Holding the Line: Computer Networks in Libraries (And At Home) Via The Internet, WiFi and More

There is a dimly lit room next door to the library that none of the general education teachers or students have dared to enter or even inquire about.  It houses countless, wired and whirring machines of various shapes, sizes and colors with blinking lights. I have only seen the former Computer teacher and a couple of men in uniforms go in. Now, I know that the room marked Telephone is where the school’s network servers are located. These servers are computers that run several programs to allow database searches, e-mailing, printing and a host of other computing services.  

All of the computers in the library, classrooms and offices use a wireless network to access the Internet.  This type of network is one in which radio signals and other technologies allow computers to communicate with each other and the network server. A network printer will be set up in the library in the next few days to allow multiple print jobs to be sent from different places to one central location.

After learning a few things about the systems at my school, I did not worry too much when I began to have problems connecting to the Internet on my laptop at home.  I turned off the modem (a device that translates the information sent by a computer into a protocol, or format, that is sent across phone wires), disconnected the modem from the wireless router and started and restarted my computer. The router, which is supposed to exchange information between networks, would not connect.  I eventually gave up, and I resorted to using the Internet capabilities on my cell phone. I composed documents, sent the rough drafts to myself via e-mail and retrieved them at work. Doing that became cumbersome; plus, I was stuck with a lot of hard-to-get-just-right, unfinished business. So...

I finally called CLEAR, my Internet provider. It was mind blowing to learn that over half of the terminology that was used in the hour long conversation with the customer service representative was found in Chapter 5 of The Library Companion by John Burke. I should have expected that, but I was so fascinated because I always see words that I had never paid attention to and never imagined knowing the meaning of.  Far from being a technology expert, but like technology itself, I am constantly making progress.

Several times, I was asked to click on a series of words and/or links to find the IP, or Internet Protocol, address. (I always wondered how, especially on crime shows, detectives found the culprit by identifying that address on his/her computer. I did not know that the letters or words in an address correspond to particular numbers that lead directly to a specific computer.) After about an hour, I realized that I had gotten a pretty in-depth tour of my computer.  Unfortunately, the representative was unable to help me figure out a way to regain wireless access to the Internet. A friend who is a software architect told me of the risks of having my modem directly connected to my computer. He said that routers, connected with a WAP, a wireless access point, not only prevent people from connecting to the Internet without paying for the service; it serves as a layer of protection about others gain access to your private information. 

All in all, the crash course in computer networking in my textbook and with CLEAR was quite helpful.  I am a lot more knowledgeable about what I see on computers and with the gadgets that I see around the school and library every day.  With a little more hands-on experience and guidance from my co-worker, the new Computer teacher across the hall, I may be able to troubleshoot when someone comes into the library with questions or concerns about getting online.