Data Transmission

• Computers convert data into digital form and break it up into small packets to facilitate transmission. Network protocols instruct the networked computers on how to send and receive the packets, as well as how to process the data they receive.
  
  

Broadband Networking

• Cable modems use coaxial cable to connect the user to the Internet, while DSL modems use twisted pair cabling attached to the modem with an RJ-45 connector, which resembles a telephone cord's connector. The user connects the modem to the computer's network card with an Ethernet cable to enable Internet connectivity.
  
  

Routers

• Routers allow computers to share data within their network and with other networks, connecting the networked computers using Ethernet cables in wired networks or using radio signals in a wireless network. Computers must be equipped with wireless adaptors to be able to connect to a wireless network.