Unit-5: Communication Technologies: Network
Unit-5: Communication Technologies: Network
Unit-5: Communication Technologies: Network
NETWORK
A network is any collection of independent computers that communicate with one another over a shared network medium
for the purpose of sharing information and resources.
Need/Advantages for networking
1. Resource sharing - files and peripherals
2. Improving communication
3. Access to remote database
Evolution of Networking
In 1969 with the development of the first network called the ARPANET took place. The U.S. department of
defence sponsored a project named ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) whose goal was
to connect computers at different universities and U.S. defence.
In mid 80s, the National Science Foundation created a new high capacity network called NSFnet which allowed
only academic research on its network.
So many private companies built their own networks, which were later interconnected along with ARPANET and
NSFnet to form Internet - a network formed by linking two or more networks.
INTERNET
The Internet is a system of linked networks that are worldwide in scope and facilitate data communication services such as
remote login, file transfer, electronic mail, the World Wide Web and newsgroups. It connects many smaller networks
together and allows all the computers to exchange information with each other through a common set of rules for
communication. These rules are called protocols and the internet TCP/IP, FTP etc.
INTER SPACE
It is a client/server software program that allows multiple users to communicate online with real time audio, video and
text chat in dynamic 3D environments.
Requirements of a Network
At least two computers - Server or Client workstation.
Network Interface Cards (NIC)
A connection medium (Guided /Unguided)
Network Operating system software, such as Microsoft Windows NT or 2000, Novell NetWare, Unix and Linux.
NETWORK TERMINOLOGIES
Nodes (Workstations)
A computer becomes a node (also called a workstation) as soon as it is attached to a network. Each user on a network
works on a workstation. If there are no nodes there would be no network.
Server
A computer that facilitates sharing of data, software and hardware resources on the network is known as the server.
Servers can be of two types:
a) Dedicated Servers: These are generally used on big network installations where one computer is reserved for server's
job. It does not double up as a workstation but only manages the network.
b) Non dedicated servers: In small networks, a workstation can double up as a server. The small networks using such a
server are known as Peer to Peer networks.
Bandwidth:
In electronic communication, bandwidth refers to the range of frequencies available for transmission of data. It is
expressed as the difference in Hertz(Hz) between the highest frequency and the lowest frequency.
SWITCHING TECHNIQUES
Circuit Switching
Circuit switching is a technique in which a dedicated and complete physical connection is established between
two nodes and through this dedicated communication channel.
The circuit guarantees the full bandwidth.
Packet Switching
Packet switching is a switching technique in which packets are routed between nodes over data links shared with
other traffic.
Each packet contains a "header" with information necessary for routing the packet from source to destination.
the packets from many different sources can share a line, packets are generally accepted onto the network on a
first-come, first-served basis. If the network becomes overloaded, packets are delayed or discarded ("dropped").
2. Coaxial Cables
Advantages
1. Data transmission characteristics are better than that of twisted pair.
2. It can be used for broadband communication i.e. several channels can be transmitted
simultaneously.
3. It offers high bandwidth (up to 400 mbps)
Disadvantages
1.It is expensive as compared to twisted pair cables
3.Optical Fibres
Advantages
1. It is immune to electrical and magnetic interference.
2. It is highly suitable for harsh industrial environments.
3. It guarantees secure transmission and has a very high transmission capacity.
4. It can be used for broadband transmission where several channels can be handled in
parallel.
Disadvantages
1.It is difficult to install and maintain since they are quite fragile.
2.It is most expensive of all cables.
3.Connecting two fibres together or even connecting the light source with the cable is a
difficult
process. Hence connection loss is a common problem
4.Light can reach the receiver out of phase.
Radio Waves - Radio waves have a frequency range of 3 KHz to 3GHz. These waves are
easy to generate, can travel long distances and can penetrate buildings easily. That's why they
are widely used for communication, both indoors and outdoors.
Eg- Cordless phones, AM and FM radio broadcast, Garage door openers etc.
Micro Waves - Micro waves have a frequency range of 300MHz (0.3 GHz)
to 300 GHz. This range has some overlapping portion (0.3GHz - 3GHz) with
radio waves as there is no clear-cut demarcation between radio waves and
micro waves. Microwaves travel in straight lines and cannot penetrate any
solid object.
Its Free from land acquisition rights
The transmission is in straight lines so the transmitting and
receiving antennas need to be properly aligned ( line of sight
transmission)
Infrared Waves - Infrared waves have a frequency range of 300 GHz to 400 THz.
Characteristics of Infrared Wave Transmission:
It is a line of sight transmission; therefore information passed to one device is not leaked to another device.
No government license is required for their use
The waves do not cross any solid object in between
Bluetooth - Bluetooth technology uses radio waves in the frequency range of 2.402 GHz to 2.480 GHz. This technology
is used for short range communication (approx. 10m) in a variety of devices for wireless communication.
Eg- Baby monitors, door openers, and cell phones
Bus Topology: In bus topology all the nodes are connected to a main cable called backbone.
Advantages of Bus Topology
i) Since there is a single common data path connecting all
the nodes, the bus topology uses a very short cable length
which considerably reduces the installation cost.
ii) The linear architecture is very simple and reliable.
iii) Additional nodes can be easily connected.
Disadvantages of Bus topology
i) Fault detection and isolation is difficult.
ii) If the central bus length becomes too long, then
repeaters might have to be used to amplify the signal. The
use of repeaters makes reconfiguration necessary.
Star Topology: In star topology each node is directly connected to a hub/switch. If any node has to send some
information to any other node, it sends the signal to the hub/switch. This signal is then broadcast (in case of a hub) to all
the nodes but is accepted by the intended node(s).
Advantages of Star Topology
i) Failure of a single connection does not affect the entire network. It just
involves disconnecting one node.
ii) Fault detection is easier.
iii) Access protocols being used in a Star network are very simple since the
central node has the control of the transmission medium for data transmission
Disadvantages of Star Topology
i) Since every node is directly connected to the centre, so large amount of cable
is needed which increases the installation cost of the network.
ii) The entire network is dependent on the central node. If the central node fails
the entire network goes down.
Tree Topology: Tree topology is a combination of bus and star topologies. It is used to combine multiple star topology
networks.
All the stars are connected together like a bus.
It integrates multiple star topologies together onto a bus.
In its simplest form, only hub devices connect directly to the tree
bus.
Tree topology is best suited for applications which have a
hierarchical flow of data and control.
NETWORK DEVICES
Modem
A modem (Modulator - Demodulator) is a peripheral device that enables a computer
to transmit data over, telephone or cable lines. It modulates an analogue signal to
encode digital information, and also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the
transmitted information.
NIC:
Any computer which has to be a part of a computer network must have an NIC (Network Interface / Unit) installed in it.
An NIC (Network Interface Card) is a device that enables a computer to connect to a network and communicate.
HUB:
A Hub is an electronic device that connects several nodes to form a network and redirects the received information to all
the connected nodes in broadcast mode.
SWITCH:
A Switch is an intelligent device that connects several nodes to form a network and redirects the received information
only to the intended node(s).
REPEATER :
A Repeater is a device that is used to regenerate a signal which is on its way through a communication channel. A repeater
regenerates the received signal and re-transmits it to its destination.
GATEWAY:
A Gateway is a device, which is used to connect different types of networks and perform the necessary translation so that
the connected networks can communicate properly.
ROUTERS
A Router is a network device that works like a bridge to establish connection between two networks but it can handle
networks with different protocols.
Wi-Fi Card
Wi-Fi cards are small and portable cards that allow your desktop or laptop computer to connect to the internet through a
wireless network.
NETWORK PROTOCOLS
HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol):
HTTP is the protocol that is used for transferring hypertext (i.e. text, graphic, image, sound, video etc.) between
two computers and is particularly used on the World Wide Web.
When an HTTP client (a browser) sends a request to an HTTP server (web server), the server sends responses
back to the client. This transfer of requests and responses is done following HTTP protocol.
HTTP has three important features.
1. Firstly, it is connectionless. After a request is made, the client disconnects from the server and waits for a
response. To process the request, the server has to re-establish the connection with the client.
2. Secondly, HTTP is media independent. This means any type of data(text , images , sound , video etc.)
can be sent.
3. Thirdly HTTP is stateless. This is because the server and the client are aware of each other only during a
request. Afterwards, they get disconnected. Hence neither the client nor the browser can retain
information between different request across the web pages.
An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a unique 4 digit hexadecimal number assigned to each node on a
network. IP address settings of a node can be changed by the user.
An IP address is a group of four bytes (or 32 bits) each of which can be a number from 0 to 255.
Example: 59.177.134.72
MAC (Media Access Control) address is a unique 12 digit (6 digits for manufacturer code and 6 digits for
serial number) hexadecimal number assigned to each NIC. MAC address of an NIC never changes.
Q. What is the significance of anonymous users in FTP? Can user anonymous upload? Why?
In order to use FTP effectively, one needs to be an authorized user. However, anonymous FTP is a method
whereby FTP allows servers allow the general public to access files on FTP server.
On many UNIX FTP servers, there is an incoming directory. If this directory is there, then anonymous users
have permission to upload only in this directory and no where else.
E-Mail PROTOCOLS
Simple Mail transfer protocol (SMTP):
SMTP is a simple mail transfer protocol that controls the transfer of email messages on Internet. It only works for
outgoing messages. So when an email has to be sent, the address of their ISP’s SMTP server has to be given. The actual
mail transfer is done through Message Transfer Agents(MTA).
Uses / Significance
It simplifies the communication of email messages between servers. It allows the server to break up different parts
of a message into categories
The other purpose of SMTP is to set up communication rules between servers.
SMTP has a major disadvantage
SMTP has a disadvantage that if the destination computer is not online, mails cannot be received.
It is relatively easy to send a message with a fake sender address. This results in spread of many email-based
viruses. ESMTP was designed to get rid of this problem - slightly updated version of the SMTP protocol
ESMTP (Extended Simple Mail Transfer Protocol):
This was created to allow transmission of multimedia through email. When someone sends a picture or music file
through their email program, ESMTP communication codes are used to identify the kind of data being transferred.
Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension(MIME) is a supplementary protocol that allows non ASCII data to be sent
through SMTP. Please note that MIME is not a protocol and cannot replace SMTP.
VOIP
VOIP stands for voice over internet protocol. It enables the transfer of voice using packet switched network rather than
using public switched telephone network. By using VOIP software, phone calls can be done using standard internet
connection. There are three different methods of VoIP service in common use today:
ATA - ATA stands for analog-to-digital converted. It is used IP phones - IP phones appear much like an ordinary telephone
to connect the telephone device to the Computer. or cordless phone. They are directly connected to the router
or the LAN. They have all the hardware and software
necessary right onboard to handle the IP call. IP Phones are
Computer-to-computer - It is the most easy and simplest sometimes called VoIP telephones, SIP phones or Soft
way to use VoIP. The basic hardware requirements are: phones.
Computer, Internet, speakers, Microphone
The only cost involved is the monthly ISP fee.
CDMA
CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) is based on spread spectrum technology which makes the optimal use of
available bandwidth. CDMA has fast data transfer rate. It offers a maximum download speed of 2 mbps.
FDMA
It stands for Frequency Division Multiple Access. In this, each user utilizes a portion of the frequency bandwidth
available. Each user has its own frequency domain.
TDMA
It stands for Time Division Multiple Access. In this, each user is allowed to transmit only within specified time intervals.
Different users transmit in different time slots. When users transmit, they occupy the whole frequency bandwidth.
WLL
Wireless local loop (WLL), is the use of a wireless communications link for delivering plain old telephone service or
Internet Access to telecommunication customers.
1G technology
1G technology was used in the first mobile phones. 1G used analog radio signals. 1G was introduced in
1980s. It was based on the analog cellular technology. They only had voice facility available and were
based on circuit-switched technology.
The major drawbacks were its low capacity, poor voice links and no security.
3G technology
3G technology has introduced more efficient ways of carrying data, making it possible to have faster web-services, live
chat, fast downloading, video conferencing etc. over mobile phones. 3G mobile systems are also known as Universal
Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) or IMT-2000.
Features: 1) Support for both packet-switched and circuit-switched data transmission.
2) Data rates up to 2 Mbps (depending on mobility).
3) High bandwidth efficiency
Today we are living in the world of 3G.
4G Technology
4G stands for fourth generation of mobile technology. Change from one generation to another involves a major
advancement in the technology used. 4G will provide internet access, high quality streaming video and "anytime,
anywhere" voice and data transmission at a much faster speed than 3G. The "anytime, anywhere" feature of 4G is also
referred to as "MAGIC" (Mobile multimedia; Anytime/anywhere; Global mobility support; Integrated wireless solution;
Customized personal services).
4G networks will be based on packet switching only.
They are projected to provide speeds up to 100 Mbps while moving and 1Gbps while stationary. It is a wireless.
Worm
Worm is also a malicious program like a virus. A worm works by itself as an independent object. It uses security holes in
a computer networks to replicate itself. It copies itself to the new machine using the security hole, and then starts
replicating from there, as well.
Trojan horse
A Trojan horse is a program that contains hidden malicious functions. Trojan Horses trick users into installing them by
appearing to be legitimate programs. Once installed on a system, report back information such as passwords, user IDs, and
captured keystrokes.
Spam
The term spam means endless repetition of worthless text i.e unwanted messages or mails are known as Spam.
It also eats up a lot of network bandwidth.
Cookies
When the user browses a website, the web server sends a text file to the web browser. This small text file is a cookie.
Generally a cookie contains the name of the website from which it has come from and a unique ID.
Firewall
A firewall is hardware or software based network security system. It prevents unauthorized access (hackers, viruses,
worms etc.)to or from a network. A firewall permits only that data to enter or leave a computer/Network for which
permissions have been granted by the computer/network administrator. A firewall filters both inbound and outbound
traffic.
Intrusion Problems: An Intrusion problem is an attempt to mischievously steal some information from someone's
computer. Examples of Intrusion are: snooping and Eavesdropping.
Snooping refers to gaining unauthorized access to another person's or organization's data.
Eavesdropping refers to gaining unauthorized access to another person's or organization's data while the data is
on its way on the network.
Denial of service attacks: A Denial of Service (DoS) attack is an attempt to make one or more network resources
unavailable to their legitimate users. Examples of such attacks are:
Denial of Access to Information: Corrupting, Encrypting, or changing the status of information so that it is not
accessible to its legitimate user.
Denial of Access to Application: Forced shutting of an application as soon as the user opens it.
Denial of Access to Resources: Blocking a resource, may be a printer or scanner or USB port, of a computer
from proper working.
Denial of Access to a Website: Continuously sending bulk requests to a website so that it is not available to any
other user.
CRACKER
Crackers are the malicious programmer who breaks into secure systems. They can easily be identified because their
actions are malicious.
CYBER CRIME
Cybercrime is defined as a crime in which a computer and internet is used in an illegitimate way to harm the user. Cyber
The list of Cyber Crimes includes
harassment by computer (Cyber Stalking, defamation)
pornography, illegal downloads, plagiarism
software piracy/counterfeiting, copyright violation of software, counterfeit hardware, black market sales of
hardware and software, theft of equipment and new technologies
fraud (credit card fraud, fraudulent use of ATM accounts, stock market transfers, telecommunications fraud), theft
of (electronic) money
Cyber Law:
Cyber law is an attempt to integrate the challenges presented by human activity on the internet with legal system of laws
applicable to the physical world.
The increase in Internet traffic has led to a higher proportion of legal issues worldwide. "INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY ACT, 2000" [ITA- 2000] was enacted by Parliament of India to protect the field of e-commerce, e-
governance, e-banking as well as penalties and punishments in the field of Cyber Crimes. The above Act was further
amended in the form of IT Amendment Act, 2008 [ITAA-2008].
Web page
Web page is an electronic document designed using HTML. It displays information in textual or graphical form. It may
also contain downloadable data files, audio files or video files. Traversal from one webpage to another web page is
possible through hyperlinks.
A web page can be classified into two types:
Static web page: A web page which displays same kind of information whenever a user visits it, is known as a static web
page. A static web page generally has.htm or .html as extension
Dynamic web page: An interactive web page is a dynamic webpage. A dynamic web page uses scripting languages to
display changing content on the web page. Such a page generally has php, .asp," or .jsp as extension.
Scripting language
A scripting language is a programming language which can be embedded or integrated with other languages. Some of the
most widely used scripting languages are JavaScript, VBScript, PHP, Perl, Python, Ruby, and ASP. Dynamic web pages
support two types of scripting:
Client-Side Scripting
On some web pages the contents change in response to an action done by the user, for example a click from the mouse or
a key press from a keyboard action. Such pages use client-side scripting.
VB Script and Java Script are examples of client-side scripting languages.
Web browser
Web browser is software program to navigate the web pages on the internet. Web Browser is of two types:
Text based browsers
Graphical browsers
URL (Uniform resource locator)
Web address of the web page written on the address bar of the browser is known as the uniform resource locator (URL). A
URL is a formatted text string used to identify a network resource on the Internet.
Every network resource on the web has a unique URL.
The URL text string consists of three parts:
network protocol
Network Protocol
The network protocol substring identifies the protocol to be used to access the network resource. These strings are short
names followed by the three characters '://' . Other examples of protocols include http, gopher, wais, ftp and mailto.
Web Server
A Web server is a computer or a group of computers that stores web pages on the internet.It works on client/server model.
It delivers the requested web page to web browser. Web servers use special programs such as Apache or IIS to deliver
web pages over the http protocol.
Web hosting
Web hosting is the process of uploading/saving the web content on a web server to make it available on WWW. In case a
individual or a company wants to make its website available on the internet, it should be hosted on a web server.
Web 2.0
The term web 2.0 was given by O'Reilly Media in 2004.
Web 2.0 refers to new generation of dynamic and interactive websites. Web 2.0 websites uses a new programming
language called AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML). AJAX helps a dynamic website connect to the web server
and download small Applications supported by web 2.0 are as followings:
blogging
social bookmarking
wikis and other collaborative applications
interactive encyclopedias and dictionaries
Advanced Gaming