Chapter One

Introduction

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 Computer Network
 Computer Network is a group of computers
connected with each other through wires, optical fibres
or optical links so that various devices can interact with
each other through a network.
 The aim of the computer network is the sharing of
resources among various devices.
 In the case of computer network technology, there are
several types of networks that vary from simple to
complex level.

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Data Communication or Network Communication

• It is the process of transporting data or information from one

device to another.
• The channel or physical connection (path) through which
the information is carried from sender(Source or origin) to the
receiver(destination) is established using either cable (Physical
media) or wireless media.
• The physical cable like twisted pair wire, coaxial cable, fiber-optic
cable or wireless media like laser, radio waves, and microwaves.

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 Basic components of Communication system:

 1. Message: The message is the unit of information or data that is

transmitted from sender(Source or origin) to the receiver(destination)
using either cable (Physical media) or wireless media. The message
could consist of such as text, numbers, pictures(images), audio or
video.
• 2. Sender: The Sender is the device/computer that generates and
sends that message. It can be a computer, workstation, phone, camera,
etc.

 3. Receiver: The Receiver(device or computer) that receives the

message. The location of receiver computer is generally different from
the sender computer. The distance between sender and receiver
depends upon the types of network (cable or wireless) used in between.

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4. Medium: The medium is a channel or physical path through
which the message is transmitted between sender(device or
computer) to the receiver(device or computer).
 The medium can be wired like twisted pair wire, coaxial cable,
fiber-optic cable or wireless like laser, radio waves, and
microwaves.

5. Protocol: The protocol is a mutually accepted and

implemented set of rules that govern the communication between
both ends of the communications channel.
 Both sender and receiver follow same protocols to
communicate with each other.

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 Components Of Computer Network:

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 Major components of a computer network:

1) NIC(National Interface Card)

 NIC is a device that helps the computer to communicate
with another device.
 The network interface card contains the hardware
addresses, the data-link layer protocol use this address to
identify the system on the network so that it transfers the
data to the correct destination.
 There are two types of NIC: wireless NIC and wired
NIC.

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  Wireless NIC: All the modern laptops use the wireless NIC.
In Wireless NIC, a connection is made using the antenna that
employs the radio wave technology.
 Wired NIC: Cables use the wired NIC to transfer the data
over the medium.

2)Hub
 Hub is a central device that splits the network connection into
multiple devices.
 When computer requests for information from a computer, it
sends the request to the Hub.
 Hub distributes this request to all the interconnected
computers.
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3) Switches
 Switch is a networking device that groups all the devices over the
network to transfer the data to another device.
 A switch is better than Hub as it does not broadcast the message
over the network, i.e., it sends the message to the device for
which it belongs to.
 Therefore, we can say that switch sends the message directly
from source to the destination.
4) Cables and connectors
 Cable is a transmission media that transmits the communication
signals.
 There are three types of cables:
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a) Twisted pair cable:
 It is a high-speed cable that transmits the data over 1Gbps or
more.
b) Coaxial cable:
 Coaxial cable resembles like a TV installation cable.
 Coaxial cable is more expensive than twisted pair cable, but it
provides the high data transmission speed.
c) Fibre optic cable:
 Fibre optic cable is a high-speed cable that transmits the data
using light beams.
 It provides high data transmission speed as compared to other
cables.
 It is more expensive as compared to other cables, so it is installed
at the government level.
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5) Router
 Router is a device that connects the LAN to the internet.
 The router is mainly used to connect the distinct networks or connect
the internet to multiple computers.
6) Modem
 Modem connects the computer to the internet over the existing
telephone line.
 A modem is not integrated with the computer motherboard.
 A modem is a separate part on the PC slot found on the
motherboard.

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 Uses Of Computer Network
 Resource sharing:
 Resource sharing is the sharing of resources such as programs,
printers, and data among the users on the network without the
requirement of the physical location of the resource and user.
 Server-Client model:
 Computer networking is used in the server-client model.
 A server is a central computer used to store the information and
maintained by the system administrator.
 Clients are the machines used to access the information stored in
the server remotely.

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 Communication medium:
 Computer network behaves as a communication medium among
the users.
 For example, a company contains more than one computer has an
email system which the employees use for daily communication.
 E-commerce:
 Computer network is also important in businesses.
 We can do the business over the internet.
 For example, amazon.com is doing their business over the internet, i.e., they
are doing their business over the internet.

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 Features Of Computer network

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 Communication speed
 Network provides us to communicate over the network in a fast and
efficient manner.
 For example, we can do video conferencing, email messaging, etc.
over the internet.
 Therefore, the computer network is a great way to share our
knowledge and ideas.

 File sharing
 File sharing is one of the major advantage of the computer network.
 Computer network provides us to share the files with each other.

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 Back up and Roll back is easy
 Since the files are stored in the main server which is centrally located.
 Therefore, it is easy to take the back up from the main server.

 Software and Hardware sharing

 We can install the applications on the main server, therefore, the user
can access the applications centrally.
 So, we do not need to install the software on every machine.
 Similarly, hardware can also be shared.

 Security
 Network allows the security by ensuring that the user has the right to
access the certain files and applications.
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 Scalability
 Scalability means that we can add the new components on the
network.
 Network must be scalable so that we can extend the network
by adding new devices.
 But, it decreases the speed of the connection and data of the
transmission speed also decreases, this increases the chances of
error occurring.
 This problem can be overcome by using the routing or
switching devices.
 Reliability
 Computer network can use the alternative source for the data
communication in case of any hardware failure.
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 Data Transmission
Data transmission is the process of sending digital or analog
data over a communication medium to one or more
computing, network, communication or electronic devices.
It enables the transfer and communication of devices in a
point-to-point, point-to-multipoint and multipoint-to-
multipoint environment.
Data transmission is the transfer of data from one digital device
to another.
This transfer occurs via point-to-point data streams or
channels.
These channels may previously have been in the form of copper
wires but are now much more likely to be part of a wireless
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 Transmission modes

 The way in which data is transmitted from one device to another

device is known as transmission mode.
 The transmission mode is also known as the communication
mode.
 Each communication channel has a direction associated with it,
and transmission media provide the direction. Therefore, the
transmission mode is also known as a directional mode.
 The transmission mode is defined in the physical layer.
 The Transmission mode is divided into three categories:

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1). Simplex mode

 In Simplex mode, the communication is unidirectional, i.e., the

data flow in one direction.
 A device can only send the data but cannot receive it or it can receive
the data but cannot send the data.
 This transmission mode is not very popular as mainly communications
require the two-way exchange of data.
 The simplex mode is used in the business field as in sales that do not
require any corresponding reply.
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 The radio station is a simplex channel as it transmits the signal to
the listeners but never allows them to transmit back.
 Keyboard and Monitor are the examples of the simplex mode as a
keyboard can only accept the data from the user and monitor can
only be used to display the data on the screen.
 Advantage of Simplex mode:
 In simplex mode, the station can utilize the entire bandwidth of
the communication channel, so that more data can be transmitted
at a time.
 Disadvantage of Simplex mode:
 Communication is unidirectional, so it has no inter-
communication between devices.
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2). Half-Duplex mode

 In a Half-duplex channel, direction can be reversed, i.e., the station

can transmit and receive the data as well.
 Messages flow in both the directions, but not at the same time.
 The entire bandwidth of the communication channel is utilized in
one direction at a time.
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 In half-duplex mode, it is possible to perform the error detection,
and if any error occurs, then the receiver requests the sender to
retransmit the data.
 A Walkie-talkie is an example of the Half-duplex mode.
In Walkie-talkie, one party speaks, and another party listens.
After a pause, the other speaks and first party listens.
Speaking simultaneously will create the distorted sound which
cannot be understood.
 Advantage of Half-duplex mode:
 In half-duplex mode, both the devices can send and receive the data and
also can utilize the entire bandwidth of the communication channel
during the transmission of data.
 Disadvantage of Half-Duplex mode:
 In half-duplex mode, when one device is sending the data, then another
has to wait, this causes the delay in sending the data at the right time.
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  Full-duplex mode

 In Full duplex mode, the communication is bi-directional, i.e., the

data flow in both the directions.
 Both the stations can send and receive the message simultaneously.
 Full-duplex mode has two simplex channels. One channel has
traffic moving in one direction, and another channel has traffic
flowing in the opposite direction.

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 The Full-duplex mode is the fastest mode of communication
between devices.
 The most common example of the full-duplex mode is a
telephone network.
 When two people are communicating with each other by a
telephone line, both can talk and listen at the same time.

 Advantage of Full-duplex mode:

 Both the stations can send and receive the data at the same time.
 Disadvantage of Full-duplex mode:
 If there is no dedicated path exists between the devices, then the
capacity of the communication channel is divided into two parts.

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 Differences b/w Simplex, Half-duplex and Full-duplex
mode
Basis for Simplex mode Half-duplex mode Full-duplex mode
comparison

Direction of In simplex mode, the In half-duplex mode, In full-duplex mode, the

communication communication is the communication is communication is
unidirectional. bidirectional, but one bidirectional.
at a time.

Send/Receive A device can only send Both the devices can Both the devices can
the data but cannot send and receive the send and receive the data
receive it or it can only data, but one at a simultaneously.
receive the data but time.
cannot send it.
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Performance The performance of The performance of The Full-duplex mode has
half-duplex mode is full-duplex mode is better performance
better than the better than the half- among simplex and half-
simplex mode. duplex mode. duplex mode as it doubles
the utilization of the
capacity of the
communication channel.

Example Examples of Simplex Example of half-duplex is Example of the Full-duplex

mode are radio, Walkie-Talkies. mode is a telephone network.
keyboard, and monitor.

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 Transmission media
 Transmission media is a communication channel that carries the
information from the sender to the receiver.
 Data is transmitted through the electromagnetic signals.
 The main functionality of the transmission media is to carry the
information in the form of bits through LAN(Local Area Network).
 The characteristics and quality of data transmission are determined
by the characteristics of medium and signal.
 Transmission media is of two types are wired media and
wireless media.
 In wired media, medium characteristics are more important
whereas, in wireless media, signal characteristics are more
important.
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 Different transmission media have different properties such as bandwidth,
delay, cost and ease of installation and maintenance.
 Bandwidth is a measurement indicating the maximum capacity of a wired or wireless
communications link to transmit data over a network connection in a given amount of time.
 Typically, bandwidth is represented in the number of bits, kilobits, megabits or gigabits that
can be transmitted in 1 second. Synonymous with capacity, bandwidth describes data transfer
rate. Bandwidth is not a measure of network speed -- a common misconception.

Bandwidth refers to the amount of data that

The term “speed” refers to how quickly
may be transferred in a given amount of
something is completed.
time.

 The transmission media is available in the lowest layer of the OSI reference model,
i.e., Physical layer.
 Some factors need to be considered for designing the transmission media:
 Bandwidth: All the factors are remaining constant, the greater the bandwidth of a
medium, the higher the data transmission rate of a signal.
 Interference: An interference is defined as the process of disrupting (disturbing) a signal
30 when it travels over a communication medium on the addition of some unwanted signal.
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 Transmission impairment: When the received signal is not
identical to the transmitted one due to the transmission impairment.
 The quality of the signals will get destroyed due to transmission
impairment.

Causes of Transmission Impairment

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 Attenuation: Attenuation means the loss of energy, i.e., the
strength of the signal decreases with increasing the distance which
causes the loss of energy.
 Distortion: Distortion occurs when there is a change in the
shape of the signal.
This type of distortion is examined from different signals having
different frequencies.
Each frequency component has its own propagation speed, so
they reach at a different time which leads to the delay
distortion.
 Noise: When data is travelled over a transmission medium, some
unwanted signal is added to it which creates the noise.
There are some random or unwanted signals mix up with the
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original signal is called noise. 11/29/2022
 Classification Of Transmission Media:

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1). Guided Media
 It is defined as the physical medium through which the signals are
transmitted. It is also known as Bounded media.
 Types Of Guided media:
a). Twisted pair:
 Twisted pair is a physical media made up of a pair of cables twisted
with each other.
 A twisted pair cable is cheap as compared to other transmission
media.
 Installation of the twisted pair cable is easy, and it is a lightweight
cable.
 The frequency range for twisted pair cable is from 0 to 3.5KHz.

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 Types of Twisted pair:

 Unshielded Twisted Pair:

 An unshielded twisted pair is widely used in telecommunication.
Following are the categories of the unshielded twisted pair cable:
 Category 1: Category 1 is used for telephone lines that have low-
speed data.
 Category 2: It can support upto 4Mbps.
 Category 3: It can support upto 16Mbps.
 Category 4: It can support upto 20Mbps. Therefore, it can be used
for long-distance communication.
 Category 5: It can support upto 200Mbps. 11/29/2022
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 Advantages Of Unshielded Twisted Pair:
 It is cheap.
 Installation of the unshielded twisted pair is easy.
 It can be used for high-speed LAN.
 Disadvantage:
 This cable can only be used for shorter distances because
of attenuation.

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 Shielded Twisted Pair
 A shielded twisted pair is a cable that contains the mesh surrounding the
wire that allows the higher transmission rate.

 Characteristics Of Shielded Twisted Pair:

 The cost of the shielded twisted pair cable is not very high and not very low.
 An installation of STP is easy.
 It has higher capacity as compared to unshielded twisted pair cable.
 It has a higher attenuation.
 It is shielded that provides the higher data transmission rate.

 Disadvantages
 It is more expensive as compared to UTP and coaxial cable.
 It has a higher attenuation rate.

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 These types of cables have extra insulation or
protective covering over the conductors in the form
of a copper braid covering. This covering provides
strength to the overall structure of the cable. It also
reduces noise and signal interference in the cable.

These are a pair of two insulated copper wires

twisted together without any other insulation or
shielding and hence are called unshielded twisted
pair cables.

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b). Coaxial Cable
 Coaxial cable is very commonly used transmission media, for example,
TV wire is usually a coaxial cable.
 The name of the cable is coaxial as it contains two conductors parallel
to each other.
 It has a higher frequency as compared to Twisted pair cable.

 Coaxial cable is of two types:

 Baseband transmission: It is defined as the process of transmitting a
single signal at high speed.
 Broadband transmission: It is defined as the process of transmitting
multiple signals simultaneously.
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 Advantages Of Coaxial cable:
 The data can be transmitted at high speed.
 It has better shielding as compared to twisted pair cable.
 It provides higher bandwidth.

 Disadvantages Of Coaxial cable:

 It is more expensive as compared to twisted pair cable.
 If any fault occurs in the cable causes the failure in the entire
network.

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c). Fiber Optic
 Fiber optic cable is a cable that uses electrical signals for
communication.
 Fiber optic is a cable that holds the optical fibers coated in plastic that
are used to send the data by pulses of light.
 The plastic coating protects the optical fibers from heat, cold,
electromagnetic interference from other types of wiring.
 Fiber optics provide faster data transmission than copper wires.

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 Following are the advantages of fiber optic cable over
copper:
 Greater Bandwidth: The fiber optic cable provides more bandwidth
as compared copper. Therefore, the fiber optic carries more data as
compared to copper cable.
 Faster speed: Fiber optic cable carries the data in the form of light.
This allows the fiber optic cable to carry the signals at a higher speed.
 Longer distances: The fiber optic cable carries the data at a longer
distance as compared to copper cable.
 Better reliability: The fiber optic cable is more reliable than the
copper cable as it is immune to any temperature changes while it can
cause obstruct in the connectivity of copper cable.
 Thinner and Sturdier: Fiber optic cable is thinner and lighter in
weight so it can withstand more pull pressure than copper cable.
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2). UnGuided Transmission
 An unguided transmission transmits the electromagnetic waves
without using any physical medium. Therefore it is also known
as wireless transmission.
 In unguided media, air is the media through which the
electromagnetic energy can flow easily.
 Unguided transmission is broadly classified into three categories:
a). Radio waves
 Radio waves are the electromagnetic waves that are transmitted
in all the directions of free space.
 Radio waves are omnidirectional, i.e., the signals are propagated
in all the directions.

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 The range in frequencies of radio waves is from 3Khz to 1 khz.
 In the case of radio waves, the sending and receiving antenna are
not aligned, i.e., the wave sent by the sending antenna can be
received by any receiving antenna.

 Applications Of Radio waves:

 A Radio wave is useful for multicasting when there is one sender and
many receivers.
 An FM radio, television, cordless phones are examples of a radio
wave.

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 Advantages Of Radio transmission:
Radio transmission is mainly used for wide area networks and
mobile cellular phones.
Radio waves cover a large area, and they can penetrate the walls.
Radio transmission provides a higher transmission rate

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b). Microwaves
 Microwaves are radio waves that provide a high-speed signal
transmission.
 Microwave transmission, often called fixed wireless, involves sending
signals from one microwave station to another.
 A microwave station is an earth-based reflective dish that contains the
antenna, transceivers, and other equipment necessary for microwave
communications.
 A transceiver is a combination transmitter/receiver in a single package.
While the term typically applies to wireless communications devices, it
can also be used for transmitter/receiver devices in cable or optical
fiber systems.
 Microwaves use line-of-sight transmission. To avoid possible
obstructions, such as buildings or mountains, microwave stations often
sit on the tops of buildings, towers, or mountains.
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 Advantages Of Microwave:
 Microwave transmission is cheaper than using cables.
 It is free from land acquisition as it does not require any land
for the installation of cables.
 Microwave transmission provides an easy communication in
terrains as the installation of cable in terrain is quite a difficult
task.
 Communication over oceans can be achieved by using
microwave transmission.
 Disadvantages of Microwave transmission:
 Eavesdropping: An eavesdropping creates insecure
communication. Any malicious user can catch the signal in the
air by using its own antenna.
 Out of phase signal: A signal can be moved out of phase by
using microwave transmission.
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 Susceptible to weather condition: A microwave transmission is
susceptible to weather condition. This means that any environmental
change such as rain, wind can distort the signal. Bad weather affects
signal transmission.
 Bandwidth limited: Allocation of bandwidth is limited in the case of
microwave transmission.
 The microwave does not pass through buildings.
C). Infrared
 An infrared transmission is a wireless technology used for
communication over short ranges.
 The frequency of the infrared in the range from 300 GHz to 400 THz.
 It is used for short-range communication such as data transfer between
two cell phones, TV remote operation, data transfer between a
computer and cell phone resides in the same closed area.
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 Characteristics Of Infrared:
 It supports high bandwidth, and hence the data rate will be very
high.
 Infrared waves cannot penetrate the walls.
 Therefore, the infrared communication in one room cannot be
interrupted by the nearby rooms.
 An infrared communication provides better security with
minimum interference.
 Infrared communication is unreliable outside the building
because the sun rays will interfere with the infrared waves.
 Infrared is a media transmission system that transmits data signals
through light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or Lasers.

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 Thank you!
?

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