CIR 209: CLASSIFICATION OF NETWORKS

Defining a Computer Network

– A Computer Network is an interconnected group of autonomous computing nodes which:
 Use a well-defined, mutually-agreed set of rules and conventions known as Protocols,
 Interact with one-another, if duly authenticated and authorized, meaningfully;
 Allow resource-sharing preferably in a predictable and controllable manner.

Autonomous computing node

 A computer / node that has its own processing capabilities and that does not act under the
control of any other computer / is known as an Autonomous Computer or an Autonomous
Computing Node.
 It should NOT be confused with the traditional Dumb Terminals in Unix, Linux, SunOS
and several other computing environments.

TYPES/CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTER NETWORKS

a) Class One: Function-based classification
i. Dedicated Networks e.g.
a) Data Networks
b) Voice Networks/Telephone Networks
c) Multimedia Networks (Video Conferencing Network)
ii. Converged Networks (Combines diverse functions)

b) Class Two: Location-and- Distance-based classification

i. Personal Area Networks (PANs)
ii. Local Area Networks (LANs)
iii. Campus Area Network (CAN)
iv. Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs)
v. Wide Area Networks (WANs)

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c) Class Three: Setup and Device Composition
i. Client Server
ii. Peer to Peer
d) Class Four: Data Forwarding-based classification
• Switched Networks
– Circuit-Switched Networks
– Packet-Switched Networks
e) Class Five: Ownership-based classification
i. Public Networks
ii. Private Networks
iii. Virtual Private Networks
iv. Leased Networks
f) Class Six: Type of Access and Reach
i. Intranet
ii. Extranet
iii. Internet
g) Class Seven: Standard of the Technology in Use
i. Ethernet
ii. Token Ring
iii. Wireless

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DESCRIPTION OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES
CLASS ONE: FUNCTION-BASED CLASSIFICATION
i. Dedicated Networks
These types of networks are dedicated to a specific function. Examples include;
a) Data Networks
A network designed and dedicated for transmission of ordinary messages - text

b) Voice Networks/Telephone Networks

A network designed and dedicated for transmission of audio data.

c) Multimedia/broadcasting Networks (Audio & Video Conferencing/Broadcasting

Network)
A type of a network that is designed for transmission of integrated multimedia data

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ii. Converged Networks (Combines diverse functions)
A network infrastructure designed to transmit diverse sets of data e.g. Mobile
Telecommunication networks (Audio, Text, Video etc.)

CLASS TWO: LOCATION-AND- DISTANCE-BASED CLASSIFICATION

i. Personal Area Networks (PANs)
 These are networks that are meant for one person. For example, a wireless network
connecting a computer with its mouse, keyboard, and printer is a personal area
network.
 Also, a PDA that controls the user's hearing aid or pacemaker fits in this category.
 A network that links mobile phones via infrared signal or via Bluetooth signal.

ii. Local Area Networks (LANs)

 Local Area Networks, generally called LANs, are privately-owned networks within a
single building or campus of up to a few kilometers in size (<2 km).
 They are widely used to connect personal computers and workstations in company
offices and factories to share resources (e.g., printers) and exchange information.

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 LANs are distinguished from other kinds of networks by their size and their topology.
 LANs are restricted in size, which means that the worst-case transmission time is
bounded and known in advance. Knowing this bound makes it possible to use certain
kinds of designs that would not otherwise be possible. It also simplifies network
management.
 LANs may use a transmission technology consisting of a cable to which all the
machines are attached. Traditional LANs run at speeds of 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps, have
low delay (microseconds or nanoseconds), and make very few errors. Newer LANs
operate from 1Gbps to 10 Gbps.

iii. Campus Area Network (CAN)

 Campus Area network is a combination of two or more individual Local Area
Networks in a campus area (Campus = college grounds)
 This integrates the network as a single unit within a Campus area – the LANs may be
in different buildings spread over the campus grounds.
 A campus Area Network can be setup in an industrial park or a college where
buildings, each with a LAN are spread out through the grounds and are
interconnected.

iv. Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs)

 Metropolitan Area network is a combination of two or more individual Local Area
Networks but with a small criterion of the boundary of the network not exceeding the
city limits(up to 10km), thus integrating the network as a single unit within a city.
 A metropolitan area network, or MAN, covers a city. The best-known example of a
MAN is interconnection of hospitals or retails stores or police stations.
.

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v. Wide Area Networks (WANs)
 An interconnection of LANs spread over a wide area; Local regions (more than
metropolitan area), country, extended region (several countries), continent or several
continents.
 Sometime WAN consists of an infrastructure that link LANs that belong to the same
or different organizations, to achieve a certain goal (Coca Cola Network or Regional
Bank Network).

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CLASS THREE: SETUP AND DEVICE COMPOSITION
i. Client Server
 A network that contains end devices that include at least one server.
 The server has high capability hardware and runs a Network Operating Systems
 The computer with Network Operating Systems must have at least one server service
enabled

Advantages
 Robust and scalable
 Higher levels of security (centralized approach to security)
 Automation of services possible – e.g. data backup
 Easy to manage

ii. Peer to Peer

In this network, computers run client operating systems (Single user, multitasking operating
systems). No centralized dedicated computers; each computer acts as both server and client.

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CLASS FOUR: FORWARDING-BASED CLASSIFICATION
i. Circuit-Switched Network
 A circuit-switched network consists of a set of switches/routers connected by physical
links.

 A connection between two stations is a dedicated path made of one or more links.
However, each connection uses only one dedicated channel on each link.

 A circuit-switched network is made of a set of switches connected by physical links

and the Circuit switching takes place at the physical layer.

 Before starting communication, the stations must make a reservation for the resources
to be used during the communication; resources, such as bandwidth.

 Data transferred between the two stations are not packetized (physical layer transfer
of the signal). The data are a continuous flow sent by the source station and received
by the destination station, although there may be periods of silence.

 There is no addressing involved during data transfer.

 The actual communication in a circuit-switched network requires three phases:

connection setup, data transfer, and connection teardown.

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Setup Phase
 Before the two parties (or multiple parties in a conference call) can communicate, a
dedicated circuit (combination of channels in links) needs to be established.

 The end systems are normally connected through dedicated lines to the switches, so
connection setup means creating dedicated channels between the switches.

Data Transfer Phase

 After the establishment of the dedicated circuit (channels), the two parties can
transfer data.

Teardown Phase
 When one of the parties needs to disconnect, a signal is sent to each switch to release
the resources.

Note: Switching at the physical layer in the traditional telephone network uses the
circuit-switching approach

ii. Packet-Switched Networks

 In data communications, we need to send messages from one end system to another.
If the message is going to pass through a packet-switched network, it needs to be
divided into packets of fixed or variable size. The size of the packet is determined by
the network and the governing protocol.

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 In packet switching, there is no resource allocation for a packet. This means that there
is no reserved bandwidth on the links, and there is no scheduled processing time for
each packet. Resources are allocated on demand. The allocation is done on a first
come, first-served basis.

 When a switch receives a packet, no matter what is the source or destination, the
packet must wait if there are other packets being processed.

 Each packet contains address information that identifies the sending computer and
intended recipient. Using these addresses, network switches and routers determine
how best to transfer the packet between hops on the path to its destination.

 Packets belonging to the same data block may follow different routes to the same
destination

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CLASS FIVE: OWNERSHIP-BASED CLASSIFICATION
i. Public Networks
 This is equivalent to the internet; a global network that interconnects various
organization, allowing the public to access the resources that the organizations have
exposed to the internet.
 Devices in public networks are configured with public IP addressed (IPv4) or Global
Unicast (IPv6) addresses.
ii. Private Networks
 An organizational network that is isolated from the internet. Traditionally configured
to be accessed by uses that belong to the organization and have permission to
authenticate and access the network.
 Devices are traditionally configured using Private IP addresses (IPv4) or Site Local
Addresses (IPv6).

iii. Virtual Private Networks

 This network is created temporarily to link two devices or two local networks so as to
tunnel data through a public infrastructure.
 While the communicating end devices or the linked networks are private and owned
by private organizations, the public infrastructure through which the VPN tunnel is
created belongs to Internet Service Providers.

iv. Leased Networks

A network infrastructure that is not owned by an internet service provider and is leased to
customer for defined duration of time at a fee e.g. a leased T3 transmission line

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CLASS SIX: TYPE OF ACCESS AND REACH
Intranet, Extranet and Internet

i. Intranet
A network infrastructure that is only accessible by employees of an organization from
within the organization’s network infrastructure. It may be designed to include resources
and services that may only be accessible to employees within the enterprise.

ii. Extranet
 A network infrastructure that is accessible to employees within the organization and a
few external organizations or persons.
 Example; infrastructure utilized mainly by manufacturing organizations that allow
their bilk-buying customers to view available goods/products and make orders.

iii. Internet
A global internetwork; inter-links various organizations and allows for access by anyone
who can access the internet.

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CLASS SEVEN: STANDARD IN THE TECHNOLOGY
i. Ethernet Networks (IEEE 802.3)
 The Ethernet networks conform to the IEEE 802.3 standards
 The Network Interface Card is designed to work with this standard – it is traditionally
referred to as Ethernet Network Interface Card (NIC).
 The Ethernet IEEE 802.3 Standard defines three key attributes:
 Devices can handle of maximum size 1,518 bytes
 Transmission id contention based, especially when configured to operate at half-
duplex.
 Because of contention, Devices use Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision
Detection (CSMA/CD) as the network access methods
 99% of all global cabled networks today are Ethernet. The network interface cards
can only release or pick from the network data that does not exceed 1,518 bytes and,
before release of data onto the network, the NIC “listens” to detect carrier signal or
presence of data collision jam signal. In the event that a carrier signal or jam signal is
detected, the device withholds its data for a random period before attempting to listen
again.
 Networks that use Ethernet NIC, Hub or Switches are referred to as Ethernet
networks.
ii. Token Ring Network (IEEE 802.5)
 The Token Ring has been gradually faced out - enterprises no longer implement
Token Ring Standards in their LANs.
 Traditionally, the devices that work in a Token Ring network were design with a
Token Ring Network Interface Card.
 The Token Ring Network standard defines three key attributes:
 Devices can handle of maximum size 5,000 bytes
 Devices use Token Passing as the network access methods
 The first device to boot on the network generates a token. The token moves round
the ring, a process that allows each device attached to the ring to stamp its
priority and time.

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 Only one device (the one that possesses the token) is allowed to transmit – the
data flow is in one direction.
 Devices that use Token Ring NIC and Multi-Station Access Units (MSAU) are
referred to as Token Ring networks.

iii. Wireless Networks (IEEE 802.11x)

 In wireless networks, devices are designed to communicate by transmitting
electromagnetic radiation – Infrared, Bluetooth or Radio signals.
 The devices have either an inbuilt antenna or externally visible antenna that radiates
electromagnetic energy into space or collects such energy from space.

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