CST111

• Types of network
• outline • Network topologies-mail
• Analog and digital signals • Home networking
• Modes of data transmission • Network architectures
• Communication hardware • Internet
• Computer networks using • Internet services
popular browsers. 1

exercises
 ANALOG AND DIGITAL SIGNALS
• An analog signal is a continuous signal that contains time-varying
quantities.
• An analog signal can be used to measure changes in some physical phenomena
such as light, sound, pressure or temperature etc.
• Digital signal are electrical signal that is converted into a pattern of bits.
• A digital signal is a signal that is being used to represent data as a sequence
of discrete values at any given time it can only take on one of a finite number
of values such 0V/1V. E.g smartphones, tablet, smartwatch etc. 2
 ANALOG AND DIGITAL SIGNALS CONT.’

Image of a digital signal Image of an analog signal

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 MODES OF DATA TRANSMISSION
• Mechanism of transporting data between two devices connected over a
network.
• Transmission mode describes the direction, of flow of signal between two
connected devices
• There are three types of transmission modes. These are:
i. Simplex,
ii. Half Duplex &
iii. Full Duplex 4
 MODES OF DATA TRANSMISSION CONT.
• Simplex refers to one-way communications where one device is the
transmitter and the other is the receiver.

• An example of simplex communications is a simple radio, which can only

receive data from the stations but can not transmit data.

• In other words, Simplex is unidirectional.

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MODES OF DATA TRANSMISSION CONT.

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 MODES OF DATA TRANSMISSION CONT.
• Half-duplex is a two directional communication, but the communication
channel is alternatively used by both connected devices.
• Examples of two-way communication systems are the radio, telephone, and
computer-aided dispatch systems used by police, fire, and emergency response
personnel.
• These systems allow dispatchers and supervisors to stay connected with
individuals and to coordinate the activities of groups of responders. 7
MODES OF DATA TRANSMISSION CONT.

Half-duplex mode of transmission

 MODES OF DATA TRANSMISSION CONT.

• Full duplex mode of transmission, the communication is bi-

directional, that is the channel is used by both connected devices
simultaneously.
• An example of a full-duplex device is a telephone: the parties at both
ends of a call can speak and be heard by the other party simultaneously.

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 BASIS FOR COMPARISON
SIMPLEX HALF DUPLEX FULL DUPLEX
Direction of Communication is Communication is two- Communication is two-
Communication unidirectional directional but, one at a way directional & done
time. simultaneously.
Send/Receive A sender can send data A sender can send as well A sender can send as well
but can not receive. as receive data but one at as receive data
a time. simultaneously.
Performance The half duplex and full The full duplex mode Has better performance
duplex yields better yields higher as it doubles the
performance than the performance than half utilization of bandwidth.
Simplex. Example, duplex. E.g. Walkie- E.g. Telephone 10

Keyboard, monitor. Talkies

 COMMUNICATION HARDWARE

• It refers to electric device and system for transferring data or

information from one place to another.

• Examples of communication hardware are: Modem, Cable, faxmodem,

Router, Wireless technology, infrared, Bluetooth, WIFI, Switches etc.
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 COMPUTER NETWORKS

• It is the interconnection of multiple devices, generally termed as Hosts

connected using multiple paths for the purpose of sending/receiving data or
media.
• A computer network facilitates interpersonal communications allowing users to
communicate efficiently and easily via various means:
➢email, instant messaging, online chat, telephone, video telephone calls, video
conferencing etc. 12
 COMPUTER NETWORKS CONT.

• A network allows sharing of network and computing resources.

• Users may access and use resources provided by devices on the network, such
as printing a document on a shared network printer or use of a shared storage
device.
• A network allows sharing of files, data, and other types of information giving
authorized users the ability to access information stored on other computers
on the network. 13
 TYPES OF COMPUTER NETWORK
• PAN - Personal Area network
• LAN - Local area network
• CAN – Campus area network
• WLAN -Wireless local area network
• MAN - Metropolitan area network
• WAN -Wide area network etc.
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 PERSONAL AREA NETWORK

• A personal area network (PAN) is a computer network for interconnecting

devices centered on an individual person's workspace.
• Typically within a range of 10 meters
• PAN is managed by one person or organization from a single device. Such as
Bluetooth.
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 LOCAL AREA NETWORK (LAN)

• It is a network that connects computers and other devices in a relatively

small area, typically a single building or a group of buildings.
• Most LANs connect workstations and personal computers.
• It enable users to access data and devices (e.g. printers and modems) anywhere
on the network.
• It coverage area is about 1000 meters
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SUMMARY OF COVERAGE AREA BY THESE NETWORKS

Distance Location Network Used

1000 meters Campus LAN

100 kilometers County WAN

1,000 kilometers Continent WAN

10,000 kilometers Planet – Internet WAN

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 CAMPUS AREA NETWORK (CAN)

• A campus area network (CAN) is a network of multiple interconnected

local area networks (LAN) in a limited geographical area.
• A CAN is smaller than a wide area network (WAN) or metropolitan area
network (MAN).

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 WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORK(WLAN)

• These types of networks does not require that devices rely on physical cables
to connect to the network.
• WLANs make use of wireless network technology, such as WiFi.
• Typically seen in the same types of applications as LANs

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 METROPOLITAN AREA NETWORK (MAN)

• These type of networks are larger than LANs but smaller than WANs
• MANs span an entire geographic area such as a town or city, but
sometimes a campus

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 WIDE AREA NETWORK (WAN)

• Connects computers together across longer physical distances.

• This allows computers and low-voltage devices to be remotely connected to
each other over one large network to communicate even when they’re miles
apart.

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 NETWORK TOPOLOGIES

• A network topology is the arrangement of a network, including its nodes and

connecting lines.
• There are two ways of defining network topology:
I. physical topology &
II. logical (signal) topology.
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 NETWORK TOPOLOGIES CONT.

• The physical topology of a network is the actual geometric layout of

workstations.
• Logical topology refers to the nature of the paths the signals flows from node
to node.

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 PHYSICAL TOPOLOGY

• There are several physical topologies, these are:

• Bus topology
• Star topology
• Ring topology
• Mesh topology
• Tree topology 24
 BUS TOPOLOGY
• Bus topology is a network type in which every computer and network
device is connected to single cable.
• Characteristics of Bus topology
i. It transmits data only in one direction.
ii. Every device is connected to a single cable

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 BUS TOPOLOGY CONT.

Advantages of Bus topology

• It is cost effective.
• Cable required is least compared to other network topology.
• Used in small networks.
• It is easy to understand.
• Easy to expand joining two cables together.
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 BUS TOPOLOGY CONT.

Disadvantages of Bus Topology

• Cables fails then whole network fails.
• If network traffic is heavy or nodes are more the performance of the network
decreases.
• Cable has a limited length.
• It is slower than the ring topology.
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 STAR TOPOLOGY

• In this type of topology all the computers are connected to a single hub
through a cable.
• This hub is the central node and all others nodes are connected to the central
node.

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 STAR TOPOLOGY CONT.

Features of Star Topology

• Every node has its own dedicated connection to the hub.
• Hub acts as a repeater for data flow.
• Can be used with twisted pair, Optical Fiber or coaxial cable.

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 STAR TOPOLOGY CONT.
Advantages of Star Topology
• Fast performance with few nodes and low network traffic.
• Hub can be upgraded easily.
• Easy to troubleshoot.
• Easy to setup and modify.
• When a node failed, rest of the nodes can work smoothly.
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 STAR TOPOLOGY CONT.

Disadvantages of Star Topology

• Cost of installation is high.
• Expensive to use.
• If the hub fails, then the whole network is stopped because all the nodes
depend on the hub.
• Performance is based on the hub that is it depends on its capacity
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 RING TOPOLOGY
• It is called ring topology because it forms a ring as each computer is connected
to another computer, with the last one connected to the first.
• Exactly two neighbours for each device.

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 FEATURES OF RING TOPOLOGY

• Several repeaters are used for Ring topology with large number of nodes.

• The transmission is unidirectional, but it can be made bidirectional by

having 2 connections between each Network Node, it is called Dual Ring
Topology.

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 FEATURES OF RING TOPOLOGY CONT.
• In Dual Ring Topology, two ring networks are formed, and data flow is in
opposite direction in them.

• Also, if one ring fails, the second ring can act as a backup, to keep the network
up.

• Data is transferred in a sequential manner that is bit by bit.

• Data transmitted, has to pass through each node of the network, till the 34

destination node.
 ADVANTAGES OF RING TOPOLOGY
• Transmitting network is not affected by high traffic or by adding more nodes, as
only the nodes having tokens can transmit data.
• Cheap to install and expand
Disadvantages of Ring Topology
• Troubleshooting is difficult in ring topology.
• Adding or deleting the computers disturbs the network activity.
• Failure of one computer disturbs the whole network. 35
 MESH TOPOLOGY

• It is a point-to-point connection to other nodes or devices.

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• All the network nodes are connected to each other

 MESH TOPOLOGY CONT.

Types of Mesh Topology

• Partial Mesh Topology : In this topology some of the systems are connected in
the same fashion as mesh topology but some devices are only connected to two
or three devices.
• Full Mesh Topology : Every nodes or devices are connected to each other.
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 MESH TOPOLOGY CONT.
Features of Mesh Topology
• Fully connected.
• Robust.
• Not flexible.
Advantages of Mesh Topology
• Each connection can carry its own data load.
• It is robust.
• Fault is diagnosed easily.
• Provides security and privacy.
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 MESH TOPOLOGY CONT.

Disadvantages of Mesh Topology

• Installation and configuration is difficult.
• Cabling cost is more.
• Bulk wiring is required.

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 TREE TOPOLOGY

• It has a root node and all other nodes are connected to it forming a hierarchy.
• It has three levels to the hierarchy.
• It is also called hierarchical topology.

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 TREE TOPOLOGY CONT.
Features of Tree Topology
• Ideal if workstations are located in groups.
• Used in Wide Area Network.
Advantages of Tree Topology
• Extension of bus and star topologies.
• Expansion of nodes is possible and easy.
• Easily managed and maintained.
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• Error detection is easily done.

 TREE TOPOLOGY CONT.

Disadvantages of Tree Topology

• Heavily cabled.
• Costly.
• If more nodes are added maintenance is difficult.
• If central hub fails, network fails.
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 HOME AREA NETWORK (HAN)

• A home network or home area network is a IPV4 address that facilitates

communication among devices within the close vicinity of a home.
• It consist of a group of devices such as computers, game systems, printers, and
mobile devices that is connected to the Internet and each other.

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 HOME NETWORKING

• Home networks connect in two ways:

• A wired network which connects devices like printers and scanners with cables
• A wireless network this connects devices like tablets and e-readers without
cables

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 NETWORK ARCHITECTURE

• Network architecture refers to how computers are organized in a system and

how tasks are allocated between these computers.
• There are two most widely used types of network architecture these are:
i. peer-to-peer (P2P) and
ii. client/server.
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 PEER-TO-PEER ARCHITECTURE
• A peer-to-peer network does not use a central computer server that controls
network activity.
• Every computer on the network has a special software running that allows for
communications between all the computers.
• Tasks are allocated among all the members of the network.
• There is no real hierarchy among the computers, and all devices on the network
are considered equal.
• This is also referred to as a distributed architecture or workgroup without
hierarchy. 46
 CLIENT/SERVER ARCHITECTURE
• A network architecture in which each computer on the network is either a
client or a server.
• Internet server (web server) is a special computer, in which websites are
stored.
• Web Server is constantly switched on and connected to the Internet so that
each Internet user around the world can access website at all times.
• This computer is built up with selected high-quality components, which can
endure incessant work and high load. 47
 CLIENT/SERVER ARCHITECTURE
• Network servers are also referred to as computer servers, or simply servers.
Sometimes a server is described in terms of the specific service it provides,
such as e-mail server, print server or storage server.
• The clients are computers that depend on the server for data and software.
• Clients are PCs or workstations on which users run applications.

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 INTERNET

• The Internet is the global system of interconnected computer networks that use
the Internet protocol suite(transmission Control Protocol/Internet
Protocol) to link devices worldwide.
• It is a network of networks that consists of private, public, academic, business,
and government networks of local to global scope.
• They are linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless, and optical networking
technologies. 49
 INTERNET SERVICES
• These services allows users to access vast volume of information such as text,
graphics, sound and software over the internet.
• These services can be divided into four different categories:
i. Information retrieval services
ii. Web services
iii. Communication services
iv. World wide web 50
 INTERNET SERVICES CONT.
➢ Information retrieval services:
• These are Internet services that offers users easy access to information present on the
internet.
• The following are some of these information retrieval services:
i. File Transfer Protocol (FTP) : Enable the users to transfer files.
ii. Archie: It’s updated database of public FTP sites and their content. It helps to
search a file by its name.
iii. Gopher: Used to search, retrieve, and display documents on remote sites. 51
 INTERNET SERVICES CONT.

➢Web services:
• These are services that allow exchange of information between applications on
the web.
• Using web services, applications can easily interact with each other.
• The web services are offered using concept of Utility Computing.

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 INTERNET SERVICES CONT.
➢Communication services:
• There are various Communication Services available that offer exchange of
information with individuals or groups.
i. Electronic Mail: Used to send electronic message over the internet.
ii. Telnet: Used to log on to a remote computer that is attached to internet.
iii. Newsgroup: Offers a forum for people to discuss topics of common interests.
iv. Internet Relay Chat (IRC): Allows the people from all over the world to 53

communicate in real time.

 INTERNET SERVICES CONT.

v. Mailing Lists: Used to organize group of internet users to share common

information through e-mail.
vi. Internet Telephony (VoIP): Allows the internet users to talk across internet
to any PC equipped to receive the call.
vii. Instant Messaging: Offers real time chat between individuals and group of
people. E.g.Yahoo messenger, MSN messenger.
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 INTERNET SERVICES CONT.

➢World wide web (WWW)

• The world wide web is the series of web pages and files which are stored on
the internet.
• These documents may contain texts, graphics, audio, video, hyperlinks.
• The hyperlinks allow the users to navigate between the documents.

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 BASIC INTERNET PRINCIPLES
• TCP/IP
• UDP
• IP Addresses
• Domain Names
• The Domain Name System (DNS)
• Ports
• Sockets
• URLs 56
 BASIC INTERNET PRINCIPLES CONT.

➢TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol)

• TCP and IP are the most commonly-used protocols for using the Internet.
• The Internet is the network that connects computers all over the world.
• It works according to a set of agreed-upon protocols.
• TCP ensures reliable transmission of information.
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 BASIC INTERNET PRINCIPLES CONT.
• TCP breaks down a message into packets.
• At the destination, it re-assembles packets into messages.
• It attaches a checksum to each packet.
• If the checksum doesn't match the computed checksum at the destination, the
packet is re-transmitted. Thus TCP
i. Provides re-transmission of lost data
ii. Ensures delivery of data in the correct order 58
 BASIC INTERNET PRINCIPLES CONT.
• User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
• It is part of the Internet Protocol suite used by programs running on different
computers on a network.
• UDP is used to send short messages called datagrams.
• UDP doesn't re-send a packet if it is missing or if there is some other error.
• Use in audio streaming.

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 UDP CONT.

• It doesn't assemble packets into the correct order, but it is faster than TCP.
• It is an unreliable protocol, since:
i. It doesn't guarantee that a packet will arrive.
ii. It doesn't guarantee that packets will be in the right order.

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 BASIC INTERNET PRINCIPLES CONT.

➢Internet Protocol (IP)

• An IP address is a unique address for every host computer in the world.
• It Consists of 4 bytes or 32 bits/8 byte or 64 bits. (IPV4/IPV6)
• This is 4 bytes represented in quad notation as four 8-bit numbers, each in the
range 0 to 255, e.g. 131.123.2.220.
• IP addresses are registered so that they stay unique.
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 BASIC INTERNET PRINCIPLES CONT.

➢Domain name
• A domain name is the user-friendly equivalent of an IP address.
• It is used because the numbers in an IP address are hard to remember and use.
It is also known as a host name.eg www.covenantuniversity.edu.ng
• A domain name is converted to an IP address before it is used.
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 BASIC INTERNET PRINCIPLES CONT.

➢Domain name system

• Web browser, that wants to use a domain address usually needs to convert it
into an IP address before contacting the server

• The domain name system (DNS) provides a mapping between IP addresses and
domain names. 63
 BASIC INTERNET PRINCIPLES CONT.
➢Port Numbers

• To identify a host machine, an IP address or a domain name is needed.

• To identify a server on a host, a port number is used.

• A port is like a logical connection to a machine.

• Port numbers can take values from 1 to 65,535. 64

 BASIC INTERNET PRINCIPLES CONT.

• A port number does not correspond to any physical connection on the

machine, of which there might be just one.

• Each type of service has, by convention a standard port number.

• Thus 80 usually means Web Serving and 21 means File Transfer.

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 BASIC INTERNET PRINCIPLES CONT.

➢Sockets

• A socket is the software mechanism for one program to connect to another.

• A pair of programs open a socket connection between themselves.

• This then acts like a telephone connection - they can converse in both
directions for as long as the connection is open. 66
 BASIC INTERNET PRINCIPLES CONT.
➢A URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
• It is a unique identifier for any resource on the Internet
• It can be typed into a Web browser
• Can be used as a hyperlink within a HTML document
• Can be quoted as a reference to a source
❖protocol://hostname[:port]/[pathname]/filename#section
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 BASIC INTERNET PRINCIPLES CONT.

• The host name is the name of the server that provides the service.
• This can either be a domain name or an IP address.
• The port number is only needed when the server does not use the default port
number. For example, 80 is the default port number for HTTP.
• A pathname (optional) specifies a directory (folder).
• The file name can either be a data file name or can specify an executable file
that produces a valid HTML document as its output 68
 WEB BROWSER

• Web browser is a software application used to locate, retrieve and also display
content on the World Wide Web, including Web pages, images, video and
other files.
• The major web browsers are Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer,
Opera, and Safari

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