Think it through together · A little story
A girl draws a cat on her computer and wants the robot beside her to receive it. Just putting the two devices next to each other will not make the drawing travel by itself.
They need a connection that can carry information, and they also need rules for sending and receiving it.
Lay out the process
- Sending deviceTurns the drawing into data
- ConnectionA cable or wireless signal
- Receiving deviceReconstructs the data according to rules
A computer network connects devices so that they can exchange data.
Imagine passing a note to a classmate: there needs to be a path, and the person receiving it needs to be able to read it. Real networks transmit data represented by signals. Cables, fiber optics, and radio waves can all carry it in different ways.
Networked devices are not only computers; they can also include phones, printers, and sensors. One device might ask another to print something or share a file.
Your turn to try
If the outside internet connection at home is down, must a computer and printer on the same local network be unable to print?
Have you thought it through? Open for an explanation
Not necessarily. They may still work if their local connection is fine and printing does not depend on a cloud service. First distinguish the local path from the path to the outside.
Take away one discovery
A computer network connects devices so that they can exchange data.
Try covering the diagram above and explaining each step to someone in your family. If one step is hard to explain, go back and look at that card again.