Computer Networking Fundamentals

A computer network is a collection of two or more computers with communication between them through a medium. The communication medium can be through radio waves, wires, infrared, optical fibers etc.

Computer network is an integral part of our daily lives, with the most important reason being that of communication. The use of computer networking is to share resources like fax machines, printers, modems, files etc., and its other uses are database server, computer server, email, chat, internet etc. The computer to which the resources are attached is called the server and the other computers that access the resource are called clients. In peer-to-peer computer networks there are no servers.

The sharing of fax machines, printers, and modems amongst many computers and users reduce the operational cost. A database on a computer network is a very important application as it stores and runs many important data and jobs. Emails and chats can be used for instantaneous communication and sending of files on a computer network.

The computer networks are classified, depending upon the size, as Local Area Networks (LAN), Wide Area Networks (WAN), Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN) and Personal Area Networks (PAN). The topology (topology is the way the computer networks and network resources are connected) of the networking can be classified as Bus Network, Ring Network and Star Network.

The networking hardware basically consists of wiring, network cards and a hub. Computer network cards are required so that one computer can understand what the other computer is “talking”. Network cards have a unique MAC address to identify computers on a computer network. Hubs connect all the computers in the network. Hubs can also be used to connect to other hubs to increase the size of the computer network. Two computers can be connected using Ethernet cards or phone lines or power lines for communication, with hardware kits available at roughly a cost of $100.

As the number of computers in an office or a home increases, so do the number of cables, so wireless networking is a viable solution. In wireless networking radio transreceivers or infrared signals are used to communicate between computers and devices. Examples of wireless networking include Wi-fi and Bluetooth technology, though there may be security issues involved in wireless networking. However there definitely is a stronger preference towards wireless networking nowadays among consumers.

Computer networks have added a new dimension to the 21st century. Today the cyber world is much faster and wider than the real world. This has all been made possible due to computer networks. Computer networks have revolutionized business, communication, travel, research, defense, society and almost all human endeavors. The evolution of computer networks has helped the technological revolution take a big leap forward.

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6 Tips to Save on Your Printer Ink Cartridges

Buying a printer is a one time cost, but since printer ink cartridges need to be bought on a regular basis, the cost of operating the printer and maintaining it in proper condition can add up. Each ‘print’ command, however small, makes your printer use ink, but with some easy tips, you can actually save a lot of ink and use a cartridge for a longer period than usual.

<b>1) Print only what is necessary </b>

Let’s begin with economising. Most often, we end up making unnecessary printouts and in the process waste precious ink. For instance, you might need to print only a small portion of a web page instead of the whole page. Instead of simply printing the whole page, complete with its heavy graphics etc, be specific on what you want to have in hard copy and print only that portion.

Text always consumes less ink compared to graphics or images. If textual information is all that you need then you can make sure that you don’t print the graphics and images.  If it is a web page you need to save in a printed form, check for its print version. If there is no print version, you can copy and paste the text in a word document and take a printout of that.

Also try to do a bit of planning and double check what you are printing before hitting the print button.

<b>2) Go for a quick print preview </b>

Most branded printers such as HP, Canon, Dell, Epson or any other printer come with a printer driver which has a very useful print preview function. With this function, you can have a prior preview of the copy you want to take a print out of.

This function is especially handy when you are directly taking the print out from the Internet. At times, what you see on a site is totally different as compared to the printed version. A quick preview can help to get the printout of the material that you specifically want.

<b>3) Make sure the power is turned off </b>

Just as you never switch off your computer without properly shutting it down, the same rule applies to your printer too. If you don’t shut down the printer properly, the print heads will remain directly exposed to air causing the ink to dry in the nozzles which, in turn, could affect the quality of printing adversely. Make it a habit to check the position of the print heads before cutting off the power.

<b>4) Use good software </b>

There are various ink saving software options available online. These software applications are designed to reduce the consumption of your printer ink. With these applications, you can get good quality printout copies with less ink consumption even during high resolution printing.

<b>5) Use printer ink cartridges smartly </b>

If you don’t do printing regularly, run a small printing test at least once a week, to avoid the ink cartridges from drying up. This little precaution will help you to increase the life of the cartridge.

<b>6) Never expose your printer to extreme temperatures </b>

Too much variation in room temperature is bad for printer ink cartridges. You must avoid keeping your printer in too hot or too cold a temperature as the cartridges can dry up. For lasting printer performance, make sure the room has a normal and stable temperature.

With these small but important tips, your printer ink cartridges will get a longer life. It is easy to buy good quality printer ink cartridges at excellent prices from online shops.

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Beating an RPG Game!

Alright. We all know it. You want to play Dungeons and Dragons, but that is just a level of nerd that you don’t want to reach. No offense to people who play it, since both groups will probably like a flash RPG. It is basically a quicky version of the game that started the whole genre. The benefit is that these are free and usually much simpler than the absurdly open-ended forefather.

When playing an RPG game, you need to decide exactly how you want to play it and decide whether you are really up for it. Most flash RPGs rely heavily on repetition for some of the training aspects, and this may frustrate you too much to actually finish. Some of them lack a save option too, so make sure you have about an hour or so to actually finish it up. Once you commit yourself, you just have to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the game. You need to decide what traits you want and what actually matters. It is generally worthless to have 1 strength and 10 luck, for example. If you don’t want to be a fighter than don’t get strength, get intelligence or will or whatever your character needs. Getting off to a good start with a good character makes all the difference.

Now that you have a character, you need to just explore. Don’t be too afraid of dying randomly. Most well built RPGs don’t have ridiculous deaths to make the player angry. You play flash games to have fun, not to hate your life and some random programmer a thousand miles away. Once you know the lay of the land you can set some basic goals. Hunt or work to get money, so you can buy training for better stats, which let you get better equipment, which lets you get more money, which lets you get better training, etc. Get a game plan and an ultimate goal. If you can, you should also find some good quests to add a little character to the game.

While you’re leveling up, you must also pay attention. New levels open up as time goes on and new things will become available. These can often change the game and make it even better. You definitely don’t want to miss out on something good. In the same way, you shouldn’t get too far ahead of yourself. Don’t over-commit yourself on quests with time limits you can’t meet and don’t get ahead of your character. If you have to fight, you don’t want to pointlessly lose health in a fight you couldn’t win.

Finally, don’t overplay the game. You don’t need to have 999 points in each category. Some really open RPGs don’t have limits. This doesn’t mean you should waste three hours trying to max out your stats for no real reason. It may sound really stupid, but these flash games can be very addicting once you really get started.

These are good tips that any new player to the role-playing genre should enjoy. Playing a flash RPG may be something different, but it should be a lot of fun for the flash game player who enjoys a rich world that offers something new.

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