Networking concepts

Computer Network : Collection of computers and their peripheral devices (like printers/scanners/
other connected devices) connected by communication links(wireless or wired) through which data
is transferred in signals.

Group of devices linked together to share data, information and resources.

Stand-Alone Computer : Computer not connected to any network

Node or Computer Workstation : Computer connected to any network

Importance need of Computer Networking :

i. Allows sharing of information/files

ii. Allows sharing of Hardware like printers/scanners/storage space (hard disks) etc
iii. Allows sharing of Application Software like Windows
iv. Allows faster communication like email/messaging
v. Allows to store all information in a Central Space
vi. Due to sharing of Hardware, cost will be lower

Components of Network

Sender : A computer which sends data/information to another computer connected to the network

Receiver : A computer which receives information from another computer connected to the network

Transmission Medium : It is a wire or cable, which enables the transfer of data from . Nowadays
wireless communication is also possible

Message : A message is the information of data which needs to be transferred from one computer to
another

Protocol : A protocol is a set of standard rules for communication

Hardware/Peripherals required for Computer networking

Network Interface Card (NIC) : It joins a computer to a network and allows the computer to
communicate with other computers on the network.

Hub : A networking device that allows us to connect multiple computers to a single network. It takes
input data from one ports and sends the information to all other ports connected to the network. It
cannot take decisions while transferring the data.

Switch : It is an intelligent device and able to take decisions. It is a secured device which

Repeater : It generates input signals and amplifies (increases) the desired signals. It is used at those
places where the amplification is necessary.

Router : It is used when multiple devices are required to be connected using the same IP (Internet
Protocol)

Networking Cable or Ethernet Cable: Allows transfer of information from one place to another.
Different types : Optical Fible Cable, Coaxial Cable etc.

Modem (Modulator-demodulator): A device, which is attached to the computers and is used for
transmit data over a network. It can convert Digital signals to Analog Signal for sending through
telephone line and again convert Analog Signals to Digital signals at the receiving end.

Gateway : A networking device that allows data to flow between two different networks, which may
use different protocols.
Network terms

Server (Host Computer) : It is a Centralised Storage Area for Programs, Data and information;
It controls the access to Hardware and Software on network

Types of Servers

 Dedicated Server : Performs a given task

 Print Server : manage the printers and printed documents
 Database Server : Stores and provides access to a database
 Network Server : Manages Network traffic
 Web Server : provides web pages to computer

Client : A computer, which depends upon a Server for all resources eg. In Server, the excel
programme is stored and all client computers connected to the network can access the programme
from the server

Internet : A network of Computers and Computer networks across the world (millions of computers
and billions of websites are available on intranet)

Intranet : A network of Computers which is used for sharing information, devices etc. only within the
organisation

URL (Uniform Service Locator) : It is the address of a website (eg. www.google.com)

ISP (Internet Service Provider): Company which provides internet services on payment of fees (BSNL,
MTNL, JIO etc)

IP Address : It is an unique identification number assigned to a computer connected to a network

(eg. 172.16.254.1)

DNS (Domain Naming System) : Each computer server hosting a website or web resource is given a
name against its IP address, which is DNS.

Webpage : A page in World Wide Web which contains information and links to other web pages.
Normally these web pages are created by using HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language)

Website : A collection of web pages, which are interlinked to each other, it may have
thousand/millions of web pages

Web Portal :

Hypertext : A text which has a special feature of connecting one web page to another web page

Link :

Hyperlink : It is that part of web page that is linked to a URL, can be in form of text, image or a
button/arrow, when we click we directly reach to the linked URL

Bandwidth : The capacity of a transmission medium to transmit maximum amount of data from a
computer to another within a network in a fixed time. Measured in Bytes per Second (BPS) or
Megabytes per second (MBPS)

Type of networks

Personal Area Network (PAN): A computer network which is used for communication between
computers, printers, laptops, phones, tablets etc. in a very small area normally for personal use. Can
be wired or wireless.

Local Area Network (LAN) : A computer network that is limited to a local area such as a factory, a
school, a shopping mall or an office building. The hardware and software are shared through LAN.
Campus Area Network (CAN) : A computer network that connects multiple local area networks
(LAN) in a limited geographical area. It can be set up by a college, company which is spread across
various buildings.

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) : A computer network that usually covers a larger area than a
LAN. For example, a network that connects two offices in a city, a neighbourhood area. Example,
ATM services by a bank.

Wide Area Network (WAN) : A computer network that spreads across a wide geographical area like
cities, countries and continents connected with optical fibre cables, satellite radio links or microwave
radio links.

Network Architecture : Design of Computer Networks

Client-Server Network :

 Most efficient,
 have two parts Client System and Server System.
 One computer is designated as Server, all other connected computers are called clients.
 Clients can request services, information from Server
 But Clients do not share any information with Server

Peer to peer Network :

 No Server
 All computers under the network share their resources.

Networking Transmission Media

Transmission Medium : The medium which enables transferring data from one computer to another

Communication Channels : Can be connected through Cables or Wireless

Guided Media : Computer in small network can be connected by cables (twisted or coaxial)

Unguided Media

Long Distance Wireless Media

Microwave Transmission: Sending signals from earth to Satellites and again receiving signals from
those Satellites on other parts of earth.

Radio Waves : Used Microwave communications are unidirectional. They can be used for terrestrial
communication (on ‘the surface of the earth) or for satellite communication.

Media In wireless networks, data is transmitted without wires. Some of the ways in which wireless
networks may be set up are as follows.

Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) : We can connect with internet without any wired connection. To connect to
a wi-fi, a hot spot is required which acts as a gateway.

Bluetooth : This is used to exchange data in small area, wherein PCs/Laptop/Phones are connected
with printers/mouse/keyboard/headphones etc.

GPS (Global Positioning System) : It’s a satellite-based communication system established by US (24
Satellites), which is used to find the ground-positioning of an object. (used in Phones, Cars-Map)

Infrared: Transmits data through air, but cannot pass through walls or other obstructions and so
there should be no physical barrier between the communicating devices. The communication
between a TV set and a remote control happens through infrared waves. Infrared mouse and
keyboard are other examples of devices that make use of infrared waves for data transmission.
NETWORK TOPOLOGIES
Topology refers to the layout pattern in which various computers are connected to one another
(called nodes) to form a network.
There are four main types of topologies :-

 Bus Topology: All the computers are connected to a single common path. The advantage is it
is easy to set up and maintain and additional nodes can be connected anytime. However, a
network cannot function if there are faults in any part.

 Ring Topology: Computer are connected in a circular path to form a closed ring-like
structure. Data is transmitted in Clock-wise or Anti-clockwise direction. Disadvantage is that
breakdown of any one computer on a ring can disable the entire system or network.

 Star Topology: All the computers are connected to a central computer or a central node. The
data to be exchanged between any two computers passes through the central node. The
breakdown of any computers, except the central node, does not affect the functioning of the
network.

 Mesh Topology: Every computer is connected to every other computer on the network. Full
mesh topology is very expensive to implement. This is normally used in LAN (small
networks)

PROTOCOLS
Protocol is a set of rules used by computers on a network to communicate with each other. Some
examples of protocols are:

 HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol): It is a set of rules (protocol) used between a web server
and a web browser for transferring HTML pages.

 HTTPS (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure): It is a secure communication protocol over
network and maintains data integrity by encrypting it.

 TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol): A protocol that is used by

computers on a network to communicate with each other. LANs and WANs uses TCT/IP to
communicate with each other

 FTP ( File Transfer Protocol) : A part of TCP/IP protocol and transfers files between
computers

 IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol)- A email related protocol which stores e-mail
messages on a mail server and allows users to view/access and change the emails

 Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) : Most popular protocol for transfer of electronic mail
via the internet.