ITT400

Introduction to Data Communication and

Networking

Chapter 1
Introduction

Mazlan Osman, FSKM, UiTM (Terengganu) 2014

 INTRODUCTION
•Data communication and networking changing the
way we do business and the way we live.

•Data communications are the exchange of data

between two devices via some form of
transmission medium such as a wire cable.

1.2
 EFFECTIVENESS
The effectiveness of data communication system depends
on four fundamental characteristics:

1) Delivery - The system must deliver data to the

correct destination.

2) Accuracy - The system must deliver data accurately.

3) Timeliness - The system must deliver data in a

timely manner.

4) Jitter – The system must avoid jitter problems – the

variation in the pocket arrival time.
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 FIVE COMPONENTS

Figure 1.1 Five components of data communication

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 FIVE COMPONENTS
1. Message – information (data) to be communicated.
2. Sender – device that sends the data message.
3. Receiver – device that receives the message.
4. Transmission medium – physical path in which a
message travels from sender to receiver.
5. Protocol – set of rules that govern data communication.
It represents an agreement between the communicating
devices.

1.5
 DATA REPRESENTATION
1. Text – represented as a bit pattern, a sequence of bits
(0s or 1s).
2. Numbers – also represented by bit patterns but not
using a code.
3. Images – also represented by bit patterns.
4. Audio – refers to the recording or broadcasting of
sound or music. It is different from text, numbers or
images because it is continuous, not discrete.
5. Video – refers to recording or broadcasting of a picture
or movie.

1.6
 DATA FLOW

Figure 1.2 Data flow (simplex, half-duplex, and full-duplex)

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 DATA FLOW
1. Simplex – one of the two devices on a link can
transmit; the other can only receive.
2. Half-Duplex – each station can both transmit and
receive, but not at the same time.
3. Full-Duplex – both stations can transmit and receive
simultaneously.

1.8
 1-2 NETWORKS

• A network is a set of devices (often referred to as

nodes) connected by communication links.

• A node can be a computer, printer, or any other

device capable of sending and/or receiving data
generated by other nodes on the network.

• Most networks use distributed processing, in

which a task is divided among multiple computers.

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 NETWORK CRITERIA
1. Performance
• Measured by:
i. Transmit time – amount of time required for a
message to travel from one device to another.
ii. Response time – elapsed time between an inquiry
and a response.

• The performance depends on :

i. Numbers of users
ii. Type of transmission medium
iii.Hardware
iv. Software
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 NETWORK CRITERIA
2. Reliability
• Measured by :
i. Frequency of failure
ii. The time it takes a link to recover from failure
iii. The network’s robustness in a catastrophe.

3. Security
• Include protecting data from unauthorized access, from
damage and development, and implementing policies and
procedures for recovery from breaches and data losses.

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 PHYSICAL STRUCTURES
1. Types of Connection
• A network is two or more devices connected
together through links.

• Two possible types of connections:

a) Point-to-Point
Provide a dedicated link between two devices.

b) Multipoint (Multidrop)
Multipoint line configuration is one in which
more than two specific devices share a single link
either spatially or temporally.
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 PHYSICAL STRUCTURES

Figure 1.3 Types of connections: point-to-point and multipoint

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 PHYSICAL STRUCTURES
2. Physical Topology
• The topology of a network is the geometric
representation of the relationship of all the links
and linking devices (usually called nodes) to one
another.

1.14 Figure 1.4 Categories of topology

 MESH TOPOLOGY
➢ Every devices has a dedicated point to point link .
Dedicated – the link carries traffic only between the two
devices it connects.
➢ For n devices, physical channel = n(n-1)/2
➢ Advantage:
➢ Each connection can carry its data load, eliminate the
traffic problems.
➢ If one link becomes unstable, it does not affect the
entire system
➢ Disadvantage:
➢ More cabling and the numbers of I/O ports required,
1.15 and the hardware can be expensive.
 MESH TOPOLOGY

Figure 1.5 A fully connected mesh topology (five devices)

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 STAR TOPOLOGY
➢ Each devices has a dedicated point to point link only to
a central controller (hub).
➢ Advantage:
➢ Less expensive because each device needs only one
link. It also makes it easy to install and reconfigure.
➢ Robustness – if one link fails, others are not affected.
It make easy fault identification and fault isolation.
➢ Disadvantage :
➢ The dependency of the whole topology on the hub. If
the hub goes down, the whole system is dead.

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 STAR TOPOLOGY

Figure 1.6 A star topology connecting four stations

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 BUS TOPOLOGY
➢ One long cable acts as a backbone to link all the devices in
a network – multipoint connection.
➢ Nodes are connected to the bus cable by drop lines and
taps. Drop lines – connection between the device and the
main cable. Taps – connector between drop line and main
cable.
➢ Advantage – ease of installation, less cabling than mesh or
star.
➢ Disadvantage – difficult to reconfigure and fault isolation.
A fault or break in the bus cable stops all transmission.

1.19
 BUS TOPOLOGY

Figure 1.7 A bus topology connecting three stations

1.20
 RING TOPOLOGY
➢ Each devices has a dedicated point to point connection
with only the two device on either side of it.
➢ Each device in the ring incorporates a repeater. When a
device receives a signal intended for another device, its
repeater regenerates the bits and passes them along.
➢ Advantage – easy to install and reconfigure and fault
isolation is simplified.
➢ Disadvantage – a break in the ring can disable the entire
network.

1.21
 RING TOPOLOGY

Figure 1.8 A ring topology connecting six stations

1.22
 HYBRID TOPOLOGY

Figure 1.9 A hybrid topology: a star backbone with three bus networks

1.23
 NETWORK MODELS
• Computer networks are created by different entities.
Standards are needed so that these heterogeneous
network can communicate with one another.

• Two best-known standards:

1. OSI model
- Open Systems Interconnection model
- defines a seven-layer network

2. Internet model
- define a five-layer network

1.24
 CATEGORIES OF NETWORK
1. Local Area Network (LAN)

• Network in a single office, building or campus.

• Usually privately owned and links the devices in a
single office, building, or campus.
• Designed to allow resources to be shared between
personal computers or workstations.
• The resources can include hardware, software, or
data.

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 CATEGORIES OF NETWORK

Figure 1.10 An isolated LAN connecting 12 computers to a hub in a closet

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 CATEGORIES OF NETWORK
2. Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

• Network with a size between a LAN and a WAN.

• Normally covers the area inside a town or a city.
• Designed for customers who need a high-speed
connectivity, normally to the internet, and have
endpoints spread over a city or part of city.

1.27
 CATEGORIES OF NETWORK
3. Wide Area Network (WAN)
• Network in entire country, may be single network or a number
of LANs.
• Provides long-distance transmission of data, image, audio, and
video information over large geographic areas
• Types:
i. Switched WAN
- connects the end systems, which usually comprise a
router that connects to another LAN or WAN.
ii. Point-to-point WAN
- leased line from a telephone or cable TV provider that
connects a home computer or small LAN to an Internet
service provider (ISP).

1.28
 CATEGORIES OF NETWORK

Figure 1.11 WANs: a switched WAN and a point-to-point WAN

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 INTERCONNECTION OF NETWORKS

• Internetwork

• When two or more networks (either LAN, WAN, or

MAN) are connected, they become an internetwork,
or internet.

1.30
 INTERCONNECTION OF NETWORKS

1.31 Figure 1.12 A heterogeneous network made of four WANs and two LANs
 1-3 THE INTERNET

• The Internet has revolutionized many aspects of our

daily lives.

• It has affected the way we do business as well as the

way we spend our leisure time.

• The Internet is a communication system that has

brought a wealth of information to our fingertips and
organized it for our use.

1.32
 A BRIEF HISTORY
• A network is a group of connected communicating devices such as
computers and printers.
• An internet (lowercase) is two or more networks that can
communicate with each other.
• Internet (uppercase), a collaboration of more than hundreds of
thousands interconnected networks.
• In mid-1960, ideas finding a way to connect computers came from
ARPA (Advanced Research Project Agency).
• In 1967, ARPA presented ARPANET.
• In 1969, ARPANET was a reality where four universities were
connected. In 1967, ARPA presented ARPANET.
• In 1972, Internet project was started.

1.33
 THE INTERNET TODAY
• The internet today is made up of many wide- and local-
area networks joined by connecting devices and
switching stations.
• Today most end users who want Internet connection
use the services of Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
• There are:
1. International service providers
2. National service providers
3. Regional service providers
4. Local service providers

1.34
 1-4 PROTOCOLS AND STANDARDS

In this section, we define two widely used terms:

protocols and standards. First, we define protocol, which
is synonymous with rule. Then we discuss standards,
which are agreed-upon rules.

1.35
 PROTOCOLS
• A set of rules that govern data communications. It defines
what is communicated, how it is communicated and when
it is communicated.
• Key elements of protocol:
1. Syntax
- structure or format of data, meaning the order in
which they are presented.
2. Semantics
- meaning of each section of bits.
3. Timing
- two characteristics: when data should be sent and
how fast they can be sent.
1.36
 STANDARDS
• Necessary to ensure that products from different
manufactures can work together as expected.
• Provide guidelines to manufacturers, vendors,
government and other service providers.
• Two categories of data communication standards :
1. De facto
- standards that have been adopted as standards
through widespread use are de facto standards.
2. De jure
- standards that have been legislated by an
officially recognized body.

1.37
 STANDARDS ORGANIZATIONS
• Standards Creation Committees
i. International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
- standard for scientific, technological and economic
activity.
ii. International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication
Standards Sector (ITU-T)
- standard for telecommunication
iii. American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
iv. Institute of Electrical and Electronics engineers (IEEE)
- standard for electrical engineering, electronics and radio.
v. Electronic Industries Association (EIA)
- standard for physical connections interfaces and electronic
signaling spec for data communication.

1.38
 ITT400
Introduction to Data Communication and
Networking

Q&A

Mazlan Osman, FSKM, UiTM (Terengganu) 2014