COMMUNICATION NETWORKS

What is a computer? A computer is an electronic device, that accepts data and can process the data into
a useful information which is capable of storing the information and can share the information into
another computer through a NETWORK.

What is a network? A network is a group of inter connected devices that can communicate and share
data with each other.

A computer network is therefore a group of interconnected devices such as computers, printers,

servers and routers that communicates with each other to share resources, exchange data and provide
services. In other words, a computer network can be defined as a set of connected computers on a
network called NODES.

Draw an illustration of a network!

Connected computers can share resources like access to the internet, printers, file servers etc. The most
common resource shared in this generation is connection to the internet.

What is the Internet? The internet is a global network of interconnected networks that enables users to
communicate and share information between devices. The difference between a network and the
internet is that; a NETWORK is the interconnection of set of devices such as computers, printers, mobile
phones, servers etc. WHILES the INTERNET is a global network of interconnected networks.

Having access to a network can be done in two main ways, Users can connect to a network by the use of
cables (Ethernet cables, USB, fibre-optic cable, coaxial cable) or through the air (wireless connection).
The wireless technologies used are Radio frequency transmission, infrared transmission, micro wave
transmission and light wave transmission.

KEY HARDWARE FOR SETTING UP NETWORK SYSTEMS

Hardware network devices are also referred to as components of a computer network users
need to connect to the internet. They include;
1. SERVER: A server is a computer designed to process request and deliver data to another
computer over the internet or a local network. In the internet, the term server commonly refers
to a computer system which receives request for a specific web document or any form of data
which process the requested information to requestor called a “CLIENT”. They are mostly used to
manage network resources. Servers are usually dedicated, meaning they perform other task
besides their server tasks.
2. CLIENT: A client is a computer that is connected and uses the resources of a server. The server
provides resources to the clients such as files, information, internet and intranet access. During
processing, any work done on the server is referred to as “server-side” work and any work done
on the local client is also called “client-side” work.
Draw illustration of a server and client
 3. HUB: A hub is a rectangular inexpensive device that connects multiple computers together on a
local area network. Hubs simply receives data from one device and transmit the data into all
other devices/ nodes. Hubs do not create their own networks, they extend an existing network
on connected devices also acting as a central point for data transmission within the network.
There are two types of hubs, they are; ACTIVE hub and PASSIVE hub.
An active hub is a hub that requires power to amplify signals in a network. Active hubs manage
the functions of the network (meaning it only transmits data to active devices only or devices
that requests for it) and they are used to also extend the maximum distance of nodes. Whiles
Passive Hub is a hub that does not require power to transmit signals in a network. Passive hubs
only transmit signals rather amplifying them. Passive hubs do not manage the functions of the
network (meaning it transmits data regardless of which device is intended recipient) and they
can’t be used to extend the maximum distance between nodes.
4. SWITCH: is a hardware network device that connects multiple nodes and servers together that
receives data packets and redirects them to their destination on a local area network.
5. REPEATER: is a hardware network device that amplifies the strength of a signal in a greater
distance without a loss in quality. The main purpose for Repeaters is to boost the signal strength
of networks so that it can be transmitted in long distances without a loss in quality. Repeaters
are also known as “signal boosters”.
6. ROUTER: is a hardware network device that connects multiple nodes together, directing traffic
between. In other words, router is a network device which is designed to receive, analyze and
move incoming data signals to another network. Routers are commonly used in homes network
to share a single internet connection between multiple computers.
7. NETWORK CABLES: are physical cables used to connect devices to a network enabling
communication and data transfer between them. The most commonly used network cable is
category 5 cable and RJ-45. Generally, there are three types of network cables they are;
i. Coaxial cables
ii. Twisted-pair cables
iii. Fiber- optic cables

These hardware devices are what makes up a computer network, they work together to enable nodes
communicate, share resources and exchange data.

NETWORK TOPOLOGY

Computer network topology refers to the physical and logical arrangements of nodes within a network.
There are many physical and logical arrangements of networking. Some of the computer network
topologies are; Bus, Star, Ring, Mesh, Tree and Hybrid.

1. BUS TOPOLOGY: is a network topology that connects all devices in a network to a single cable.
The cable act as a spine or backbone for the entire network. One of the computers in the
network acts as a server. When it has two end points, it is known as a linear bus topology (but
known as daisy chain topology when the end points are terminated with a resistor or a device).

Draw illustration of a bus topology.

 FEATURES OF BUS TOPOLOGY
i. It transmits data only in one direction
ii. Every device is connected to a single cable
iii. All nodes share the same communication
iv. The bus is terminated at both ends to prevent signal reflection

ADVANTAGES OF BUS TOPOLOGY

i. It is cost effective
ii. The number of cables required is least compared to other network topologies
iii. It is used in small networks
iv. It is easy to understand
v. It is easy to expand by joining two cables together.

DISADVANTAGES OF BUS TOPOLOGY

i. When the main cable fails, the whole network fails.

ii. The main cable has a limited length
iii. If network traffic is heavy or the nodes are more, then the network strength decreases.
2. RING TOPOLOGY: is a network topology where nodes are connected in a circular or ring shape.
Data travels in one direction and each device acting as a repeater, amplifying he signal before
passing to the next device/node. (In ring topology, nodes are connected to each other in the form of a ring,
with the last one connected to the first. Exactly two neighbors for each device).

Draw illustration of a ring topology.

FEATURES OF RING TOPOLOGY

i. Nodes are connected in a ring or circular form
ii. Each node act as a repeater, amplifying the signal before passing it to the next device.
iii. Data travels in one direction, from one device to the next (UNIDIRECTIONAL) but it can
be BIDIRECTIONAL by having two connections between each network node, it is called
DUAL RING TOPOLOGY
iv. Data transfer is sequential i.e. bit by bit. Data transmitted has pass through each node of
the network till it gets to the destination node.

ADVANTAGES OF RING TOPOLOGY

i. It is cheaper and easy to install and understand

ii. It is fast in transmitting data
iii. If one device fails, data can still be transmitted through the ring.
iv. It is easy to maintain.

DISADVANTAGES OF RING TOPOLOGY

i. Looking for errors is difficult in ring topology

ii. If the ring is broken, the entire network goes down.
iii. Adding or removing devices can disrupt the entire network
iv. Ring topology can be more expensive than other topologies especially for large networks
3. STAR TOPOLOGY: is a network topology where all nodes are connected to a single hub through a
cable. This hub is the central node and all other nodes are connected to the central node.

Draw illustration of a star topology.

FEATURES OF A STAR TOPOLOGY

i. Each device has a dedicated connection to the central point
ii. Hubs acts like a repeater for data flow
iii. The topology can be used with a twisted pair, optical-fibre or coaxial cable.

ADVANTAGES OF STAR TOPOLOGY

i. It is fast in performance with few nodes and low network traffic.

ii. The hub can be upgraded easily
iii. It is easy to look for errors.
iv. It is easy to remove or add devices without disrupting the network
v. When one node fails, only that node is affected, the rest can work smoothly.

DISADVANTAGES OF STAR TOPOLOGY

i. The cost of installing is high

ii. It is expensive to use
iii. Net work speed and performance rely on the central hub only.
iv. When the central hub fails, the whole network fails.
4. MESH TOPOLOGY
5. TREE TOPOLOGY
6. HYBRID TOPOLOGY