Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Monday, October 17, 2011

MOTHERBOARD

The motherboard is the main circuit board in a PC. It contains all the circuits and components that run the PC.

Major Components found on the motherboard are:

CPU - the Central Processing Unit is often an Intel Pentium or Celeron processor. It is the heart of every PC. All scheduling, computation and control occurs here.
BIOS - Basic Input Output System is a non-volatile memory that contains configuration information about the PC. It contains all the code required for the CPU to communicate with the keyboard, mouse video display, disk drives and communications devices.

When a PC is powered on it uses the BIOS 'boot code' to set up many required functions that bring the PC to a point where it is ready to work.
RTC - the Real Time Clock chip keeps date, day and time in a 24 hour format just like your watch. The PC uses this clock to 'time stamp' files as they are created and modified. When you print a file it time stamps the pages as they are printed.
Chip Set - these are large chip(s) that integrate many functions that used to be found in separate smaller chips on the motherboard. They save space and cost.

The functions performed by these chip sets often broken into two devices with one providing an interface from the CPU to the memory and the other providing controllers for IDE, ISA, PCI and USB devices (see below).

Primary Connectors found on the motherboard are:

Power - A 20 pin connector accepts a plug from the power supply. This plug carry DC power to all the circuits on the motherboard.
Keyboard - A Mini-din 6-pin (round) connector found at the back of the motherboard is where the keyboard plugs in.
Mouse - A Mini-din 6-pin connector found next to the keyboard connector is where the where the mouse plugs in.
Display - This connector is not integrated into the motherboard but is included in this list since its function is absolutely necessary. It is a 15-pin, D-shell type connector found on a video card that plugs into the AGP connector of the motherboard (see below).
IDE - stands for Integrated Drive Electronics. These are 40 pin connectors that provide a place to connect the ribbon cables from the drives (hard and CD/DVD). All data between the motherboard and the drives is carried in these cables. They are not accessible unless the PC cover is removed.
FDD connector - it is similar in function to the IDE connector. It is a 34 pin ribbon connector that carries data between the motherboard and any floppy drive installed in the PC. Not accessible with PC cover on.
DRAM - Dynamic Random Access Memory connectors for SIMM and DIMM type memory modules. Not accessible with chassis cover on.
Serial Connectors
- Standard Serial Connector - This connector has been around in PCs since they first appeared. It was originally located on ISA expansion type cards (see below). Today it is an integral part of newer motherboards. It is a 9- pin, D-shell connector that allows you to connect external devices with serial ports to your PC. The maximum data rate is 115 KB/s.
- USB - Universal Serial Bus This is a relatively new serial bus. Originally specified as low speed, 1.2 Mb/s, it was enhanced to full speed, 12Mb/s. The latest version 2.0 is specified as high speed, 400 MB/s.
  
  Someday USB will completely replace the standard serial connector that has been the workhorse serial port in earlier PCs. USB is now a standard connector on all new motherboards.
  
  Unlike serial and parallel ports, the USB port is designed to power devices connected to it. The devices must be low power devices and must be able to reduce their current draw to less than 0.5uAmps when commanded to do so by the PC.
Parallel Connectors
- Centronix or Standard Parallel - This connector has been around in PCs since they first appeared. It has 37-pins and is now integrated on new motherboards. It is usually used to connect your printer to the PC and moves data at about 1MB/s.
- SCSI - Small Computer System Interface moves data at a maximum of up to 80Mb/s. It not integrated into most PC motherboards. It can be added to a PC as an Expansion card (see below). Some printers and hard disk drives use SCSI interfaces.
Expansion Card Connectors - The CPU connects to expansion card connectors through one of the chip set ICs mentioned above. They are located on the motherboard near the rear of the PC. These connectors allow special function cards to plug into and work with the PC.

Before motherboards integrated the serial and centronix connectors they were found on expansion boards that plugged into ISA slots.

Most PCs have the following expansion connector types:
- ISA - Industry Standard Architecture connectors have been around since 1980 and first appeared in the IBM XT PC. This type of slot still appears on some newer motherboards so that older expansion boards can still be used. However, many motherboards no longer have ISA connectors on them.
- PCI - Peripheral Component Interconnect is a newer and faster interface that accepts all expansion cards that have a PCI interface.
- AGP - Accelerated Graphics Port is a connector that is designed to work with video cards. Your video display plugs into and is controlled by one of these video cards. Many modern video cards offer enhanced 3D-graphics and fast, full motion video.

How to Build a Wireless Ethernet Bridge Between Buildings

Instructions

- 1
  Open "Start" and click "Control Panel."
- 2
  Select the "Network and Sharing Center."
- 3
  Click "Manage Network Connections."
- 4
  Hold "Ctrl" while clicking each connection you wish to be bridged.
- 5
  Right click any highlighted connection and select "Bridge Connection."

Also called Hardware Technician, IT Support Technician, User Support Specialist
In summary
Help Desk professionals are usually the first point of contact for either external clients or internal customers who require help with problems or queries regarding technical issues.
A help desk professional may

provide support to end users either over the phone Internet or in person, and solve their computing problems in a timely manner
monitor equipment for errors or stoppages and take remedial action
troubleshoot difficult or unusual situations
undertake back-up and recovery activities
perform routine maintenance and cleaning of equipment
document and review processes and procedures
attend relevant product and skill courses

What learning areas and study is needed?

Entry is generally through an AQF Diploma or higher qualification or at least three years relevant work experience
A good understanding of PCs, operating systems, networking and applications

This career would appeal to people who

are comfortable liaising with customers of varying expertise and seniority
have excellent problem solving skills and the ability to make decisions independently
can work well under pressure and can prioritise work
have good communication and listening skills
enjoy communicating with people with patience, energy and respect
have the flexibility to work on a rotating shift and on-call
have knowledge of operating systems, hardware operation, leading software, local and wide area networks

Remuneration and job prospects?
Salaries range from $37,000 to $48,000, depending on age and years experience. Job prospects are strong, although people tend to use the role as a stepping stone to their next career step.
Career Path:
Starting out
Help desk professionals start out responding user technical issues over the phone, the Internet or in person. They can progress to become a Help Desk supervisor or team leader.
Going towards
Help desk professionals can move on to more advanced technical roles, such as system or network administrator, application developer or database administrator. They may also go on to become IT trainers.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

This a Physical Structucture of my website.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

malongo website(product.htm)

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Computer Basics

List of Computer Basics

On this page, I will briefly describe all the computer basics. I will try to cover all the different pieces of computer hardware and shortly describe what they are and what they do. Computers are complex machines but when they are split up into separate components they are much easier to understand. This page seeks to provide information on computer basics and if you wish to learn more about compute hardware click on the links provided.

Desktop Computer Cases

Desktop computer cases are the home to all the computer components. Everything including the motherboard, the hard drive, the cd drive, the floppy drive and the power supply go inside a computer case. Computer cases can be different colors and in recent years some have become fancy. Extras, such as front USB have become popular as well.

Motherboards

Computer Motherboards are essential to a computer. All the computer components somehow connect to the motherboard. The Power Supply powers up the motherboard and the CPU is laid inside the motherboard. The memory is also put into the motherboard. Hard Drives, Floppy Drives and CD/DVD players all connect to the motherboard using either the IDE Ribbon cable or the later SATA cables. Thus a motherboard is very important for it connectsall the computer hardware components together.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

When explaining the CPU (Central Processing unit) to my inquisitive younger brothers I tell them that the CPU is the 'brain' of a computer. It is arguably the most important piece of hardware and when looking to buy or build your own computer make sure you choose the correct CPU for your needs. CPU clock speed is measured in hertz. In previous years it was megahertz (one million cycles per second) and now they are mainly measured in
gigahertz (one billion cycles per second). CPUs are most commonly manufactured by Intel and AMD.

Computer Memory(CPU)

RAM (Random Access Memory) or Computer Memory is another very important component to a computer. Computer Memory is a volatile storage device meaning that when the computer is switched off everything stored on this temporary storage device will be lost. The more computer memory, the better the computer will run and the better it will handle programs and software. RAM is now generally measured in Mhz, and most commonly seen in the types of SDRAM, DDRRAM, DDR2RAM.

Hard Drive

A Hard Disk Drive is another very crucial component to a computer. The hard drive is a permanent storage device. It is possible for a computer to function without a Hard Disk Drive, but it would have no operating system and would be of very little use. All the information on your computer including the operating system (eg. windows XP), programs and files will be stored on the Hard Drive. Hard Drives are measured in Gigabytes (one billion bytes).

CD/DVD Drives

CD/DVD Drives are another storage device in a computer. CD Drives are used to read CD's with information on them such as an operating system, programs or data files. Recently CD-RW and DVD-RW have been included in computers meaning that it is possible to write data to blank disks. CD Drives are measured by their read and write speeds.

Video Cards

A video card is another compulsory component in a computer. The information goes into the video card and then is transmitted to the monitor where the information is displayed. Some motherboards have the graphics card built in, but the majority need a seperate card that plugs into the motherboard.

Sound Card

A sound card is another extra that can be added to your computer. A sound card translates signals into sounds that can be played back through speakers. Many motherboards have a sound card incorporated in the motherboard, but for those that don't it is possible to get one.

Monitors

Computer monitors are another compulsory unit of a computer system. It is possible for the computer to function correctly without a monitor but there would be very little point as you cannot see anything. The computer monitor connects to the graphics card and it displays a picture on the screen. Computer monitors come in two types: CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) which are block monitors and LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) which are very thin.

Network Card

A Computer Network Card or a LAN (Local Area Network) card is increasingly becoming more and more necessary in world of broadband internet and home networking. LAN ports are often incorporated on the motherboard and it is used for networking computers together or for connecting through a router to the World Wide Web.

Other Components

There are many other computer hardware components that can be placed onto the motherboard in the PCI-slots. These include, firewire cards, USB cards, TV tuners, and many other components that are specific to their personal needs.

Conclusion

The purpose of this page was to create an overview of computer basics and separate computer components that are used in the typical home computer. To find out more information about the various computer components just click on the Navigation Bar on the side or click on the various links on this page.

BIOS Setup Utility

The computer BIOS setup utility (also known as the CMOS setup) is the place where you can change a few basic computer hardware settings. The BIOS and CMOS often get confused but there is quite a difference.

The BIOS contains all the settings and the CMOS memory is a piece of RAM that remembers all the info.

In the case of many computers pressing delete or F10 in the booting process will bring you to the BIOS setup utility. If these don't work, then your computer will specify on startup such as (press ******* to enter setup) or it will be mentioned in your manual. There is no harm in looking at the setup, so find your key and have a look (just make sure you don't save on exit).

When your in the setup, you can change many options. You can change the order of booting, which device do you want the computer to boot to etc. You can decide whether to disable particular devices (such as onboard sound or network cards). You can change the date or time and you can also reset the CMOS back to factory settings. This will return the BIOS back to default, which isn't the greatest idea in the world unless you know what your doing.

The settings in the BIOS depend on each manufacturer. Here I will give you a little run down on the Tabs and what they could have in them.

Advanced Tab

In the advance tab you often find information on the IDE configuration, the Floppy Configuration, the Boot Settings configuration. You can further investigate by pressing enter over the IDE configuration and then looking at the items listed. It will have all your hard drives and cd/dvd drives listed here. If you have two hard drives connected then two will show up here.

This is a great place to check if your hard drive is being recognized. If the new hard drive or cd/dvd drive is not recognized in here, then your operating system will definetely not find it. If your hard drive is recognized here but not by windows then there is some problem with your operating system, but not your computer.

You can zoom in even more by pressing enter and have a look at a specific hard drive in detail. You can see its exact size, the vendor and the mode and other specifications.

Power Tab

The power tab is self-explanatory. It just gives you power options that you can change. I would recommend leaving these as they are.

Boot Tab

The boot tab of the BIOS setup gives you all the options for when you boot up. You can order the preference in booting. You can choose whether you want to boot from the Floppy Drive, CD drive, or hard drive and in what order. This is probably the most changed setting in the BIOS setup. I would also leave as they are unless you need to specifically boot from another location.

In more recent computers you can change it to boot via a network, or through USB. Check out this page on the boot process for more information on what a computer does when it starts.

Security Tab

In this tab you can change all the passwords, or assign passwords to the BIOS. This can be a risky thing to do because you could forget your password, but if you do there is a way of fixing it. Follow this tutorial to learn how.

Exit Tab

The Exit tab is more completed then you would expect. There are a number of options here. You can exit saving your changes, you can exit discarding changes, you can load optimal defaults and also the failsage defaults. I wouldn't recommend going back to these defaults as they will change everything, unless you know what your doing.

This ends this page on the Bios Setup. I hope you learnt some valuable information. What I showed you was a really basic Bios utility. Most of your computers will have many more functions like turning off integrated graphics and sounds and making very precise changes.

One word of advice don't change anything unless you know what your doing and if you accidently do then just ext without changes.

Network Protocol - Types of Network Protocols

What is a Network Protocol

A protocol is a set of rules that governs the communications between computers on a network. These rules include guidelines that regulate the following characteristics of a network: access method, allowed physical topologies, types of cabling, and speed of data transfer.

Types of Network Protocols

The most common network protocols are:

Ethernet
Local Talk
Token Ring
FDDI
ATM

Ethernet
The Ethernet protocol is by far the most widely used. Ethernet uses an access method called CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Detection). This is a system where each computer listens to the cable before sending anything through the network. If the network is clear, the computer will transmit. If some other node is already transmitting on the cable, the computer will wait and try again when the line is clear. Sometimes, two computers attempt to transmit at the same instant. When this happens a collision occurs. Each computer then backs off and waits a random amount of time before attempting to retransmit. With this access method, it is normal to have collisions. However, the delay caused by collisions and retransmitting is very small and does not normally effect the speed of transmission on the network.
The Ethernet protocol allows for linear bus, star, or tree topologies. Data can be transmitted over wireless access points, twisted pair, coaxial, or fiber optic cable at a speed of 10 Mbps up to 1000 Mbps.
Fast Ethernet
To allow for an increased speed of transmission, the Ethernet protocol has developed a new standard that supports 100 Mbps. This is commonly called Fast Ethernet. Fast Ethernet requires the use of different, more expensive network concentrators/hubs and network interface cards. In addition, category 5 twisted pair or fiber optic cable is necessary. Fast Ethernet is becoming common in schools that have been recently wired.
Local Talk
Local Talk is a network protocol that was developed by Apple Computer, Inc. for Macintosh computers. The method used by Local Talk is called CSMA/CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance). It is similar to CSMA/CD except that a computer signals its intent to transmit before it actually does so. Local Talk adapters and special twisted pair cable can be used to connect a series of computers through the serial port. The Macintosh operating system allows the establishment of a peer-to-peer network without the need for additional software. With the addition of the server version of AppleShare software, a client/server network can be established.
The Local Talk protocol allows for linear bus, star, or tree topologies using twisted pair cable. A primary disadvantage of Local Talk is speed. Its speed of transmission is only 230 Kbps.
Token Ring
The Token Ring protocol was developed by IBM in the mid-1980s. The access method used involves token-passing. In Token Ring, the computers are connected so that the signal travels around the network from one computer to another in a logical ring. A single electronic token moves around the ring from one computer to the next. If a computer does not have information to transmit, it simply passes the token on to the next workstation. If a computer wishes to transmit and receives an empty token, it attaches data to the token. The token then proceeds around the ring until it comes to the computer for which the data is meant. At this point, the data is captured by the receiving computer. The Token Ring protocol requires a star-wired ring using twisted pair or fiber optic cable. It can operate at transmission speeds of 4 Mbps or 16 Mbps. Due to the increasing popularity of Ethernet, the use of Token Ring in school environments has decreased.
FDDI
Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) is a network protocol that is used primarily to interconnect two or more local area networks, often over large distances. The access method used by FDDI involves token-passing. FDDI uses a dual ring physical topology. Transmission normally occurs on one of the rings; however, if a break occurs, the system keeps information moving by automatically using portions of the second ring to create a new complete ring. A major advantage of FDDI is speed. It operates over fiber optic cable at 100 Mbps.
ATM
Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) is a network protocol that transmits data at a speed of 155 Mbps and higher. ATM works by transmitting all data in small packets of a fixed size; whereas, other protocols transfer variable length packets. ATM supports a variety of media such as video, CD-quality audio, and imaging. ATM employs a star topology, which can work with fiber optic as well as twisted pair cable.
ATM is most often used to interconnect two or more local area networks. It is also frequently used by Internet Service Providers to utilize high-speed access to the Internet for their clients. As ATM technology becomes more cost-effective, it will provide another solution for constructing faster local area networks.
Gigabit Ethernet
The most recent development in the Ethernet standard is a protocol that has a transmission speed of 1 Gbps. Gigabit Ethernet is primarily used for backbones on a network at this time. In the future, it will probably be used for workstation and server connections also. It can be used with both fiber optic cabling and copper. The 1000BaseTX, the copper cable used for Gigabit Ethernet, is expected to become the formal standard in 1999.

Compare the Network Protocols

Protocol	Cable	Speed	Topology
Ethernet	Twisted Pair, Coaxial, Fiber	10 Mbps	Linear Bus, Star, Tree
Fast Ethernet	Twisted Pair, Fiber	100 Mbps	Star
LocalTalk	Twisted Pair	.23 Mbps	Linear Bus or Star
Token Ring	Twisted Pair	4 Mbps - 16 Mbps	Star-Wired Ring
FDDI	Fiber	100 Mbps	Dual ring
ATM	Twisted Pair, Fiber	155-2488 Mbps	Linear Bus, Star, Tree

What is Network Topology

The physical topology of a network refers to the configuration of cables, computers, and other peripherals. Physical topology should not be confused with logical topology which is the method used to pass information between workstations. Logical topology was discussed in the Protocol chapter.
Main Types of Network Topologies In networking, the term "topology" refers to the layout of connected devices on a network. This article introduces the standard topologies of computer networking.
One can think of a topology as a network's virtual shape or structure. This shape does not necessarily correspond to the actual physical layout of the devices on the network. For example, the computers on a home LAN may be arranged in a circle in a family room, but it would be highly unlikely to find an actual ring topology there.
Network topologies are categorized into the following basic types:

Star Topology
Ring Topology
Bus Topology
Tree Topology
Mesh Topology
Hybrid Topology

More complex networks can be built as hybrids of two or more of the above basic topologies.

Star Topology Many home networks use the star topology. A star network features a central connection point called a "hub" that may be a hub, switch or router. Devices typically connect to the hub with Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) Ethernet.
Compared to the bus topology, a star network generally requires more cable, but a failure in any star network cable will only take down one computer's network access and not the entire LAN. (If the hub fails, however, the entire network also fails.)
See the illustration of Star Network Topology.

Advantages of a Star Topology

Easy to install and wire.
No disruptions to the network then connecting or removing devices.
Easy to detect faults and to remove parts.

Disadvantages of a Star Topology

Requires more cable length than a linear topology.
If the hub or concentrator fails, nodes attached are disabled.
More expensive than linear bus topologies because of the cost of the concentrators.

The protocols used with star configurations are usually Ethernet or LocalTalk. Token Ring uses a similar topology, called the star-wired ring.
Star-Wired Ring
A star-wired ring topology may appear (externally) to be the same as a star topology. Internally, the MAU of a star-wired ring contains wiring that allows information to pass from one device to another in a circle or ring (See fig. 3). The Token Ring protocol uses a star-wired ring topology.
Ring Topology In a ring network, every device has exactly two neighbors for communication purposes. All messages travel through a ring in the same direction (either "clockwise" or "counterclockwise"). A failure in any cable or device breaks the loop and can take down the entire network.
To implement a ring network, one typically uses FDDI, SONET, or Token Ring technology. Ring topologies are found in some office buildings or school campuses.
See the illustration of Ring Topology.

Bus Topology Bus networks (not to be confused with the system bus of a computer) use a common backbone to connect all devices. A single cable, the backbone functions as a shared communication medium that devices attach or tap into with an interface connector. A device wanting to communicate with another device on the network sends a broadcast message onto the wire that all other devices see, but only the intended recipient actually accepts and processes the message.
Ethernet bus topologies are relatively easy to install and don't require much cabling compared to the alternatives. 10Base-2 ("ThinNet") and 10Base-5 ("ThickNet") both were popular Ethernet cabling options many years ago for bus topologies. However, bus networks work best with a limited number of devices. If more than a few dozen computers are added to a network bus, performance problems will likely result. In addition, if the backbone cable fails, the entire network effectively becomes unusable.
See the illustration of Bus Network Topology.

Advantages of a Linear Bus Topology

Easy to connect a computer or peripheral to a linear bus.
Requires less cable length than a star topology.

Disadvantages of a Linear Bus Topology

Entire network shuts down if there is a break in the main cable.
Terminators are required at both ends of the backbone cable.
Difficult to identify the problem if the entire network shuts down.
Not meant to be used as a stand-alone solution in a large building.

Tree Topology Tree topologies integrate multiple star topologies together onto a bus. In its simplest form, only hub devices connect directly to the tree bus, and each hub functions as the "root" of a tree of devices. This bus/star hybrid approach supports future expandability of the network much better than a bus (limited in the number of devices due to the broadcast traffic it generates) or a star (limited by the number of hub connection points) alone.
See the illustration of Tree Network Topology.

Advantages of a Tree Topology

Point-to-point wiring for individual segments.
Supported by several hardware and software venders.

Disadvantages of a Tree Topology

Overall length of each segment is limited by the type of cabling used.
If the backbone line breaks, the entire segment goes down.
More difficult to configure and wire than other topologies.

Mesh Topology Mesh topologies involve the concept of routes. Unlike each of the previous topologies, messages sent on a mesh network can take any of several possible paths from source to destination. (Recall that even in a ring, although two cable paths exist, messages can only travel in one direction.) Some WANs, most notably the Internet, employ mesh routing.
A mesh network in which every device connects to every other is called a full mesh. As shown in the illustration below, partial mesh networks also exist in which some devices connect only indirectly to others.
See the illustration of Mesh Network Topology.

Hybrid Topology
A combination of any two or more network topologies. Note 1: Instances can occur where two basic network topologies, when connected together, can still retain the basic network character, and therefore not be a hybrid network. For example, a tree network connected to a tree network is still a tree network. Therefore, a hybrid network accrues only when two basic networks are connected and the resulting network topology fails to meet one of the basic topology definitions. For example, two star networks connected together exhibit hybrid network topologies. Note 2: A hybrid topology always accrues when two different basic network topologies are connected.
5-4-3 Rule
A consideration in setting up a tree topology using Ethernet protocol is the 5-4-3 rule. One aspect of the Ethernet protocol requires that a signal sent out on the network cable reach every part of the network within a specified length of time. Each concentrator or repeater that a signal goes through adds a small amount of time. This leads to the rule that between any two nodes on the network there can only be a maximum of 5 segments, connected through 4 repeaters/concentrators. In addition, only 3 of the segments may be populated (trunk) segments if they are made of coaxial cable. A populated segment is one which has one or more nodes attached to it . In Figure 4, the 5-4-3 rule is adhered to. The furthest two nodes on the network have 4 segments and 3 repeaters/concentrators between them.
This rule does not apply to other network protocols or Ethernet networks where all fiber optic cabling or a combination of a fiber backbone with UTP cabling is used. If there is a combination of fiber optic backbone and UTP cabling, the rule is simply translated to 7-6-5 rule.

Considerations When Choosing a Topology

Money. A linear bus network may be the least expensive way to install a network; you do not have to purchase concentrators.
Length of cable needed. The linear bus network uses shorter lengths of cable.
Future growth. With a star topology, expanding a network is easily done by adding another concentrator.
Cable type. The most common cable in schools is unshielded twisted pair, which is most often used with star topologies.

Other definition of Network Topology

A network consists of multiple computers connected using some type of interface, each having one or more interface devices such as a Network Interface Card (NIC) and/or a serial device for PPP networking. Each computer is supported by network software that provides the server or client functionality. The hardware used to transmit data across the network is called the media. It may include copper cable, fiber optic, or wireless transmission. The standard cabling used for the purposes of this document is 10Base-T category 5 Ethernet cable. This is twisted copper cabling which appears at the surface to look similar to TV coaxial cable. It is terminated on each end by a connector that looks much like a phone connector. Its maximum segment length is 100 meters.
In a server based network, there are computers set up to be primary providers of services such as file service or mail service. The computers providing the service are are called servers and the computers that request and use the service are called client computers.
In a peer-to-peer network, various computers on the network can act both as clients and servers. For instance, many Microsoft Windows based computers will allow file and print sharing. These computers can act both as a client and a server and are also referred to as peers. Many networks are combination peer-to-peer and server based networks. The network operating system uses a network data protocol to communicate on the network to other computers. The network operating system supports the applications on that computer.