Computer Network

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Introduction to Computer Network
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 A computer network is any collection of independent

computers that communicate with one another over a shared

network medium. 

 A computer network is a collection of

two or more connected computers.

 A computer network connect devices through a transmission

media (cable/wireless) for the purpose of sharing resources,

file, folder, printer and other things also.
Purpose of Computer Networking
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Resource Sharing
Hardware (computing resources, disks, printers)
Software (application software)

Information Sharing
Easy accessibility from anywhere (files, databases)

Communication
Email

Remote computing
Every Network Includes :-
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• At least two computers Server or Client workstation.

• Networking Interface Card's (NIC)
• A connection medium, usually a wire or cable, although
wireless communication between networked computers and
peripherals is also possible.
• Network Operating system software, such as Microsoft
Windows server 2008
•Network Protocols used to govern the rule of Communication
Example 1
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• Sharing information — i.e. data communication

• Do you prefer these?

• Or this?
Example 2
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• Sharing hardware or software

• E.g. print document

• Centralize administration and support

• E.g. Internet-based, so everyone can access the same
administrative or support application from their PCs
Advantages of Networking
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Connectivity and Communication

Data Sharing

Hardware Sharing

Internet Access / Internet Access Sharing


Data Management

Entertainment
Disadvantages of Networking
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Network Hardware, Software and Setup Costs

Hardware and Software Management and

Administration Costs

Undesirable Sharing

Data Security Concerns

Kinds of Network
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• Depending on different perspective, we can
classify networks in different ways
• Based on transmission media: Wired (UTP, coaxial cables,
fiber-optic cables) and Wireless

• Based on network size: LAN,WAN and MAN

• Based on management method: Peer-to-peer and

Client/Server

• Based on topology (connectivity): Bus, Star, Ring, Mesh …

Computer Network Based on
Transmission Media
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• Transmission media is a pathway that carries

the information from sender to receiver. 

• We use different types of cables or waves to transmit data. 

•Data is transmitted normally through electrical or

electromagnetic signals.
Transmission Media(Cont..)
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• Transmission media is broadly classified into two

groups.
1.Wired or Guided Transmission Media :- are the cables that
are tangible or have physical existence and are limited by the
physical geography.

2. Wireless or Unguided Transmission Media :- are the ways

of transmitting data without using any cables. These media are
not bounded by physical geography.
Transmission Media(Cont..)
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Transmission Media(Cont..)
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The data transmission capabilities of various Medias vary

differently depending upon the various factors.

These factors are:

 
1. Bandwidth. It refers to the data carrying capacity of a
channel or medium.

Higher bandwidth communication channels support higher data

rates.

2. Radiation. It refers to the leakage of signal from the medium

due to undesirable electrical characteristics of the medium.
Transmission Media(Cont..)
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3. Noise Absorption. It refers to the weakness of the media to

external electrical noise that can cause distortion of data signal.

4. Attenuation. It refers to loss of energy as signal propagates

outwards.
Computer Network Based on Network Size
(Fundamental Network Classification)
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1) Local Area Network (LAN)

• A LAN network is a short-distance network.

• LAN is a computer network covering a small geographic

area, like a home, office, or group of buildings.

• Limited by no. of computers and distance covered

Local Area Network
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Client Client

Client Client

Client Client
Computer Network Based on Network Size
Cont..
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2) Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

• Refers to a network of computers with in a City.

• Metropolitan area network (MAN) is a network that

interconnects users with computer resources in a geographic
area or region larger than that covered by even a large local
area network (LAN) but smaller than the area covered by a
wide area network (WAN).
Metropolitan Area Network
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Computer Network Based on Network Size
Cont..
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3) Wide Area Network (WAN)

• Wide Area Network (WAN) is a computer network that
covers a broad area.

• A WAN is a collection of LAN networks.

• LANs connect to other LANs with the help of a router. The

router has a LAN address and a WAN address, which lets it
send data to the desired location.

• Internet or internetworking is the biggest WAN in the world

or is the Communication between networks.
Wide Area Network
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Internet and Intranet
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Intranet:
 An intranet is a private network that is contained within an
enterprise.

 An intranet uses TCP/IP, HTTP, and other Internet

protocols and in general looks like a private version of the
Internet.
Internet
 Is a worldwide system of computer networks - a network of
networks in which users at any one computer can, if they
have permission, get information from any other computer
(and sometimes talk directly to users at other computers).
Computer Network Based on Network Size
Other types
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Campus Area Network (CAN)

• CAN is network that spans a University or College
campus is a CAN.

• CANs are like WANs or LANs, except they have more

restrictions on them.

•They let students communicate with each other as

well as the administration.
Computer Network Based on Network Size
Other types
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Virtual Private Network (VPN)

• They let you connect to your network from a remote location
through the Internet.

• This saves you time and money- you don’t need to set up a
physical connection with your network.

• The Internet acts as a medium between you and your

network.

• For example, you can access your computer at work through

your computer at home.
Computer Network Based on Mgt Method
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Computer Role in Networking

• Server computer is a core component of the network,

providing a link to the resources necessary to perform any
task.

• Client computers normally request and receive information

over the network client. Client computers also depends
primarily on the central server for processing activities
Computer Network Based on Mgt Method
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1) Peer to Peer Network

• A peer-to-peer network is a network where the computers act
as both workstations and servers.

• Great for small, simple, and inexpensive networks.

• In a strict peer-to-peer networking setup, every computer is an

equal, a peer in the network.

• Each machine can have resources that are shared with any
other machine.

• There is no assigned role for any particular device, and each of

the devices usually runs similar software.
Peer-to peer network (cont..)
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• Any device can and will send requests to any other.

• Generally • Peer-to-peer network is also called workgroup
• No hierarchy among computers  all are equal
• No administrator responsible for the network
Advantages & Disadvantages of peer-to-peer
Networks
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• Advantages of peer-to-peer networks:
• Low cost
• Simple to configure
• User has full accessibility of the computer
• Disadvantages of peer-to-peer networks:
• May have duplication in resources
• Difficult to uphold security policy

• Where peer-to-peer network is appropriate:

• 10 or less users
• No specialized services required
• Security is not an issue
• Only limited growth in the foreseeable future
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2) Client/Server Network
• In this design, a small number of computers are designated as
centralized servers and given the task of providing services to a
larger number of user machines called clients
Computers in Client/Server network
Network Clients (Workstation)
Workstation
• Computers that request network resources or services
Network Servers
• Computers that manage and provide network resources and
services to clients
• Usually have more processing power, memory and hard
disk space than clients
Client/Server Networking (cont..)
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Advantages & Disadvantages of
Client/Server Networks
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• Advantages of client/server networks

• Facilitate resource sharing

• Facilitate system backup and improve fault tolerance

• Enhance security

• Support more users

• Disadvantages of client/server networks

• High cost for Servers
• Need expert to configure the network
• Introduce a single point of failure to the system
Computer Network Based on Topology
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Network topology

• A Topology is a way of “laying out” the network.

• The network topology defines the way in which computers,

printers, and other devices are connected.
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• Topologies can be either physical or logical.

Physical topologies
• Describe how the cables are run.
• It explains the actual physical layer out of the Network

Logical topologies
• Describe how the network messages travel
• It explain the logical flow of the data through the network.
Types of Computers Network Topology
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• There are five types of Topology

1) Bus topology

2) Ring topology 

3) Star/Tree topology

4) Mesh topology

5) Hybrid topology
Bus Topology
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• Can be both logical and physical

• It consists of a single cable that runs to every workstation

• All the devices on a bus topology are connected by one single

cable.

• This topology uses the least amount of cabling, but also covers
the shortest amount of distance.

• It is difficult to add a workstation in Bus topology

Bus Topology (Cont..)
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• If any one of the cables breaks, the entire network is disrupted.

Therefore, it is very expensive to maintain.
• Simple and low-cost

• Only one computer can send messages at a time

Ring Topology
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 Each computer connects to two other computers, joining

them in a circle creating a unidirectional path where
messages move workstation to workstation.

 Each entity participating in the ring reads a message, then

regenerates it and hands it to its neighbor on a different
network cable.

 The ring makes it difficult to add new computers.

 The ring topology network will go down if one entity is

removed from the ring.
Ring Topology (Cont..)
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 A configuration that connects all nodes in a closed loop on

which messages travel in one direction

 Every computer serves as a repeater to boost signals

Star/Tree Topology
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 A star topology branches each network device off a central

device called a hub, making it very easy to add a new
workstation.

 Also, if any workstation goes down it does not affect the

entire network. (But, as you might expect, if the central device
goes down, the entire network goes down.)

 Star topologies are more expensive to install than bus

networks, because there are several more cables that need to
be installed, plus the cost of the hubs that are needed.
Star/Tree Topology (Cont..)
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 Larger networks use the extended star topology also called

tree topology.

Star Tree

• Each computer has a cable connected to a single point

• More cabling, hence higher cost

Star/Tree Topology (Cont..)
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• All signals transmission through the hub; if down, entire

network down

• Depending on the intelligence of hub, two or more

computers may send message at the same time
Mesh Topology
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 The mesh topology is the simplest logical topology in terms of

data flow, but it is the most complex in terms of physical
design.

 In this topology, each device is connected to every other

device

 This topology is rarely found in LANs, mainly because of the

complexity of the cabling.

 If there are x computers, there will be (x × (x–1)) ÷ 2 cables in

the network.
Mesh Topology (Cont..)
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 The mesh topology is very expensive to install and maintain.

 With a logical mesh topology, however, there will always be a

way of getting the data from source to destination.

 The mesh topology connects all devices (nodes) to each other

for redundancy and fault tolerance.
Hybrid Topology
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 Hybrid topology is a topology mixing of Bus topology, Ring

topology, Star topology, Mesh topology is called hybrid
topology.
 Advantages & Disadvantages of Network
Topology
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Topology Advantages Disadvantages

Bus Cheap. Difficult to reconfigure.
Easy to install. Break in bus disables
entire network.
Star Cheap. More expensive than bus.
Easy to install.
Easy to reconfigure.
Fault tolerant.
Ring Efficient. Reconfiguration difficult.
Easy to install. Very expensive.

Mesh Simplest. Reconfiguration extremely difficult.

Most fault tolerant. Extremely expensive.
Very complex.
Computer Network Components
Hardware, Software & Network peripherals (Device)
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Computer

Network Clients (Workstation)

Workstation
• Computers that request network resources or services

Network Servers
• Computers that manage and provide network resources and
services to clients
Computer Network Components(cont..)
Computer
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• The server contains the file, print, application, security, and

other services in a central computer that is continuously
available to respond to client requests.
Computer Network Components(cont..)
Network Interface Card (NIC)
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• Network interface cards, commonly referred to as NICs, and

are used to connect a PC to a network.

• The NIC provides a physical connection between the

networking cable and the computer's internal bus.

Network Device Driver

 For the computer to use the network interface card, it is very

important to install the proper device drivers.
Computer Network Components(cont..)
Device
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Repeaters

 Repeaters are very simple devices. They allow a cabling

system to extend beyond its maximum allowed length by
amplifying the network voltages so they travel farther.
 Repeaters are nothing more than amplifiers and, as such, are
very inexpensive.

 For example, we can extend an Ethernet 10Base2 network to

400 meters with a repeater.
Computer Network Components(cont..)
Device
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Computer Network Components(cont..)
Device
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Hub
 Hubs are devices used to link several computers together.

 They repeat any signal that comes in on one port and copy it
to the other ports (a process that is also called broadcasting).
Computer Network Components(cont..)
Device
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Bridge
 They join similar topologies and are used to divide network
segments.
 Unlike repeaters, bridges can filter out noise.
 The main disadvantage to bridges is that they can’t connect
dissimilar network types or perform intelligent path
selection. For that function, you would need a router.
Computer Network Components(cont..)
Device
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Routers
 Routers are highly intelligent devices that connect multiple
network types and determine the best path for sending data.

 The advantage of using a router over a bridge is that routers

can determine the best path that data can take to get to its
destination.

 Like bridges, they can segment large networks and can filter
out noise.

 However, they are slower than bridges because they are more
intelligent devices; as such, they analyze every packet.
Because of this intelligence, they are also more expensive.
Computer Network Components(cont..)
Device
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 Routers are normally used to connect one LAN to another.

 Typically, when a WAN is set up, there will be at least two

routers used.
Computer Network Components(cont..)
Device
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Switch
 A network switch is a computer networking device that
connects network segments.

 Network switches are capable of inspecting data packets as

they are received, determining the source and destination
device of that packet, and forwarding it appropriately.

 A vital difference between a hub and a switch is that all the

nodes connected to a hub share the bandwidth among
themselves, while a device connected to a switch port has the
full bandwidth all to itself.
Computer Network Components(cont..)
Device
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 For example, if 10 nodes are communicating using a hub on a

10-Mbps network, then each node may only get a portion of
the 10 Mbps if other nodes on the hub want to communicate
as well.

 But with a switch, each node could possibly communicate at

the full 10 Mbps.
Internet Connection(Cont..)
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Various technologies available to connect a home

computer to the Internet
Phone modem converts computer data into an analog
audio signal for transfer over a telephone line, and then a
modem at the destination converts it back again into
data.
Digital subscriber line (DSL) uses regular copper
phone lines to transfer digital data to and from the phone
company’s central office.
Cable modem uses the same line that your TV cable
signals come in on to transfer the data back and forth.
Internet Connection(Cont..)
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Broadband
A connection in which transfer speeds are faster
than 768 kilobits per second
 DSL connections and cable modems are broadband
connections
 The speed for downloads (getting data from the Internet
to your home computer) may not be the same as uploads
(sending data from your home computer to the Internet)
Packet Switching
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Packet
A unit of data sent across a network

Router
A network device that directs a packet between networks
toward its final destination

Packet switching
Messages are divided into fixed-sized, numbered packets;
packets are individually routed to their destination, then
reassembled
Packet Switching(Cont..)
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Figure :- Messages sent by packet switching

Take a message, break it into three packets, and

simulate this process
Networking Protocol
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• A set of rules that defines how data is formatted and

processed on a network

• Network protocols are standards that allow computers to

communicate. 

• A protocol defines how computers identify one another on a

network, the form that the data should take in transit, and how
this information is processed once it reaches its final
destination.
Networking Protocol(cont..)
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Some Important Protocols and their job:

Protocol Acronym Its Job

File Transfer Protocol FTP Used to send and receive files from a
remote host

Hyper Text Transfer HTTP Used for the web to send documents
Protocol that are encoded in HTML.

Network File Services NFS Allows network nodes or workstations

to access files and drives as if they
were their own.

Simple Mail Transfer SMTP Used to send Email over a network

Protocol
TCP/IP
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What Is TCP/IP?

• TCP stands for Transmission Control Protocol and IP stands

for Internet Protocol. 

IP
IP Address
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