I.

Discuss the benefits and constraints of different network types and

standards
A. Network types
1. LAN (Local Area Network)
This is a network system used to connect computers in a small area such as a building or an office.
Computers on the LAN connect to servers and workstations so they can share resources and exchange
information with each other. (BrigadierPuppyPerson2111, n.d.)

2. MAN (Metropolitan Area Network)

This is the network used in a larger range than the LAN. It may include groups of offices close to each
other in the city, be it public or private. (BrigadierPuppyPerson2111, n.d.)

3. WAN (Wide Area Network)

This is a network system used in a large scale like a country or a continent and connected with more
devices. (BrigadierPuppyPerson2111, n.d.)

B. Benefits of different network types

1. Benefits of LAN network
❖ Devices that connect to the LAN can easily share data with each other.
❖ Can connect to other peripherals such as printers, photocopiers.
❖ It is low cost and easy to set up the connection.
❖ LANs support a number of fault tolerant features, which improves reliability and reduces
downtime for your business.
❖ Communication with other users is also provided through a messaging system. This makes the
management more effective for your business. (BrigadierPuppyPerson2111, n.d.)

2. Benefits of MAN network

❖ Stable speed.
❖ Meet the requirements for information security.
❖ Simple to manage and easy to convert.
❖ Providing businesses with many types of value-added services at the same time on a connection
line about voice-data-video.
❖ The service helps manage the two-point information technology infrastructure system in a simple,
effective and easy way to deploy professional applications. (BrigadierPuppyPerson2111, n.d.)

3. Benefits of WAN network

❖ A LAN can often span a building while a WAN can consist of a large geographical area, crossing
national or international borders.
❖ The network provides both information storage and a mechanism for sharing that information with
other network users.

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 ❖ There are servers that increase security. (BrigadierPuppyPerson2111, n.d.)

C. Constraints of different network types

1. Constraints of LAN network
❖ Privacy violation.
❖ Data security threats.

2. Constraints of MAN network

❖ It is difficult to manage if the size and number of LANs increases.
❖ There is a high risk of hacker attack
❖ High cost

3. Constraints of WAN network

❖ Very difficult to solve when having problems
❖ Because it faces viruses, it needs security and anti-virus software
❖ Very high cost

D. Standards
1. WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access)
A Wi-Fi standard that was designed to improve upon the security features of WEP. This technology
features improved data encryption through the temporal key integrity protocol (TKIP) and user
authentication through the extensible authentication protocol (EAP), PEAP – MSChapV2. (Anon., n.d.)

2. 802.1x
This standard enhances the security of local area networks by providing an authentication framework
allowing users to authenticate to a central authority. (Anon., n.d.)

3. 802.11a
An extension to the 802.11 standard developed by the IEEE for wireless network technology. 802.11a
applies to wireless local area networks and supports a maximum a maximum connect rate of 54 Mbps
throughput in the 5GHz band. (Anon., n.d.)

4. 802.11b
An extension to the 802.11 standard developed by the IEEE for wireless network technology. 802.11b
applies to wireless local area networks and supports a maximum connect rate of 11 Mbps with fallback to
5.5, 2, and 1 Mbps in the 2.4GHz ISM band. (Anon., n.d.)

5. 802.11g
An extension to the 802.11 standard that allows for a maximum connect rate of 54 Mbps while
maintaining compatibility with the 802.11b standard in the 2.4GHz band. (Anon., n.d.)

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 6. 802.11i
An extension to the 802.11 standard to provide improved security over that which is available under
802.11 extensions. This extension provides for improved encryption methods and for the integration of the
IEEE 802.1x authentication protocol as well as advanced encryption mechanisms such as AES (Advanced
Encryption Standard), for an optional, fully compliant implementation of 802.11i. (Anon., n.d.)

7. 802.11n
Uses multiple transmitter and receiver antennas to allow for increased data throughput and range.

(Anon., n.d.)

II. Explain the impact of network topology, communication and bandwidth

requirements
A. Network Topology
A network topology is the arrangement of different elements (links, nodes, etc.) of a computer network.
Mostly, it is the topological structure of a computer network, and can be described in terms of physical
and logical:

❖ The Physical topology (physical topology) is the arrangement of various network components,
including device storage and cable connection settings.
❖ The Logical topology (logical topology) shows how data flows in the network. The distances
between the network nodes, physical junctions, transmission rates, and / or signal types may differ
between the two networks even though their topology may be identical. (Anon., n.d.)

B. Communication
Communication is a set of rules for exchanging information over a network. In a protocol stack, each
protocol leverages the services of the protocol layer below it, until the lowest layer controls the hardware
that sends information across the media. The use of protocol layering is today ubiquitous across the field
of computer networking. An important example of a protocol stack is HTTP (the World Wide Web
protocol) running over TCP over IP (the Internet protocols) over IEEE 802.11 (the Wi-Fi protocol). This
stack is used between the wireless router and the home user's personal computer when the user is surfing
the web. (Anon., n.d.)

C. Bandwidth
Bandwidth is the capacity of a wired or wireless network connection to transfer the maximum amount of
data from one point to another over a computer network or internet connection over a specified period of
time - usually one second. Synonymous with capacity, bandwidth describes the data transfer rate.
Bandwidth is usually expressed in bits per second, such as 60 Mbps or 60 Mb / s.

The more data bandwidth there is, the more data can be sent and received at the same time. For example,
the bandwidth can be compared with the amount of water that can flow through a water pipe. The bigger
the pipe, the more water can flow through it at the same time. Bandwidth works on the same principle.

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Therefore, the higher the capacity of a communication link or pipe, the more data that can flow through
each second. (Anon., n.d.)

III. Discuss the operating principles of networking devices and server types
A. Network Devices
1. Hub
A hub is basically a multiport repeater. A hub connects multiple wires coming from different branches, for
example, the connector in star topology which connects different stations. Hubs cannot filter data, so data
packets are sent to all connected devices. In other words, collision domain of all hosts connected through
Hub remains one. Also, they do not have intelligence to find out best path for data packets which leads to
inefficiencies and wastage.

Types of Hub:
❖ Active Hub: These are the hubs which have their own power supply and can clean, boost and
relay the signal along with the network. It serves both as a repeater as well as wiring centre. These
are used to extend the maximum distance between nodes.
❖ Passive Hub : These are the hubs which collect wiring from nodes and power supply from active
hub. These hubs relay signals onto the network without cleaning and boosting them and can’t be
used to extend the distance between nodes. (Ankit87, n.d.)

2. Repeater
A repeater operates at the physical layer. Its job is to regenerate the signal over the same network before
the signal becomes too weak or corrupted so as to extend the length to which the signal can be
transmitted over the same network. An important point to be noted about repeaters is that they do not
amplify the signal. When the signal becomes weak, they copy the signal bit by bit and regenerate it at the
original strength. It is a 2 port device. (Ankit87, n.d.)

3. Bridge
A bridge operates at data link layer. A bridge is a repeater, with add on the functionality of filtering content
by reading the MAC addresses of source and destination. It is also used for interconnecting two LANs
working on the same protocol. It has a single input and single output port, thus making it a 2 port device.
Types of Bridges:
❖ Transparent Bridges:- These are the bridge in which the stations are completely unaware of the
bridge’s existence i.e. whether or not a bridge is added or deleted from the network,
reconfiguration of
the stations is unnecessary. These bridges make use of two processes i.e. bridge forwarding and
bridge learning.
❖ Source Routing Bridges:- In these bridges, routing operation is performed by source station and
the frame specifies which route to follow. The hot can discover frame by sending a special frame
called discovery frame, which spreads through the entire network using all possible paths to
destination. (Ankit87, n.d.)

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 4. Switch
A switch is a multiport bridge with a buffer and a design that can boost its efficiency performance. A
switch is a data link layer device. The switch can perform error checking before forwarding data, that
makes it very efficient as it does not forward packets that have errors and forward good packets selectively
to correct port only. In other words, switch divides collision domain of hosts, but broadcast
domain remains same. (Ankit87, n.d.)

5. Router
A router is a device like a switch that routes data packets based on their IP addresses. Router is mainly a
Network Layer device. Routers normally connect LANs and WANs together and have a dynamically
updating routing table based on which they make decisions on routing the data packets. Router divide
broadcast domains of hosts connected through it. (Ankit87, n.d.)

6. Gateway
A gateway, as the name suggests, is a passage to connect two networks together that may work upon
different networking models. They basically work as the messenger agents that take data from one system,
interpret it, and transfer it to another system. Gateways are also called protocol converters and can operate
at any network layer. Gateways are generally more complex than switch or router. (Ankit87, n.d.)

7. Brouter
It is also known as bridging router is a device which combines features of both bridge and router. It can
work either at data link layer or at network layer. Working as router, it is capable of routing packets across
networks and working as bridge, it is capable of filtering local area network traffic. (Ankit87, n.d.)

B. Server types
A server is a device or computer on a network that monitors network resources. A file server is a storage
device committed to storing files. Nowadays, there are many popular server types such as: (Anon., n.d.)

1. FTP Servers
FTP server provides secure files, controls transfer and organization of files.

2. IRC Servers
IRC Servers used for seeking real time abilities. IRC is the abbreviation of internet relay chat which
consists of numerous split networks of servers that permit users to attach with each other by means of an
IRC network.

3. Application Servers
Application servers can connect two different applications with Middleware software. It facilitates users to
request data from the database by using a form displayed on a web browser, and it can help the Web
server return to dynamic web pages based on requests and records. profile of the user. Middleware
illustrates the division products offered as super glue between the two applications. Middleware is also
called plumbing because it attaches two sides of an application to transfer data between them.

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 4. Chat Servers
Users make conversation and exchange information or data with each other in similar environment and it
is possible with real-time discussion capabilities because real time means happening instantly.

5. Proxy Servers
Proxy servers exist between client programs, usually Web browsers and external servers. It is used to filter
requests, have a better interface and share connections.

6. Web Servers
Web server serves fixed substance to a Web browser by loading a file from any storage device and helping
it transversely the network to a user’s Web browser.

IV. Discuss the inter-dependence of workstation hardware with relevant

networking software
❖ Network interface card is a computer hardware part that enables computers to be combined
together in a network usually a local area network. Computers that are networked always
communicate with each other using a specified protocol for transferring data packets.
❖ Network interface card acts as a translator letting machine mutually send and obtain data on a
LAN. Specialists in information system frequently use these cards to setup wireless or wired
connections networks. (Muyobo, 2019)

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V. References
Ankit87, n.d. Geeksforgeeks. [Online]
Available at: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/network-devices-hub-repeater-bridge-switch-router-
gateways/
[Accessed 16 03 2020].

Anon., n.d. Freewimaxinfo. [Online]

Available at: http://freewimaxinfo.com/server-types.html
[Accessed 16 03 2020].

Anon., n.d. Ictnetworking. [Online]

Available at: http://ictnetworking.vn/bang-thong-la-gi.html
[Accessed 16 03 2020].

Anon., n.d. Technology. [Online]

Available at: https://www.technology.pitt.edu/help-desk/how-to-documents/wireless-network-standard
[Accessed 16 03 2020].

Anon., n.d. Wikipedia. [Online]

Available at:
https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%E1%BA%A5u_tr%C3%BAc_li%C3%AAn_k%E1%BA%BFt_m%E1%
BA%A1ng
[Accessed 16 03 2020].

Anon., n.d. Wikipedia. [Online]

Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_network#Bandwidth
[Accessed 16 03 2020].

BrigadierPuppyPerson2111, n.d. Coursehero. [Online]

Available at: https://www.coursehero.com/file/p3n4tvqd/The-benefits-and-constraints-of-different-
network-types-and-standards-A/
[Accessed 16 03 2020].

Muyobo, C., 2019. Transtutors. [Online]

Available at: https://www.transtutors.com/questions/discuss-the-interdependence-of-workstation-
hardware-with-relevant-networking-softwar-2824686.htm
[Accessed 16 03 2020].