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Computer Networking Grade 10 ICT

There are three basic methods of data transmission: 1) Simplex connection allows data to flow in one direction only. 2) Half-duplex connection allows data to flow in one direction at a time, not both simultaneously. 3) Full-duplex connection allows data to flow in both directions simultaneously.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
1K views12 pages

Computer Networking Grade 10 ICT

There are three basic methods of data transmission: 1) Simplex connection allows data to flow in one direction only. 2) Half-duplex connection allows data to flow in one direction at a time, not both simultaneously. 3) Full-duplex connection allows data to flow in both directions simultaneously.

Uploaded by

ISURU SANJEEWA
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Basic methods of data Transmission

There are three basic methods of data transmission.

A simplex connection is a
connection in which the data flows in
only one direction, from the
transmitter to the receiver. This type
of connection is useful if the data do
not need to flow in both directions.

A half-duplex connection is a
connection in which the data flows in
one direction or the other, but not both
at the same time. With this type of
connection, each end of the connection
transmits in turn.

A full-duplex connection is a connection in


which the data flow in both directions
simultaneously. Each end of the line can
thus transmit and receive at the same time,
which means that the bandwidth is divided
in two for each direction of data
transmission if the same transmission
medium is used for both directions of transmission.

What is a Network?

A network is two or more computers, or other electronic devices, connected together so


that they can exchange data.

For example a network allows computers to share files, users to message each other, a
whole room of computers to share a single printer,
etc.

Network connections between computers are


typically created using cables (wires). However,
connections can be created using radio signals
(wireless / wi-fi), telephone lines (and modems) or
even, for very long distances, via satellite links.
Types of Network

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Types of Computer Networks

Local Area Network (LAN)

A Local Area Network is a network confined to one


building or site. Often a LAN is a private network
belonging to an organisation or business.

Because LANs are geographically small, they usually


use cables or low-power radio (wireless) for the
connections.

Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)

A wireless LAN (WLAN) is a LAN that uses radio signals


(WiFi) to connect computers instead of cables. At the
centre of the WLAN is a wireless switch or router - a small
box with one or two antennas sticking out the back - used
for sending and receiving data to the computers. (Most
laptops have a wireless antenna built into the case.)

It is much more convenient to use wireless connections


instead of running long wires all over a building.

A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

A metropolitan area network (MAN) is similar to a


local area network (LAN) but spans an entire city or
campus. MANs are formed by connecting multiple
LANs. Thus, MANs are larger than LANs but smaller
than wide area networks (WAN).

A MAN is ideal for many kinds of network users


because it is a medium-size network. MANs are used
to build networks with high data connection speeds for cities and towns.

Wide Area Network (WAN)

A Wide Area Network is a network that extends


over a large area.

A WAN is often created by joining several LANs


together, such as when a business that has offices
in different countries links the office LANs
together.

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Intranet

An intranet is a private network that provides similar services to The Internet: e-mail,
messaging, web pages and documents sharing only within one organization.

▪ That is kind of a LAN. Because others can’t access/enter to this network.

Extranet

An extranet is a computer network that allows controlled access from the specific
outsiders for specific tasks. Extranet only communicate with specific outsiders.

Internet

The Internet is a world-wide network that has grown and evolved from an experimental
network (ARPANet) created by the US military back in the 1960s.

▪ The Internet connects millions of people, and thousands of businesses,


governments, schools, universities and other organisations.
▪ Internet is the largest network in the world.

Network Topologies

The word topology means ‘arrangement’, so when we talk about the topology of a
network, we mean how the different parts are arranged and connected together.

Bus Topology

In this type of network, a long, central cable, the


‘bus’ is used to connect all of the computers
together. Each computer has a short cable linking it
to the ‘bus’.

A bus network…

• Is cheap to install (just one long cable)

• Can be quite slow since all computers share the same cable when communicating

• Will stop working if there is a break in the central bus cable.

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Ring Topology

In this type of network each computer is connected to a loop


of cable, the ‘ring’. (If you took a bus network and connected
the ends of the bus cable together, you would have a ring
network.)

A ring network…

• Can cope with a break in the ring cable since all computers are still joined together
(it is now a bus network)

Star Topology

In this type of network every computer is


connected to a central device. The device passes
messages between computers.

At the centre of a star network you might use a hub


(cheap, but slower) or a switch (more expensive,
but faster).

A star network…

• Is quite expensive to install (you have to buy lots of cable and the central device)
• Is very fast since each computer has its own cable which it doesn’t need to share
• Can cope with a broken cable (only one computer will be affected)
• Will stop working if the central device breaks
• Is the most common network topology

Tree Topology

A tree topology combination of linear bus and star topology.


It is also called hierarchical topology. It consists of groups
of star-configured workstations connected to a linear bus
backbone cable. Tree topologies allow for the expansion of
an existing network.

Mesh Topology

A network setup where each computer and network device


is interconnected with one another, allowing for most
transmissions to be distributed, even if one of the
connections go down. This topology is not commonly used
for most computer networks as it is difficult and expensive
to have redundant connection to every computer.

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Data Transmission Media

There are two types of data transmission media.

Guided transmission media

Consists of physical connection between source and destination via a wire or a cable.
These connections are bounded to a channel to follow. There are three basic types of
guided media.

i. Twisted Pair Cable

This cable is the most commonly used and is cheaper than others. It is lightweight, cheap,
can be installed easily, and they support many different types of network.

Two different types of twisted pair cable, unshielded twisted pair (UTP) and shielded
twisted pair.

STP are used in different kinds of


installations. UTP is common in
Ethernet installations, while STP is
used in various kinds of networks
to prevent crosstalk and
electromagnetic interference. STP
cable can also help to provide
grounding.

ii. Coaxial Cable

Coaxial is called by this name because it contains two conductors that are parallel to each
other. Copper is used in this as centre conductor which can be a solid wire or a standard
one. It is surrounded by PVC
installation, a sheath which is encased
in an outer conductor of metal foil,
barid or both.

iii. Fiber Optic Cable

These are similar to coaxial cable. It uses electric


signals to transmit data. At the centre is the glass
core through which light propagates.

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Unguided Transmission Media

No physical connection between source and destination, instead they use air itself. These
connections are not bounded to a channel to follow.

I. Radiowaves

These are easy to generate and can penetrate through buildings. The sending and
receiving antennas need not be aligned. Frequency Range:3KHz – 1GHz. AM and FM
radios and cordless phones use Radiowaves for transmission.

II. Microwaves

It is a line of sight transmission i.e. the sending and receiving antennas need to be
properly aligned with each other. The distance covered by the signal is directly
proportional to the height of the antenna. Frequency Range:1GHz – 300GHz. These are
majorly used for mobile phone communication and television distribution.

III. Infrared

Infrared waves are used for very short distance communication. They cannot penetrate
through obstacles. This prevents interference between systems. Frequency
Range:300GHz – 400THz. It is used in TV remotes, wireless mouse, keyboard, printer, etc.

Network Hardware

Network Interface Card (NIC)

Any computer that is to be connected to a


network, needs to have a network interface card
(NIC).

Most modern computers have these devices built


into the motherboard, but in some computers
you have to add an extra expansion card (small
circuitboard).

Hub

A hub is a device that connects a number of


computers together to make a LAN.

The typical use of a hub is at the centre of a star


network (or as part of a hybrid network) - the hub
has cables plugged into it from each computer.

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Switch

A switch, like a hub, is a device that connects a number of computers together to make a
LAN.

The typical use of a switch is at the centre of a star network (or as part of a hybrid
network) - the switch has cables plugged into it from each computer.

A switch is a more ‘intelligent’ device than a hub: if


it receives a message, it checks who it is addressed
to, and only sends it to that specific computer.
Because of this, networks that use switches are
more secure than those that use hubs, but also a
little more expensive.

Router

A router is a network device that connects


together two or more networks. A common use
of a router is to join a home or business network
(LAN) to the Internet (WAN).

The router will typically have the Internet cable


plugged into it, as well as a cable, or cables to computers on the LAN.

Wireless Fidelity - Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is the name of a popular wireless networking


technology that uses radio waves to provide wireless high-
speed Internet and network connections. A common
misconception is that the term Wi-Fi is short for "wireless
fidelity," however this is not the case.

Wireless access points

Wireless access points (WAPs) are required to connect to a


network wirelessly. WAPs are usually built into the broadband
router.

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Modem

Before the days of broadband Internet connections, most computers connected to the
Internet via telephone lines (dial-up connections).

The problem with using telephone lines is that they are designed to carry voices, which
are analogue signals. They are not designed for digital data.

Firewall

A firewall is a network security system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or


from a private network. Firewalls can be implemented as both hardware and software,
or a combination of both. Network firewalls are frequently used to prevent unauthorized
Internet users from accessing private networks connected to the Internet, especially
intranets. All messages entering or
leaving the network pass through the
firewall, which examines each
message and blocks those that do not
meet the specified security criteria.

MAC address

Every piece of hardware on a network has a unique MAC address. This is embedded in
the hardware when the product is made in the factory, and the user cannot change it. On
a computer, the MAC address is a unique code built into a NIC. No two computers have
the same MAC address.

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Servers

A server stores data to be used by other computers on a network. A server could be a


specialized machine or it can be a normal PC running server software. The server stores
data and responds to requests for data or files such as web pages.

▪ Web servers
▪ Application servers
▪ Network attached storage (NAS)
▪ Print servers
▪ Mail server

Network Architectures

There are different networking architectures for how to connect computers over a
network. Computers that request information are called clients and computers that
provide information are servers.

Client-server

The client-server model is the relationship between two computers in which one, the
client, makes a service request from another, the server. The key point about a client-
server model is that the client is dependent on the server to provide and manage the
information.

For example, websites are stored


on web servers. A web browser is
the client which makes a request to
the server, and the server sends the
website to the browser.

Peer-to-peer (P2P)

In a P2P network, no single provider is responsible for


being the server. Each computer stores files and acts as
a server. Each computer has equal responsibility for
providing data.

P2P is ideal for sharing files. Also, on P2P networks no


single computer is responsible for storing a file -
anyone can delete files as they wish.

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Advantages and disadvantages of using networks

Advantages

• Communication – it is easy (and often free) to communicate using email, text


messages, voice calls and video calls.

• Roaming – if information is stored on a network, it means users are not fixed to


one place. They can use computers anywhere in the world to access their
information.

• Sharing information – it is easy to share files and information over a network.


Music and video files, for instance, can be stored on one device and shared across
many computers, so every computer does not need to fill the hard drive with files.

• Sharing resources – it is easy to share resources such as printers. Twenty


computers in a room could share one printer over a network.

• Sharing software – it is possible to stream software using web applications. This


avoids needing to download and store the whole software file.

Disadvantages

• Dependence – users relying on a network might be stuck without access to it.

• Hacking - criminal hackers attempt to break into networks in order to steal


personal information and banking details. This wouldn't be possible on a stand-
alone computer without physically getting into the room, but with a network it is
easier to gain access.

• Hardware – routers, network cards and other network hardware is required to


set up a network. At home, it is quite easy to set up a wireless network without
much technical expertise. However, a complicated network in a school or an office
would require professional expertise.

• Viruses - networks make it easier to share viruses and other malware. They can
quickly spread and damage files on many computers via a network.

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Questions

1) A school has a cabled LAN. The head teacher of the school wants to replace it with a
WLAN. Explain the differences between a cabled LAN and a WLAN, giving two
advantages and two disadvantages of having a WLAN.

2) A desktop computer is already used in an office which does not have an internet
connection.
a) Name two items of hardware which would enable the computer to be
connected to a local area network.

b) Name one item of hardware which would enable the network to be connected
to the internet.

3) A media company with branches around the world has recently opened a new branch
in London. The branch includes a number of different computer networks. Identify
the most appropriate type of network to answer each of the questions.

a) The type of network used to connect the branch to its head office in New York
is called a

b) The type of cabled network used to connect computers together in one of the
offices is called a

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4) Most school computer networks have a router and switches.

a) Explain what is meant by a switch.

b) Describe the purpose of a router.

5) A school wants to buy some new computers. Some of the computers they buy will
be networked and others will be standalone computers which will not be
networked.

a) Describe two advantages of using networked computers.

b) Describe three disadvantages of using networked computers.

Eventually the school will use sets of networked Wifi laptops and cabled desktop
computers which will also be networked.

c) Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using these laptop computers


compared with using cabled desktop computers.

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