C05 Computer Networks

Revision Notes!

Computer Networks - Revision : Set 1

What is a Network?
A network is two or more computers,
or other electronic devices, connected
together so that they can exchange
data.
For example a network allows
computers to share files, users to
message each other, a whole room of
computers to share a single printer,
etc.
Network connections between computers are typically created using cables (wires).
However, connections can be created using radio signals (wireless / wi-fi), telephone
lines (and modems) or even, for very long distances, via satellite links.
Why Use Networks?
Using a computer connected to a network allows us to
Easily share files and data

Share resources such as printers and Internet

connections
Communicate with other network users (e-mail, instant

messaging, video-conferencing, etc.)

Store data centrally (using a file server) for ease of

access and back-up

Keep all of our settings centrally so we can use any

workstation
In particular, if we use a computer connected to The Internet,
we can
Make use of on-line services such as shopping (e
commerce) or banking
Get access to a huge range of information for research

Access different forms of entertainment (games, video,

etc.)
Join on-line communities (e.g. MySpace, Facebook, etc.)

Why Not Use Networks?

Using a computer connected to a network means that
The computer is vulnerable to hackers

If the network breaks, many tasks become very difficult

Your computer can more easily be attacked by a virus

In particular, if we use a computer connected to The Internet

We have to be careful about revealing personal information

We have to be careful to avoid suspect websites that might contain malware

We have to be aware that information found on The Internet is not always

accurate or reliable

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Revision Notes!

Computers in a Network
Computers connected together to create a network fall into two categories: servers
and clients (workstations).
Clients
Client computers, or workstations, are the normal computers that people sit at to get
their work done.
NOTE: When you use your Web browser, you are in fact using a Web client. When you
type in the URL of a web page, you are actually providing the address of a Web
server. e.g. www.bbc.co.uk is the address of the BBCs web server.
Your Web browser/client asks this server for the web page you want, and the server
serves the page back to the browser/client for you to see.
Servers
Servers are special, powerful computers that provide services to the client computers
on the network.
These services might include:

Providing a central, common file storage area

Sharing hardware such as printers
Controlling who can or cant have access the network
Sharing Internet connections

Servers are built to be very reliable. This means that they are much more expensive
that normal computers.
In a small network one server might provide all of these services. In a larger network
there might be many servers sharing the work.

Types of Network
Local Area Network (LAN)
A Local Area Network is a network confined
to one building or site.
Often a LAN is a private network belonging
to an organisation or business.
Because LANs are geographically small,
they usually use cables or low-power radio
(wireless) for the connections.

Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)

A wireless LAN (WLAN) is a LAN that uses radio signals (WiFi) to connect computers
instead of cables.
At the centre of the WLAN is a wireless switch or router - a small box with one or two
antennas sticking out the back - used for sending and receiving data to the

C05 Computer Networks

Revision Notes!

computers. (Most laptops have a

wireless antenna built into the case.)
It is much more convenient to use
wireless connections instead of
running long wires all over a building.
However, WLANs are more difficult to
make secure since other people can
also try to connect to the wireless
network. So, it is very important to
have a good, hard-to-guess password
for the WLAN connections.
Wide Area Network (WAN)
A Wide Area Network is a network
that extends over a large area.
A WAN is often created by joining
several LANs together, such as
when a business that has offices in
different countries links the office
LANs together.
Because WANs are often
geographically spread over large
areas and links between computers
are over long distances, they often
use quite exotic connections
technologies: optical fibre (glass)
cables, satellite radio links,
microwave radio links, etc.
Bluetooth (Personal Area Network)
Bluetooth is a wireless networking technology designed for very short-range
connections (typically just a few
metres).
The idea of Bluetooth is to get rid of the
need for all of those cables (e.g. USB
cables) that connect our computer to
peripheral devices such as printers,
mice, keyboards, etc.
Bluetooth devices contain small, lowpower radio transmitters and receivers.
When devices are in range of other
Bluetooth devices, they detect each
other and can be 'paired' (connected)

C05 Computer Networks

Revision Notes!

Typical uses of Bluetooth:

Connecting a wireless keyboard to a computer
Connecting a wireless mouse to a computer
Using a wireless headset with a mobile phone
Printing wirelessly from a computer or PDA
Transferring data / music from a computer to an MP3 player
Transferring photos from a phone / camera to another device
Synchronising calendars on a PDA and a computer

Networking Hardware
Network Interface Card (NIC)
Any computer that is to be connected to a network,
needs to have a network interface card (NIC).
Most modern computers have these devices built into
the motherboard, but in some computers you have to
add an extra expansion card (small circuitboard)

NOTE : Some computers, such as laptops, have two NICs:

one for wired connections, and one for wireless
connections (which uses radio signals instead of wires)
In a laptop, the wireless radio antenna is usually built in to
the side of the screen, so you don't need to have a long bit
of plastic sticking out the side of your computer!
Network Cable
To connect together different devices to make up a network, you need cables.
Cables are still used in most networks, rather than using only wireless, because they
can carry much more data per second, and are more secure (less open to hacking).

NOTE: The most common type of network cable cable in use today looks like the one
shown above, with plastic plugs on the ends that snap into sockets on the network
devices. Inside the cable are several copper wires (some used for sending data in one
direction, and some for the other direction).

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Revision Notes!

Hub
A hub is a device that connects a number of computers together to make a LAN.
The typical use of a hub is at the centre of a star network (or as part of a hybrid
network) - the hub has cables plugged into it from each computer.
A hub is a dumb device: if it
receives a message, it sends it to
every computer on the network.
This means that hub-based
networks are not very secure everyone can listen in to
communications

Hubs are pretty much obsolete now

(you can't buy them any more), having been superseded by cheap switches.
Switch
A switch, like a hub, is a device that connects a number
of computers together to make a LAN.
The typical use of a switch is at the centre of a star
network (or as part of a hybrid network) - the switch has
cables plugged into it from each computer.
A switch is a more intelligent device than a hub: if it
receives a message, it checks who it is addressed to, and
only sends it to that specific computer. Because of this, networks that use switches
are more secure than those that use hubs, but also a little more expensive.
Router
A router is a network device that connects together two or
more networks.
A common use of a router is to join a home or business
network (LAN) to the Internet
(WAN).
The router will typically have the
Internet cable plugged into it, as
well as a cable, or cables to
computers on the LAN.

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Revision Notes!

NOTE : Routers are the devices that join together the various different networks that
together make up the Internet. These routers are much more complex than the one
you might have in your home
Proxy Server
A proxy server is a computer setup to share a resource, usually an Internet
connection.
Other computers can
request a web page via
the proxy server. The
proxy server will then
get the page using its
Internet connection,
and pass it back to the
computer who asked
for it.
Proxy servers are often
used instead of router
since additional
software can be easily
installed on the
computer such as anti-virus, web filtering etc.
Bridge
A bridge is a network device that typically links together two different parts of a LAN.
Whereas a router is usually used to link a LAN to a WAN (such as the Internet), a
bridge links independent parts of a LAN so that they act as a single LAN.

Modem
Before the days of broadband Internet connections, most computers connected to the
Internet via telephone lines (dial-up connections).
The problem with using telephone lines is that they are designed to carry voices,
which are analogue signals. They are not designed for digital data.

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Revision Notes!

The solution was to use a special device to join the digital computer to the analogue
telephone line. This device is known as a modem.
A modem contains a DAC and an ADC. [ Digital to Analog Converter and Analog to
Digital Converter ]
The DAC in the modem is required so that the digital computer can send data down
the analogue telephone line (it converts digital data into noises which is exactly what
the telephone line is designed
to carry.)
The ADC in the modem is
required so that the
analogue signals (noises)
that arrive via the telephone
line can be converted back
into digital data.So, simply
put, a modem is required because computers are digital devices and the telephone
system is analogue. The modem converts from digital to analogue and from analogue
to digital.
NOTE : The reason telephone lines were used is that almost every building in the
world is already joined to every other via the telephone system. Using the telephone
system for connecting computers meant that people didnt have to install new wires to
their houses and offices just for computer use.
In the last few years however, this is exactly what people have done. Special cables
have been installed just for Internet access. These special cables are designed to
carry digital data, so no modem is required.
Firewall
A firewall is a device, or a piece of software [ at times its is a mixture of some special
hardware and software ] that is placed between your computer and the rest of the
network (where the hackers are!)
If you wish to protect your whole LAN from hackers out on the Internet, you would
place a firewall between the LAN
and the Internet connection.
A firewall blocks unauthorised
connections being made to your
computer or LAN. Normal data
is allowed through the firewall
(e.g. e-mails or web pages) but
all other data is blocked.