1 Computer Networks

Overview

Part 1
Introduction

1
 What is a Computer Network?

A computer network is a collection of

computers and other devices (nodes)
that use a common network protocol
to share resources with each other
over a network medium.
(Gallo & Hancock, 2001)

Part1 - Introduction 2
Idea of Networks

What is the idea

of a network?

Part1 - Introduction 3
Idea of Networks

The idea is to
communicate!

Part1 - Introduction 4
 Idea of Networks
To share information or receive a service
via a network, group members must be
able to communicate with each other.

Part1 - Introduction 5
 A Communications Model
 Source

Generates data to be transmitted
 Transmitter

Converts data into transmittable signals
 Transmission System

Carries data
 Receiver

Converts received signal into data
 Destination

Takes incoming data
Part1 - Introduction 6
Simplified Communications
Model - Diagram

Part1 - Introduction 7
Simplified Data
Communications Model

Part1 - Introduction 8
 1

Key Communications Tasks

 Transmission System Utilization

 Interfacing
 Signal Generation
 Synchronization
 Exchange Management
 Error detection and correction

Part1 - Introduction 9
 2

Key Communications Tasks

 Flow control
 Addressing and routing
 Recovery/ reliability
 Message formatting
 Security
 Network Management

Part1 - Introduction 10
 Types of Computer Networks 1
Classification based on perspectives:
 Message Capacity

Baseband, carrierband, broadband
 Range

LAN, MAN, WAN
 Node Relationships

peer-to-peer, server-based, and client/ server.
 Topology

Logical topologies: bus and ring.

Physical topologies: bus, star, ring, and star-wired
ring.

Part1 - Introduction 11
 Types of Computer Networks 2
 Architecture

Common LAN architectures: Ethernet (and the
very closely related 802.3), Token Ring,
ARCnet, and FDDI.
 Access Possibilities

shared-media networks

switching networks

Part1 - Introduction 12
 Geographical Area: 1
Local Area Network (LAN)

 Smaller scope

Room, building or campus
 IEEE quantifies LAN length as 10 km or
less in radius
 Usually owned by same organization as
attached devices

Part1 - Introduction 13
 Geographical Area: 2
Local Area Network (LAN)
 Typically a medium- to high-speed
connection

line speed is traditionally measured in
megabits/sec (Mbps), not megabytes/sec
(MB/sec). A megabit is 1,000,000 bits, not
1,048,576 (220) bits.
 Usually broadcast systems
 Examples: Ethernet/802.3, token ring and
FDDI
Part1 - Introduction 14
 Geographical Area: 3
Local Area Network

Staff printer N. Pillay J. Tapamo A. Pillay T. Reinhardt

H. Murrell

D. Moodley
VULTURE
(LAN-Manager)

J. Meyerowitz

A. Sartori-Angus G. Fenner-Barbour E. Dube J. Kinyua Secretary

Part1 - Introduction 15
 Geographical Area: 1
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

 New class of networks

 Connects computing resources that span a
metropolitan area, (in-between LAN and
WAN)

Local county or city
 Example: university with buildings located
throughout a city

each building has their independent LAN

LAN's are connected  MAN
Part1 - Introduction 16
 Geographical Area: 2
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
 not generally owned by a single company
 often high speed network to allows
sharing of regional resources
 often provides a shared connection to
other networks

Part1 - Introduction 17
 Geographical Area: 3
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
Local Area Network

Maritzburg

DC-LANs

Local Area Network

Metropolitan
Area Network
Local Area Network
Edgewood

Shepston-LANs

Part1 - Introduction 18
 Geographical Area:
Wide Area Network (WAN)
 Large geographical area (usually over 100 km)

Towns, cities, states and countries
 Consists of a number of interconnected switching
nodes

Transmission from any device is routed through these
internal nodes to the specified destination device.

Purpose of nodes is to provide switching facility that
will move the data from node to node until they reach
their destination.

Part1 - Introduction 19
 Geographical Area:
Wide Area Network (WAN)
 Public carrier facilities are used

Leasing communication circuits from telephone
companies or other communication carriers
 Examples of WANs include ISDN, frame
relay, Switched Multimegabit Data Service
(SMDS), and Asynchronous Transfer Mode
(ATM) networks.

Part1 - Introduction 20
Geographical Area:
Wide Area Network (WAN)
Local Area Network Local Area Network

Oxford University

Edgewood

Metropolitan
Area Network

W ide
Area Network

DC-LANs Metropolitan
Area Network
Metropolitan
Area Network

Local Area Network

Shepston-LANs UCT Student LAN

Local Area Network

Part1 - Introduction 21
 Simplified Network Model
Wide Area Network
Switching Node

Trans-
Trans- Trans- Desti-
Source mission
mitter mitter nation
system

Source System Destination System

Local Area Network

 Point-to-Point Network
 Consists of nodes that can only
communicate with adjacent nodes
 Communication with non-adjacent node,
indirectly via other adjacent nodes

A B C

Part1 - Introduction 23
 Broadcast Networks
 consists of nodes that share a single
communication channel
 data sent by one node is received by all
other nodes connected to the shared
communication channel
 only the destination host respond - all other
nodes discard the message

Part1 - Introduction 24
 Topologies: Star
 Star

involves a wiring center (or hub) to which all
hubs and nodes are connected and all data
must pass

Star

Part1 - Introduction 25
 Topologies: Loop

 Loop

modified star configuration

nodes are connected Loop
directly

every node has a link to
every other node 
complete loop (fully
meshed)

Part1 - Introduction 26
 Topologies: Tree

 Tree

consists of nodes
interconnected in
a hierarchical
configuration
Tree

Part1 - Introduction 27
 Topologies: Bus

 Bus

nodes are connected to the same channel

Bus

Part1 - Introduction 28
 Topologies: Ring

 Ring

can be configured as a logical ring over a physical
star, or as a logical ring over a physical ring

although data are passed from node to node,
rings are not point-to-point topology, because
nodes share the same communication channel

Part1 - Introduction 29
Topologies: Ring

Ring

logical ring logical ring

over a physical star over a physical ring

Part1 - Introduction 30
 Topologies: Satellite

 Satellite

nodes use an antenna to send and receive data

point-to-point from land based antenna to
satellite

broadcast from the satellite to one or more
ground stations

Part1 - Introduction 31
 Topologies: Satellite

Satellite

Home

Home
TV Company

University Business
Part1 - Introduction 32
 Switched Networks
 Classification

by the type of communication path they use

the manner in which data are transmitted
across this path
 Two particular classification

circuit-switched networks

packet-switched networks

Datagram packet switching

Virtual-circuit packet switching

Part1 - Introduction 33
 1
Switched Networks:
Circuit Switching



dedicated path is
obtained and established
between source and 
destination node for the
duration of the
conversation.

set up end-to-end path 
before sending data

e.g. telephone network

Part1 - Introduction 34
 2
Switched Networks:
Circuit Switching
FDM:

Network resources (e.g. 4 KHz
bandwidth) divided into
“pieces” link
4 KHz

pieces allocated to calls

resource piece idle if TDM:
not used by owning call
(no sharing) 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

dividing link bandwidth Slot Frame
into “pieces”

frequency division All slots labeled 2 are dedicated

time division to a specific sender-receiver pair.

Part1 - Introduction 35
 1
Switched Networks:
Packet Switching

 Data sent out in a sequence of small chunks

(packets)
 Each packet carries destination node address
and sequence number
 Packets passed (routed) from node to node
between source and destination

Part1 - Introduction 36
 2
Switched Networks:
Packet Switching

 At each node: entire packet is received,

stored briefly and transmitted to the next
node
 Used for terminal to computer and computer
to computer communications

Part1 - Introduction 37
 Routing in Data Networks

 Packet-switched network promote link

sharing by using

datagram packet-switching

virtual circuit packet-switching

Part1 - Introduction 38
 Routing in Data Networks:
Virtual Circuit Packet Switching

 nodes share communications channel

via a virtual circuit
 logical communication path instead of
physical
 packets follow the same communication
path in sequence
 links within this circuit can be used for
other transmission at the same time

Part1 - Introduction 39
 Routing in Data Networks:
Virtual Circuit Packet Switching
1 2 C
A 1| D5 1 4| D4
2| D6

1| D5
3
3| D3
4 3| D2
4| D4
5 6
7| D1

10 8
9| D3 7 B
8| D1
2
8| D2 9

D
A-B: A-1-2-4-5-6-7-B
C-D: C-3-2-4-5-8-9-10-D
Part1 - Introduction 40
 Routing in Data Networks:
Datagram Packet Switching
 datagram packet-switching

packets are transmitted independently

different packages from same message
can be transmitted across different
communication paths

packets mustn't be in order

destination node responsible for
reassembling packets in correct order
(sequence number)

e.g. Internet is packet-switched

Part1 - Introduction 41
 Routing in Data Networks:
Datagram Packet Switching
2
B| D1 A 1 B| D5
B| D2
B| D3
B| D4 3
B| D5 B| D4

4
5 6
B| D2

10 8 B| D1
B| D3
7 B
9

Part1 - Introduction 42
 Delay in Packet-Switched Networks
Packets experience delay one end-to-end path
 Four sources of delay at each hop:

 (1) Nodal processing  (2) Queuing Delay


check bit errors 
time waiting at output link for

determine output link transmission

depends on congestion level of
router
transmission
A
propagation

B
nodal queuing
processing
Part1 - Introduction 43
 Delay in Packet-Switched Networks

 (3) Transmission delay  (4) Propagation delay


This is the time needed to send 
This is the time taken for
all bits of a packet into link. the packet to traverse the
Depends on link rate and link. Depends on link length
packet length and propagation speed in
medium, ~ 2 x 10 8 m/s.

transmission
A
propagation

B
nodal queuing
processing
Part1 - Introduction 44
 Delay in Packet-Switched Networks

 Transmission delay and propagation

delay are independent- nothing to do
with each other.
 Total Delay=dproc + *dqueue+dtrans+dprop

Part1 - Introduction 45