Hardware Fundamentals

PC Repair and Troubleshooting

Computer Basics Hardware Software

Hardware Components Motherboard Power Supply Drives IO Devices Communication Devices Storage Devices

Motherboard CPU - performs most of the calculations which enable a computer to function Heat Sink and Fan – cools the CPU RAM - stores resident part of the current running OS and all running processes BIOS

o Boot firmware• Fixed / ussually small programs

o Power Management Chipset - provides the supporting interfaces between the CPU and the various buses and

external components. This chipset determines, to an extent, the features and capabilities of the motherboard.

Internal Busses - connect the CPU to various internal components and to expansion cards for graphics and soundo PCIo SATAo ATA

External Busses Controllers - support ports for external peripherals.o USBo IEEE 1394 interface - serial bus interface standard for high-speed communications and isochronous

real-time data transfer, frequently used by personal computers, as well as in digital audio, digital video, automotive, and aeronautics applications.

o Small Computer System Interconnect - set of standards for physically connecting and transferring data between computers and peripheral devices

Power Supply converts alternating current (AC) electric power to

low-voltage DC power for the internal components of the computer

Drives CD / DVD / HD DVD / Blu Ray Floppy HDD USB Flash Tape

Input / Output Devices Keyboard Mouse Monitor Webcam Microphone Speaker Headset Printer Scanner

Storage Devices Primary Secondary Tertiary

o Disks• Magneto optic disks• Optical disks• WORM

o Tapeso USB Flasho External HDD

Communication Devices

Repeater NIC Modem Hub Bridge Switch Router

HUB BRIDGE SWITCH ROUTER

Physical Layer Data Link Layer Data Link Layer Network Layer

Bus Backbone MAC Address MAC Address IP Address

Transmits to all ports Transmits only if on the other side

Transmits to a designated host

Transmits to a designated host

Don’t analyse traffic Allow/Disallow traffic Manages traffic Avoids traffic

1 Collision & Broadcast Domain

Every segment has a collision domain and

Broadcast domain as a whole

Every port has Collision Domain and Broadcast Domain as

a whole

Separates Broadcast Domain

Same Subnet Same Subnet Same Subnet Different Subnets

used on small networks where the

amount of data going across the network is

never very high

used to connect different network

segments

large networks use switches rather than

hubs to connect computers within the

same subnet

most common home use for routers is to share a broadband

internet connection.

Creates a network segment

Connects Network Segments

Connects Network Segments

Connects Network