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Data Communication Terminologies

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13 views

Data Communication Terminologies

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anubhavjha315
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Unit 2: Computer Networks: Data Communication

Terminologies

1. Concept of Communication
● Communication is the process of exchanging information between two or
more entities.
● In the context of data communication, this involves the transmission of digital
or analog data between devices.
● Effective communication requires a sender, a receiver, a message, a medium
through which the message travels, and a set of rules governing the
exchange.

2. Components of Data Communication


● Sender: The device or application that originates and transmits the data
message.
○ Example: A computer sending an email, a webcam streaming video.
● Receiver: The device or application that receives the transmitted data
message.
○ Example: A computer receiving an email, a smartphone displaying a
video stream.
● Message: The actual data or information being communicated. This can be in
various forms:
○ Text (alphanumeric characters, symbols)
○ Numbers (integers, floating-point values)
○ Images (still pictures)
○ Audio (sound, music)
○ Video (moving pictures with sound)
○ Any combination of these (multimedia)
● Communication Media: The physical or logical pathway through which the
message travels from the sender to the receiver. Also known as the
transmission medium or channel.
○ Wired Media: Data is transmitted through physical cables.
■ Twisted Pair Cable (e.g., Ethernet cables)
■ Co-axial Cable (e.g., used for cable TV)
■ Fiber-optic Cable (transmits data as light pulses)
○ Wireless Media: Data is transmitted through the air using
electromagnetic waves.
■ Radio waves (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth)
■ Microwaves (e.g., satellite communication)
■ Infrared waves (e.g., remote controls)
● Protocols: A set of predefined rules and procedures that govern how data is
transmitted and received. They ensure that communication is orderly and
understandable between different devices.
○ Protocols define aspects like:
■ Data format
■ Transmission rate
■ Error detection and correction
■ Addressing schemes
■ Sequencing of messages
○ Examples: TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol),
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), FTP (File Transfer Protocol).

3. Measuring Capacity of Communication Media


● The capacity of a communication medium refers to the amount of data that
can be transmitted over it in a given amount of time. It is primarily measured
by:
○ Bandwidth:
■ The range of frequencies available for data transmission on a
communication channel.
■ It represents the width of the frequency band and determines
the maximum potential data transfer rate.
■ Generally, a wider bandwidth allows for a higher data transfer
rate.
■ Measured in Hertz (Hz) and its multiples (KHz, MHz, GHz).
■ Analogy: Think of bandwidth as the width of a pipe; a wider pipe
can carry more water at the same time.
○ Data Transfer Rate:
■ The actual amount of data transmitted per unit of time. Also
known as bit rate.
■ Measured in bits per second (bps) and its multiples (Kbps,
Mbps, Gbps, Tbps).
■ The achievable data transfer rate is limited by the bandwidth of
the medium and other factors like noise and interference.
■ Example: A data transfer rate of 100 Mbps means that 100
million bits of data can be transmitted in one second.
■ Relationship: Higher bandwidth generally allows for a higher
data transfer rate.

4. IP Address
● Definition: An Internet Protocol (IP) address is a unique numerical label
assigned to each device (e.g., computer, smartphone, router) connected to a
computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication.
● Purpose:
○ Identification: It identifies the host or network interface on the
network.
○ Location Addressing: It provides the location of the host in the
network, enabling the routing of data packets to the correct destination.
● Structure (IPv4):
○ Most commonly represented in dot-decimal notation, consisting of four
decimal numbers (octets), each ranging from 0 to 255, separated by
dots (e.g., 192.168.1.10).
○ Each octet represents 8 bits of the 32-bit IP address.
● Types of IP Addresses:
○ Public IP Address: Assigned to a network by an Internet Service
Provider (ISP) and is used for communication over the internet. It is
globally unique.
■ Example: The IP address your home router uses to connect to
the internet.
○ Private IP Address: Assigned by a router within a local network (e.g.,
home or office network). These addresses are not unique globally and
are used for communication between devices within the private
network.
■ Examples: 192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x, 172.16.x.x to 172.31.x.x
ranges are reserved for private networks.
● Function: When you access a website, your device's IP address is used to
send requests to the web server, and the server uses your IP address to send
the website data back to you. Routers use IP addresses to determine the best
path for data packets to travel across networks.

5. Switching Techniques
● Switching techniques are used in computer networks to establish a
communication path between a sender and a receiver. The main types are:
○ Circuit Switching:
■ Establishes a dedicated physical communication path (circuit)
between the sender and receiver before any data transmission
begins.
■ This path remains exclusively for the duration of the
communication.
■ Used in traditional telephone networks.
■ Phases:
■ Circuit Establishment: Setting up the dedicated path.
■ Data Transfer: Actual transmission of data over the
established path.
■ Circuit Disconnect: Releasing the dedicated path after
communication ends.
■ Advantages: Guaranteed bandwidth during the connection, low
delay once the circuit is established.
■ Disadvantages: Inefficient use of resources if the channel is
idle, longer setup time.
○ Packet Switching:
■ The message is broken down into smaller units called packets.
■ Each packet contains the destination address and sequencing
information.
■ Packets are transmitted independently across the network and
can take different routes to reach the destination.
■ The receiver reassembles the packets in the correct order to
reconstruct the original message.
■ Used extensively in modern data networks, including the
internet.
■ Types:
■ Datagram: Each packet is treated as an independent
entity, and the network devices make routing decisions
for each packet individually. Packets may arrive out of
order.
■ Virtual Circuit: A logical connection (virtual circuit) is
established between the sender and receiver before data
transmission. All packets of a message follow the same
path established during the connection setup.
■ Advantages: Efficient use of bandwidth (multiple users can
share the same channel), more robust (if one path fails, packets
can be rerouted), suitable for bursty data.
■ Disadvantages: Can have variable delays due to routing and
congestion, requires more complex protocols for sequencing
and reassembly.

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