Data Communications and Computer Networks

CH-01
Concepts of Data Communications

Mettu University
College of Engineering and Technology
Department of Information Technology

July 23, 2022

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Lecture Topics : #

1 Data Communications
Components of Data Communication
Data Representation
Data Flow

2 Networks
Network Criteria
Physical Topology
Categories of Networks
Interconnection of Networks: Internetwork

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 Data Communications

Outline

1 Data Communications
Components of Data Communication
Data Representation
Data Flow

2 Networks
Network Criteria
Physical Topology
Categories of Networks
Interconnection of Networks: Internetwork

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 Data Communications

Data Communications

• When we communicate, we are sharing information.

• This sharing can be local or remote.
• Between individuals, local communication usually occurs face to face,
while remote communication takes place over distance.
• The term telecommunication, which includes telephony, telegraphy,
and television,
• …means communication at a distance (tele is Greek for ”far”)
• The word data refers to information presented in whatever form is
agreed upon by the parties creating and using the data

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 Data Communications

Data Communications …

• Data communications are the exchange of data between two devices

via some form of transmission medium such as a wire cable.
• For data communications to occur,
• …the communicating devices must be part of a communication system
made up of a combination of hardware (physical equipment) and
software (programs).

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 Data Communications

Data Communications … I

• The effectiveness of a data communications system depends on four

fundamental characteristics:
1 Delivery
• …the system must deliver data to the correct destination.
• …Data must be received by the intended device or user and only by
that device or user.
2 Accuracy
• …the system must deliver the data accurately.
• …Data that have been altered in transmission and left uncorrected are
unusable
3 Timeliness
• …the system must deliver data in a timely manner.
• …Data delivered late are useless.
• In the case of video and audio, timely delivery means delivering data as
they are produced, in the same order that they are produced, and
without significant delay.
• This kind of delivery is called real-time transmission.

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 Data Communications

Data Communications … II

4 Jitter
• …refers to the variation in the packet arrival time, it should be kept
minimum.
• It is the uneven delay in the delivery of audio or video packets.
• For example, let us assume that video packets are sent every 3D ms.
• If some of the packets arrive with 3D-ms delay and others with 4D-ms
delay, an uneven quality in the video is the result.

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 Data Communications Components of Data Communication

Outline

1 Data Communications
Components of Data Communication
Data Representation
Data Flow

2 Networks

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 Data Communications Components of Data Communication

Components of Data Communication

• Data communications is the transfer of data or information between a

source and a receiver.
• The source transmits the data and the receiver receives it.
• Data communication is concerned with the transfer of data, the
method of transfer and the preservation of the data during the
transfer process.

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 Data Communications Components of Data Communication

Components of Data Communication …

• Functionally, a data communication system consists of the following

five components:

Figure: Five components of Data communication

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 Data Communications Components of Data Communication

Components of Data Communication …

1 Message
• Message is the information to be communicated.
• Popular forms of information include text, numbers, pictures, audio,
and video.
2 Sender
• Sender is a device that sends the message.
• It can be a computer, workstation, telephone handset, video camera,
and so on.
• Normally, a computer is used as sender in data communication systems.
• It is also called source or transmitter.
3 Receiver
• …the device that receives the message.
• It can be a computer, telephone handset, video camera, etc.
• …It is also called sink.

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 Data Communications Components of Data Communication

Components of Data Communication …

4 Medium
• Medium is the physical path that connects sender and receiver.
• It is used to transmit data.
• The medium can be a copper wire, a fiber optic cable, microwaves, etc.
5 Protocol
• set of rules that govern data communications.
• It represents an agreement between the communicating devices.
• Without protocol, the devices may be connected but not
communicating.

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 Data Communications Data Representation

Outline

1 Data Communications
Components of Data Communication
Data Representation
Data Flow

2 Networks

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 Data Communications Data Representation

Data Representation

• Information today comes in different forms such as:

• Text
• Numbers
• Images
• Audio
• Video

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 Data Communications Data Representation

Data Representation …

Text
• In data communications, text is represented as a bit pattern, a
sequence of bits (Os or 1s).
• Different sets of bit patterns have been designed to represent text
symbols.
• Each set is called a code, and the process of representing symbols is
called coding
• Today, the prevalent coding system is called Unicode, which uses 32
bits to represent a symbol or character used in any language in the
world.
• The American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII),
• …constitutes the first 127 characters in Unicode and is also referred to
as Basic Latin.

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 Data Communications Data Representation

Data Representation …

Numbers
• Numbers are also represented by bit patterns.
• However, a code such as ASCII is not used to represent numbers;
• …the number is directly converted to a binary number to simplify
mathematical operations

Images
• Images are also represented by bit patterns.
• In its simplest form, an image is composed of a matrix of pixels
(picture elements), where each pixel is a small dot.
• The size of the pixel depends on the resolution.

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 Data Communications Data Representation

Data Representation …

Numbers
• Numbers are also represented by bit patterns.
• However, a code such as ASCII is not used to represent numbers;
• …the number is directly converted to a binary number to simplify
mathematical operations

Images
• Images are also represented by bit patterns.
• In its simplest form, an image is composed of a matrix of pixels
(picture elements), where each pixel is a small dot.
• The size of the pixel depends on the resolution.

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 Data Communications Data Representation

Data Representation …

Audio
• Audio refers to the recording or broadcasting of sound or music.
• Audio is by nature different from text, numbers, or images.
• It is continuous, not discrete.
• Even when we use a microphone to change voice or music to an
electric signal, we create a continuous signal.

Video
• Video refers to the recording or broadcasting of a picture or movie.
• Video can either be produced as a continuous entity (e.g., by a TV
camera),
• …or it can be a combination of images, each a discrete entity,
arranged to convey the idea of motion.

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 Data Communications Data Representation

Data Representation …

Audio
• Audio refers to the recording or broadcasting of sound or music.
• Audio is by nature different from text, numbers, or images.
• It is continuous, not discrete.
• Even when we use a microphone to change voice or music to an
electric signal, we create a continuous signal.

Video
• Video refers to the recording or broadcasting of a picture or movie.
• Video can either be produced as a continuous entity (e.g., by a TV
camera),
• …or it can be a combination of images, each a discrete entity,
arranged to convey the idea of motion.

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 Data Communications Data Flow

Outline

1 Data Communications
Components of Data Communication
Data Representation
Data Flow

2 Networks

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 Data Communications Data Flow

Data Flow

• Communication between two devices can be:

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 Data Communications Data Flow

Data Flow …

Simplex
• In simplex mode, the communication is unidirectional, as on a
one-way street.
• Only one of the two devices on a link can transmit;
• …the other can only receive

• Keyboards and traditional monitors are examples of simplex devices.

• …The keyboard can only introduce input; the monitor can only accept
output.
• The simplex mode can use the entire capacity of the channel to send
data in one direction.

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 Data Communications Data Flow

Data Flow …

Half-Duplex
• each station can both transmit and receive, but not at the same time.
• When one device is sending, the other can only receive, and vice versa.
• In a half-duplex transmission, the entire capacity of a channel is taken
over by whichever of the two devices is transmitting at the time.
• Walkie-talkies and CB (citizens band) radios are both half-duplex
systems.
• The half-duplex mode is used in cases where there is no need for
communication in both directions at the same time;
• …the entire capacity of the channel can be utilized for each direction.

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 Data Communications Data Flow

Data Flow …

Full-Duplex
• In full-duplex mode, both stations can transmit and receive
simultaneously
• It is like a two-way street with traffic flowing in both directions at the
same time.
• …signals going in one direction share the capacity of the link:
→ with signals going in the other direction.
• This sharing can occur in two ways:
→ Either the link must contain two physically separate transmission
paths,
• …one for sending and the other for receiving;
• …or the capacity of the channel is divided between signals traveling in
both directions.
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 Data Communications Data Flow

Data Flow …

Full-Duplex …
• One common example of full-duplex communication is the telephone
network.
• When two people are communicating by a telephone line, both can
talk and listen at the same time.
• The full-duplex mode is used when communication in both directions
is required all the time.
• The capacity of the channel, however, must be divided between the
two directions.

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 Networks

Outline

1 Data Communications
Components of Data Communication
Data Representation
Data Flow

2 Networks
Network Criteria
Physical Topology
Categories of Networks
Interconnection of Networks: Internetwork

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 Networks

Networks

• A network is a set of devices (often referred to as nodes) connected

by communication links.
• A node can be a computer, printer, or any other device capable of
sending and/or receiving data generated by other nodes on the
network

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 Networks

Networks …

• While one computer can be useful on its own, several computers

networked together can be much more useful.
• The main purpose of computer networks is to enable people to
exchange data and information.
• In the business context, computer networks can be a real asset.
• This includes:
• …storage and retrieval of information,
• …reducing the need for paper traffic and record keeping in paper format,
• …as well as rationalizing the time that staff spends producing
correspondence and accounts.

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 Networks

Networks …

• In a business context the following uses are typical.

• Share resources such as printer.
• Share data on a central server, where all data is collected.
• Communicate via e-mail.
• Exchange information via an internal network.
• Allow all staff access to the Internet.
• Use the network and the Internet to allow staff access to business data
from anywhere in the world
• Integrate the whole business operation into a networked operation,
• …including sales activity, stock holding, quotations,
• …ordering raw materials, control the production process,
• …process invoices, process all the accounts, analyze business
performance, quality control, etc.

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 Networks

Networks …

• In a business context the following uses are typical.

• Share resources such as printer.
• Share data on a central server, where all data is collected.
• Communicate via e-mail.
• Exchange information via an internal network.
• Allow all staff access to the Internet.
• Use the network and the Internet to allow staff access to business data
from anywhere in the world
• Integrate the whole business operation into a networked operation,
• …including sales activity, stock holding, quotations,
• …ordering raw materials, control the production process,
• …process invoices, process all the accounts, analyze business
performance, quality control, etc.

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 Networks

Networks …

• In a business context the following uses are typical.

• Share resources such as printer.
• Share data on a central server, where all data is collected.
• Communicate via e-mail.
• Exchange information via an internal network.
• Allow all staff access to the Internet.
• Use the network and the Internet to allow staff access to business data
from anywhere in the world
• Integrate the whole business operation into a networked operation,
• …including sales activity, stock holding, quotations,
• …ordering raw materials, control the production process,
• …process invoices, process all the accounts, analyze business
performance, quality control, etc.

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 Networks

Networks …

• In a business context the following uses are typical.

• Share resources such as printer.
• Share data on a central server, where all data is collected.
• Communicate via e-mail.
• Exchange information via an internal network.
• Allow all staff access to the Internet.
• Use the network and the Internet to allow staff access to business data
from anywhere in the world
• Integrate the whole business operation into a networked operation,
• …including sales activity, stock holding, quotations,
• …ordering raw materials, control the production process,
• …process invoices, process all the accounts, analyze business
performance, quality control, etc.

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 Networks

Networks …

• In a business context the following uses are typical.

• Share resources such as printer.
• Share data on a central server, where all data is collected.
• Communicate via e-mail.
• Exchange information via an internal network.
• Allow all staff access to the Internet.
• Use the network and the Internet to allow staff access to business data
from anywhere in the world
• Integrate the whole business operation into a networked operation,
• …including sales activity, stock holding, quotations,
• …ordering raw materials, control the production process,
• …process invoices, process all the accounts, analyze business
performance, quality control, etc.

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 Networks

Networks …

• In a business context the following uses are typical.

• Share resources such as printer.
• Share data on a central server, where all data is collected.
• Communicate via e-mail.
• Exchange information via an internal network.
• Allow all staff access to the Internet.
• Use the network and the Internet to allow staff access to business data
from anywhere in the world
• Integrate the whole business operation into a networked operation,
• …including sales activity, stock holding, quotations,
• …ordering raw materials, control the production process,
• …process invoices, process all the accounts, analyze business
performance, quality control, etc.

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 Networks

Networks …

• In a business context the following uses are typical.

• Share resources such as printer.
• Share data on a central server, where all data is collected.
• Communicate via e-mail.
• Exchange information via an internal network.
• Allow all staff access to the Internet.
• Use the network and the Internet to allow staff access to business data
from anywhere in the world
• Integrate the whole business operation into a networked operation,
• …including sales activity, stock holding, quotations,
• …ordering raw materials, control the production process,
• …process invoices, process all the accounts, analyze business
performance, quality control, etc.

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 Networks

Networks …

• In a business context the following uses are typical.

• Share resources such as printer.
• Share data on a central server, where all data is collected.
• Communicate via e-mail.
• Exchange information via an internal network.
• Allow all staff access to the Internet.
• Use the network and the Internet to allow staff access to business data
from anywhere in the world
• Integrate the whole business operation into a networked operation,
• …including sales activity, stock holding, quotations,
• …ordering raw materials, control the production process,
• …process invoices, process all the accounts, analyze business
performance, quality control, etc.

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 Networks

Networks …

• In a business context the following uses are typical.

• Share resources such as printer.
• Share data on a central server, where all data is collected.
• Communicate via e-mail.
• Exchange information via an internal network.
• Allow all staff access to the Internet.
• Use the network and the Internet to allow staff access to business data
from anywhere in the world
• Integrate the whole business operation into a networked operation,
• …including sales activity, stock holding, quotations,
• …ordering raw materials, control the production process,
• …process invoices, process all the accounts, analyze business
performance, quality control, etc.

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 Networks

Networks …

• In a business context the following uses are typical.

• Share resources such as printer.
• Share data on a central server, where all data is collected.
• Communicate via e-mail.
• Exchange information via an internal network.
• Allow all staff access to the Internet.
• Use the network and the Internet to allow staff access to business data
from anywhere in the world
• Integrate the whole business operation into a networked operation,
• …including sales activity, stock holding, quotations,
• …ordering raw materials, control the production process,
• …process invoices, process all the accounts, analyze business
performance, quality control, etc.

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 Networks

Networks …

• In a business context the following uses are typical.

• Share resources such as printer.
• Share data on a central server, where all data is collected.
• Communicate via e-mail.
• Exchange information via an internal network.
• Allow all staff access to the Internet.
• Use the network and the Internet to allow staff access to business data
from anywhere in the world
• Integrate the whole business operation into a networked operation,
• …including sales activity, stock holding, quotations,
• …ordering raw materials, control the production process,
• …process invoices, process all the accounts, analyze business
performance, quality control, etc.

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 Networks Network Criteria

Outline

1 Data Communications

2 Networks
Network Criteria
Physical Topology
Categories of Networks
Interconnection of Networks: Internetwork

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 Networks Network Criteria

Network Criteria

• A network must be able to meet a certain number of criteria.

• The most important of these are :
• Performance
• Reliability
• security

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 Networks Network Criteria

Network Criteria …

Performance
• Performance can be measured in many ways, including transit time
and response time.
• Transit time is the amount of time required for a message to travel
from one device to another.
• Response time is the elapsed time between an inquiry and a response.

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 Networks Network Criteria

Network Criteria …

Performance …
• The performance of a network depends on a number of
factors,including
• the number of users
• the type of transmission medium
• the capabilities of the connected hardware
• efficiency of the software

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 Networks Network Criteria

Network Criteria …

Reliability
• In addition to accuracy of delivery, network reliability is measured by
the frequency of failure,
• …the time it takes a link to recover from a failure, and the network’s
robustness in a catastrophe.

Security
• Network security issues include protecting data from unauthorized
access,
• …protecting data from damage and development, and
• …implementing policies and procedures for recovery from breaches
and data losses

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 Networks Network Criteria

Network Criteria …

Reliability
• In addition to accuracy of delivery, network reliability is measured by
the frequency of failure,
• …the time it takes a link to recover from a failure, and the network’s
robustness in a catastrophe.

Security
• Network security issues include protecting data from unauthorized
access,
• …protecting data from damage and development, and
• …implementing policies and procedures for recovery from breaches
and data losses

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 Networks Network Criteria

Physical Structures

• A network is two or more devices connected through links.

• A link is a communications pathway that transfers data from one
device to another.
• For visualization purposes, it is simplest to imagine any link as a line
drawn between two points.
• For communication to occur, two devices must be connected in some
way to the same link at the same time.
• There are two possible types of connections:
• Point-to-point and
• Multipoint

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 Networks Network Criteria

Physical Structures …

Point-to-Point
• It provides a dedicated link between two devices.
• The entire capacity of the link is reserved for transmission between
those two devices.
• Most point-to-point connections use an actual length of wire or cable
to connect the two ends,
• but other options, such as microwave or satellite links, are also
possible
• When you change television channels by infrared remote control,
• …you are establishing a point-to-point connection between the remote
control and the television’s control system.

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 Networks Network Criteria

Multipoint
• A multipoint (also called multidrop) connection is one in which more
than two specific devices share a single link.
• In a multipoint environment, the capacity of the channel is shared,
either spatially or temporally.
• If several devices can use the link simultaneously, it is a spatially
shared connection.
• If users must take turns, it is a time shared connection.

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 Networks Physical Topology

Outline

1 Data Communications

2 Networks
Network Criteria
Physical Topology
Categories of Networks
Interconnection of Networks: Internetwork

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 Networks Physical Topology

Physical Topology

• A topology is a map of an internetwork that indicates network

segments, interconnection points, and user communities.

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 Networks Physical Topology

Physical Topology …

• Physical Topology refers to the shape of a network, or the network’s

layout.
• Two or more devices connect to a link; two or more links form a
topology.
• It is the geometric representation of the relationship of all the links
and linking devices (usually called nodes) to one another.
• There are four basic topologies:

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 Networks Physical Topology

Physical Topology …

• Physical Topology refers to the shape of a network, or the network’s

layout.
• Two or more devices connect to a link; two or more links form a
topology.
• It is the geometric representation of the relationship of all the links
and linking devices (usually called nodes) to one another.
• There are four basic topologies:

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 Networks Physical Topology

Mesh Topology
• Devices are connected with many redundant interconnections between
network nodes.
• every device has a dedicated point-to-point link to every other device.
• The term dedicated means that the link carries traffic only between
the two devices it connects.
• In a full mesh topology, every node has a connection to every other
node in the network.
• The number of cables grows fast as the number of nodes increases
= 12 N (N − 1) and is the most expensive.

• To accommodate that many links, every device on the network must

have N − 1 input/output (VO) ports
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 Networks Physical Topology

Mesh Topology …
A mesh offers several advantages over other network topologies.
• The dedicated links guarantee that each connection can carry its own
data load.
• …thus eliminating the traffic problems that can occur when links must
be shared by multiple devices
• It is robust.
• If one link becomes unusable, it does not incapacitate the entire system.
• Privacy or security
• …When every message travels along a dedicated line, only the
intended recipient sees it.
• …Thus, there is the advantage of privacy or security.
• Point-to-point links make fault identification and fault isolation easy.
• …Traffic can be routed to avoid links with suspected problems.
• This facility enables the network manager to discover the precise
location of the fault and aids in finding its cause and solution.
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 Networks Physical Topology

The main disadvantages of a mesh topology are related to the amount of

cabling and the number of I/O ports required:
• Installation and reconnection are difficult, due to the large number of
cables.
• The sheer bulk of the wiring can be greater than the available space
(in walls, ceilings, or floors) can accommodate.
• The hardware required to connect each link (I/O ports and cable) can
be prohibitively expensive.

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 Networks Physical Topology

Star Topology

• each device has a dedicated point-to-point link only to a central

controller, usually called a Hub/Switch.
• The devices are not directly linked to one another.
• Unlike a mesh topology, a star topology does not allow direct traffic
between devices.
• The controller acts as an exchange:
• If one device wants to send data to another,
• …it sends the data to the controller, which then relays the data to the
other connected device.
• Data passes through the controller before continuing to its
destination.

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 Networks Physical Topology

Star Topology …

• The controller manages and controls all functions of the network.

• It also acts as a repeater for the data flow.
• This configuration is common with twisted pair cable.
• RJ-45 Connectors are used to connect the cable to the network
interface card (NIC) of each computer.

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 Networks Physical Topology

Star Topology …

Advantages of star topology include:

• less expensive than a mesh topology
• …as each device needs only one link and one I/O port to connect it to
any number of others.
• easy to install and reconfigure.
• …Far less cabling needs to be housed, and additions, moves, and
deletions involve only one connection: between that device and the hub.
• It is robust
• If one link fails, only that link is affected.
• All other links remain active.
• This factor also lends itself to easy fault identification and fault
isolation.

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 Networks Physical Topology

Star Topology …

Its disadvantages include:

• There exists a single point of failure, the hub.
• …If the hub goes down, the whole system is dead.
• More cabling is required in a star than in some other topologies (such
as ring or bus).

• The star topology is used in local-area networks (LANs)

• High-speed LANs often use a star topology with a central hub

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 Networks Physical Topology

Star Topology …

Its disadvantages include:

• There exists a single point of failure, the hub.
• …If the hub goes down, the whole system is dead.
• More cabling is required in a star than in some other topologies (such
as ring or bus).

• The star topology is used in local-area networks (LANs)

• High-speed LANs often use a star topology with a central hub

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 Networks Physical Topology

Bus Topology

• All devices are connected to a central cable, called the bus or

backbone, which is terminated at its ends.

• A bus topology, on the other hand, is multipoint.

• One long cable acts as a backbone to link all the devices in a network

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 Networks Physical Topology

Bus Topology …

• Nodes are connected to the bus cable by drop lines and taps.
• A drop line is a connection running between the device and the main
cable.
• A tap is a connector that either splices into the main cable or
punctures the sheathing of a cable to create a contact with the
metallic core.
• As a signal travels along the backbone, some of its energy is
transformed into heat.
• Therefore, it becomes weaker and weaker as it travels farther and
farther.
• For this reason there is a limit on the number of taps a bus can
support and on the distance between those taps

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 Networks Physical Topology

Bus Topology …

• The purpose of the terminators is to stop the signal from bouncing,

thereby clearing the cable so that other computers can send data.
• Bus topology is used by Ethernet and LocalTalk networks.
• The message is transmitted along the cable and is visible to all
computers connected to the cable.
• As the message arrives at each workstation, the workstation checks
the destination address contained in the message to see if it matches
its own.
• If the address does not match, the workstation does nothing more.
• If the address matches, the workstation processes the message.

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 Networks Physical Topology

Bus Topology …

• The purpose of the terminators is to stop the signal from bouncing,

thereby clearing the cable so that other computers can send data.
• Bus topology is used by Ethernet and LocalTalk networks.
• The message is transmitted along the cable and is visible to all
computers connected to the cable.
• As the message arrives at each workstation, the workstation checks
the destination address contained in the message to see if it matches
its own.
• If the address does not match, the workstation does nothing more.
• If the address matches, the workstation processes the message.

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 Networks Physical Topology

Bus Topology …
Advantages of a bus topology
• Ease of installation.
• …Backbone cable can be laid along the most efficient path, then
connected to the nodes by drop lines of various lengths.
• …In this way, bus uses less cabling than mesh or star topologies

Disadvantages
• Entire network shuts down if there is a break in the main cable.
• …It is thus difficult to isolate network faults.
• A bus is usually designed to be optimally efficient at installation.
• …It can therefore be difficult to add new devices.
• Signal reflection at the taps can cause degradation in quality.
• Network can slow down in heavy traffic.
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 Networks Physical Topology

Bus Topology …
Advantages of a bus topology
• Ease of installation.
• …Backbone cable can be laid along the most efficient path, then
connected to the nodes by drop lines of various lengths.
• …In this way, bus uses less cabling than mesh or star topologies

Disadvantages
• Entire network shuts down if there is a break in the main cable.
• …It is thus difficult to isolate network faults.
• A bus is usually designed to be optimally efficient at installation.
• …It can therefore be difficult to add new devices.
• Signal reflection at the taps can cause degradation in quality.
• Network can slow down in heavy traffic.
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 Networks Physical Topology

Ring Topology
• …each device has a dedicated point-to-point connection with only the
two devices on either side of it.
• A signal is passed along the ring in one direction, from device to
device, until it reaches its destination.
• Each device in the ring incorporates a repeater.
• When a device receives a signal intended for another device, its
repeater regenerates the bits and passes them along

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 Networks Physical Topology

Ring Topology …

• A ring is relatively easy to install and reconfigure.

• Each device is linked to only its immediate neighbors (either
physically or logically).
• To add or delete a device requires changing only two connections.
• The only constraints are media and traffic considerations (maximum
ring length and number of devices).
• In addition, fault isolation is simplified.
• Generally in a ring, a signal is circulating at all times.
• If one device does not receive a signal within a specified period, it can
issue an alarm.
• The alarm alerts the network operator to the problem and its location

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 Networks Physical Topology

Ring Topology …

• A ring is relatively easy to install and reconfigure.

• Each device is linked to only its immediate neighbors (either
physically or logically).
• To add or delete a device requires changing only two connections.
• The only constraints are media and traffic considerations (maximum
ring length and number of devices).
• In addition, fault isolation is simplified.
• Generally in a ring, a signal is circulating at all times.
• If one device does not receive a signal within a specified period, it can
issue an alarm.
• The alarm alerts the network operator to the problem and its location

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 Networks Physical Topology

Ring Topology …

• The devices are actually connected to a central device called MSAU

(multistation access unit),
• …forming a star-wired ring topology.
• A star-wired ring topology may thus appear (externally) to be a star
topology.
• However, the MSAU contains wiring that allows information to pass
from one device to another in a circle or ring.
• Ring topology was prevalent when IBM introduced its local-area
network, the Token Ring.
• Today, the need for higher-speed LANs has made this topology less
popular.

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 Networks Physical Topology

Ring Topology …

• The devices are actually connected to a central device called MSAU

(multistation access unit),
• …forming a star-wired ring topology.
• A star-wired ring topology may thus appear (externally) to be a star
topology.
• However, the MSAU contains wiring that allows information to pass
from one device to another in a circle or ring.
• Ring topology was prevalent when IBM introduced its local-area
network, the Token Ring.
• Today, the need for higher-speed LANs has made this topology less
popular.

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 Networks Physical Topology

Ring Topology …

Advantages of Ring Topology include:

• It is relatively easy to install and reconfigure.
• …Each device is linked to only its immediate neighbors.
• To add or delete a device requires changing only two connections.
• Performance is even despite many users

Disadvantages of Ring Topology include:

• Unidirectional traffic
• Limitations on media and traffic (limitation on ring length and
number of devices).
• In a simple ring, a break in the ring (such as a disabled station) can
disable the entire network.
• …This weakness can be solved by using a dual ring or a switch capable
of closing off the break.

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 Networks Physical Topology

Ring Topology …

Advantages of Ring Topology include:

• It is relatively easy to install and reconfigure.
• …Each device is linked to only its immediate neighbors.
• To add or delete a device requires changing only two connections.
• Performance is even despite many users

Disadvantages of Ring Topology include:

• Unidirectional traffic
• Limitations on media and traffic (limitation on ring length and
number of devices).
• In a simple ring, a break in the ring (such as a disabled station) can
disable the entire network.
• …This weakness can be solved by using a dual ring or a switch capable
of closing off the break.

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 Networks Physical Topology

Hybrid Topology
• created by merging one or more of the above basic topologies
• inherits merits and demerits of all the incorporating topologies
• most WANs are connected by means of this topology
• …Internet is the best example of largest Hybrid topology.

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 Networks Categories of Networks

Outline

1 Data Communications

2 Networks
Network Criteria
Physical Topology
Categories of Networks
Interconnection of Networks: Internetwork

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 Networks Categories of Networks

Categories of Networks

• Based on the scale/geographical span, networks can broadly be

classified as
1 Local Area Networks (LANs)
2 Wide Area Networks (WANs)
3 Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs)

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 Networks Categories of Networks

Local Area Networks (LANs)

• …is usually uses privately-owned media to link devices in a single
office, building, or campus.
• Depending on the needs of an organization and the type of
technology used,
• …a LAN can be as simple as two PCs and a printer in someone’s
home office;
• …or it can extend throughout a company and include audio and video
peripherals.
• Currently, LAN size is limited to a few kilometers.
• It has high speed (10Mbps to 1Gbps and beyond) and low
propagation delay.
• Ethernet, token ring, and FDDI are some of the popular LAN
technologies.
• LAN equipment’s include hubs, bridges, switches, and sometimes
routers.
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 Networks Categories of Networks

Local Area Networks (LANs)

• …is usually uses privately-owned media to link devices in a single
office, building, or campus.
• Depending on the needs of an organization and the type of
technology used,
• …a LAN can be as simple as two PCs and a printer in someone’s
home office;
• …or it can extend throughout a company and include audio and video
peripherals.
• Currently, LAN size is limited to a few kilometers.
• It has high speed (10Mbps to 1Gbps and beyond) and low
propagation delay.
• Ethernet, token ring, and FDDI are some of the popular LAN
technologies.
• LAN equipment’s include hubs, bridges, switches, and sometimes
routers.
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 Networks Categories of Networks

Local Area Networks (LANs) …

• LANs are designed to allow resources to be shared between personal

computers or workstations.
• The resources to be shared can include hardware (e.g., a printer),
software (e.g., an application program), or data.
• A common example of a LAN, found in many business environments,
links a workgroup of task-related computers, for example, engineering
workstations or accounting PCs.
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 Networks Categories of Networks

Local Area Networks (LANs) …

• LANs are designed to allow resources to be shared between personal

computers or workstations.
• The resources to be shared can include hardware (e.g., a printer),
software (e.g., an application program), or data.
• A common example of a LAN, found in many business environments,
links a workgroup of task-related computers, for example, engineering
workstations or accounting PCs.
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 Networks Categories of Networks

Local Area Networks (LANs) …

• In addition to size, LANs are distinguished from other types of

networks by their transmission media and topology.
• In general, a given LAN will use only one type of transmission
medium.
• The most common LAN topologies are bus, ring, and star
• Wireless LANs are the newest evolution in LAN technology.

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 Networks Categories of Networks

Wide Area Networks (WANs)

• A (WAN) provides long-distance transmission of data, image, audio,

and video information over large geographic areas
• …that may comprise a country, a continent, or even the whole world.
• …links nodes or LANs in different sites (for example, different cities)
using media owned and managed by a third party.
• It can be as complex as the backbones that connect the Internet or as
simple as a dial-up line that connects a home computer to the Internet
• WAN speed is low (56 Kbps to a few Mbps) and has higher
propagation delay.
• Popular technologies in WAN include X.25, frame relay, ATM, MPLS,
etc.

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 Networks Categories of Networks

Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) I

• It is a network with a size between a LAN and a WAN.
• …is designed to cover a larger area than a LAN, like a city.
• It is designed for customers who need a high-speed connectivity,
normally to the Internet, and have endpoints spread over a city or
part of city.
• A good example of a MAN is the part of the telephone company
network that can provide a high-speed DSL line to the customer.
• Another example is the cable TV network that originally was designed
for cable TV,
• …but today can also be used for high-speed data connection to the
Internet

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 Networks Categories of Networks

Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) II

• It may be used to interconnect multiple LANs (Backbone).

• Popular technologies for a MAN include
• Switched Multimegabit Data Service (SMDS) and
• Distributed Queue Dual Bus (DQDB).
• Ethernet technology has now extended to support MANs.
• Main equipments in a MAN are routers.

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 Networks Interconnection of Networks: Internetwork

Outline

1 Data Communications

2 Networks
Network Criteria
Physical Topology
Categories of Networks
Interconnection of Networks: Internetwork

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 Networks Interconnection of Networks: Internetwork

Interconnection of Networks: Internetwork

• Today, it is very rare to see a LAN, a MAN, or a LAN in isolation;

• they are connected to one another.
• When two or more networks are connected, they become an
internetwork, or internet
• Internetworking is the practice of connecting these disparate networks
through the use of gateways
• …that provide a common method of routing information packets
between the networks.
• The resulting system of interconnected networks is called an
internetwork, or simply an Internet.

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 Networks Interconnection of Networks: Internetwork

Interconnection of Networks: Internetwork

• Today, it is very rare to see a LAN, a MAN, or a LAN in isolation;

• they are connected to one another.
• When two or more networks are connected, they become an
internetwork, or internet
• Internetworking is the practice of connecting these disparate networks
through the use of gateways
• …that provide a common method of routing information packets
between the networks.
• The resulting system of interconnected networks is called an
internetwork, or simply an Internet.

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 Networks Interconnection of Networks: Internetwork

Interconnection of Networks: Internetwork

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 Networks Interconnection of Networks: Internetwork

Internet

• A network is a group of connected communicating devices such as

computers and printers.
• An Internet is two or more networks that can communicate with each
other.
• It is a collaboration of more than hundreds of thousands of
interconnected networks.
• Private individuals as well as various organizations such as
• …government agencies, schools, research facilities, corporations, and
libraries in all countries use the Internet.
• Millions of people are users.

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 Networks Interconnection of Networks: Internetwork

A Brief History of Internet

• In the mid-1960s, mainframe computers in research organizations

were standalone devices.
• Computers from different manufacturers were unable to communicate
with one another.
• The Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) in the Department
of Defense (DoD)
• …was interested in finding a way to connect computers so that the
researchers they funded could share their findings,
• …thereby reducing costs and eliminating duplication of effort.

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 Networks Interconnection of Networks: Internetwork

A Brief History of Internet …

• In 1967, at an Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) meeting,

• …ARPA presented its ideas for ARPANET, a small network of
connected computers.
• The idea was that each host computer (not necessarily from the same
manufacturer) would be attached to a specialized computer, called an
interface message processor (IMP).
• The IMPs, in tum, would be connected to one another.
• Each IMP had to be able to communicate with other IMPs as well as
with its own attached host.

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 Networks Interconnection of Networks: Internetwork

A Brief History of Internet …

• By 1969, ARPANET was a reality. Four nodes, at the University of

California at Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of California at
Santa Barbara (UCSB), Stanford Research Institute (SRI),
• …and the University of Utah, were connected via the IMPs to form a
network.
• Software called the Network Control Protocol (NCP) provided
communication between the hosts

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 Networks Interconnection of Networks: Internetwork

The Internet Today

• The Internet has come a long way since the 1960s.
• The Internet today is not a simple hierarchical structure.
• It is made up of many wide- and local-area networks joined by
connecting devices and switching stations.
• It is difficult to give an accurate representation of the Internet because
• …it is continually changing-new networks are being added,
• …existing networks are adding addresses, and
• …networks of defunct companies are being removed.
• Today most end users who want Internet connection use the services
of Internet service providers (ISPs).
• There are international service providers, national service providers,
regional service providers, and local service providers.
• The Internet today is run by private companies, not the government.
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 Networks Interconnection of Networks: Internetwork

The Internet Today

• The Internet has come a long way since the 1960s.
• The Internet today is not a simple hierarchical structure.
• It is made up of many wide- and local-area networks joined by
connecting devices and switching stations.
• It is difficult to give an accurate representation of the Internet because
• …it is continually changing-new networks are being added,
• …existing networks are adding addresses, and
• …networks of defunct companies are being removed.
• Today most end users who want Internet connection use the services
of Internet service providers (ISPs).
• There are international service providers, national service providers,
regional service providers, and local service providers.
• The Internet today is run by private companies, not the government.
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