Network Basics

Notes

9
NETWORK BASICS

In the 21st century, worldwide telephonic networks, growth of computer industry and
launching of communication satellites, are integrating together. The merging of the
computer technology with the communication system has given birth to a whole array of
networking technologies. The use of a computer to serve a business need is rapidly being
replaced by a network of computers, catering to various needs of a business organisation.

Fig. 9.1 Network of Computers

In this lesson you will learn about various types of networks, their topologies,
communication media, addressing concepts, and network protocols.

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Notes OBJECTIVES
After reading this lesson, you will be able to

z identify various benefits and types of networks.

z types of transmission media.

z uses of switching techniques.

z understand various types of topologies.

z differentiate between OSI and TCP/IP model.

9.1 WHAT IS A NETWORK?

Independent computers, referred to as personal computers (PCs), gave users the ability to
create and save documents with the help of different software. However, this was not
adequate for large organisation where the volume of work and amount of documents
created was high. These computers that are operated independently have a number of
limitations, some of which are as follows:

z Small hard drive capabilities.

z Resources like data, printers, CD drive cannot be shared.

z Communication from one system to another can be done only by using portable
storage devices.

To address these above mentioned problems, networks came into existence. It is a group
of computers connected to each other physically or logically for data communication.

9.2 BENEFITS OF A NETWORK

The evolution of network was a boon to the mankind. The amount of time, money and
energy saved was very high with the use of network. Benefits of a network are:

z Resource sharing: The main benefit of networking is "Resource sharing", and it is

to make all programs, data and equipment available to anyone on the network without
being influenced by the physical location of the resource and the user.

z Reliability: A second benefit is to provide high reliability by having alternative sources

of the same information. For example, all files could be replicated on two or three
machines, so if one of them is unavailable, the copies on the other machines could be
accessed/used.

z Lower cost: Another benefit is saving money. Small computers have a much better
price/performance ratio than larger ones. Mainframes are roughly ten times faster
than the fastest single chip microprocessors, but mainframes cost thousand times

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more. This imbalance has caused many system designers to build systems consisting
of powerful personal computers, one per user, with data kept on one or more shared
file server machines. This benefit leads to networks with many computers located in Notes
the same building. Such a network is called a LAN (local area network).

z System performance: Another closely related benefit is to increase the system’s

performance as the work load increases by just adding more processors. With central
mainframes, when the system memory is full, it must be replaced by a larger one.

Computer networks provide a powerful communication medium. A file that was updated/
modified on a network can be seen by the other users on the network immediately.

9.3 ORIGIN OF INTERNET: THE BIGGEST PUBLIC NETWORK

Do you know the origin of internet? Evolution of a computer network started way back
in 1969 with the development of first network called ARPANET. It was created by the
Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) of the U.S. Department of Defence.
ARPANET was one of the first general-purpose computer networks. It connected time-
sharing computers at government-supported research sites, principally universities in the
United States, and it soon became a critical piece of infrastructure for the computer
science research community in the United States. In the 80's, another organisation called
National Science Foundation(NSF) created an independent network called NSFnet,
which was more advanced than ARPANET. It allowed only the students and educators of
various universities to do their research related work. It did not allow any kind of private
business related activities. Later US separated their defence related work in to a separate
network called DARPANET. In the 90's ARPANET, NSFnet, and many more private
networks across the world shook hands with each other and the combination of them gave
birth to today's internet. So internet can be called as super network. Internet can be defined
as the worldwide network of computer networks.

These networks have to follow certain rules and regulations to communicate among
themselves. The set of rules that governs the communication between the computers in a
network is called protocol. The ruling protocol standard followed by internet is TCP/IP
(Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol).
Other than the public networks, one can build up a private network which can be accessed
if the user has access rights to it. There are business organisations which have their own
networks where the users are authenticated using valid User Ids and passwords.
Therefore, the benefits and applications of these networks can be enjoyed by only their
employees who have access to these privileges.

9.4 NETWORK TERMINOLOGIES

To know more on computer networks, you need to learn few important terms of networks.
Workstation: The term workstation or a node refers to the computers that are attached
to a network and share the resources in the network. On a network, there can be computers
that do not have either a Hard disk (or Floppy disk drives) can not store any data or

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software. Such computers are called dumb terminals. They get operated directly with the
help of server. On the other hand the computers that can work independently on the
Notes network are called intelligent terminals.
Server: A server is a computer that provides data, software and hardware resources that
are to be shared on the network. A network can have more than one server. Each server has
a unique name in the network. All network users identify the server by its name. It is of
two types: (1) Non dedicated server - It acts as a server and workstation (2) Dedicated
server - It can be used as a server only.
Intranet: Intranet is a private network.
Inter space: It is client-server software that allows computers in a network to share online
audio, video and text through dynamic 3D environment. It provides a real time
communication platform on the Internet today.

9.5 CLASSIFICATION OF NETWORKS

Based on the area covered by the computer network, it is classified as
z LAN (Local Area Network)
z MAN (Metropoliton Area Network)
z WAN (Wide Area Network)
LAN: When a group of computers get connected in a local area like a building or a school
campus for data sharing, then it is termed as a LAN. It usually uses unshielded twisted
pair (UTP) cables for connectivity. A client server LAN is shown in Fig. 9.2

Fig. 9.2 LAN

Metropolition Area Network (MAN): It covers an area larger than a LAN. Generally,
when the network is spread across a city, then it is called a MAN. For example, a school
having branches in different parts of the city are connected to form a network. The
computers in each of these branches get connected to form separate LANs. These LANs
get connected to each other to form a MAN as shown in Fig. 9.3. It usually uses
microwave link for communication. It covers an area larger than LAN but smallar than
WAN. e.g. cable television network available in many cities.

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Notes

Fig. 9.3 MAN

Wide Area Network (WAN): It covers an area larger than a MAN. Various computer
networks located in different countries can be connected with each other to share
information through WAN. It usually uses satellite for communication. For example the
computer network of a multi national organisation with the head office at California
connects to a network of its branches in London. This forms a WAN as shown in fig 9.4

Fig. 9.4 Wide Area Network

Depending on processing capability and use of the connected computers, a network can
be classified in to two types: peer-peer network and a client server network.

Peer to peer: Every computer on the network acts as a workstation as well as a server.
Any computer on the network can access the shared resources. These networks provide
low level security. Fig 9.5 shows an example of a peer to peer network.

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Notes

Fig. 9.5 Peer to Peer Network

Client Server: It consists of client computers and server computers as shown in fig 9.6.
A workstation is generally known as a client. A server computer provides services for the
client requests. It also handles the security and administrative responds to the tasks of the
network. These networks provide high level security. The client computers are dependent
on the server computer.

Fig. 9.6 Client Server

INTEXT QUESTIONS 9.1

1. Interspace provides _____________.
(i) storage area (ii) real time communication platform
(iii) WAN (iv) None of these
2. Workstation is a _____________.
(i) dedicated server (ii) node
(iii) port (iv) none of these

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9.6 TRANSMISSION MEDIA

Transmission media is also known as communication channel. It describes the technologies Notes
connecting the computers in a network. It is of two types

z Wired media
z Wireless media
Wired media talks of the physical connectivity that takes place using cables while wireless
media uses waves through air, water or vacuum. Now let us know about wired media.

9.6.1 Wired Media

1. Twisted pair cable: Twisted pair cabling comes in two varieties: shielded and
unshielded.

Unshielded twisted pair (UTP) is the most

popular and is generally the best option for small
networks. The cable has four pairs of wires inside
the jacket (Fig. 9.7) Each pair is twisted with a
different number of twists per inch to help
eliminate interference from adjacent pairs and
from other electrical devices. The standard
connector for unshielded twisted pair cabling is
Fig. 9.7 Twisted pair cable
an RJ-45 connector.

Categories of Unshielded Twisted Pair

Category Speed Use

1 1 Mbps Voice Only (TelephoneWire)
2 4 Mbps Local Talk & Telephone (Rarely used)
3 16 Mbps 10BaseT Ethernet
4 20 Mbps Token Ring (Rarely used)
5 100 Mbps (2 pair) 100 BaseT Ethernet

6. 1000 Mbps (4 pair) Gigabit Ethernet

Although UTP cable is the least expensive cable, it may be susceptible to radio and
electrical frequency interference (it should not be used too close to electric motors,
fluorescent lights, etc.).

Shielded Twisted Cables (STP) is a better option than UTP. Each pair of wires in
STP is individually shielded with foil. There is a shield around each individual pair,
as well as around the entire group of wires. They have 16-155 Mbps of speed and

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can be extended up to maximum 100 meters. Cables require special connectors for
grounding but this cabling method resists electrical interference and is less susceptible
Notes to overhear.

2. Coaxial cable: It has a single copper conductor at its centre. A plastic layer provides
insulation between the centre conductor and a braided metal shield. The metal shield
helps to block any outside interference from
fluorescent lights, motors, and other
computers. An image of coaxial cable is
shown in fig. 9.8. Although coaxial cabling
is difficult to install, it is highly resistant to
signal interference.

In addition, it can support greater cable

lengths between network devices than twisted
pair cable. The two types of coaxial cabling
Fig. 9.8 Coaxial cable
are thick coaxial and thin coaxial. Thin
coaxial cable is also referred to as thinnet.
10Base2 refers to the specifications for thin coaxial cable carrying ethernet signals.
2 refers to the approximate maximum segment length being 200 meters. Thin coaxial
cable has been popular in school networks, especially linear bus networks.

Thick coaxial cable is also referred to as thicknet. 10Base5 refers to the specifications
for thick coaxial cable carrying ethernet signals. The 5 refers to the maximum segment
length being 500 meters. Thick coaxial cable has an extra protective plastic cover
that helps to keep moisture away from the centre conductor. This makes thick coaxial
a great choice when running longer lengths in a linear bus network. One disadvantage
of thick coaxial is that it is difficult to install.

3. Fiber optic cable: Fiber optic cabling consists of a central glass core surrounded by
several layers of protective materials as
shown in Fig. 9.9. It transmits light rather
than electronic signals eliminating the
problem of electrical interference. This makes
it ideal for certain environments that contain
a large amount of electrical interference. It
has also been made the standard for
connecting networks between buildings, due
to its immunity to the effects of moisture and
lighting. It has the ability to transmit signals
over much longer distances than coaxial and
Fig. 9.9 Fibre optics cable
twisted pair cables. It also has the capability
to carry information at vastly greater speeds.
This capacity broadens communication possibilities to include services such as video
conferencing and interactive services.

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9.7 NETWORKING HARDWARE

Modem: A modem is a device that enables a computer to transmit data over telephone or Notes
cable lines. Computer information is stored digitally, whereas information transmitted
over telephone lines is transmitted in the form of analog waves. A modem converts an
analog signal to digital and vice versa. The conversion of data into analog data vice versa,
allows two computers to communicate with one another. This is called Modulation/
Demodulation (MODEM).
Do you know the types of modem? Modems are of two types: internal modem and
external modem. Internal modems are fixed inside the system box while the external
modem connects CPU externally.
RJ-45 connector: It is the short form of Registered Jack - 45 and is an eight-wire
connector. It is used to connect computers on a Local Area Network, especially Ethernet
LANs. It looks similar to a RJ-11 connector which is used to connect telephone cables. A
RJ-45 houses 8 wires while a RJ-11 houses 4 wires.This is a plastic connector that looks
like a large telephone-style connector. A slot allows the RJ-45 to be inserted only one way.
RJ stands for Registered Jack, implying that the connector follows a standard borrowed
from the telephone industry. This standard designates which wire goes with each pin
inside the connector.
Network Interface Controller: In computer networking, a network interface controller
(NIC) (also known as a network interface card, network adapter, LAN adapter) is a
computer hardware component that connects a computer to a network. It provides the
hardware interface between a computer and a network. Some NIC cards work with wired
connections while others are wireless. Most NICs support either wired Ethernet or Wifi
standard. In new computers, many NICs are now pre-installed by the manufacturer. NIC
contains connections for either twisted pair cable or coaxial cable or both.
Hub: It is a device for connecting multiple computers together and making them act as a
single network segment. It has multiple Input/Ouput ports. The device is a form of multi
port repeater. It is used for broadcasting. Hubs are commonly used to connect segments
of a LAN. When a packet arrives at one port, it is copied to the other ports so that all
segments of the LAN can see all packets. Suppose 5 computers are connected through a
hub. One of them sends a message to another. When the message arrives at the hub, it
broadcasts to all the other computers which are connected. The computer for whom the
message is sent receives it, while the others simply discard it. Data communications
becomes very slow if more number of systems are busy in sending messages at the same
time because of collision and data loss.
Hubs can be two types:
z Active hubs: These devices not only function as regenerator, but also provide multiple
ports for several computers to connect in a network.
z Passive hubs: These devices only provide multiple ports for several computers to
connect to a network.
Switch: It is a device for connecting multiple computers and networks together to form
single network segment. The term commonly refers to a multi-port network bridge that

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processes and routes data at the data link layer (layer 2) of the OSI model. A switch is a
telecommunication device that receives a
Notes message from any device connected to it
and then transmits the message only to
the device for which the message was
meant. Do you think switch is more Fig. 9.10 Switch
intelligent than a hub? Yes. It is more
intelligent than hub because hub simply
broadcasts the message to all computers which are connected to it. An eights port switch
is shown in Fig 9.10.
Repeater: Repeaters are used in a network to regenerate digital signals distorted by
transmission loss. It has the ability to reconstruct a signal to near its original quality. In
a network, a repeater, can relay messages between sub networks that use different protocols
or cable types. It works similar to amplifier in an analog network. When two computers
are connected in a network using cables and the distance is greater than the specification,
then to avoid data loss repeaters should be used in between.

Bridge: It is a device as shown in Fig. 9.11, which

connects two networks segments. It basically
filters data traffic at a network boundary. Bridges
reduce the amount of traffic on a LAN by dividing
it into two segments. Bridges inspect incoming
traffic and decide whether to forward or discard Fig. 9.11 Bridge
it based on pre-defined rules.

Router: It is a device that forwards data packets between computer networks. A router is
connected to two or more data lines from different networks. When a data packet comes in
one of the lines, the router reads the
address information in the packet to
determine its ultimate destination.
Then, using information in its routing
table it directs the packet to the next Fig. 9.12 Router
network elements on its journey. It
works with IP addresses. A router's image is shown in Fig. 9.12.

Gateway: It is a device as shown in Fig. 9.13 that connects dissimilar networks. It is an

internetworking system capable of joining together
two networks that use different base protocols.
Depending on the types of protocols they support,
network gateways can operate at any level of the
OSI model (Refer 9.12.1 section). They are also
called as protocol converters and translators.
These activities of a gateway are more complex
than that of the router or switch, as it communicates Fig. 9.13 Gateway
using more than one protocol.

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Satellite: It is a device that works as a receiver as well as a transmitter. It is fitted with

different transponders for communications. It uses microwaves for transmission. These
are generally used for mobile applications such as communications to ships, vehicles, Notes
planes and hand-held terminals, and for TV and radio broadcasting.

9.8 SWITCHING TECHNOLOGIES

One of the major purpose and use of networks is sharing or transfer of information. Do
you know how data is transmitted across the network? Well, for this, the switching
techniques are used which are explained as under :

z Circuit switching: In this technique, communication medium is wired. A physical

connectivity is established between the source and the destination computer before
communication takes place. Messaging takes place one after another in a sequence.
The telephone networks are generally based on circuit switching. The circuit or the
connection may pass through a number of telephone exchanges in different parts of
the country. At each stage the connection remains blocked until a link is made between
the two ends. This communication is generally slow.

z Message switching: In this technique the message to be sent has no restriction in

size and the computers use wireless connectivity between them. However, the traffic
is more efficiently handled using the "store-and-forward" technique. Unlike circuit
switching no physical link is established in it. Here the communication medium is
wireless. The messages communicated can vary in size. A message is stored and then
forwarded as soon as the destination is free to receive traffic. Messages can be entered
regardless of whether the receiving terminal is busy or operational. The queuing of
messages and the persistence of automatic dialling leads to better utilisation of lines
reducing the call charges.

z Packet switching: With message switching there is no limit on block size. In contrast,
packet switching places a tight limit on the block size. Data is divided in the form of
packets stored in the main memory. The packet size is fixed and there is no limit on
data. Communication medium is wireless. This type of system was originally designed
to provide reliable transmission through a communications network where switches
or lines may suddenly become unavailable or alternative routes may have to be chosen.

A packet consists of a "header" section which contains information such as the network
address of the destination terminal, a data section containing the information to be
transferred and a "tail" section containing checking information. A stream of data is
therefore split into a number of packets when these techniques are employed. Packets
may vary in length from a few bytes up to several thousand. Once a message has
been transmitted, the packets which comprise it may take different routes through
the communications system and arrive at the receiver at different times. In this scenario
it is up to the receiver to reassemble the packets into the correct order, to obtain the
complete message. This is done based on pre-defined identifiers/ headers and rules.

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9.9 NETWORK TOPOLOGIES

Notes This section will introduce you to a number of different network topologies with various
types of network architecture. Network architecture is made up of a topology, a cable
type, and an access method.

A network topology is the physical layout of computers, cables and other components of
a network. There are number of network topologies, and a computer network may be built
using multiple topologies. Various topologies of networks are given below:

z Bus topology
z Star topology
z Ring topology
z Mesh topology
z Hybrid topology
z Wireless topology

Bus topology: This topology uses one cable as the main trunk to connect all the
computers together as shown in Fig. 9.14. It is very easy to set up and requires no
additional hardware like hub. The cable is also called the trunk, a backbone, or a segment.
With bus topology, when a computer sends
out a signal, the signal travels the cable length
in both directions from the source computer.
When the signal reaches the end of the cable
length, it bounces back and returns in the
direction it came from. This is known as
signal bounce. If another signal is sent from
the opposite direction at the same time, the
two signals collide and get destroyed. In such
a situation, the signals get retransmitted. It Fig. 9.14 Bus topology
happens till the signals get transmitted to the destination system. For this reason,
terminators are placed at both the ends of the trunk.

The terminators are used to absorb the signal when it reaches the end of the trunk. This
prevents signal bounce. There are two situations when the network collapses, first when
there is no termination, due to signal bounce it happens and second when the cable breaks,
even then the network goes down. A bus is a passive topology, which means the signal
travels visiting each of the computers one by one without getting regenerated in any way
by them. These have no role in functioning of the bus.

Advantages of bus topology:

1. Cost is low as it uses short cable lengths and no connecting hardware.
2. Installation is easy.
3. Failure of a computer does not affect the working of the network.

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Disadvantages of bus topology

1. Troubleshooting is difficult - fault isolation and diagnosis is diffcult.

Notes
2. Breaking of the trunk collapses the network.

3. It is not very scalable (easy to extend).

Star topology: In this topology, all the computers

are connected through a central device known as
hub or a switch as shown in figure 9.15. Each
computer is connected to the hub, using a separate
cable.
Advantages of star topology:
1. Easy to troubleshoot and isolate problems.
2. Cable failure affects only a single computer.
3. Easily scalable.
Fig. 9.15 Star topology
Disadvantages of a star topology
1. Requires long cable length.
2. A single connecting device allows for a single point failure.

3. Installation is difficult.

Ring topology: In this topology, all the

computers are connected via a cable that loops
in a ring or circle as shown in fig 9.16. It has no
start and no end. Because there are no ends,
terminators are not necessary in a ring topology.
Signals travel in one direction on a ring. Here
each computer contributes to the network by
regenerating the signal.

Advantages of a ring topology

1. Cable faults are easily located, making

troubleshooting easier.
Fig. 9.16 Ring topology
2. Installation is easy.

3. Signal retransmission not required as it gets regenerated often.

Disadvantages of a ring topology

1. A single break in the cable can disrupt the entire network.

2. Expansion is not easy.

3. It is not very scalable.

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Mesh topology: It is not very common in computer networking today. In a mesh topology,
every computer has a connection to every other computer of the network.
Notes
Advantages of mesh topology
1. Provides multiple paths between computers. So even if one cable link breaks,
communication takes place using the other links.

2. Network can be easily expanded.

Disadvantages of a mesh topology

1. Requires much more cable length than any other topologies.

2. Installation is difficult.

Hybrid topology: It is a mixture of the topologies discussed so far. A very popular hybrid
topology is a star-bus topology, in which a number of star topologies are connected by a
central bus. Another very popular topology is a star-ring topology. It looks like a star that
acts like a ring.

Wireless topology : A wireless topology is one in which few cables are used to connect
the computers. The network is made up of transmitters that broadcast the packets using
radio frequencies. The
network contains special
transmitters called cells or
access points which extend a
radio sphere in the shape of a
bubble around the transmitter.
It can extend to multiple rooms
and possibly floors in a
building. The computers and
network devices have a special
transmitter-receiver, which
allows them to receive
Fig. 9.17 Wireless topology
broadcasts and transmit
requested data back to the access point as shown in fig 9.17. The access point is connected
to the physical network by a cable, which allows communicating with systems on the
wired network.

Advantages of a wireless topology

1. Allows wireless remote access.

2. Network can be easily expanded.

Disadvantages of a wireless topology

1. Potential security issues.

2. Limited transmission speed.

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INTEXT QUESTIONS 9.2 Notes

Choose the correct answer:
3. Repeater is ....................
(i) regenerater of a signal (ii) network connector
(iii) wave (iv) software
4. Router is a device used to connect a ....................
(i) LAN to LAN (ii) WAN to WAN
(iii) LAN to WAN (iv) None of these

9.10 NETWORK MODELS

There are two important network models: OSI and TCP/IP models. These two models
will explain you about how communication between computers takes place.

9.10.1 The OSI Network Model

Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model, developed by ISO (International
Standards Organization) for understanding data communications between any two
networked systems.

An OSI model is a conceptual seven

layer architecture where each layer is
considered to be responsible for a task
of the communication session between
two computers. It got introduced in the
late 1970s. The layers are arranged
here from the lower levels starting with
the physical (hardware) to the higher
levels. OSI Model comprises of seven
layers. Suppose, computer A wants to
send some message to computer B. At
computer A, some task will take place
before it is transmitted. Starting from
layer 7, every layer from top to bottom,
till layer 1 will do their respective job
on the message and finally layer 7 i.e.
the physical layer will do the
transmission in the form of bits. The
message is in its raw form when it
reaches the destination computer B, it
gets operated by all the seven layers but
Fig. 9.18 OSI Model

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in the reverse order i.e. from layer 1 to layer 7. Finally layer 7 will be responsible to get
back the message into its original form to be read at the destination computer.
Notes
A summary of the function of each layer is given in the Fig. 9.18.

9.10.2 TCP/IP Network Model

This model describes a set of communication protocols that implement the protocol
dependencies on which the Internet and most commercial networks run. The TCP/IP
network model has four basic layers: Application layer, Transport layer, Internet layer
and Link layer.

Link layer (layer 1): Deals with all physical components of network connectivity
between the network and the IP protocol.

Internet layer (layer 2): The work in this layer is managed by IP. It contains all
functionality that manage the movement of data between two network devices over a
routed network.

Transport layer (layer 3): The work in this layer is managed by TCP. It manages the flow
of traffic between two hosts or devices, ensuring that data arrives at the application on the
host for which it is targeted.

Application layer (layer 4): Acts as final endpoint at either end of a communication
session between two network hosts.

Now, let us know more on TCP and IP protocols.

Transmission Control Protocol: Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) supports the

network at the transport layer. It provides a reliable connection oriented service.
Connection oriented means both the client and server must open the connection before
data is sent.

TCP provides:
1. End to end reliability.
2. Data packet re-sequencing.
3. Flow control.

Internet Protocol: Internet Protocol (IP) is responsible for exchanging information

between routers so that routers can select the proper path for network traffic, while IP
provides the method of distributed data in packets. Thus it can distribute packets to a
destination via different routes and can handle congestion.

IP provides for:
1. Addressing.
2. Type of service specification.
3. Fragmentation and re-assembly.
4. Security.

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9.13 NETWORK PROTOCOLS

A protocol means the rules that govern the communication process between two computers Notes
in a network. It defines standardized formats for data packets and techniques for
identifying errors. You have already learnt about TCP / IP protocol in the previous
section. Some other common protocols are being expalined below:
z Ethernet: Provides transport of information between physical locations on UTP
cable. Data is passed in packets.
z SLIP: Serial Line IP, a form of data encapsulation for serial lines.
z PPP: Point to Point Protocol is a form of serial line data encapsulation that is an
improvement over SLIP.
z ICMP: Internet Control Message Protocol is a message control and error reporting
protocol between a host server and a gateway to the Internet.
z SNMP: Simple Network Management Protocol, is used to manage all types of network
elements based on various data, sent and received.
z HTTP: (Hyper Text Transmission Protocol is an application-level protocol intended
for distributed, collaborative and hypermedia information system. It has various
built-in request methods which allow users to read and save a web page.
z FTP: File Transfer Protocol allows secure file transfer between two computers with
login required.
z SMTP: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol is a protocol that governs the e-mail system
in a computer network.
Each protocol ultimately has its data packets wrapped in an ethernet, SLIP, or PPP packet
(at the link level) in order to be sent over the UTP cable. Some protocol data packets are
wrapped sequentially multiple times before being sent. For example FTP data is wrapped
in a TCP packet which is wrapped in an IP packet, which is wrapped in a link packet
(normally ethernet).

WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNT

In this lesson, you have learnt the fundamentals of computer networking, the communication
channels, topologies and layers of computer network models.
Some major points to remeber:
z Network can be defined as an interconnection of multiple computers.
z Internet is a public network across the globe governed by TCP/IP protocol.
z Bus topology does not need a hub but expansion is much easier.
z Star topology provides a better reliability as a collapsed system will not affect the
rest of the computers connected in the network.

Computer Hardware Assembly and Maintenance 115

 Network Basics

z A hub is a device used to connect several computers together.

z A switch is a device that works as an intelligent hub. It filters the message to the
Notes intended computer.
z A repeater is a device that regenerates a signal and joins two LANs of same protocol.
z A bridge is a device that joins two LANs.
z A router connects a LAN to a WAN. It does the work of routing.
z Network Card also known as NIC is used to connect a computer to a network.
z Network topology is the physical layout of computers, cables and other components
of a network.
z A protocol means the rules that govern the communication process between two
computers in a network.

TERMINAL EXERCISE
1. State the benefits of a computer network.
2. What is internet? Discuss the origin of internet.
3. Differentiate between peer to peer and client server network.
4. State the difference between LAN and MAN.
5. What is STP? How does it differ from UTP?
6. State any two differences between star topology and ring topology.
7. What are the seven layers of OSI network architecture?
8. Explain TCP/IP network architecture.

ANSWER TO INTEXT QUESTIONS

9.1
1. (i) real time communication platform

2. (ii) node

9.2
3. (i) regenerates a signal

4. (iii) LAN to WAN

116 Computer Hardware Assembly and Maintenance