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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Part II

5. Introduction to Networking

5. Introduction to Networking
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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Part II
5. Introduction to Networking

References
Held G., Internetworking LANs and WANs Concepts,
Techniques and Methods, Wiley, 2nd Ed., 1998
Comment: Good at concepts

Stallings W., Data and Computer Communications, Prentice

Hall, 7th Ed., 2004
Comment: Good at concepts and very up-to-date

Forouzan B. A, Data Communications and Networking,

McGraw-Hill, 2nd Ed., 2000
Comment: Many good revision questions at ends of chapters

Redmond W., MCSE Training Kit: Networking Essentials

Plus, Microsoft Press, 2000

Comment: Practical oriented

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Part II
5. Introduction to Networking

What is a Network?
A network consists of 2 or more computers
connected together, and they can communicate and
share resources (e.g. information)

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Part II
5. Introduction to Networking

Why Networking?
Sharing information i.e. data communication
Do you prefer these?

Or this?

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Part II
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Sharing hardware or software

E.g. print document

Centralize administration and support

E.g. Internet-based, so everyone can access the same
administrative or support application from their PCs

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How many kinds of Networks?

Depending on ones perspective, we can classify
networks in different ways

Based on transmission media: Wired (UTP, coaxial

cables, fiber-optic cables) and Wireless
Based on network size: LAN and WAN (and MAN)
Based on management method: Peer-to-peer and
Client/Server
Based on topology (connectivity): Bus, Star, Ring
:
:

Physical Media
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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Part II
5. Introduction to Networking

PHYSICAL MEDIA

Physical Media
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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Part II
5. Introduction to Networking

Physical Media

Physical Media
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5. Introduction to Networking

Classification of Transmission Media

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5. Introduction to Networking

Transmission Media
Two main categories:

Guided wires, cables

Unguided wireless transmission, e.g. radio,
microwave, infrared, sound, sonar

We will concentrate on guided media here:

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Twisted-Pair cables:
Unshielded Twisted-Pair (UTP) cables
Shielded Twisted-Pair (STP) cables
Coaxial cables
Fiber-optic cables

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Twisted-Pair Cables
A twisted pair consists of two conductors (normally
copper), each with its own plastic insulation, twisted
together.

If the pair of wires are not twisted, electromagnetic

noises from, e.g., motors, will affect the closer wire more
than the further one, thereby causing errors.

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Unshielded Twisted-Pair (UTP)

Typically wrapped inside a plastic cover (for mechanical
protection)
A sample UTP cable with 5 unshielded twisted pairs of wires

Insulator

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Metal

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Shielded Twisted-Pair (STP)

STP cables are similar to UTP cables, except there
is a metal foil or braided-metal-mesh cover that
encases each pair of insulated wires

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Categories of UTP Cables

EIA classifies UTP cables according to the quality:
Category 1 the lowest quality, only good for voice, mainly
found in very old buildings, not recommended now
Category 2 good for voice and low data rates (up to
4Mbps for low-speed token ring networks)
Category 3 at least 3 twists per foot, for up to 10 Mbps
(common in phone networks in residential buildings)
Category 4 up to 16 Mbps (mainly for token rings)
Category 5 (or 5e) up to 100 Mbps (common for
networks targeted for high-speed data communications)
Category 6 more twists than Cat 5, up to 1 Gbps

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Twisted-pair and coaxial cable use metallic

(copper) conductors that accept and
transport signals in the form of electric
current.
Transmission of electrical signals over wire
lines requires the use of two conductors to
complete the circuit. One we call the "go"
wire; the other is the "return" wire.
Optical fiber is a cable that accepts and
transports signals in the form of light
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Coaxial Cables
In general, coaxial cables, or coax, carry signals of
higher freq (100KHz500MHz) than UTP cables
Outer metallic wrapping serves both as a shield
against noise and as the second conductor that
completes the circuit

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Fiber-Optic Cables
Light travels at 3108 ms-1 in free space and is the
fastest possible speed in the Universe
Light slows down in denser media, e.g. glass
Refraction occurs at interface, with light bending away
from the normal when it enters a less dense medium

Beyond the critical angle total internal reflection

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An optical fiber consists of a core (denser material)

and a cladding (less dense material)
Simplest one is a multimode step-index optical fiber
Multimode = multiple paths, whereas step-index =
refractive index follows a step-function profile (i.e.
an abrupt change of refractive index between the
core and the cladding)
Light bounces back and forth along the core
Common light sources: LEDs and lasers

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Advantages and Disadvantages

Noise resistance external light is blocked by outer
jacket
Less signal attenuation a signal can run for miles
without regeneration (currently, the lowest measured
loss is about ~4% or 0.16dB per km)
Higher bandwidth currently, limits on data rates come
from the signal generation/reception technology, not the
fiber itself
Cost Optical fibers are expensive
Installation/maintenance any crack in the core will
degrade the signal, and all connections must be perfectly
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aligned

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LAN and WAN

Local Area Network (LAN)

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Small network, short distance

A room, a floor, a building
Limited by no. of computers and distance covered
Usually one kind of technology throughout the LAN
Serve a department within an organization
Examples:
Network inside the Student Computer Room
Network inside CF502
Network inside your home

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Wide Area Network (WAN)

A network that uses long-range telecommunication links
to connect 2 or more LANs/computers housed in different
places far apart.
Towns, states, countries
Your home
Examples:
Network of our Campus
Internet

WAN
Student
Computer Centre

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USA

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Example WAN technologies:

ISDN Integrated Service Digital Network
Basic rate: 192 Kbps Primary rate: 1.544Mbps

T-Carriers basically digital phone lines

T1: 1.544Mbps

T3: 28T1

Frame relay
Each link offers 1.544Mbps or even higher

ATM Asynchronous Transfer Mode

Support B-ISDN: 155Mbps or 622Mbps or higher

SONET Synchronous Optical Network

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Basic rate OC1: 51.84Mbps

Support OC12 and up to OC192 (9953.28Mbps) or
even higher in the future

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PC
TV

The connection is shared by a

number of subscribers, hence
may raise performance and
security problems

Fiber-o
ptic cab
l

Coaxial
Cable

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Cable
Drop

Cable company

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Peer-to-Peer Networks
Peer-to-peer network is also called workgroup
No hierarchy among computers all are equal
No administrator responsible for the network

Peer-to-peer

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Advantages of peer-to-peer networks:

Low cost
Simple to configure
User has full accessibility of the computer

Disadvantages of peer-to-peer networks:

May have duplication in resources
Difficult to uphold security policy
Difficult to handle uneven loading

Where peer-to-peer network is appropriate:

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10 or less users
No specialized services required
Security is not an issue
Only limited growth in the foreseeable future

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Clients and Servers

Network Clients (Workstation)
Workstation
Computers that request network resources or services

Network Servers

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Computers that manage and provide network resources

and services to clients
Usually have more processing power, memory and
hard disk space than clients
Run Network Operating System that can manage not
only data, but also users, groups, security, and
applications on the network
Servers often have a more stringent requirement on its
performance and reliability

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Advantages of client/server networks

Facilitate resource sharing centrally administrate and
control
Facilitate system backup and improve fault tolerance
Enhance security only administrator can have access
to Server
Support more users difficult to achieve with peer-topeer networks

Disadvantages of client/server networks

High cost for Servers
Need expert to configure the network
Introduce a single point of failure to the system

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Topology 3 basic types

How so many computers are connected together?
Bus Topology

Star Topology
Hub

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Ring Topology

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Part II
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Bus Topology

Simple and low-cost

A single cable called a trunk (backbone, segment)
Only one computer can send messages at a time
Passive topology - computer only listen for, not
regenerate data

Star Topology

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Each computer has a cable connected to a single point

More cabling, hence higher cost
All signals transmission through the hub; if down, entire
network down
Depending on the intelligence of hub, two or more
computers may send message at the same time

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How to construct a network

with Bus / Star Topology?
Bus Topology

Coaxial
cable

Star Topology
BNC T-Connector

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Network Card

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Ring Topology

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Ack
T T
Every computer serves as
a repeater to boost signals
T dat
Typical way to send data:
a
Token passing
T
only the computer who
T Ack
gets the token can send
data
Disadvantages
T
Difficult to add computers
More expensive
If one computer fails, whole network fails

T
T

dat
a

T
T
T
Ack

Ack
dat
a

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Tree Topology
Tree topologies integrate multiple star topologies
together onto a bus.
In its simplest form, only hub devices connect directly
to the tree bus, and each hub functions as the "root" of
a tree of devices.
This bus/star hybrid approach supports future
expandability of the network much better than a bus
(limited in the number of devices due to the broadcast
traffic it generates) or a star (limited by the number of
hub connection points) alone

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Tree Topology

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Mesh Topology
Mesh topologies involve the concept of routes.
Unlike each of the previous topologies, messages sent
on a mesh network can take any of several possible
paths from source to destination. (Recall that even in a
ring, although two cable paths exist, messages can only
travel in one direction.)
Some WANs, most notably the Internet, employ mesh
routing.
A mesh network in which every device connects to
every other is called a full mesh.

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Mesh Topology

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