Computer Networks

When two or more computers are connected together, they are said to be networked. A
network can be two or three computers connected together in a small office or connect
computers together in different parts of the country.
There are three main types of networks. LAN, MAN & WAN.

Local Area Networks ( LANs)

A small network contained in a single site or building is called a LAN or

As you can see in the diagram, the network covers a small area. The computers could be
split up into different offices or all in one room and can all access resources served from
the file server and use internet services provided by the router. They are all connected
together using a switch.
Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs)

A metropolitan area network is a network that connects computers in a region larger than
a local area network (LAN) but smaller than a wide area network (WAN) and is usually
an interconnection of networks in a city that form a single larger network.

In this example, we have a university campus network with buildings spread all over the
city. Each campus has its own LAN, and the LAN at each campus is linked together to
form a much larger network called a MAN.
These could be linked using fibre optic cables or even a virtual private network using the
internet.

Wide Area Networks ( WANs)

A network that connects computers and LANs in different parts of the country is called a
WAN or Wide Area Network.
This example is of a multinational organisation that has offices in different cities and
countries. Each organisation can have its own LAN and is linked to a larger network over
the internet.
A WAN can also have MANs connected to it as well as lots of smaller LANs.

Peer-to-peer Network

On peer-to-peer networks, all the computers on the network are equal in role, and are
usually connected together in a small office or maybe at home.

An example of a peer-to-peer network is one that might be found in a modern household,

Client-server Network

Client-server networks are found in businesses, colleges and places you would find a lot
of computers.
These networks consist of a number of PCs called clients located in offices on an
employee’s desk, in classrooms and are usually connected using CAT5 cables.
Also, on the network there would be one or more servers. Servers are large computers that
hold data and shared resources that are served to the client PCs on the network. Hence the
name client-server.

Ethernet

Computers are usually linked up using copper RJ45/ CAT5. This one below is called an
unshielded twisted pair ( UTP).

...or fibre optic cables.

Computers are usually plugged into a device called a switch, shown below.
This device passes data between the different computers on the network.
CAT5 cables connect computers to the switch using either fast ethernet (100BaseT) or
gigabit ethernet (1000BaseT), and has a limit of about 100m. The cables are terminated
with a standard RJ45 connector. Note there are 4 pairs of wires (orange, green, blue,
brown) and 8 pins.
The connectors are wired as shown below.

Fibre optic cables are generally used when distances are far greater and can link different
sites together.

Cellular Network

A cellular network or mobile network is a wireless network distributed over land and is
divided into areas called cells. This is how a cell phone or mobile phone network operates.
Each of these cells is assigned a frequency (eg F1-F4) each served by a radio base station.
The frequencies can be reused in other cells, provided that the same frequencies are not
reused in neighbouring cells as it would cause interference.
As you move through the cells with your cell phone the system automatically switches
your call between the base stations, this is called roaming.
Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a wireless technology for exchanging data over short distances using a
frequency of 2.4 to 2.485 GHz. This is often referred to as a PAN (or personal areal
network) and can be used to connect headphones, wireless mice, smart phones and make
small data transfers.

Many smartphones now use Bluetooth to connect different accessories and can even link
to your car’s stereo system to make a nice hands-free kit, allowing you to safely take calls
while driving.

Cloud Computing and the Web

The “cloud” was originally a metaphor for the internet and many network diagrams
represented the internet with a symbol of a cloud.
As internet services became more advanced, the cloud became a set of hardware devices;
data servers, application servers, connected to networks with large storage space that
provide services such as email, apps and disk storage for documents, music and photos.
These cloud services include the delivery of software and storage space over the Internet,
based on user demand having as little as possible stored on the user’s machines.
If you have an account with a web-based e-mail service like Hotmail or Gmail, then
you’ve had some experience with the cloud. Instead of running an e-mail program on your
computer, you log into a web e-mail account remotely.
The storage for your account doesn’t exist on your computer, it’s on the cloud. In this
example, files would be stored on OneDrive and if you’re using Google, your files would
be stored on GoogleDrive.
You can run Microsoft Word online using your tablet, laptop or phone to edit your
documents. If you are using GoogleDrive, you can use GoogleDocs to edit your
document. All these can be used through a web browser on your device.
You can also collaborate with other users; colleagues or friends. You can share photos or
documents for them to see and edit; working on projects together around the world, or
just share the latest photo with a friend.
This has become a huge advantage as data can be stored centrally making backups easier.
Applications and servers can be built and maintained centrally by dedicated support staff
making downtime a minimum.
Cloud computing can be further broken down into different types
Software-as-a-service or (SaaS): Office 365, Google Docs or web-based emails are
examples of this where applications are designed for end-users and delivered over the
web.
Platform-as-a-service or (PaaS): is the set of tools and services designed to make coding
and deploying applications quick and efficient.
Infrastructure-as-a-service or (IaaS): ‘Rackspace’ web hosting provider is an example
of this and provides the hardware and software that powers the cloud, such as servers,
storage, networks, operating systems and so on.