COMPUTER

NETWORK
BY LOKENDRA SOLANKI
CONTENT

• Introduction
• Types of Network
• Network Devices/ Hardware
• Evaluation of Networking
INTRODUCTION

• Computer Network : Two or more computing devices connect

to each other either via wired or via wireless medium.
• Example: Smartphone, TV, printers are connected to each other.

Advantage Disadvantage
• Share resources- Printers, scanners can • May need high cost
be shared • May need specialist to manage network
• Share software- One software can be • Central device may fail
used for many computers • It need security and safety from viruses
• Share Data from another device
EXAMPLE OF NETWORK
COMPONENTS OF COMPUTER NETWORK
• Only joining two computers will not form a network. There are many components
that we may need to form a computer network. Some major devices are
Host/Node, Server, Client, Network hardware, communication channel/media,
software, network services etc.
1. Host / Node : Computers or devices become host when connected/attached in
network.
2. Server: A computer/device that facilitates and manage the sharing of data,
resources. More than one servers are also possible.
3. Client: it is a host that request for some service from server. Server serve the
requests of clients.
4. Network hardware: Other than host, server and wires some hardware devices
may be required to establish connection, control traffic etc.
• NIC ( Network Interface Unit ): It is a network card attached to a host used to
establish connection
• Hub, Switch, Routers etc.
COMPONENTS OF COMPUTER NETWORK

5. Communication channel: Hosts interact with other host or server via some
communication medium.
1. Wired communication channels ( Guided Media ): Data travel through special wires.
Example: Twisted pair cable, Coaxial cable, Optical-fiber cables.
2. Wireless communication ( Unguided Media ): data travels without wires. Example:
Microwaves, radio waves, infrared waves, laser, satellites etc.
6. Software: Some protocols are required while transferring data in network. A
Network Operating system is a special OS for handling networking tasks
7. Network services: Some services are required for specific tasks. Examples-
1. DNS ( Domain Name Space ): Required to translate domain(website) name into IP
Address
2. File sharing: Downloading and Uploading
3. VoIP( Voice over Internet Protocol ): Allow to make voice call via internet
TYPES OF NETWORKS

➢Based on geographical spread: LAN, WAN and MAN

➢Based on component role: Peer-to-Peer and
Client/server
➢Based on communication channel: Wired and Wireless
LAN, WAN AND MAN
• LAN ( Local Area Network ): Small computer network that is created in small area.
The key purpose of a LAN is resource sharing( printer, hard disk, modem etc). In a
typical LAN, one computer controls the network. Cost of LAN set up is less
• WAN ( Wide Area Network ): Network spread across a country or a big area. WAN
connects computers from large distance like a big LAN. WAN is usually a network of
many networks. Cost of set up WAN is high
• MAN ( Metropolitan Area Network ): Network spread across a city. This is like
WAN
PEER-TO-PEER AND CLIENT/SERVER

• Peer-to-peer: Each computer is equal in network. Every computer is client, or

we can say all computers are server. If any computer server any request then
that is called non-dedicated server.
• Client-Server Network ( Master-slave ): Bigger networks prefer to have
centralized control. This type of networks have dedicated server and clients.
Server have all responsibility of resource sharing and data sharing.
WIRED AND WIRELESS NETWORK
• Wired Network: It use cables to create network.
• Twisted pair cable: There are twisted pairs of insulated wires to reduce noise and
electromagnetic field so that other pairs can not interfere ( Reduce cross talk ) .
Various versions of twisted pair cable are CAT1, CAT2, CAT3.........., CAT6
• Coaxial cable: It consist a solid wire core surrounded by one or more foil separated by
an insulator layer. Two types are Thicknet and Thinnet.
• Optic Fiber cable: this cable consist of a bundle of glass threads. Each thread is capable
to transmit message modulated into light wave. Single-node and multi-node are types
of optic fiber cable.
• Wireless Network: No use of wires to create network.
• Microwave: These are high frequency waves that are used to transmit data over long
distance. These are used in mobile phone calls. These are also used to transmit data in
satellite communication and Bluetooth.
• Radio waves: These waves are used to transmit radio and Television signals. Wi-fi also
use radio waves to transmit data among connected devices.
NETWORK DEVICES/HARDWARE
• NIC CARD ( Network Interface Card ): A computer needs an interface to establish
connection with the network. NIC is attached to every computer and used to establish
connection. Other names of NIC are NIU ( Network Interface Unit ), TAP ( Terminal Access
Point ).
NIC card is assigned a unique physical address. This is known as MAC
address ( Medium Access Control ).
• MAC address: This is a 6 Byte address and each byte is separated by colon ( : ). MAC
address is unique is for every NIC card.
• Wi-fi card: It has an in-built radio and antenna. External Wi-fi cards are used to
provide wi-fi capability to desktop computer.
NETWORK DEVICES

• Hub: This device used to connect several computers together. A similar term is
concentrator. A concentrator provides a central connection point for cables from
computers. Hub is a multi slot concentrator.
• Active Hub: This hub can electrically amplify signals. Active hub used like repeater.
• Passive Hub: This hub pass the signals without change.
• Switch: Switch is used to segment networks into sub-networks(LAN Segments).
Segmenting the network into smaller sub-network prevents traffic overloading.
Switch establish a temporary dedicated connection between sender and
receiver computer. This connection is terminated when transmission is done.
• Bridge: Bridge links two networks together. This allows transfer of messages from
one network to other network. Bridge can handle networks that follow same
protocols. Ex. Bridge can connect two similar LANs.
• Router: Works like a bridge but can handle network with different protocols. Ex.
Router can connect a LAN and a WAN.
NETWORK DEVICES
• Gateway: Gateway is a device that connects dissimilar networks. A gateway is
actually a node in the network that work like entrance to another network. The
gateway node often acts like a proxy server and a firewall.
• Proxy Server: A machine that is not actually a server but appears as a server.
• Firewall: A system that is designed to prevent unauthorized access.
Gateway works with routers and switches. Because routers and switches send
data out/in the network.
• Access Point(AP): Also called Wireless Access Point(WAP) are hardware that
connects devices of wireless LAN network with a fixed wired network. Access
points of different ranges and capacity are available in market.
EVALUATION OF NETWORKING
• ARPANET ( Advanced Research Projects Agency Network )
• NSFnet ( National Science Foundation )
• Internet
INTERNET

The internet is a worldwide network of computer networks. Common use of

internet is that it allows users of one network to communicate with users of other
network.
PROTOCOLS

• Reason that internet works properly because every computer follow the same
rules.
• Set of rules is called a protocol.
• The protocol used by the internet is TCP/IP
• TCP ( Transmission Control Protocol ) : TCP is responsible for dividing the
file/message into packets on the source computer. TCP is also responsible for
reassembling the received packets at the destination computer.
• IP ( Internet Protocol ) : IP is responsible for handling address of destination
computer so that each packet is routed(sent) to its proper destination.
SWITCHING TECHNIQUES

• How data reaches to destination computer. There are three

techniques:
• Circuit switching
• Message switching
• Packet switching
SWITCHING TECHNIQUES
• Circuit switching: This technique first set up an end to end path from
sender to receiver, then start to transmit data. Ex.- In a phone call
SWITCHING TECHNIQUES
• Message switching: Whole message transmitted to first node, then
this node finds a free link to another node, then whole message will
transmitted to that node.
SWITCHING TECHNIQUES
• Packet switching: Message divided into packets and packets
travels across nodes. Packets may travel different nodes.
SOME DATA COMMUNICATION TERMINOLOGIES
• Data channel: A medium to carry information.
• Baud: It is the unit of measurement for the information carrying capacity of a
communication channel , the Baud is synonymous with bps (bits per second),
another unit of measuring data transfer rates.
• Bits per second: The speed at which data transfer is measured.
• bps : bits per second
• Bps : bytes per second
• Bandwidth: Technically, the bandwidth refers to the difference between the
highest and lowest frequencies of a transmission channel ( width of allocated
frequencies). Bandwidth is directly proportional to the amount of data transmitted
or received per unit time.
Large size of files(message) needs more bandwidth. In digital systems bandwidth
is data speed in bps.
• Data transfer rate: It is measured in bps(bits per second), Bps(Bytes per second) or
Baud
NETWORK TOPOLOGIES
• Pattern of interconnection of nodes in a network is called network topology.
• 6 network topologies are- Star topology, Bus topology, Ring(circular) topology, tree
topology, mess topology, fully connected topology.
• Factors that may effect network topology(pattern)
• Cost: For a network to be cost effective we should minimize installation cost by taking
minimum distance between nodes, making a good choice of communication media.
• Flexibility: New nodes can be added in a network, and old nodes can be removed of
can be moved. It is hard because of furniture and internal walls in office or home.
• Reliability: We should choose a good topology for network so that reliability can be
maintained. It should be easy to detect error if network fails.
• Point-to-Point link: To nodes connects simply. Transmission and receiving can be
done by separate wires or by common wire.
STAR TOPOLOGY

• This topology consists of a central node to which all other nodes are connected by a single
path.