3G: 3G is
used in mobile phones as a way of connecting to the internet wirelessly when
there is no Wi-Fi available. It stands for ‘third generation’, referring to the
third generation of mobile phones. The advantages of 3G are that users can send
and receive data through wireless methods, increased speeds (which helps with
faster connection to the internet and better quality video calling) and being
able to receive data anywhere at any time. However, it can be expensive to buy
data for handsets, and often people buy a lot because they want as much free
internet access as possible.
Laptop: A
laptop is a device larger than a mobile phone but smaller than a desktop
computer, used to perform all the same tasks as a standard computer system,
however more compact, easy to travel with and can be used portably. It connects
to Wi-Fi to use the internet.
GPRS:This
is the second generation for mobile phones, which allows users to connect to
the internet on their mobile phone. It stands for General Packet Radio Service.
An advantage of GPRS technology is that it is always on connectivity. Another
benefit is that the rate at which data is received is much faster than the user
could get with GSM.
Mobile Phone: This is a popular device used to call and message people portably. Current mobile phones are able to connect to the internet using Wi-Fi, 3G, GPRS or 4G. The most popular type of mobile phone are smartphones, which allow users to download ‘apps’ of all different kinds.
Netbooks: A
netbook is a device similar to a laptop, but a much smaller design and
primarily used to access internet-based applications. Netbooks have many
advantages over standard laptops as they are more convenient for some people
because of their small size and lightweight structure. However, they also have
some negatives, including smaller keyboards, making it slightly more difficult
than when using a normal laptop, and the smaller screens make it harder on your
eyes.
The Effectiveness of Wired and Wireless Networks Wired networks are the most effective and reliable forms of transferring data because they are not affected by physical objects, whereas wireless networks can easily be interrupted. Although it is more effective in terms of connection, wired networks can also experience interference. This means wired networks often have issues such as data loss and slow transfer speeds. However, it is cheap and easy to install and use. The use of shielded and unshielded twisted pairs help this issue as this is a modern way of reducing risk of interference from other wires.
Wireless networks, however, are more susceptible to interference because physical objects can easily interrupt the connection between a wireless router and a device. However, due to wireless transfers being a modern creation, they are still improving rapidly, meaning they are becoming faster, more effective and safer to use. Large office buildings and schools will usually have wired networks, however, because they need a large majority of computers and other devices to connect to the internet, and this way is much more reliable as it has been around for longer.