Connections and Ports | Students' digital skills. (2023)

All modern computers have more or less the same interfaces. There are some differences between desktop and laptop computers, as well as various mobile devices, but in general all devices have at least the following interfaces (letters refer to images below). When you know the different connection ports, you know which devices you can connect to your computer.

AC power connector

The main power connector is usually located on the back or side of the computer. There is a lot of variety in the shape and size of computer power connectors.

display connector

The display connector is usually located on the back or side of the computer. As a general rule, the socket is usually one of two different sockets. If you are connecting a monitor to your computer, make sure you have the proper connectors. You can handle the most different connector pairs with the right adapter, but you'll have to buy them separately.

Many computers have aHDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface)port (the port on the left in the image) where you can connect, for example, a DVD or Blu-ray player, a stereo amplifier, or a flat-screen TV. HDMI enables the transfer of high-quality images and audio between connected devices.

Many computers have aDisplayPortinterface (an alternative to HDMI; the port on the right in the image), where you can connect your computer screen or a stereo amplifier, for example.

Local area network (LAN) port

use theLocal Area Network (LAN)port for connecting your computer to the Internet via a network cable. The plug and the LAN cable are easy to recognize due to their special appearance.

Puerto USB

Devices that can be connected to the USB port include a mouse, keyboard, digital camera, USB flash drive, scanner, etc. There are several versions of the USB port. You can also charge multiple devices by connecting them to your computer via the USB port. The image on the right shows two regular rectangular USB-A ports and a proper plug.

The smallmicro USBIt has been the most common port on phones, cameras, and other portable devices for a long time.

The newest oneUSB-Cport (right image: Wikimedia Commons/Bandideux) is increasingly common.

You can identify the port and its connector by its small size, round shape, and the fact that it can be connected in any way.

Olightning connector, common on Apple products, can be connected to the USB port with an adapter or a separate cable with the correct plugs.

audio ports

You can connect external speakers, headphones, or a microphone to a computer. Headphones, for example, can be connected to your computer via a USB port (above) or a round 3.5-millimeter plug.

On mobile devices and computers that are only a few years old, the same port can be used to transmit an audio signal.theymifordevice, for example, to and from headphones equipped with a microphone. In the photo on the right it is suchcombo audio porton a Mac computer (despite the 'regular headphones' symbol next to it).

Older and desktop computers may have multiple audio jacks marked with various color codes and symbols. Older machines may have two or even three connections:audio output(verdes'out arrow' or headphone symbol),audio input(blue'inward arrow' symbol) andmicrophone(rojomicrophone symbol).

other ports

Some laptops have expansion card slots. OneExpressCard (CE)slot accepts many types of devices, and for oneSecure Digital (SD)slot that you can insert, for example, aDakota del SuroMicroSD camera memory cardfor fast transfer of digital photos.

wireless network connections

With the exception of desktop computers, all modern devices can connect to wireless networks. Wireless connectivity models include:

• WLAN (wireless local area network): With WLAN you can connect your computer at home or at the university to a wireless network such as the Eduroam university network (more onwireless networks in you). A WLAN network covers an area that typically ranges from a few tens of meters to a few hundred meters.
• Redes Bluetooth:With Bluetooth, you can create a short-range connection between, for example, a laptop and a cell phone or headset. In this way, you can transfer data from computer to phone or vice versa. To use a Bluetooth network, both devices must support Bluetooth. The range of the network does not exceed a few tens of meters. To connect a device to a Bluetooth network, enable the Bluetooth feature on the device.

If you are having trouble connecting to a LAN or WLAN on your computer, you can check its status by doing the following:

• windows: Click the network connections icon in the notification area at the bottom right corner of the screen (see image above). This will display the network connections available to your computer and their current status. If you can't see the icon, click the triangle iconshow hidden iconsbutton in the notification area.