Computer

Networks
By:
Dr Angela Khanna
Gold medalist WHO,
Medicine Surgery,
MBA Disaster Management
What is a Computer Network?
A group of computers which are connected to each other
and follow similar usage protocols for the purpose of
sharing information and having communications provided
by the networking nodes is called a Computer Network.

A network may be small where it may include just one

system or maybe as large as what one may want. The nodes
may further be classified into various types. These include:

Personal Computers
Servers
Networking Hardware
General Hosts
Types of Computer Networks
There are five main types of Computer Networks:

01 LAN (Local Area Network) –

Systems connected in a small network like in a
building or a small office.
It is inexpensive.
It uses Ethernet or Token-ring technology.
Two or more personal computers can be connected
through wires or cables acting as nodes.
Transfer of data is fast and is highly score.

02 PAN (Personal Area Network) –

The smallest computer network
Devices may be connected through Bluetooth or
other infra-red enables devices
It has a connectivity range of upto 10 metres
It covers an area of upto 30 feet
Personal devices belonging to a single person can
be connected to each other using PA

03
03 MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) –
A network that can be connected within a city, for example,
cable TV Connection
It can be in the form of Ethernet, ATM, Token-ring and FDDI
It has a higher range
This type of network can be used to connect citizens with the
various Organisations

04 WAN (Wide Area Network) –

A network which covers over a country or a larger range of people
Telephonic lines are also connected through WAN
Internet is the biggest WAN in the world
Mostly used by Government Organisations to manage data and
information

05 VPN (Virtual Private Network) –

A network which is constructed by using public wires to connect
to a private network
There are a number of systems which enable you to create
networks using the Internet as a medium for transporting data
These systems use encryptions and other security mechanisms to
ensure only authorized users can access
Network Devices
There are a few important network devices -
Network Repeater – Used to generate incoming
electrical, wireless or optical signals.
Network Hub – It is a small network device. It joins
multiple computers together to form a single network
segment. On this segment, all computers can interact
with each other.
Network Switch – It is a small hardware device which
joins multiple computers together with a single LAN
Network Router – This device interfaces in multiple
networks whose task is to copy packages from one
network to another. It provides connectivity inside
enterprises, between Enterprises and the Internet and
within an ISP.
Network Bridge – It reads the outermost section of the
data packet to tell where the message is going. It
reduces the traffic on other network segments.
Modem – This device converts digital signals into
analog signals. It is always placed between a telephone
and a computer system.
OSI Model & Its Layers in
Computer Network
The OSI Model or the Open Systems Interconnection Model is a
conceptual framework which describes the functions of a
networking system. It is used for the transfer of data over a
network which moves through different layers.

In the 1970s the OSI Model was proposed and in the year 1984, it was
published by the International Organisation of Standardization (ISO)
Using this model, troubleshooting has become easier as the error can be
detected at different levels
This also helps in understanding the relationship and function of the
software and hardware of a computer network
The concept that the OSI Model should be a seven-layer structure, was
proposed by Charles Bachman at Honeywell Information Systems
The model initially did gain much popularity as it could not support the
Internet protocol suite which was not acceptable to a lot of IT Companies
The seven layers of the structure are divided into two part: the upper
layer or the host layer and lower layer or the media layer
7 Layers of the OSI Model
01 Physical Layer 03 Network Layer
It is the bottom-most or the first layer of the OSI Model It acts as a network controller
It comprises the raw data which is further transmitted Transferring of variable data from one node to another,
to the higher layers of the structure. connected in a network, takes place at this layer.
Preparing the physical devices in the network and Each node has a specific address and the network layer
accepting the received data for transmission. ensures that the data is sent to its destination address.
The termination of connection between two nodes of a The data is sent in the form of fragments which are then
network also takes place at this stage. connected to each other once the processing is done.
This layer converts the digital bits into electrical, radio,
or optical signals.

02 Data Link Layer 04 Transport Layer

Access to get the data is achieved at this layer. The delivery of data packets is managed by the
It breaks the input data into frames which makes transport layer.
analysing the data easier. It manages the flow of data, segmentation and
Ensures that the data received is free of any errors. desegmentation and error control.
It controls the flow of data in the stipulated time. There are five classes of the transport protocol,
duration and along with a set speed of transmission. starting from 0 and continuing till 4 (TP0 to TP4).
The data is sent to the next layer in the form of packets Fragmentation and reassembly of data packets occur
which are then reviewed for further processing. that this stage.
 06 Presentation Layer
The data is converted into the syntax or semantics
which an application understands.
Before passing on the data any further, the data is
formatted at this stage.
Functions including compression, encryption,
compatible character code set, etc. are also done at
this layer of the model.
It serves as a data translator for the network.

05 Session Layer
07 Application Layer
The connection between the computers connected in a
network is managed at this layer. The interaction with the user or the user application
Establishment, management and termination between takes place at this stage.
the remote and local application takes place here. When identifying communication partners, the
Authentication and authorisation happen at this layer. application layer determines the identity and
This layer can also terminate or end any session or availability of communication partners for an
transmission which is complete. application with data to transmit.
Types of Internetworking
Internetworking primarily consists of three
units: Extranet, Internet, and Intranet.
Internet connections may or may not be
present on intranets and extranets. The
computer network or the extranet area
unit is typically protected from being
accessed from the internet if it is not
approved and if there is a link to the
internet. Although it should serve as a
portal for access to portions of the
associate degree extranet, the internet is
not considered to be a part of the
computer network or extranet.
Extranet
It’s a network of the internetwork with a
confined scope to one organisation or
institution but with limited links to one or
more other networks on occasion;
however, this is not always the case. It is
the lowest degree of internet usage and is
typically prohibited in extremely private
areas. An extranet may also be referred to
as a MAN, WAN, or another type of
network, but it cannot include a single
local area network; rather, it must make at
least one mention of an external network.
Intranet
The computer network can be a collection of
interconnected networks that employ the
internet protocol and IP based software like
web browsers as well as ftp tools, all of
which are controlled by a single body entity.
This body entity blocks access to the
computer network for the rest of the world
and only allows a select few users. this
network most frequently refers to internal
network of a business or other enterprise. To
provide users with browseable data, a large
computer network can typically have its own
internet server.
Internet
Internet is a specific internetworking that
connects governmental, academic, public,
and private networks on a global scale. It is
based on the ARPANET, which was created by
the ARPA (Advanced Research Projects
Agency) of the U.S. Defense Department. It is
also the location of the World Wide Web
(WWW) and is referred to as the “Internet” to
distinguish it from other generic
internetworking. Internet users and their
service providers utilise IP addresses
obtained from address registries that control
assignments.
Why Internetworking?
A few major issues, including duplicated resources, separated
LANs, and a lack of network administration, have led to the
evolution of internetworking. Transmission issues across
completely distinct offices or departments were caused by
isolated LANs. Duplication of resources required distinct support
staff and continual hardware and code to be delivered to each
business or department. Due to the absence of network
administration, there was no centralised system for managing or
troubleshooting networks.

At the link layer of a networking model, which is the hardware-

centric layer present below the number of TCP/IP logical
interfaces, another type of network interconnection typically
occurs between businesses. Network switches and bridges are
used to connect the various networks. However, the resulting
system is essentially a larger, single subnetwork, no
internetworking protocol, such as web protocol, is required to
traverse these devices. It is often wrongly referred to as
“internetworking.”
Challenges to Internetworking
There is no guarantee that useful internetwork will be
implemented. There are many difficult fields, especially in the
ones of dependability, connection, adaptability, and network
management. However, each and every one of these fields is
crucial to the creation of an efficient and cost-effective
internetwork. The challenges to internetworking include:
The first difficulty arises when we attempt to link several systems in
order to allow communication among various technologies. For
instance, completely distinct websites may employ various media or
function at various speeds.
Reliable service that must be maintained in the internetwork is
another crucial consideration. Organisations as a whole and
individual users alike rely on regular, dependable access to network
resources.
Centralised assistance and internet network troubleshooting should
be provided via network management. For the network to operate
smoothly, configuration, security, performance, and other issues
need to be addressed properly.
The most significant factor, flexibility, is crucial for network
expansion as well as new applications and services.
Network Devices
Parameters Intranet Extranet

It refers to a private network that the The extranet helps an organisation connect
Basics companies use for ensuring secure with its suppliers and customers. It thus
collaboration and communication among all helps different teams in an organisation to
the employees. work in collaboration.

Internal departments of a company and all Business partners, suppliers, and customers
Types of Users the employees of an organisation make use make use of the extranet.
of the intranet.

An intranet is used for establishing An extranet is used for sending emails,

Used for communication among internal employees, accessing data, checking the status of
used in telephone directories, and many various orders, and many more.
more.
It is highly secure in nature. It is configured It establishes a very secure connection using
Security in the firewall under the 100 security level. the VPN technology over the level of
Internal Medium security.

Regulating Authority A single organisation performs the Multiple organisations perform the
regulation of the intranet. regulation of the extranet.

Owners A single organisation owns it. Multiple organisations can own it.
Types of Topology
There are 5 popular types of topology -

01 Bus Topology
In a bus topology, every computer is connected to a
common bus. The bus is a single cable that carries
data from one computer to another. If one computer
wants to send data to another computer, it sends the
data on the bus. All computers on the bus can see the
data, but only the intended recipient will accept it.

02 Ring Topology
In a ring topology, every node is connected to two
other nodes, forming a loop. Data flows from one node
to the next in a continuous sequence. Ring topologies
are often used in fibre optic networks, where data can
be transmitted at high speeds with minimal
interference.
 04 Star Topology
In a star topology, each device on the network is
connected to a central hub. The hub acts as a
gateway, providing a single point of connection for
all devices on the network. Star topologies are
commonly used in home and small office networks.

05 Mesh Topology
In computer networking, mesh topology is a type of
network topology in which each node (computer or
other devices) is connected to every other node in the
03 Tree Topology network. A mesh topology is often used in large,
In a tree topology, there is a central root node from complex networks because it is highly redundant and
which all other nodes branch out. This type of can accommodate a large number of nodes. If one
topology is often used in bus topology networks. Tree node fails, the others can still communicate with each
topology can be extended to an arbitrary depth, but it other.
is usually only extended to two or three levels for the
sake of simplicity.
Thank
You