Basics of Computer Networking

What is a Computer Network?

A computer network is a collection of interconnected devices that share resources and
information. These devices can include computers, servers, printers, and other hardware.
Networks allow for the efficient exchange of data, enabling various applications such as
email, file sharing, and internet browsing.

How Does a Computer Network Work?

Basics building blocks of a Computer network are Nodes and Links. A Network Node can be
illustrated as Equipment for Data Communication like a Modem, Router, etc., or Equipment of
a Data Terminal like connecting two computers or more. Link in Computer Networks can be
defined as wires or cables or free space of wireless networks.
The working of Computer Networks can be simply defined as rules or protocols which help in
sending and receiving data via the links which allow Computer networks to communicate.
Each device has an IP Address, that helps in identifying a device.

Basic Terminologies of Computer Networks

Network: A network is a collection of computers and devices that are connected
together to enable communication and data exchange.
Nodes: Nodes are devices that are connected to a network. These can include
computers, Servers, Printers, Routers, Switches, and other devices.
Protocol: A protocol is a set of rules and standards that govern how data is
transmitted over a network. Examples of protocols include TCP/IP, HTTP, and FTP.
Topology: Network topology refers to the physical and logical arrangement of
nodes on a network. The common network topologies include bus, star, ring, mesh,
and tree.
Service Provider Networks: These types of Networks give permission to take
Network Capacity and Functionality on lease from the Provider. Service Provider
Networks include Wireless Communications, Data Carriers, etc.
IP Address: An IP address is a unique numerical identifier that is assigned to every
device on a network. IP addresses are used to identify devices and enable
communication between them.
 DNS: The Domain Name System (DNS) is a protocol that is used to translate
human-readable domain names (such as www.google.com) into IP addresses that
computers can understand.
Firewall: A firewall is a security device that is used to monitor and control incoming
and outgoing network traffic. Firewalls are used to protect networks from
unauthorized access and other security threats.

Types of Enterprise Computer Networks

LAN: A Local Area Network (LAN) is a network that covers a small area, such as
an office or a home. LANs are typically used to connect computers and other
devices within a building or a campus.
WAN: A Wide Area Network (WAN) is a network that covers a large geographic
area, such as a city, country, or even the entire world. WANs are used to connect
LANs together and are typically used for long-distance communication.

These are just a few basic concepts of computer networking. Networking is a vast
and complex field, and there are many more concepts and technologies involved in
building and maintaining networks. Now we are going to discuss some more
concepts on Computer Networking. Architecture in which Nodes can be Servers or
Clients. Here, the server node can manage the Client Node Behaviour.

Open system: A system that is connected to the network and is ready for
communication.
Closed system: A system that is not connected to the network and can’t be
communicated with.

Types of Computer Network Architecture

Computer Network falls under these broad Categories:
Client-Server Architecture: Client-Server Architecture is a type of Computer Network
Peer-to-Peer Architecture: In P2P (Peer-to-Peer) Architecture, there is not any
concept of a Central Server. Each device is free for working as either client or server.
Network Topology
The Network Topology is the layout arrangement of the different devices in a network. Some
types of network topologies are:
Bus Topology: In bus topology all devices are connected to a single central cable
called a bus. Data is sent along this cable and all devices share the same connection.
Simple and cheap to set up but if the main cable fails the whole network goes down.
Star Topology: In star topology all devices are connected to a central node called hub
or switch. The hub controls the flow of data between devices. If one device fails the
rest of the network is unaffected. But, if the central hub fails the whole network stops
working.
Ring Topology: In ring topology devices are connected in a circular loop with each
device connected to two others. Data travels in one direction (or sometimes both)
passing through each device until it reaches its destination. A failure in one device can
affect the whole network.
Mesh Topology: In mesh topology every device is connected to every other device in
the network. It provides multiple paths for data so if one path fails another can take
over.
Tree Topology: Tree topology is the combination of star and bus topology. Tree
topology is good for organizing large networks and allows for easy expansion.
Hybrid Topology: Hybrid topology is the combination of two or more different
topologies (like star and mesh). It is flexible and can be customized based on the
network’s specific needs.

Network Devices (Hub, Repeater, Bridge,

Switch, Router, Gateways and Brouter)
Network devices are physical devices that allow hardware on a computer network to
communicate and interact with each other. Network devices like hubs, repeaters, bridges,
switches, routers, gateways, and brouters help manage and direct data flow in a network.
They ensure efficient communication between connected devices by controlling data transfer,
boosting signals, and linking different networks. Each device serves a specific role, from
simple data forwarding to complex routing between networks. In this article, we are going to
discuss different types of network devices in detail.
Functions of Network Devices
Network devices help to send and receive data between different devices.
Network devices allow devices to connect to the network efficiently and securely.
Network devices Improve network speed and manage data flow better.
It protect the network by controlling access and preventing threats.
Expand the network range and solve signal problems.

Common Types of Networking Devices and Their Uses

Network devices work as a mediator between two devices for transmission of data, and thus
play a very important role in the functioning of a computer network. Below are some common
network devices used in modern networks:

Access Point
An access point in networking is a device that allows wireless devices, like smartphones and
laptops, to connect to a wired network. It creates a Wi-Fi network that lets wireless devices
communicate with the internet or other devices on the network. Access points are used to
extend the range of a network or provide Wi-Fi in areas that do not have it. They are
commonly found in homes, offices, and public places to provide wireless internet access.

Modems
Modems is also known as modulator/demodulator is a network device that is used to
convert digital signal into analog signal of different frequencies and transmits these signal to a
modem at the receiving location. These converted signals can be transmitted over the cable
systems, telephone lines, and other communication mediums. A modem is also used to
convert analog signal back into digital signal. Modems are generally used to access internet
by customers of an Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Types of Modems
There are four main types of modems:
DSL Modem: Uses regular phone lines to connect to the internet but it is slower
compared to other types.
Cable Modem: Sends data through TV cables, providing faster internet than DSL.
Wireless Modem: Connects devices to the internet using Wi-Fi relying on nearby
Wi-Fi signals.
 Cellular Modem: Connects to the internet using mobile data from a cellular network
not Wi-Fi or fixed cables.

Firewalls
A firewall is a network security device that monitors and controls the flow of data between
your computer or network and the internet. It acts as a barrier, blocking unauthorized access
while allowing trusted data to pass through. Firewalls help protect your network from hackers,
viruses, and other online threats by filtering traffic based on security rules. Firewalls can be
physical devices (hardware), programs (software), or even cloud-based services, which can
be offered as SaaS, through public clouds, or private virtual clouds.

Repeater
Its job is to amplify (i.e., regenerate) the signal over the same network before the signal
becomes too weak or corrupted to extend the length to which the signal can be transmitted
over the same network. When the signal becomes weak, they copy it bit by bit and regenerate
it at its star topology connectors connecting following the original strength. It is a 2-port
device.

Hub
A hub is a multi-port repeater. A hub connects multiple wires coming from different branches,
for example, the connector in star topology which connects different stations. Hubs cannot
filter data, so data packets are sent to all connected devices. In other words, the collision
domain of all hosts connected through Hub remains one. Also, they do not have the
intelligence to find out the best path for data packets which leads to inefficiencies and
wastage.

Types of Hub
Active Hub: These are the hubs that have their power supply and can clean, boost,
and relay the signal along with the network. It serves both as a repeater as well as a
wiring center. These are used to extend the maximum distance between nodes.
Passive Hub: These are the hubs that collect wiring from nodes and power supply
from the active hub. These hubs relay signals onto the network without cleaning and
boosting them and can’t be used to extend the distance between nodes.
Intelligent Hub: It works like an active hub and includes remote management
capabilities. They also provide flexible data rates to network devices. It also enables an
administrator to monitor the traffic passing through the hub and to configure each port
in the hub.
Bridge
A bridge is a repeater, with add on the functionality of filtering content by reading the MAC
addresses of the source and destination. It is also used for interconnecting two LANs working
on the same protocol. It has a single input and single output port, thus making it a 2 port
device.

Switch
A switch is a multiport bridge with a buffer and a design that can boost its efficiency(a large
number of ports imply less traffic) and performance. A switch is a data link layer device. The
switch can perform error checking before forwarding data, which makes it very efficient as it
does not forward packets that have errors and forward good packets selectively to the correct
port only. In other words, the switch divides the collision domain of hosts, but the broadcast
domain remains the same.

Router
A router is a device like a switch that routes data packets based on their IP addresses. The
router is mainly a Network Layer device. Routers normally connect LANs and WANs and have
a dynamically updating routing table based on which they make decisions on routing the data
packets. The router divides the broadcast domains of hosts connected through it.

Gateway
A gateway, as the name suggests, is a passage to connect two networks that may work upon
different networking models. They work as messenger agents that take data from one system,
interpret it, and transfer it to another system. Gateways are also called protocol converters
and can operate at any network layer. Gateways are generally more complex than switches or
routers.

Brouter
It is also known as the bridging router is a device that combines features of both bridge and
router. It can work either at the data link layer or a network layer. Working as a router, it is
capable of routing packets across networks and working as the bridge, it is capable of filtering
local area network traffic.

NIC
NIC or network interface card is a network adapter that is used to connect the computer to the
network. It is installed in the computer to establish a LAN. It has a unique id that is written on
the chip, and it has a connector to connect the cable to it. The cable acts as an interface
between the computer and the router or modem. NIC card is a layer 2 device which means
that it works on both the physical and data link layers of the network model.