NETWORKING & INTERNET IN COMPUTERS

What is a Network?
A network consists of two or more computers that are linked in order to share
resources (such as printers and CDs), exchange files, or allow electronic
communications. The computers on a network may be linked through cables,
telephone lines, radio waves, satellites, or infrared light beams.

Two very common types of networks include:

• Local Area Network (LAN)

• Wide Area Network (WAN)
• Personal Area Network (PAN)
• Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN),
• Wireless LAN (WLAN), or a
• Wireless WAN (WWAN)

Network range Networks are typically classified by range as

follows(summary)

• Personal Area Network (PAN): A PAN is used for interconnecting devices

within a short range of approximately 10 meters. Examples include
Bluetooth technology or Apple’s Airdrop ad hoc Wi-Fi service.
• Local Area Network (LAN): Local area networks are among the most
widespread networks and are used in households or small and medium-sized
companies.
• Metropolitan Area Network (MAN): These types of networks cover cities
or single geographic regions.
• Wide Area Network (WAN): The nationwide broadband or cellular
network in the US is an example of a Wide Area Network.
• GAN (Global Area Network): The best known example of a global
network is the Internet.

Local Area Network

A Local Area Network (LAN) is a network that is confined to a relatively small
area. It is generally limited to a geographic area such as a writing lab, school, or
building.

Computers connected to a network are broadly categorized as servers or

workstations. Servers are generally not used by humans directly, but rather run
continuously to provide "services" to the other computers (and their human users)
on the network. Services provided can include printing and faxing, software
hosting, file storage and sharing, messaging, data storage and retrieval, complete
access control (security) for the network's resources, and many others.

On a single LAN, computers and servers may be connected by cables or wirelessly.

Wireless access to a wired network is made possible by wireless access points
(WAPs). These WAP devices provide a bridge between computers and networks.
A typical WAP might have the theoretical capacity to connect hundreds or even
thousands of wireless users to a network, although practical capacity might be far
less.

Wide Area Network

Wide Area Networks (WANs) connect networks in larger geographic areas, such
as Florida, the United States, or the world. Dedicated transoceanic cabling or
satellite uplinks may be used to connect this type of global network.

Using a WAN, schools in Florida can communicate with places like Tokyo in a
matter of seconds, without paying enormous phone bills. Two users a half-world
apart with workstations equipped with microphones and a webcams might
teleconference in real time. A WAN is complicated. It uses multiplexers, bridges,
and routers to connect local and metropolitan networks to global communications
networks like the Internet. To users, however, a WAN will not appear to be much
different than a LAN.

Network range

Networks are typically classified by range as follows(summary)

Personal Area Network (PAN): A PAN is used for interconnecting devices

within a short range of approximately 10 meters. Examples include Bluetooth
technology or Apple’s Airdrop ad hoc Wi-Fi service.
Local Area Network (LAN): Local area networks are among the most widespread
networks and are used in households or small and medium-sized companies.

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN): These types of networks cover cities or

single geographic regions.

Wide Area Network (WAN): The nationwide broadband or cellular network in

the US is an example of a Wide Area Network.

GAN (Global Area Network): The best known example of a global network is the
Internet.

Advantages /reasons for Installing a Network

User access control.

Modern networks almost always have one or more servers which allows
centralized management for users and for network resources to which they
have access. User credentials on a privately-owned and operated network
may be as simple as a user name and password, but with ever-increasing
attention to computing security issues, these servers are critical to ensuring
that sensitive information is only available to authorized users.
Information storing and sharing.
Computers allow users to create and manipulate information. Information
takes on a life of its own on a network. The network provides both a place to
store the information and mechanisms to share that information with other
network users.
Connections.
Administrators, instructors, and even students and guests can be connected
using the campus network.
Services.
The school can provide services, such as registration, school directories,
course schedules, access to research, and email accounts, and many others.
(Remember, network services are generally provided by servers).
Internet.
 The school can provide network users with access to the internet, via an
internet gateway.
Computing resources.
The school can provide access to special purpose computing devices which
individual users would not normally own. For example, a school network
might have high-speed high quality printers strategically located around a
campus for instructor or student use.
Flexible Access.
School networks allow students to access their information from connected
devices throughout the school. Students can begin an assignment in their
classroom, save part of it on a public access area of the network, then go to
the media center after school to finish their work. Students can also work
cooperatively through the network.
Workgroup Computing.
Collaborative software allows many users to work on a document or project
concurrently. For example, educators located at various schools within a
county could simultaneously contribute their ideas about new curriculum
standards to the same document, spreadsheets, or website.

Disadvantages of Installing Network

Expensive to Install.
Large campus networks can carry hefty price tags. Cabling, network cards, routers,
bridges, firewalls, wireless access points, and software can get expensive, and the
installation would certainly require the services of technicians. But, with the ease
of setup of home networks, a simple network with internet access can be setup for
a small campus in an afternoon.
Requires Administrative Time.
Proper maintenance of a network requires considerable time and expertise. Many
schools have installed a network, only to find that they did not budget for the
necessary administrative support.
Servers Fail.
 Although a network server is no more susceptible to failure than any other
computer, when the files server "goes down" the entire network may come
to a halt. Good network design practices say that critical network services
(provided by servers) should be redundant on the network whenever
possible.
Cables May Break.
The Topology chapter presents information about the various configurations of
cables. Some of the configurations are designed to minimize the inconvenience of
a broken cable; with other configurations, one broken cable can stop the entire
network.
Security and compliance.
Network security is expensive. It is also very important. A school network
would possibly be subject to more stringent security requirements than a
similarly-sized corporate network, because of its likelihood of storing
personal and confidential information of network users, the danger of which
can be compounded if any network users are minors. A great deal of
attention must be paid to network services to ensure all network content is
appropriate for the network community it serves.
 Network Topology

Network Topology is the schematic description of a network arrangement,

connecting various nodes(sender and receiver) through lines of connection.

BUS Topology

Bus topology is a network type in which every computer and network device is
connected to single cable. When it has exactly two endpoints, then it is
called Linear Bus topology.

Features of Bus Topology

1. It transmits data only in one direction.

2. Every device is connected to a single cable
Advantages of Bus Topology

1. It is cost effective.

2. Cable required is least compared to other network topology.

3. Used in small networks.

4. It is easy to understand.
 5. Easy to expand joining two cables together.

Disadvantages of Bus Topology

1. Cables fails then whole network fails.

2. If network traffic is heavy or nodes are more the performance of

the network decreases.

3. Cable has a limited length.

4. It is slower than the ring topology.

RING Topology

It is called ring topology because it forms a ring as each computer is

connected to another computer, with the last one connected to the
first. Exactly two neighbours for each device.
Features of Ring Topology

1. A number of repeaters are used for Ring topology with large

number of nodes, because if someone wants to send some data
to the last node in the ring topology with 100 nodes, then the
data will have to pass through 99 nodes to reach the 100th node.
Hence to prevent data loss repeaters are used in the network.

2. The transmission is unidirectional, but it can be made

bidirectional by having 2 connections between each Network
Node, it is called Dual Ring Topology.

3. In Dual Ring Topology, two ring networks are formed, and data
flow is in opposite direction in them. Also, if one ring fails, the
second ring can act as a backup, to keep the network up.
 4. Data is transferred in a sequential manner that is bit by bit. Data
transmitted, has to pass through each node of the network, till
the destination node.

Advantages of Ring Topology

1. Transmitting network is not affected by high traffic or by adding

more nodes, as only the nodes having tokens can transmit data.

2. Cheap to install and expand

Disadvantages of Ring Topology

1. Troubleshooting is difficult in ring topology.

2. Adding or deleting the computers disturbs the network activity.

3. Failure of one computer disturbs the whole network.

STAR Topology

In this type of topology all the computers are connected to a single

hub through a cable. This hub is the central node and all others nodes
are connected to the central node.
Features of Star Topology

1. Every node has its own dedicated connection to the hub.

2. Hub acts as a repeater for data flow.

3. Can be used with twisted pair, Optical Fibre or coaxial cable.

Advantages of Star Topology

1. Fast performance with few nodes and low network traffic.

2. Hub can be upgraded easily.

3. Easy to troubleshoot.

4. Easy to setup and modify.

5. Only that node is affected which has failed, rest of the nodes can
work smoothly.
Disadvantages of Star Topology

1. Cost of installation is high.

2. Expensive to use.

3. If the hub fails then the whole network is stopped because all the
nodes depend on the hub.

4. Performance is based on the hub that is it depends on its

capacity

MESH Topology

It is a point-to-point connection to other nodes or devices. All the

network nodes are connected to each other. Mesh has n(n-
1)/2 physical channels to link n devices.

There are two techniques to transmit data over the Mesh topology,
they are :

1. Routing

2. Flooding

MESH Topology: Routing

In routing, the nodes have a routing logic, as per the network

requirements. Like routing logic to direct the data to reach the
destination using the shortest distance. Or, routing logic which has
information about the broken links, and it avoids those node etc. We
can even have routing logic, to re-configure the failed nodes.
MESH Topology: Flooding

In flooding, the same data is transmitted to all the network nodes,

hence no routing logic is required. The network is robust, and the its
very unlikely to lose the data. But it leads to unwanted load over the
network.

Types of Mesh Topology

1. Partial Mesh Topology : In this topology some of the systems

are connected in the same fashion as mesh topology but some
devices are only connected to two or three devices.

2. Full Mesh Topology : Each and every nodes or devices are

connected to each other.

Features of Mesh Topology

1. Fully connected.

2. Robust.
 3. Not flexible.

Advantages of Mesh Topology

1. Each connection can carry its own data load.

2. It is robust.

3. Fault is diagnosed easily.

4. Provides security and privacy.

Disadvantages of Mesh Topology

1. Installation and configuration is difficult.

2. Cabling cost is more.

3. Bulk wiring is required.

TREE Topology

It has a root node and all other nodes are connected to it forming a
hierarchy. It is also called hierarchical topology. It should at least have
three levels to the hierarchy.
Features of Tree Topology

1. Ideal if workstations are located in groups.

2. Used in Wide Area Network.

Advantages of Tree Topology

1. Extension of bus and star topologies.

2. Expansion of nodes is possible and easy.

3. Easily managed and maintained.

4. Error detection is easily done.

Disadvantages of Tree Topology

1. Heavily cabled.

2. Costly.

3. If more nodes are added maintenance is difficult.

 4. Central hub fails, network fails.

HYBRID Topology

It is two different types of topologies which is a mixture of two or

more topologies. For example if in an office in one department ring
topology is used and in another star topology is used, connecting
these topologies will result in Hybrid Topology (ring topology and star
topology).
Features of Hybrid Topology

1. It is a combination of two or topologies

2. Inherits the advantages and disadvantages of the topologies

included
Advantages of Hybrid Topology

1. Reliable as Error detecting and trouble shooting is easy.

2. Effective.

3. Scalable as size can be increased easily.

4. Flexible.

Disadvantages of Hybrid Topology

1. Complex in design.

2. Costly.

INTERNET
The internet is a global connection of computers. These computers are connected
via a huge network of telecommunication links. The internet allows you to access
to a whole resource of data and information stored at different sites (called hosts)
and locations around the world. The communication links which inter connect each
host computer use a common method of transmission known as TCP/IP,
which stands for Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol.
Internet connection helps us to:
1. Read information on a wide range of topics
2. Send or receive E-mail
3. Down load useful programs such as virus detectors, file compression,
decompression utility etc.,
4. Share your opinions and your knowledge on a variety of topics through various
new groups.
5. Chat with other people any where in the world
6. View interesting video‘s listen to music or wander through a 3-D world.
Requirements for connecting to the Internet:
a) Modem: A modem is a peripheral device that allows a computer to connect and
communicate with other computers. Modem stands for Modulator Demodulator.
b) Web Browser: A browser is a software program that is necessary in order to view
web pages on the web. Ex: Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Mozilla Firefox,
Microsoft outlook express etc.
c) Telephone line: A telephone line is required to transfer data from one computer
to another. The computer is connected to a modem, which, in turn, connected to a
telephone line.
d) Subscription with Internet service provider (ISP): ISP‘s are companies that
provide access to the internet. We need subscription with any ISP to get an Internet
connection.
Some of the ISPs in India are VSNL, MTNL, Sify, Specrta Net etc.
World Wide Web (WWW):
It refers to the collection of information accessible on the internet. The web is
similar to a library. It consists of millions & millions of pages of text, pictures, sounds
and animation on various topics. These pages, called web pages are stored on
different computers that are connected to the internet. The web pages have links
between them i.e when we click a certain word or picture in a page, it will take us
to another page. These words or pictures that help to move from one page to
another are called hyperlinks.
A collection of related web pages is known as a web site. A web site can be accessed
by means of a unique name assigned to it.
Internet was initially designed for the transmission of text basing on the protocols
mentioned.
In order to transmit a graphically designed web page complete with pictures,
embedded sound and animation a special language was designed which is referred
to as Hyper Text Mark up Language
(HTML). HTML uses special text codes to define the various elements of a web page.
The WWW support a protocol called Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP). All
internet servers cannot support HTTP and so the web can be regarded as a subset
of the larger internet.
HTTP provides a method of transmitting a professionally laid out page over the text-
based internet.
Uniform Resource Locator: (URL): Each web site has a unique address commonly
referred to as a URL. A URL specifies the exact location of the web page on the
internet.
A typical web address or URL looks as
http:// www.microsoft.com/catalog/navigation.asp
Explanation of the example URL:
URL Element Explanation
http Identifies protocol necessary to retrieve the file.
WWW Indicates that the site is on the world wide web
Microsoft Indicates the name of the web site
.com Indicates the domain type of the web site
/catalog/navigation.asp Specifies the path of the file stored on the web server‘s
hard disk
E-Mail
E-mail or electronic mail is a service for sending or receiving messages electronically
through a computer network. The electronic mail uses various technologies that
support electronic transmission of text, data and graphics.
Some of the features of E-mail are;
1. it is much faster than the normal mail. Messages can be sent within a matter of
seconds to any part in the world.
2. it can be sent to many people at the same time
3. E-mail is cheaper than a phone call and an ordinary mail
4. it can access information and file libraries on request
5. E-mail user can have a mail box which is accessed through a computer terminal
6. an E-mail message consists of two parts
a) a header specifying the address of the sender and the address of the receiver
b) the text of the message
7. The mailing system allows selecting messages for reading, displaying, saving,
deleting, forwarding and replying.
8. Mailing list can be created to send the same message to a group of people
E-Mail Address: An E-Mail address consists of three parts;
1. The person‘s Login name
2. @ sign
3. Domain name
A domain represents organization, network, and country name
Ex: [email protected] in this Statistics is the user name and his account is in
the domain hotmail.com. Both the names are separated by the @symbol.
Search Engines :
Search engines are utilities used to search for information on the web. A user
interface is provided where you can enter the word or phrase you are searching
for. The search engine looks for the keywords we have entered and returns the
results of the search, providing links to relevant Web sites for us to choose from.
Some commonly used search engines are MSN, Alta Vista, Google, Yahoo! search
and Infoseek etc.