Ambo University

Woliso Campus ,Technology and Informatics

Data Communication and Computer Networks

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 CHAPTER TWO
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER NETWORKS

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Computer Networks
 A network is a set of devices (often referred to as nodes)
connected by communication links to communicate data.
 A node can be a computer, printer, or any other device capable
of sending and/or receiving data generated by other nodes on
the network.

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Network Applications
 Computer systems and peripherals are connected to form
a network.
 They provide numerous advantages:
 Resource sharing such as printers and storage devices
 Exchange of information by means of e-mails and FTP
 Information sharing by using Web or Internet
 Interaction with other users using dynamic web pages
 Video conferences
 Parallel computing
 Instant messaging

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Types of Computer networks
 Computer networks are classified based on various
factors.
 They include:
 Geographical span -LAN, MAN and WAN
 Administration -Private network & public network
 Architecture-Client/Server & peer-to-peer
 A private network is used inside an organization.

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Types of Network- Geographical Span
LAN
 A local area network (LAN) is usually privately owned
and links the devices in a single office, building, or
campus.
 LAN size is limited to a few kilometres.
 In the early 1980s, LANs might have consisted of a
handful of computers connected in a peer-to-peer
fashion.
 Today’s LANs are typically much larger and more
complex client/server networks.

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MAN
 A metropolitan area network (MAN) is a network
with a size between a LAN and a WAN.
 It normally covers the area inside a town or a city.
 MAN-is A network that is larger than a LAN and
connects clients and servers from multiple buildings.
 Because of the distance it covers, a MAN may use
different transmission technology and media than a
LAN.

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WAN
 A wide area network (WAN) provides long-distance
transmission of data, image, audio, and video
information over large geographic areas that may
comprise a country, a continent, or even the whole
world.
 The largest and most varied WAN in the world is the
Internet.

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Types of Network-Architecture
 Computers can be positioned on a network in different
ways relative to each other.
 They can have different levels of control over shared
resources.
 They can also be made to communicate and share
resources according to different schemes.
 The following sections describe two fundamental network
models:
 peer-to-peer and client/server.

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Peer-to-Peer
 In a peer-to-peer network:-
 There are no dedicated servers.
 There is no hierarchy among the computers.
 All the computers are equal and therefore are known as
peers.
 Each computer functions as both a client and a server.
 There is no administrator responsible for the entire
network.
 The user at each computer determines what data on that
computer is shared on the network.

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Peer-to-Peer Networks
 The simplest form of a network is a peer-to-peer network.
 In a peer-to-peer network, every computer can
communicate directly with every other computer.
 By default, no computer on a peer-to-peer network has
more authority than another.
 However, each computer can be configured to share only
some of its resources and prevent access to other
resources.
 Every computer is capable of sending and receiving
information to and from every other computer.

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Peer-to-Peer Networks

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Client/Server Networks
 A network that uses a server to enable clients to share data,
data storage space, and devices is known as a client/server
network.
 Client—A computer on the network that requests resources
or services from another computer on a network.
 Clients usually take the form of personal computers, also
known as workstations.
 Every computer on a client/server network acts as a client or
a server.
 Clients on a client/server network do not share their resources
directly with each other, but rather use the server as an
intermediary.
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Client/Server Networks
 Clients and servers communicate through connectivity
devices such as switches or routers.
 Server—A computer on the network that manages shared
resources; servers usually have more processing power,
memory, and hard disk space than clients.
 To function as a server, a computer must be running an
NOS (network operating system).
 An NOS is a special type of software designed to do the
following:
 Manage data and other resources for a number of clients.
 Ensure that only authorized users access the network.

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Client/Server Networks
 Restrict when and from where users can access the network.
 Dictate which rules computers will use to communicate.
 Supply applications to clients.
 Examples of NOS: UNIX and Linux, Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 or Server 2008, and Mac OS X
Server.
 (But, stand-alone computer, or a client computer, uses
an operating system, such as Windows XP/7 or
Windows Vista, which has more limited resource
management capabilities.)

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Client/Server Networks

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Client/Server
 In an environment with more than 10 users, a peer-to-peer
will probably not be adequate.
 Therefore, most networks have/required dedicated
servers.
 A dedicated server is one that functions only as a server
and is not used as a client or workstation.
 Client requests the server to serve the requests.
 Specialized Servers
 Some of the examples of different types of servers
included on many large networks.

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Specialized Servers
 1-File Servers
 File servers offer services that allow network users to share files.
 2- Print Servers
 Allow users to share printers
 Allow multiple and simultaneous access to printing facilities.
 3- Database Servers
 Database server can provide a network with powerful database services.
 4 -Application Servers
 Servers store vast amounts of data that is organized to make it easy to retrieve.
 An application server differs from a file server in that with file server the data
or file is downloaded to the computer which making the request.
 With an application server, the database /file stays on the server and only the
results of a request are downloaded to the computer which making the request.

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Specialized Servers
 5-Mail Servers
 Mail servers - separate server and client applications.
 Data selectively downloaded from the server to the client.
 6-Web Servers
 Stores different web pages.
 7- Proxy Server
 A Proxy Server implements Internet connectivity and
network security for an entire organization.

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Network Topologies
 Types of Connection
 There are two possible types of connections: point-to-point and
multipoint.
 Point-to-Point
 A point-to-point connection provides a dedicated link between
two devices.
 The entire capacity of the link is reserved for transmission
between those two devices.
e.g connection b/n television and its remote control
 Multipoint
 A multipoint connection is one in which more than two specific
devices share a single link.
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Physical Topology
 The topology of a network is the geometric representation
of the relationship of all the links and linking devices
(usually called nodes) to one another.
 The topology- is physical layout of a computer network.
 Topologies vary according to the needs of the
organization, available hardware and expertise.
 There are five basic topologies possible:
 Bus
 Ring
 Star
 Mesh
 Hybrid

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Bus
 A bus topology is multipoint connection.
 One long cable acts as a backbone to link all the devices
in a network.

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Bus
Advantages
 Connecting a computer or peripheral to a linear bus is easy.
 This topology requires least amount of cabling to connect
the computers and therefore, less expensive.
 It is easy to extend a bus since two cables can be joined
into longer cable with a connector.
Disadvantages
 Entire network shuts down if there is a failure on the
backbone.
 Heavy traffic can slow down a bus because computers on
such networks do not coordinate.

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Ring
 In a ring topology, each device has a dedicated point-to-
point connection with only the two devices on either side
of it.

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Ring
Advantage
 Ring topology is easy to install and reconfigure.
 Every computer is given equal access to the ring.
 Hence, no single computer can monopolize the network.

Disadvantages
 Failure in any cable or node breaks the loop and can take
down the entire network.
 Maximum ring length and number of nodes are limited.

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Star
 In a star topology, each device has a dedicated point-
to-point link only to a central controller, usually called
a hub.
 The devices are not directly linked to one another.

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Star
 Advantages of Star
 Star topology is easy to install and wire.
 The network is not disrupted even if a node fails or is
removed from the network.
 Fault detection and removal of faulty parts is easier in star
topology.
 Disadvantages of Star
 It requires a longer length of cable.
 If the hub fails, nodes attached to it are disabled.
 The cost of the hub makes the network expensive as
compared to bus and ring topology.
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Mesh
 In a mesh topology, every device has a dedicated
point-to-point link to every other device.

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Mesh
 Advantages of Mesh Topology
 The use of large number of links eliminates network
congestion.
 If one link becomes unusable, it does not disable the entire
system.
 Disadvantages of Mesh Topology
 The amount of required cabling is very large.
 As every node is connected to the other, installation and
reconfiguration is very difficult.
 The amount of hardware required in this type of topology
can make it expensive to implement.
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Hybrid
 A network structure whose design contains more than one
topology is said to be hybrid topology.
 Hybrid topology inherits merits and demerits of all the
incorporating topologies.
 

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