Chapter 6

Telecommunications
and Networks
Network Concepts
◼ A network is an interconnected or interrelated
chain, group, or system
◼ The number of possible connections on a
network is N(N–1) or N2 –N
 N = number of nodes (points of connection)
 Example: 10 computers on a network =
10(10–1)
= 10x9 = 90 possible connections

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Metcalfe’s Law
◼ The usefulness, or utility, of a network equals
the square of the number of users
 The more users on a network, the more useful
it becomes
◼ Until critical mass is reached, a change in
technology only affects the technology
 Once critical mass is attained, social, political,
and economic systems change
 Example: The Internet is growing
exponentially. We can expect more value, for
less cost, virtually every time we log on.
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Telecommunication
◼ Exchange of information in any form (voice, data,
text, images, audio, video) over networks.
◼ The Internet is the most widely visible form of
telecommunications in your daily lives.
◼ The competitive arena for telecommunications
service has changed dramatically in recent years.
◼ Telecommunications industry has changed from
government-regulated monopolies to a
deregulated market with fiercely competitive
suppliers of telecommunications services.
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Telecommunication Trends

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 5

 Telecommunications-Based
Services

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 6

 Open Systems
◼ Open systems use common standards for
hardware, software, applications, and networks
 Internet networking technologies are a common
standard for open systems
 Open systems provide greater connectivity
and network interoperability
◼ Connectivity
 Ability of networked computers and other
devices to access and communicate with one
another easily and share information.
 Middleware may be needed to help diverse
systems work together
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Middleware
◼ Middleware
 A general term for any programming that
mediates between two separate programs
 Allows a particular database to access other
databases without custom programming

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Middleware
Commonly known as the “plumbing” of an information
system
I. It routes data and information between back-end
data sources and end user applications
II. An essential component of any IT infrastructure

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 9

Digital Network Technologies
◼ Telecommunications are being revolutionized by
switch from analog to digital
 Analog: voice-oriented transmission
 Digital: discrete pulse transmission
◼ Benefits
 Higher transmission speeds
 Moves larger amounts of information
 Greater economy and much lower error rates
 Transmits multiple types of communications
(data, voice, video) on the same circuits

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Wireless Technologies
◼ Fiber-optic
 Uses pulses of laser-generated light
 Reduced size and installation effort
 Vastly greater communication capacity
 Faster transmission speeds
 Freedom from electrical interference
◼ Satellite Transmission
 Can move massive quantities of data, audio,
and video over global networks
 Especially useful in isolated areas

11
 Wireless Technologies
◼ Terrestrial Microwave
 Earthbound microwave systems transmit high-speed
radio signals
 Follows a line-of-sight path between relay systems
spaced about 30 miles apart
◼ Communications Satellites
 Serve as relay stations
 Use microwave radio signals
 Earth stations beam signals to the satellites
 Not suitable for interactive, real-time processing

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Wireless Technologies
◼ Cellular and PCS Telephone and Pager Systems
 Geographic areas are divided into cells
 Each cell has a low-power transmitter or radio relay
antenna
 Computers and other communications processors
coordinate and control the transmissions to and from
mobile users
◼ Wireless LANS
 Uses wireless radio-wave technology to connect PCs
within an office or a building
 Can be high-frequency, similar to digital cellular, or low
frequency (spread spectrum)

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 13

Wireless Technologies
◼ Bluetooth
 Short-range wireless technology
 Connects PCs to devices, such as a printer
 Fairly low cost to implement
◼ Other Wireless Systems
 Cellular phones
 Mobile radio
 PDAs
◼ Telecommunications networks now play vital and pervasive
roles in
 Web-enabled e-business processes
 Electronic commerce
 Enterprise collaboration
 Other applications that support business operations,
management,
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Value of Telecommunications
Networks

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 15

The Internet Revolution
◼ The Internet has become a global information
superhighway
 Millions of smaller, private networks operating
independent of, or in harmony with, each
other
 10 servers in 1991 to over 46 million in 2003
 Sustained growth in excess of 1 million
servers per month
 No central computer system
 No governing body
 Based on common standards
Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 16
Internet Service Providers
◼ ISP
 A company that specializes in providing easy
access to the Internet
 For a monthly fee, provides software, user
name, password, and Internet access
◼ ISPs themselves are connected to one another
through network access points
 One ISP can easily connect to another to
obtain addresses of websites or user nodes

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 17

Internet Applications
◼ Most popular Internet applications and uses
 E-mail
 Instant messaging
 Browsing the Web
 Newsgroups
 Chat rooms
 Publish opinions, subject matter, creative work
 Buy and sell
 Downloading (data, software, reports, pictures,
music, videos)

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Business Use of the Internet

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Business Value of the Internet

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 20

The Role of Intranets
◼ Many companies have sophisticated and
widespread intranets, offering…
 Detailed data retrieval
 Collaboration
 Personalized customer profiles
 Links to the Internet
◼ Intranets use Internet technologies
 Web browsers and servers
 TCP/IP network protocols
 HTML publishing and databases

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Intranets
◼ Intranets are protected by…
 Passwords
 Encryption
 Firewalls
◼ Customers, suppliers, and other business
partners can access an intranet via extranet
links

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Business Value of Intranets
◼ Intranets support
 Communications and collaboration
 Business operations and management
 Web publishing
 Intranet portal management

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 23

Extranets
◼ Network links that use Internet technologies to
connect the intranet of a business to the
intranets of another
◼ Virtual Private Networks
 Direct private network links, or private secure
Internet links between companies
◼ Unsecured Extranet
 Link between a company and others via the
Internet, relying on encryption of sensitive
data and firewall security systems

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Extranet Connectivity

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 25

Business Value of Extranets
◼ Web browser technology makes customer and
supplier access to intranets easier and faster
◼ Another way to build and strengthen strategic
relationships
◼ Enables and improves collaboration between a
business, customers, and partners
◼ Facilitates online, interactive product development
and marketing

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 26

Network Component Alternatives

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 27

Types of Communications Networks
◼ Primary types of communications networks
 Wide Area
 Local Area
 Virtual Private
 Client/Server
 Peer-to-peer

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Wide Area Network (WAN)
◼ Telecommunication network that covers a large
geographic area

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 29

Local Area Network (LAN)
◼ Connects
computers
within a limited
physical area,
such as an
office,
classroom, or
building

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 30

Virtual Private Networks (VPN)
◼ Used to establish secure intranets and extranets
 The Internet is the main backbone network
 Relies on network firewalls, encryption, and
other security features to build a “pipe”
through the Internet
 Creates a private network without the high
cost of a separate proprietary connection

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Virtual Private Network

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 32

Client/Server Networks
◼ Clients
 End user personal computers or networked
computers
◼ Servers
 Used to manage the networks
◼ Processing
 Shared between the clients and servers
 Sometimes called a two-tier architecture
◼ Larger computer systems are being replaced with
multiple client/server networks

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Client/Server Network

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 34

Peer-to-Peer Networks
◼ Central Server Architecture
 P2P file-sharing software connects all PCs
to a central server
 When a PC requests a file, the server searches
all active peers on the network
 The server sends the requesting PC a list of
links to all active peers who have the file
 Clicking a link connects the two PCs and
automatically transfers the file to the
requesting PC

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Peer-to-Peer Networks
◼ Pure Peer-to-Peer Architecture
 No central directory or server
 File-sharing software connects one PC to
another online user
 When you request a file, the software
searches every online user and sends you a
list of active file names
 Clicking a link automatically transfers the file
from that user’s hard drive to yours

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 36

Central Server Peer-to-Peer
Networks
◼ Advantages
 Can better protect the integrity and security
of the content and users of the network
◼ Disadvantages
 Directory server can be slowed or
overwhelmed by too many users or technical
problems

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 37

Peer-to-Peer Network Diagrams

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 38

Digital and Analog Signals
◼ Analog or digital refers to the method used to
convert information into an electrical signal
 Analog: an electrical current is generated that
is proportional to the quantity being observed
 Digital: the quantity being observed is
expressed as a number
◼ Analog: if the temperature is 83 degrees, a
measuring device would generate 8.3 volts
◼ Digital: a measurement of 83 degrees
would be displayed as the number 83

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 39

Telecommunications Media
◼ Twisted-Pair Wire
 Ordinary telephone wire
 Copper wire is twisted into pairs
◼ Coaxial Cable
 Sturdy copper or
aluminum wire wrapped
with spacers to insulate
and protect it
◼ Fiber-Optic Cable
 One or more hair-thin
filaments of glass
fiber wrapped in a
protective jacket

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 40

The Problem of “The Last Mile”
◼ Network providers use fiber optic cable as a
communications backbone
 Houses connected to the backbone are wired
with twisted pair
 Users don’t benefit from the faster, better
technology

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 41

Telecommunications Processors
◼ Modems
 The most common type of communications
processor
 Converts a digital signal to an analog
frequency that can be transmitted over phone
lines, then back into a digital signal
◼ Modulation and demodulation

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 42

Network Management Functions
◼ Traffic Management
 Manage network resources and traffic to
avoid congestion and optimize service levels
◼ Security
 Provide authentication, encryption, firewall, auditing,
and enforcement
◼ Network Monitoring
 Troubleshoot and watch over the network, alerting
administrators of potential problems
◼ Capacity Planning
 Survey network resources, traffic patterns, and users’
needs
 Determine the best way to accommodate the needs
of the network as it grows and changes
Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 43
Network Topologies
◼ Topology - The structure of a network
◼ Star Network - Ties end user computers to a central
computer
◼ Ring Network - Ties local computer processors together
in a ring on a relatively equal basis
◼ Bus Network - Local processors share the same
communications channel
◼ Mesh Network - Uses direct communications lines to
connect some or all of the computers in the ring to
each other

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 44

Network Topologies

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 45

Voice Over IP
◼ Internet Telephony
 Using an Internet connection to pass voice
data using IP instead of a telephone network
 Often referred to as voice over IP or VoIP
 Works like a regular phone, but skips long-
distance charges
 Runs over standard network infrastructure
 Requires a well-configured network to work
smoothly

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 46

Bandwidth
◼ Bandwidth
 The frequency range of a telecommunications
channel that determines the maximum
transmission rate
 Speed and capacity typically measured in bits
per second (bps)
 Sometimes call baud rate
◼ Transmission Rates
 Narrow-band = low speed
 Broadband = high speed

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 47

Transmission Speeds

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 48

Network Interoperability
◼ Ensures that anyone anywhere on one network
can communicate with anyone anywhere on
another network
 From a telecommunications perspective, no
need to speak a common language
◼ Telecommunications would be possible without
 Complete accessibility
 Transparency
 Seamless interoperability across all networks

Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Networks 49