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Classifications of Network
Learn the Basic Networking
and Topology
Computer Communications - A process in which two
or more computers or devices transfer’s data,
instructions, and information. For successful
communications you need the following:

 A sending device - Initiates an instruction to

transmit data, instructions, information
 A communications device - Connects the
sending device to a communications channel
Local Area Network
 A communication channel - Transmission
media on which the data, instructions, or information LAN (Local Area Network) - A network that connects
 A communications device - Connects the computers and devices in a limited geographical area
sending device to a communications channel such as home, school computer laboratory, office
building, or closely positioned group of building. Each
 A receiving device - Accepts the transmission of computer or device on the network is called a Node.
data, instruction of information
Uses of computer communication
 Internet - A worldwide collection of networks
that links millions of businesses, government agencies,
educations, and individual
 Web - Worldwide collection of electronic
documents on the internet that users access through
Web browser.
 E-Mail - Or Electronic mail, is type of mail
message that is sent through the network. Wireless LAN

 Instant messaging - A Real-time internet WLAN (wireless LAN) - Is a LAN that uses no physical
communication service that notifies you when one or wires. Computers and devices that access a wireless
more people are online,then allows you to exchange LAN must have a built-in wireless capability, or the
messages,pictures, files, audio and video. appropriate wireless network card, PC card, or Flash
card. Wireless LAN communicates with wired LAN for
 Chat rooms - A Real-time typed in conversation
access to its resources.
that takes place on a computer connected to a network,
that also allows you to exchange messages, pictures,
files, audio and video.
 Newsgroup - Online areas in which user’s have
written discussion about a particular subject.
 Internet telephony - A conversation takes place
over the internet using a telephone connected to a
desktop computer.
 FTP - Internet standard that permits or allows
user to upload or download files.
 Web Folder - Known as HTTP server, allows
users publish documents and other files. MAN Netwok

 Video conferencing - Realtime meeting over MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) - Is a high speed
two person, use the internet to transmit audio network that connects local area networks in a
and video signal. metropolitan area such as city or town.
 Fax Machine or Computer fax/modem -
Transmits and receives documents over the phone line.

Network Communications Standard

Data is processed in one of two ways: Analog or Digital.
A computer, by contrast, is Digital Which means it can
process data in two discrete states: Positive (ON or 1)
Non-Positive (OFF or 0). The 1 and 0 represent the two
digits used by the binary number system, this system is
at the heart of digital computing.
WAN Network
Computer Network - A collection of computers and
devices connected together via communications devices WAN (Wide area network) - Is a network that covers a
and transmission media. largegeographic area (such as a city, country, or the
world) using a communications channel that combines
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many types of media such as telephone lines, cables

and radio waves. The internet is the worlds largest WAN.

Network Architectures

Network Architecture - Is the design of computers,

devices and media in a network.

Internet Peer-to-peer network (P2P) - Another type of

peer-to-peer, called P2P, describes an internet network
on which users access each other’s network harddisk
and exchange files directly into the internet.

Network Topology
Client Server Network
Network Topology - Is the physical topology of a
Client/Server Network - Server of Host computer, a
network refers to the configuration of cables, computers,
centralized storage of the area for programs, data and
and other peripherals. Physical topology should not be
information, also controls access to the hardware.
confused with logical topology which is the method used
to pass information between workstations. The following
sections discuss the physical topologies used in
networks and other related topics.
 File Servers
 Domain Controller
Main Types Physical Topologies
 Internet proxy server  Linear Bus Topology
 Print server  Star Topology
 Star-Wired Ring Topology
 Tree Topology

Linear Bus Topology - A linear bus topology consists of

Peer-to-peer network - Each computer is called peer, A a main run of cable with a terminator at each end All
simple and an inexpensive network that typically nodes (file server, workstations, and peripherals) are
connects fewer that 10 peers. connected to the linear cable. Ethernet and LocalTalk
networks use a linear bus topology.

 Cross-over network - Connect two computer Advantages of a Linear Bus Topology

using cross over utp cable. This type of connection does
not require a network hub or a network switch.  Easy to connect a computer or peripheral to a
 Null modem cable - A null modem cable linear bus.
connects to two standard serial ports for networking two  Requires less cable length than a star topology.
computers together. Null modem cables
enable direct data transfer with a minimum of setup
Disadvantages of a Linear Bus Topology
required. A null modem cable differs from ordinary serial
cables the same way as Ethernet crossover cables differ
 Entire network shuts down if there is a break in
from ordinary Ethernet cables. Null modem cables
the main cable.
reverse the transmit and receive lines on end to
enable direct two-way communication. A null modem  Terminators are required at both ends of the
cable for PCs ordinarily follows the RS-232 standard and backbone cable.
uses the same serial ports as RS-232 cables. An RS-  Difficult to identify the problem if the entire
232 null modem cable transfers data at the rate of 115 network shuts down.
Kbps. The fastest null modem cable, based on RS-422,
 Not meant to be used as a stand-alone solution
supports up to 450 Kbps.
in a large building.
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 Supported by several hardware and software

vendors.

Disadvantages of a Tree Topology

 Overall length of each segment is limited by the

type of cabling used.
 If the backbone line breaks, the entire segment
goes down.
 More difficult to configure and wire than other
Star Topology - A star topology is designed with each topologies.
node (file server, workstations, and peripherals)
connected directly to a central network hub or 5-4-3 Rule - A consideration in setting up a tree topology
concentrator.Data on a star network passes through the using Ethernet protocol is the 5-4-3 rule. One aspect of
hub or concentrator before continuing to its destination. the Ethernet protocol requires that a signal sent out on
The hub or concentrator manages and controls all the network cable reach every part of the network within
functions of the network. It also acts as a repeater for the a specified length of time. Each concentrator or repeater
data flow. This configuration is common with twisted pair that a signal goes through adds a small amount of time.
cable; however, it can also be used with coaxial cable or This leads to the rule that between any two nodes on the
fiber optic cable. network there can only be a maximum of 5 segments,
connected through 4 repeaters/concentrators. In
Advantages of a Star Topology addition, only 3 of the segments may be populated
(trunk) segments if they are made of coaxial cable. A
 Easy to install and wire. populated segment is one which has one or more nodes
 No disruptions to the network then connecting or attached to it . In Figure 4, the 5-4-3 rule is adhered to.
removing devices. The furthest two nodes on the network have 4 segments
and 3 repeaters/concentrators between them. This rule
 Easy to detect faults and to remove parts. does not apply to other network protocols or Ethernet
networks where all fiber optic cabling or a combination of
Disadvantages of a Star Topology a fiber backbone with UTP cabling is used. If there is a
combination of fiber optic backbone and UTP cabling,
 Requires more cable length than a linear the rule is simply translated to 7-6-5 rule.
topology.
 If the hub or concentrator fails, nodes attached
are disabled. Considerations When Choosing a
 More expensive than linear bus topologies Topology
because of the cost of the concentrators.
 The protocols used with star configurations are
usually Ethernet or LocalTalk. TokenRing uses a similar  Money - A linear bus network may be the least
topology, called the star-wired ring. expensive way to install a network; you do not have to
purchase concentrators.
 Length of cable needed - The linear bus
Star-Wired Ring - A star-wired ring topology may network uses shorter lengths of cable.
appear (externally) to be the same as a star topology.  Future growth - With a star topology,
Internally, the MAU (multistation access unit) of a star- expanding a network is easily done by adding another
wired ring contains wiring that allows information to pass concentrator.
from one device to another in a circle or ring.
 Cable type - The most common cable in
The Token Ring protocol uses a star-wired ring topology.
schools is unshielded twisted pair, which is most often
used with star topologies.
OSI Layer Model
The Open System Interconnection (OSI) reference
model describes how information from a software
application in one computer moves through a network
medium to a software application in another computer.
The OSI reference model is a conceptual model
composed of seven layers, each specifying particular
Tree Topology - A tree topology combines network functions. The model was developed by the
characteristics of linear bus and star topologies. It International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in
consists of groups of star-configured workstations 1984, and it is now considered the primary architectural
connected to a linear bus backbone cable (See fig. 4). model for intercomputer communications. The OSI
Tree topologies allow for the expansion of an existing model divides the tasks involved with moving information
network, and enable schools to configure a network to between networked computers into seven smaller, more
meet their needs. manageable task groups. A task or group of tasks is
then assigned to each of the seven OSI layers. Each
Advantages of a Tree Topology layer is reasonably self-contained so that the tasks
assigned to each layer can be implemented
 Point-to-point wiring for individual segments. independently. This enables the solutions offered by one
layer to be updated without adversely affecting the other
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layers. The following list details the seven layers of the

Open System Interconnection (OSI) reference model. FDDI - Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) is a
network protocol that is used primarily to interconnect
two or more local area networks, often over large
distances. The access method used by FDDI involves
token-passing. FDDI uses a dual ring physical topology.
Transmission normally occurs on one of the rings;
however, if a break occurs, the system keeps
information moving by automatically using portions of the
second ring to create a new complete ring. A major
advantage of FDDI is speed. It operates over fiber optic
cable at 100 Mbps.

Types of Network Devices

NETWORK PROTOCOL - A protocol is a set of rules

that governs the communications between computers on
a network. These rules include guidelines that regulate
Network card, network adapter, network interface
the following characteristics of a network: access
controller (NIC), network interface card, or LAN
method, allowed physical topologies, types of cabling,
adapter - is a computer hardware component designed
and speed of data transfer.
to allow computers to communicate over a computer
network. It is both an OSI layer 1 (physical layer) and
Ethernet - The Ethernet protocol is by far the most
layer 2 (data link layer) device, as it provides physical
widely used. Ethernet uses an access method called
access to a networking medium and provides a low-level
CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision
addressing system through the use of MAC addresses. It
Detection). This is a system where each computer
allows users to connect to each other either by using
listens to the cable before sending anything through the
cables or wirelessly.
network. If the network is clear, the computer will
transmit. If some other node is already transmitting on
the cable, the computer will wait and try again when the
line is clear. Sometimes, two computers attempt to
transmit at the same instant. When this happens a
collision occurs. Each computer then backs off and waits
a random amount of time before attempting to
retransmit. With this access method, it is normal to have
collisions. However, the delay caused by collisions and
retransmitting is very small and does not normally effect
the speed of transmission on the network.
The Ethernet protocol allows for linear bus, star, or tree
topologies. Data can be transmitted over wireless
access points, twisted pair, coaxial, or fiber optic cable at
Network HUB - Ethernet hubs vary in the speed
a speed of 10 Mbps up to 1000 Mbps.
(network data rate or bandwidth) they support. Some
years ago, Ethernet hubs offered only 10 Mbps rated
Fast Ethernet - To allow for an increased speed of
speeds. Newer types of hubs offer 100 Mbps Ethernet.
transmission, the Ethernet protocol has developed a new
Some support both 10 Mbps and 100 Mbps (so-called
standard that supports 100 Mbps. This is commonly
dual-speed or 10/100 hubs). The number of ports an
called Fast Ethernet. Fast Ethernet requires the use of
Ethernet hub supports also varies. Four- and five-port
different, more expensive network concentrators/hubs
Ethernet hubs are most common in home networks, but
and network interface cards. In addition, category 5
eight- and 16-port hubs can be found in some home and
twisted pair or fiber optic cable is necessary. Fast
small office environments. Older Ethernet hubs were
Ethernet is becoming common in schools that have been
relatively large in size and sometimes noisy as they
recently wired.
contained built in fans for cooling the unit. Newer
devices are much smaller, designed for mobility, and
Gigabit Ethernet - The most recent development in the
noiseless. Ethernet hubs operate as Layer 2 devices in
Ethernet standard is a protocol that has a transmission
the OSI model, the same as network switches.
speed of 1 Gbps. Gigabit Ethernet is primarily used for
backbones on a network at this time. In the future, it will
probably be used for workstation and server connections
also. It can be used with both fiber optic cabling and
copper. The 1000BaseTX, the copper cable used for
Gigabit Ethernet, is expected to become the formal
standard in 1999.
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 An IP router such as a DSL or cable modem

broadband router joins the home's local area network
(LAN) to the wide-area network (WAN) of the Internet.
 By maintaining configuration information in a
piece of storage called the routing table, wired or
wireless routers also have the ability to filter traffic, either
incoming or outgoing, based on the IP addresses of
senders and receivers.
 Some routers allow the home networker to
update the routing table from a Web browser interface.
Broadband routers combine the functions of a router with
those of a network switch and a firewall in a single unit.
Network Switch RJ45 (Registered Jack 45)
 Network switches appear nearly identical to
network hubs, operate at layer two (Data Link Layer) of
the OSI model.
 Network switches generally contains more
intelligence than a hub. Unlike hubs, network switches
are capable of inspecting data packets as they are
received, It determining the source and destination
device of each packet, and forwarding them
appropriately. By delivering messages only to the
connected device intended, a network switch conserves  A standard type of connector for network cables.
network bandwidth and offers generally better RJ45 connectors are most commonly seen with Ethernet
performance than a hub. cables and networks.
 Ethernet network switches support either 10/100  RJ45 connectors feature eight pins to which the
Mbps Fast Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000) wire strands of a cable interface electrically. Standard
standards. pinouts define the arrangement of the individual wires
needed when attaching connectors to a cable.
Difference Between a Hub and a
 Several other kinds of connectors closely
Switch resemble RJ45 and can be easily confused for each
 A switch is effectively a higher-performance other. The RJ-11 connectors used with telephone
alternative to a hub. cables, for example, are only slightly smaller (narrower)
 Hubs operate using a broadcast model and than RJ-45 connectors.
switches operate using a virtual circuit model.
 When four computers are connected to a hub,
for example, and two of those computers communicate
with each other, hubs simply pass through all network
traffic to each of the four computers.
 Switches, on the other hand, are capable of
determining the destination of each individual traffic
element (such as an Ethernet frame) and selectively
forwarding data to the one computer that actually needs
it. By generating less network traffic in delivering
messages, a switch performs better than a hub on busy CAT5 UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair) Cable - The
networks. quality of UTP may vary from telephone-grade wire to
Routers extremely high-speed cable. The cable has four pairs of
wires inside the jacket. Each pair is twisted with a
different number of twists per inch to help eliminate
interference from adjacent pairs and other electrical
devices. The tighter the twisting, the higher the
supported transmission rate and the greater the cost per
foot. The EIA/TIA (Electronic Industry
Association/Telecommunication Industry Association)
has established standards of UTP and rated five
categories of wire.

Network Cabling

 Are physical devices that join multiple wired or

wireless networks together. Technically, a wired or
wireless router is a Layer 3 gateway, meaning that the
wired/wireless router connects networks (as gateways
do), and that the router operates at the network layer of
the OSI model.
 Home networkers often use an Internet Protocol
(IP) wired or wireless router, IP being the most common
OSI network layer protocol.
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cable, which is used to connect to a hub or switch, and a

cross over cable used to operate in a peer-to-peer
fashion without a hub/switch. Generally all fixed wiring
should be run as straight through.
Some Ethernet interfaces can cross and un-cross a
cable automatically as needed, a handy feature.

Here is what the internals of the cable look like,Internal

Cable Structure and Color Coding Inside the cable, there
are 8 color coded wires. These wires are twisted into 4
pairs of wires, each pair has a common color theme.
One wire in the pair being a solid or primarily solid
colored wire and the other being a primarily white wire
with a colored stripe (Sometimes cables won't have any
color on the striped wire, the only way to tell which is
which is to check which wire it is twisted around).
Examples of the naming schemes used are: Orange
(alternatively Orange/White) for the solid colored wire
and White/Orange for the striped cable. The twists are
extremely important. They are there to counteract noise
and interference. It is important to wire according to a
standard to get proper performance from the cable. The
TIA/EIA-568-A specifies two wiring standards for an 8-
position modular connector such as RJ45. The two
wiring standards, T568A and T568B vary only in the
arrangement of the colored pairs. Tom writes to say
"...sources suggest using T568A cabling since T568B is
the AT&T standard, but the US Government specifies
T568A since it matches USOC cabling for pairs 1 & 2, Standard Straight Through Wiring
which allows it to work for 1/2 line phones...". Your
choice might be determined by the need to match
existing wiring, jacks or personal preference, but you
should maintain consistency. I've shown both below for
straight through cabling and just T568B for cross over
cabling.

About RJ45 Plugs and Jacks - The RJ45 plug is an 8-

position modular connector that looks like a large phone Cross Over Cable Configuration
plug. For braided/stranded wires, the connector has
sharp pointed contacts that actually pierce the wire. For
solid wires, the connector has fingers which cut through How to wire Ethernet Patch Cables
the insulation and make contact with the wire by
grasping it from both sides. The connector is the weak
1. Strip off about 2 inches of the cable
point in an ethernet cable, choosing the wrong one will
sheath.
often cause grief later. If you just walk into a computer
store, it's nearly impossible to tell what type of plug it is. 2. Untwist the pairs - don't untwist them
You may be able to determine what type it is by crimping beyond what you have exposed, the more
one without a cable. RJ45 jacks come in a variety styles untwisted cable you have the worse the
intended for several different mounting options. The problems you can run into.
choice is one of requirements and preference. RJ45 3. Align the colored wires according to the
jacks are designed to work only with solid cable. Most diagrams above.
jacks come labeled with color codes for either T568A, 4. Trim all the wires to the same length,
T568B or both. Make sure you end up with the correct about 1/2" to 3/4" left exposed from the sheath.
one.
5. Insert the wires into the RJ45 plug -
make sure each wire is fully inserted to the front
Ethernet Cable Pin Outs of the RJ45 plug and in the correct order. The
sheath of the cable should extend into the RJ45
There are two basic cable pin outs. A straight through
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plug by about 1/2" and will be held in place by CAT5 / CAT5e Ethernet cable remains the popular
the crimp. choice for most wired local area networks (LANs),
6. Crimp the RJ45 plug with the crimper because Ethernet gear is both affordable and supports
tool. high speeds.
7. Verify the wires ended up the right order
CAT6 Cable - is an Ethernet cable standard defined by
and that the wires extend to the front of the
the Electronic Industries Association and
RJ45 plug and make good contact with the
Telecommunications Industry Association (commonly
metal contacts in the RJ45 plug
known as EIA/TIA). CAT6 is the sixth generation of
8. Cut the cable to length - make sure it is twisted pair Ethernet cabling. CAT6 cable contains four
more than long enough for your needs. pairs of copper wire like the previous generation CAT5.
9. Repeat the above steps for the second Unlike CAT5, however, CAT6 fully utilizes all four pairs.
RJ45 plug. CAT6 supports Gigabit Ethernet speeds up to 1 gigabit
per second (Gbps) and supports communications at
more than twice the speed of CAT5e, the other popular
How to wire fixed Ethernet Cables standard for Gigabit Ethernet cabling. An enhanced
version of CAT6 called CAT6a supports up to 10 Gbps
1. Run the full length of cable in place, speeds.As with all other types of twisted pair EIA/TIA
from endpoint to endpoint, making sure to leave cabling, individual CAT6 cable runs are limited to a
excess. maximum recommended length of 100m (328 feet).
2. At one end, cut the wire to length Printing along the length of the cable sheath identifies it
leaving enough length to work, but not too much as CAT6.
excess.
3. Strip off about 2 inches of the cable
sheath.
4. Align each of the colored wires
according to the layout of the jack.
5. Use the punch down tool to insert each
wire into the jack.
6. Repeat the above steps for the second
RJ45 jack. If a cable tester is available, use it to
verify the proper connectivity of the cable. That
should be it, if your cable doesn't turn out, look
closely at each end and see if you can find the
problem. Often a wire ended up in the wrong
place or one of the wires is making no contact or Wireless access points (APs or WAPs) - are specially
poor contact. Also double check the color coding configured nodes on wireless local area networks
to verify it is correct. If you see a mistake or (WLANs). Access points act as a central transmitter and
problem, cut the end off and start again. A cable receiver of WLAN radio signals. Access points used in
tester is invaluable at identifying and highlighting home or small business networks are generally small,
these issues.When sizing cables remember that dedicated hardware devices featuring a built-in network
an end to end connection should not extend adapter, antenna, and radio transmitter. Access points
more than 100m (~328ft). Try to minimize the support Wi-Fi wireless communication
cable length, the longer the cable becomes, the standards. Although very small WLANs can function
more it may affect performance. This is usually without access points in so-called "ad hoc" or peer-to-
noticeable as a gradual decrease in speed and peer mode, access points support "infrastructure" mode.
increase in latency. This mode bridges WLANs with a wired Ethernet LAN
CAT5 Cable - is an Ethernet network cable standard and also scales the network to support more clients.
defined by the Electronic Industries Association and Older and base model access points allowed a
Telecommunications Industry Association (commonly maximum of only 10 or 20 clients; many newer access
known as EIA/TIA). CAT5 is the fifth generation of points support up to 255 clients.
twisted pair Ethernet technology and the most popular of
all twisted pair cables in use today.CAT5 cable contains Basic Internet Connection Procedure
four pairs of copper wire. It supports Fast Ethernet
speeds (up to 100 Mbps). As with all other types of Installing Phone Filters - You must install the included
twisted pair EIA/TIA cabling, CAT5 cable runs are limited Phone Line Filters on every device (phones, fax
to a maximum recommended run length of 100m (328 machine, satellite receivers etc.) that is connected to the
feet). Although CAT5 cable usually contains four pairs of same line as your new DSL.
copper wire, Fast Ethernet communications only utilize
two pairs. A newer specification for CAT5 cable - CAT5
enhanced (CAT5e) - supports networking at Gigabit
How to Installing DSL Modem
Ethernet[ speeds (up to 1000 Mbps) over short distances
by utilizing all four wire pairs, and it is backward-
compatible with ordinary CAT5.Twisted pair cable like
CAT5 comes in two main varieties, solid and stranded.
Solid CAT5 cable supports longer length runs and works
best in fixed wiring configurations like office buildings.
Stranded CAT5 cable, on the other hand, is more pliable
and better suited for shorter-distance, movable cabling
such as on-the-fly patch cabling. Though newer cable
technologies like CAT6 and CAT7 are in development,
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 Plug the included Phone Line Splitter into your

Wall Jack. If you are going to be using another device
(phone, fax machine, satellite receiver etc.) plug-in one
of your Phone Line filters into the Splitter and then plug
your phone into the filter. On the other side of the splitter
hookup your DSL modem directly with the supplied
phone cable. Be sure to plug it into the LINE or DSL port
on the back of your modem.
 Make sure your computer is turned off.
 Take the supplied Ethernet cable and plug it into
the LAN or ETHERNET port on the back of the modem.
Plug the other end of the cable into the Ethernet port on
the computer.
 Plug the supplied power cord into the modem
and then into an available plug nearby. Once you plug-in
the power supply, the modem will turn on automatically.
If there is a switch on the back of the modem make sure
to flip it to the ON position.
 Once the READY, SYNC/PPPoE or LINE light
on the front of the modem stops blinking, turn your
computer on and you will be ready to surf the internet.

RJ 45Crimping Procedure