chrome
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Operating System (O/S)

Operating System is a program that allows all other programs
(Application Software) to run in a computer. It can be described as the backbone of a
computer system.
List of Mac operating systems

Mac OS X 10.0 "Cheetah"
Mac OS X 10.1 "Puma"
Mac OS X 10.2 "Jaguar"
Mac OS X 10.3 "Panther"
Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger"
Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard"
Mac OS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard"
Mac OS X 10.7 "Lion"
Mac OS X 10.8 "Mountain Lion”
OS X 10.9 "Mavericks"
OS X 10.10 "Yosemite"
OS X "El Capitan"
List of Windows operating Systems

Windows 10
Windows 8.1
Windows Server 2012 R2
Windows 8
Windows Server 2012
Windows 7
Windows Server 2008 R2
Basic Process of a Computer
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Input / Output Devices
Input Devices I/O Devices Output Devices
Keyboard Flash Drive Monitor

Mouse CD/DVD Writers Printer
MIC Floppy Drives Speaker
Scanner Card Readers Multimedia Projector
Light pen Digital Cameras
Barcode Reader Head Sets
Camera Touch Screen
CD/DVD ROMs
Storage Devices
Checking of Cache memory in Computer System

Go to Command Prompt (cmd)
Type the below code.
Note:- (L2 and L3)
wmic cpu get l2cachesize , l3cachesize
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Primary Storage
 Also known as internal memory and main memory
 It is a storage location that holds memory for short periods of times while the
computer is on.
 This type of storage is the fastest type of memory in your computer and is used to
store data while it's being used.
 When a program is open, the program data is moved from the secondary storage
into the primary storage.
Secondary Storage
 Also known as external memory and auxiliary storage.

 It is a storage medium that holds information until it is deleted or overwritten in any
case if the computer has power or not.
 Although primary storage is accessed much faster than secondary storage.
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Components of a PC ( compulsory )
01. Processor (Brain of Computer)

02. Motherboard
03. Memory (RAM)
04. Case
The case is the frame that houses the motherboard, power supply, disk drives and all other
hardware components inside system unit.
05. Power Supply Unit
06. Hard Drive
07. CD/DVD/Blue-Ray/CD-DVD-Blue Ray-RW
CD (Compact Disk), DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) and Blu-Ray are relatively high capacity,
Removable Media, Optical Drives. RW (Re Writable) can be used to record CD/DVD/Blue-Ray
Disks.
08. Keyboard
The Keyboard is the primary input device in a PC that is used by user to communicate and control
a system.
09. Mouse
First and the most popular pointing device. Used to input through graphical representations on
screen.
10. Monitor
Primary output device in a PC. Used to provide information for user as a graphical representation.
CPU (Central Processing Unit) / Micro Processor
It’s the computers brain. The processor tells the computer what to do and when to do it, it
decides which tasks are more important and arranges them to the computer’s needs.
Leading CPU Manufactures
 Intel®
 AMD® (Advanced Micro Devices)
 Broadcom
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CPU Types
CPU
Socket
Slot Type
Type
PGA (Pin LGA (Land

Grid Array) Grid Array)
Slot Type
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Socket Type
PGA CPU
 PGA stands for Pin Grid Array.

 At the installation the pins are inserted in the
socket's holes making contact with the
motherboard's circuits.
LGA CPU
 LGA stands for Land Grid Array.

 At the installation the CPU is sat on the
socket's pins where they are fixed to the
motherboard and contact with the circuits.
Components of a CPU
There are three major components available in CPU
01. ALU
02. Registers
03. Control Unit
ALU
Abbreviation of arithmetic logic unit is a part of the CPU that performs all arithmetic
calculations, such as addition and multiplication, and all comparison operations.
The basic operations of an ALU include adding and subtracting binary values as well as
performing logical operations such as AND, NOT, OR and etc…..
Registers
A processor register (CPU register) is one of a small set of data holding places that are part
of the computer processor.
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Example:
PC – Program Counter
AC – Accumulator
IR – Instruction Register
MAR – Memory Address Register
Control Unit
The control unit (CU) is a component of a computer's central processing unit (CPU) that directs
the operation of the processor. It tells the computer's memory, arithmetic/logic unit and input
and output devices how to respond to a program's instructions.
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CPUs’ By Brand
AMD®
Intel® VIA/Cyrix
(Advanced Micro Devices)
AMD K7:
Athlon
Intel Pentium Celeron Athlon XP Cyrix 286
Duron
Sempron
AMD K8:
Athlon 64
Athlon 64 X2
Intel Pentium 4 Cyrix 386
Athlon FX
Sempron 64
Opteron
Intel Pentium D (Dual Core) AMD K10: Cyrix 486
Phenom X4 (Quad Core)
Phenom II X3 (Tri Core)
Intel Celeron D Phenom II X4 (Quad Core) Cyrix M II
AMD Bulldozer (8 Cores)
AMD Pile driver (16 Cores**)
Intel Core 2 Duo VIA C3 Joshua
Intel Quad Core VIA C3 Samuel
Intel Atom
Intel Core i3 Obsolete

Intel Core i5
Intel Core i7
Intel Core i7 Extreme (Six
Core)
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Motherboard
Motherboard is the main circuit board of a computer. It allows all of the components to
communicate with the CPU.
Motherboard Manufactures
 Intel®
 Asus®
 MSI
 Acer
 Gigabyte
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Motherboard Form Factors

Motherboards come in different styles. These describe the shape sizes of the boards.
Match to case and

Style Size (Width x Lenght)
Power Supply
Full AT 12” X 11-13” Full Tower, AT
Baby AT 8.5” X 10-13” Slimline, ATX
ATX 12” X 9.6” ATX
Mini ITX 11.2” X 8.2” ATX
LPX 9” X 11-13” Slimline
ATX Motherboard
Mini ITX
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Components of a Motherboard
 CPU Socket
 RAM Banks (Slots)
 IDE Controllers
 Floppy Controller
 SATA Controller
 CMOS Battery
 PCI Slots
 AGP Slots
 PCI-E Slots
 ISA Slots
 AMR Slot
 CNR Slot
 Back panel I/O Ports
 North Bridge
 South Bridge
 Power Connector
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CPU Sockets
Socket No. of Pins Supported CPUs’
Socket 478 478 Intel Celeron, Celeron D, Pentium 4

Socket 754 754 AMD Athlon 64, K8 Sempron, Opteron
Celeron Dual-Core, Pentium 4, Core 2 Duo,
Socket 775 / LGA775 775
Core 2 Quad,
Socket 939/940 939/940 AMD K8 CPUs’
Socket AM2 940 Phenom X4, Phenom II X3, Phenom II X4
Socket 1156 / LGA1156 1156 Intel Core i3, Core i5, Core i7,
Socket 1366 / LGA1366 1366 Core i7 Extreme Edition
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RAM (Random Access Memory)
Random Access Memory (RAM) provides space for the computer to read and write data to
be accessed by the CPU (central processing unit).
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Data Storage in RAM
Binary
Binary signal is a two state signal
Data with two states
Off & On
Low voltage & high voltage
0v & 5v
Bit
Single Binary Digit
Can have value 0 or 1, and nothing else
A bit is the smallest possible unit of information in a computer
ASCII – American Standard Code for Information Interchange
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Units of Storage
8 Bits -------------------------------------------------- 1Byte (1 Character)

1024 Bytes-------------------------------------------- 1KB (Kilo Byte)
1024 KB ----------------------------------------------- 1MB (Mega Byte)
1024 MB ---------------------------------------------- 1GB (Giga Byte)
1024 GB ---------------------------------------------- 1TB (Tera Byte)
1024 TB ----------------------------------------------- 1PB (Peta Byte)
1024 PB ----------------------------------------------- 1EB (Exa Byte)
1024 EB ----------------------------------------------- 1ZB (Zeta Byte)
1024 ZB ----------------------------------------------- 1YB (Yota Byte)
RAM Modules
240 Pin DIMM (DDR - 3)
In Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad, Core i3, i5, i7 and AMD K10 Motherboards
Bus Width 64 Bit
Available Capacities:
512 MB
1 GB
2 GB
4 GB
8GB
Available Speeds:
800 MHz
1066 MHz
1333 MHz
1600 MHz
1800 MHz
1866 MHz
2100 MHz
2400 MHz
These are industry Standard Notches that are used to fit in the
motherboard memory sockets.
DDR Has 1 Notch DDR2 and DDR3 are 240 pins Module
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288 Pin DIMM (DDR - 4)
In Core 2 Quad, Core i3, i5, i7 and AMD K10 Motherboards

Bus Width 64 Bit
Available Capacities:
4 GB
8GB
16GB
Available Speeds:
800 and 2133 MHz
Bus Speeds
Internal Bus Speed

External Bus Speed
Internal Bus
Data transmission between the registers when processing data, call internal Bus speed,
including ALU
Registers is one of a small set of data holding places. A register may hold an instruction, a
storage address, or any kind of data
External Bus
Data transmission between CPU and all other components through external busses/system
busses. An external bus connects all the peripherals in the motherboard to the CPU.
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Cache Memory
Cache memory is a small-sized type of computer memory that provides high-speed data access
to a processor and stores regularly used computer programs, applications and data. It is the
fastest memory in a computer, and is normally integrated onto the motherboard and directly
embedded in the processor or main random-access memory (RAM).
Cache Memory can be divided in to two levels:
Level 1 Cache (L1)

Handles instructions (E.g.: +, -, / etc…….)
Level 2 Cache (L2)

Handles Data
BIOS (Basic Input/output System)
 BIOS (Basic Input/output System) is an electronic set of instructions that a computer uses
to successfully start operating.
 The BIOS is stored on a chip called CMOS chip on the Motherboard and it is designed in a
way that protects it from disk failure.
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BIOS Manufactures
 AMI (American Megatrends, Inc.)
 Phoenix Technologies
 Dell
 Gateway
 IBM
Functions of BIOS
 POST (Power On Self Test)
 This self test ensures that the computer has all of the necessary parts and
all the parts are working correctly, such as use of memory, keyboard,
mouse and other parts.
 If errors are detected during the test, the POST instructs the computer to
give an error code that reveals the problem. Error codes are typically a
series of beeps.
 Bootstrap
 Loads an operating system from a Hard Drive
CMOS Battery (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor)
This provides power to the CMOS chip. This chip contains system date and time, hardware
settings etc….
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Beep Codes
AMI BIOS
Beep Code Message

One Short Problem with memory
Four Short System Timer failure
Six Short Keyboard failure / Problem with Keyboard
Eight Short Display failure (fault with video card)
Award Phoenix BIOS
Beep Code Message

Long Beep Problem with memory
Continuous Beep Problem with video card
Compaq BIOS
Beep Code Message

one short Indicates that the system is booting properly
one short, two long Memory Module
one long, two short Video error
IBM BIOS
Beep Code Message
one short Passed (no errors)
one short (blank screen) Video error (check cable)
repeating short Power Supply or System Board failure
three long Keyboard error
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Ports
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Available Ports
01. Serial Ports
02. Parallel Ports
03. PS/2 Ports (Personal Systems)
04. USB (Universal Serial Bus)
05. IEEE 1394/Fire Wire/LLink
06. VGA Port
07. Ethernet Port (Network)
08. DVI Port (Digital Visual Interface)
09. HDMI
Serial Ports
 Used to Input devices – Serial Mouse, Scanner, Modem

 Data transfer 1 bit at a time
 Available Ports
 9 Pins
 25 Pins
Parallel Ports
 Used to Output devices

 Data transfer 8 bit at a time
 Available Ports
 15 Pins
 25 Pins
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PS/2 Ports
 Used for Keyboard and Mouse

 Green for Mouse
 Purple for Keyboard
 It has 6 pins
USB Ports
 It has hot plugging feature – No need to restart the computer to detect the
hardware.
 Expandable up to 127 devices by using a USB Hub
 It has 8 Pins
 There are 3 versions of USB
01. USB 1.1 – Data transfer rate 12Mbps
02. USB 2.0 – Data transfer rate 480Mbps
03. USB 3.0 – Data transfer rate 4.8Gbps
04. USB 3.0 _ Data transfer rate 10Gbps
USB 1.1 USB 2.0
USB 3.0
USB 3.1
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IEEE 1394/Fire Wire/LLink
 Used for digital audio, video and aeronautics applications

 It has hot plugging feature
 Expandable up to 63 devices
 Data transfer rate 400Mbps
 It has 6 Pins
VGA Port
 Used for fix the Monitor

 Mostly it is Blue color
 It is a three-row 15-pins connector
HDMI
 Used for Output devices.
 There are 19 pins in an HDMI
connector
Ethernet Port
 Used for Network purpose

 It has 8 Pins
DVI Port (Digital Visual Interface)
 Used for LCD displays

 It has 24 Pins
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Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
The hard disk drive is the main, and largest, data storage device in a computer. The operating
system, software and most other files are stored in the hard disk drive.
Leading HDD Manufactures

01. Seagate®
02. Samsung®
03. Western Digital®
04. Hitachi®
05. Maxtor®
Types of HDD
IDE Hard Disk

The Spinning Speeds
3600 RPM (Revolution / Rotation per Minute)
5400 RPM
7200 RPM
SCSI Hard Disk

The Spinning Speeds
7200 RPM
10000RPM
SATA Hard Disk

The Spinning Speeds
5400 RPM
7200 RPM
10000 RPM
12000 RPM
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SSD (Solid State Drive)

The Spinning Speeds
7200RPM
15000RPM
Calculating Hard Disk Capacity
Hard Disk Capacity = (C x H x S x 512) bytes

C = No. of cylinders (No. of Tracks)
H = No. of Heads
S = No. of sectors per track
Hard Disk Capacity = 80 000 000 000 bytes

1024
78 125 000 KB
1024
76 293.95 MB
1024
74.50 GB
160 GB = 149 GB, 250 GB = 232 GB, 320 GB = 298 GB, 500 GB = 465 GB
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Hard Disk Architecture
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Partitions
Disk partitioning is the act or practice of dividing the storage space of a hard disk
drive into separate data areas known as partitions.
C: D:
E: F:
Delete
Create
1. Primary Partition
2. Extended Partition
3. Logical Drives
Primary Partition
 A partition that is used to start an operating system, although you can use primary
partitions that don't contain the operating system.
 There can be up to a maximum of four primary partitions on a single basic disk.
 First partition (C :) must be a primary partition.
Extended Partition
 An extended partition is a primary partition which contains secondary

partition(s).
 A partition that can be sub-divided into logical drives.
 A hard disk may contain only one extended partition; which can then be
subdivided into logical partitions
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Logical Drives
 A logical drive is created within an extended partition.

 An "unlimited" number of logical drives may be created in an extended partition,
formatted and assigned drive letters.
Format
 The purpose of formatting is to create a file system to read / write data.
 Before a Hard disk can be used it must be formatted into addressable sectors. A “disk
sector'' is a 512-byte portion of the storage medium that can be addressed by the disk
controller.
File System
In a computer, a file system is the way in which files are named and where they are placed
logically for storage and retrieval.
File System
FAT NTFS
FAT 16
FAT 32
FAT 32 (File Allocated Table)
 Support up to 2000GB per partition

 Support 32 bit operating system (Win 98, NT, ME, 2000, XP, Vista)
NTFS (New Technology File System)
 Support up to 2000GB per partition

 Support 32/64 bit operating system (Win NT, 2000, XP, Vista, server 2003)
NTFS Features over FAT
 File Compression
 File Encryption
 File Security (NTFS Permissions)
 Hot Fix (Automatically Shifts the files from Bad Sectors)
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Motherboard Chipsets (Bridges)
The Bridges are chipsets that connects the microprocessor to the rest of the motherboard
components of the computer.
BUS
The bus also known as the address bus, data bus, or local bus is a data connection
between two or more devices connected to the computer. For example, a bus enables a
computer processor to communicate with the memory or a video card to communicate
with the memory.
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It consists of two basic parts:

01. Northbridge
02. Southbridge.
Northbridge
 The Northbridge connects directly to the processor via the front side bus (FSB).
 A memory controller is connected to the Northbridge, which gives the CPU fast
access to the memory.
 The Northbridge also connects to the AGP or PCI Express slots.
Southbridge
 The Southbridge is slower than the Northbridge
 All information from the CPU has to go through the Northbridge before reaching
the Southbridge.
 All other components connect the Southbridge – such as PCI slots, IDE or SATA,
etc…..
Leading Chipset Manufactures
 Samsung Electronics.
 Intel.
 Qualcomm.
 Broadcom.
 ST Microelectronics.
 Infineon Technologies.
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Slots
IDE Controller
1. Refer as IDE (Integrated Drive/Device Electronics) or ATA (Advance technology

Attachment)
2. IDE is a drive controller on the motherboard that supports both hard drives and
CD/DVD-ROM devices.
3. It has 40 Pins
4. Each controller supports up to 2 devices.
5. When we are connecting 2 devices we have make the jumper settings.
6. Data transfer speeds:
 ATA-100=100MBps
 Ultra ATA-133 = 133MBps
SATA Controller
 Serial ATA (SATA) is an IDE standard for connecting devices like optical drives and hard
drives to the motherboard.
 It has 7 Pins
 Each controller supports only 1 device.
 Data transfer speeds:
 SATA 1 = 1.5Gbps
 SATA 3.1=10Gbps
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Expansion Slots
ISA (Industry Standard Architecture)
 This is an old type of slots used instead of PCI Slots.

 It is usually in black color.
 Bus width, 8 bit and 16 bit.
 Data transfer Rate
 8 bit = 0.625MBps
 16 bit = 2MBps
PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)
 This replace ISA slot

 Used to connect Network, sound, TV Cards, etc……
 It is usually in White color.
 Bus width 32 bit.
 Data transfer rate 1Gbps
AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port)

 Used to connect AGP VGA cards
 Supports 3D Software and Games
 It is usually in Brown color.
 AGP types
 2X = 512 Mbps
 4X = 1 Gbps
 8X = 2 Gbps
PCI-E (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express)
 Used to connect PCI-E VGA cards

 Supports 3D Software and Games
 It is usually in Blue color.
 PCI-E types
 1X = 250 Mbps
 4X = 1 Gbps
 8X = 2 Gbps
 16X = 4 Gbps
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AMR (Audio Modem Riser)
 Used to sound cards and modems, on an expansion card.

 It is usually in Brown color.
CNR (Communication Network Riser)
 Used for specialized networking, audio, and telephony equipment.
Power Supply
A power supply unit (PSU) is the component that

supplies power to the other components in a computer.
There are 2 types of power supply in common use:

1. AT (Advanced Technology) Power Supply - still in use in older PCs.
2. ATX Power Supply (Advanced Technology Extension) - commonly in use
today.
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Available Connectors
01. Main Power Connector

 This is the connector that goes to the motherboard
to provide it with power.
 The connector has 20 or 24 pins.
 This connector is the largest of all the connectors.
 Some power supplies come with two connectors,
one with 20-pin and other one with 4-pin which can
be used together to form the 24 Pin connector.
02. Molex Connector

 These are the other, smaller connectors that go to the
various disk drives of the computer.
 It has four wires: two black, one red, and one yellow.
03. Berg Connector

 This is one of the smallest connectors that supply the
floppy with power.
04. SATA Connector

 These are the latest connectors that go to the various disk drives
of the computer.
 It is a 15-pin connector
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What is Network?
When two or more computers are connected by a communication medium (wire or

wireless) to share hardware and software resources is known as network.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Network
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Types of Network
Basically there are 3 types of networks available
 LAN (Local Area Connection)

 MAN (Metropolitan Area Network)
 WAN (Wide Area Connection)
LAN (Local Area Connection)
 A local area network (LAN) is a group of computers connected together within a

small geographic area. (Within a Building)
 These computers can share any resources within that LAN (Printer, Scanner, Files &
Folders, etc……. )
 Usually used in all types of organizations
MAN (Metropolitan Area Network)
 A MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) covers a large geographic area, such as a state
or province.
 It connects multiple LANs together.
 Usually used in organizations that has multiple branches, or government
organizations.
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WAN (Wide Area Connection)
 A WAN cover a large geographic area, such as a state, province or country.

 WANs often connect multiple smaller networks, such as local area networks (LANs)
or metro area networks (MANs)
What is a switch
A network switch is a computer networking device that connects devices together on a

computer network by using packet switching to receive, process, and forward data to the
destination device.
Network Topologies
In Computer Networking "topology" refers to the physical arrangement or design of

the connected devices. (Computers, Switches, Routes, etc……)
Available Topologies
 Bus Topology
 Ring Topology
 Star Topology
 Mesh Topology
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Bus Topology
Need to use a Backbone Cable with a terminator at each end. All the computers are
connected to the Backbone Cable
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Advantages
 Adding a New computer is Easy
 Cable cost is less
Disadvantage
 If the Backbone cable is broken entire network will be shutdown
 Can't use in a large building

Ring Topology
In ring Network, every computer or devices have two neighbors for communication. In a ring
network, all the communication messages travel in the same direction whether clockwise or
anti clockwise.
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Advantages
 Each computer has equal access.
 High speed data transfer.
Disadvantages
 Failure of one computer on the ring can affect the whole network.
 Adding a new computer will disturb the entire network
Star Topology
In star topology, the network computers are linked to a piece of hardware called a
hub/Switch.
Advantages
It is easy to modify and add new computers without disturbing the rest of the network.
The center of the star network is a good place to diagnose the faults.
Single computer failure does not effect the entire network.
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Disadvantages
 If the central device fails the whole network will shutdown.
 Star networking is expensive because all network cables must be pulled to one
central point, requires more cable than other network topologies.
Mesh Topology
Messages sent on a mesh network can take any of several possible paths from source to
destination.
Advantages
 The Mesh topology provides fault tolerance by having separate cables for each
connection, allowing any one cable to break without interfering with the rest of the
network.
Disadvantages
 Mesh topology can get very expensive.
 Every time add a client to a mesh network have to run cables to each of the other
devices.
 Difficult to troubleshoot
 Need more than one NIC / Multiport NIC.
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Communication Medium (Cable)
Cable is used to interconnect computers and network components together. There are
three main cable types used today
 Twisted pair
 Coaxial
 Fiber optic
Twisted pair
There are 2 types of twisted pair cables available:
 Unshielded twisted pair (UTP)

 Shielded twisted pair (STP)
Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP)
 Speed - 10 to 1000 Mbps

 Least expensive
 Maximum cable length - 100 m
 Installed using a Registered Jack 45 (RJ-45) connector
Shielded Twisted Pair (STP)
 Speed and throughput - 10 to 100 Mbps

 Expensive than UTP
 Maximum cable length -100 m
 Installed using a Registered Jack 45 (RJ-45) connector
Page 47 of 55
Coaxial
There are two types coaxial available.
1. Thin net
2. Thick net
Thin net

 Expensive than Twisted Pair
 Installed using a BNC connector
Thick net

 Expensive than Twisted Pair and Thin Net
 Installed using a BNC connector
Fiber optic
There are two types Fiber Optic available.
1. Single Mode
2. Multi Mode
Single Mode
 Speed - >1Gbps
 Very Expensive
 Maximum cable length – 50 KM
Page 48 of 55
Multi-Mode
 Speed - 1Gbps
 Very Expensive, Less Expensive than Single Mode
 Maximum cable length – 2 KM
Networking basic tools
Page 49 of 55
IP Addressing (Internet Protocol)
 This is unique address assign to computer in a network in order to identify specifically.

 It is a 32 bit number system, containing four, 8 bit octets.
 It has 2 different IDs’
 Network ID – Uniquely identified a network among large network
 Host ID – Uniquely identified a machine among a network
 There are 2 types of IP Addresses
 Public IP Address – to make a computer visible in the internet.
 Private IP Address – to use within LAN
IP Address Classes
 Defined by IANA (Internet Assign Number Authority)

 General Format – W. X. Y. Z
Class Range
A (Approximately 17 Million Large network like
1 – 126
Hosts) WAN
Medium size like
B (Approximately 65000 Hosts) 128 – 191
MAN
C (254 Hosts) 192 – 223 Small size like LAN
Reserved (Not used
D 224 – 239
currently)
Reserved (Not used
E 240 – 255
currently)
A class Format:
B class Format:
C class Format
Page 50 of 55
127.0.0.1 is used as a “Loopback” IP Address
An address that sends outgoing signals back to the same computer for testing. In a TCP/IP
network, the loopback IP address is 127.0.0.1, and pinging this address will always return a reply
unless the firewall prevents it.
Example:- When creating webpages and while testing page called loopback IP address
Network Approaches
There are basically two different types of networks:
 Workgroup (Peer-to-peer)
 Domain (Client/Server)
Page 51 of 55
Workgroup (Peer-to-Peer)
Works on Peer-to-peer
 No centralized login procedures.

 All machines are capable of being both client and server.
 Stations, No server, Equal priority.
 Should be used where the Computers less than 10.
 Files are not stored centrally.
 Access is controlled by the machine which ‘owns’ the resource.
 Each machine looks after its own security.
Page 52 of 55
 The Advantages of a Peer-to-peer Network
01. Inexpensive network

 No need to buy an expensive server.
 No NOS (Network Operating System) required.
 No need a network administrator.
02. Fault tolerant

 No single point or failure.
 If a machine goes down, only the resources provided on that machine are affected.
03. Easy to configure.
04. No requirement for server hardware or software.
 The Disadvantages of a Peer-to-peer Network
01. Maximum number of PCs’ 10
02. Need to setup Username and password
03. Weak security
Domain
Page 53 of 55
Works on Client/Server
 Centralized model for data storage, security, running applications and network
administration.
 Most common architecture.
 Provide services such as printing, e-mail, video, etc….
 Allow a high level of security to be implemented.
 Can be centrally managed.
 Use multiple servers
 The Advantages of a Client/Server Network
01. Centralized resources

 All data stored in one location
 Easier to backup
 Easier to find data
02. Unlimited PCs’
03. Security
 One machine to secure
04. Central Administration:

 In a Client/server network we can control all the clients through a server (Domain
controller). If any problem comes up we can solve that from one place. So this network
provides central administration. By this we can maintain the network easily.
05. Efficient
 Software optimize for multiple users
 Hardware optimize for multiple users
06. Scalability
 Easier to add new resources
 The Disadvantages of a Client/Server Network
01. Expensive network:

 Compare with Peer-to-peer network the implement cost of client/server network is more
expensive. Here we have to spend a huge amount to the server operating system as well
as networking hardware (cards, wiring, hubs or switches, etc….).
02. Need experienced network administrator:
03. Network source fail:

 The big disadvantage of this type of network is, in case the server fails the clients can’t
continue with their work. That means the entire network will get stuck.
04. Server location:

 Often we have to put the server in a climate control room (A/C) to protect the servers.
Page 54 of 55
Comparison of Peer-to-peer and Client/server networks.
Peer-to-peer network Client/server network
Inexpensive Expensive
Maximum no. of PCs’ 10 Unlimited no. of PCs’
No need an administrator Need an administrator
Not Expandable Easily expandable
No need an NOS Need an NOS
Low Security High security
Not providing central administration Provide central administration
No servers Must have servers
Can’t control other computers Can control other computers
Low managing cost High managing cost
Page 55 of 55

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© Copyright – 2014, B.C.A.S. Kandy Campus.

All Rights Reserved

A Basic Computer System

By: K.Dhilshan Diploma in Hardware with

Categories of Computer (By Performance)

 Small, Portable and wireless communication device.

Mini /Workstation Computer

Categories of Computer (By Brands)

 IBM Standard Computer(PC)

The elements that are needed for a successful computer operation

1. Hardware (physical components)

3. Live ware (users or operators)

System Software Application Software

Operating Programming General Special

Windows 7 C# Microsoft Accounting

Ubuntu JAVA Photoshop Diagnostic

MAC O/S Visual Basic Google

Operating System (O/S)

List of Mac operating systems

List of Windows operating Systems

Basic Process of a Computer

Input / Output Devices

Input Devices I/O Devices Output Devices

Keyboard Flash Drive Monitor

Checking of Cache memory in Computer System

 Also known as external memory and auxiliary storage.

01. Processor (Brain of Computer)

CPU (Central Processing Unit) / Micro Processor

Leading CPU Manufactures

PGA (Pin LGA (Land

 PGA stands for Pin Grid Array.

 LGA stands for Land Grid Array.

There are three major components available in CPU

Intel Quad Core VIA C3 Samuel

Intel Core i3 Obsolete

Motherboard Form Factors

Match to case and

Socket No. of Pins Supported CPUs’

Socket 478 478 Intel Celeron, Celeron D, Pentium 4

RAM (Random Access Memory)

Data Storage in RAM

ASCII – American Standard Code for Information Interchange

8 Bits -------------------------------------------------- 1Byte (1 Character)

240 Pin DIMM (DDR - 3)

288 Pin DIMM (DDR - 4)

In Core 2 Quad, Core i3, i5, i7 and AMD K10 Motherboards

Internal Bus Speed

Cache Memory can be divided in to two levels:

Level 1 Cache (L1)

Level 2 Cache (L2)

BIOS (Basic Input/output System)

CMOS Battery (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor)

Beep Code Message

Award Phoenix BIOS

Beep Code Message

Beep Code Message

 Used to Input devices – Serial Mouse, Scanner, Modem

 Used to Output devices

 Used for Keyboard and Mouse