Networking Basics

Network
• It is a set of technologies including
hardware, software and media that can
be used to connect computers together,
enabling them to communicate,
exchange information & share resources
in real-time
Benefits:
 Users access programs and data
simultaneously
 Users share printers and scanners
 Users communicate more easily
 Users backup their data more easily
Network server:
It is a central computer with a large storage
device & other resources that can be shared
by many users
File Server:
This server stores data files for users to access
it
The Uses of a Network:
I. Simultaneous Access of a file is possible i.e.:
no duplication of works
II. In non networked systems each program must
be installed on every computer & it is costly
for 2 reasons
i. software is expensive
ii. Installation & configuration takes more
time
To solve this problem, 2 solutions
• Site license
– An agreement in which an organization purchases the right to
use a program on a limited number of machines
• Network version
– Connect users’ computer to a central network server & enable
users to share network version
– Only one copy of the application is stored on the server, with a
minimum number of supporting files copied to each users PC
III. Shared peripheral device
– Printers and faxes are common shares
– Reduces the cost per user
– Printers can be directly connected to the network
– Printers can be attached to print server(computer that manages
one or more printers)
IV. Personal Communications
E-mail – a system for exchanging written messages
through a network
Teleconference – any kind of multiway communication
carried out in real time using telecommunications or computer
networks & equipment
subcategories:
- Videoconferencing
- Audio-conferencing
- Data-conferencing
Videoconferencing
• Enables real time communication over a
distance
• Allows people at 2 or more sites to
communicate with each other by seeing a
video picture of people at other sites
• Each site has 1 or more cameras,
microphones, loudspeakers and monitors,
CODEC
• It aims to create a sense of a person at
distance site appearing to be there in the
same room
Audio conferencing

• It offers much higher quality audio

• Enables more than two sites to be linked
together
• Use hands free audio units with sensitive
microphones & sophisticated echo-
cancellation software
Data - conferencing
• Enables participant at 2 or more sites to
have a shared workspace on their
computer desktops
• It can be shared whiteboard where they
can draw, write or import files
• There can be common software run by
both parties
• Often used in conjunction with video or
audio conferencing
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
• Use company's internal network to send
and receive phone calls
• It transmits the sound of voice over a
computer network using the Internet
Protocol(IP) rather than sending the signal
over traditional phone wire
V. Easier Data Backup
• Data is backed up and stored on a shared storage device
• Employees can access through network
 Common Types of Network

• LAN: A network that exists within a single building, or even a

group of adjacent buildings and doesn’t connect to the public
environment using phone or data lines
example: network covering a small geographic area, like a home,
office, or group of buildings
• WAN: Two or more LANs connected together genrally across a
wide geographical area
Ex: communications links crossing metropolitan, regional, or
national boundaries
 Hybrid Networks
• Campus Area Networks(CANs)
Different campus offices & organizations can be linked
together

• Metropolitan Area Networks(MANs)

Connects multiple corporate LANs together & not usually
owned by single organization

• Home Area Networks(HANs)

a network contained within a user’s home that connects a
person’s digital devices, from multiple computers & their
peripheral devices to telephones, VCRs,DVDs,television…
 Intranets & Extranets
• Company’s internal version of the internet is called an intranet
• Intranet completely resides within company’s internal
network & is accessible only to people that are members of
the same company or organization
• Extranets are becoming a popular method for employees to
exchange information using the company’s web site or email
while travelling or working from home
• An extranet is a partially accessible internal company website
for authorized users physically located outside the
organization
• Extranet can be accessed only with valid username &
password
 Network structures
• Server-Based Networks
• Client/Server Networks
• Peer-to-Peer Networks
Server-Based Networks
•A node is an individual device on a network
(computer, printer or even other devices that
can be networked)
•Central computer that has all programs or files
are called as File server
•Server can be file server, application server,
network server
•When a node needs information, it request
from the server and server provides it
•Users gain access to files by obtaining rights
and permissions given through centrally
controlled server
•Users must log on to the network to gain
access to its server
Client/Server Networks
• Individual computers share the
processing and storage workload with a
central server
• It requires special software for the nodes
& the server
• Example: Database
• Client portion stored in client side
• Database stored on server
• Client can send queries to the server &
server searches the database and returns
the result to client
Peer-to-Peer Network
• All nodes on the network have equal
relationship to all others
• All have similar type of software that
support the sharing of resources
• Each node has access to at least some
of the resources on all other nodes
• Many client OS such as windows XP,
windows 2000 professional, Macintosh
OS support peer-to-peer networking
 Topology
• The logical layout of the cables and devices that connect the
nodes of the network
• It is important for two reasons,
Correctly designed topology will move data packets as
efficiently as possible
prevent collisions
• Types
-Bus Topology
- Star Topology
- Ring Topology
- Mesh Topology
• Bus Topology:
uses one cable
all the nodes and peripheral
devices are connected in a series to
that cable
a special device called terminator
is attached at cables start & end
points to avoid bouncing back of
packets
• Star Topology:
all nodes are connected to a
device called a hub
 The hub takes a signal that
comes from any node and passes it
along to all the other nodes in the
network
A hub does not perform any type
of filtering or routing of the data.
A hub is a junction that joins all
the different nodes together.
• Ring Topology
 Similar to a bus network, rings have
nodes daisy chained, but the end of the
network in a ring topology comes back
around to the first node, creating a
complete circuit
 Each node takes a turn sending and
receiving information through the use of
a token
 The token along with any data is sent
from the first node to the second node
which extracts the data addressed to it
and adds any data it wishes to send
 Then second node passes the token and
data to the third node, etc. until it comes
back around to the first node again
 Only the node with the token is allowed
to send data . All other nodes must wait
for the token to come to them.
• Mesh Topology:
a cable runs from every computer to
every other computer
data can be never failed to be
delivered
if one connection goes down there
are other ways to route the data to its
destination
 Network Media
• Media means used to link a network’s nodes together
• Two main categories:
– Guided ― wires, cables
– Unguided ― wireless transmission, e.g. radio,
microwave, infrared, sound, sonar
• Guided Medium: waves are guided along a solid medium path
(twisted pair, coaxial cable, and optical fiber).
• Unguided medium: waves are propagated through the
atmosphere and inner/outerspace (satellite, laser, and
wireless transmissions
 Wire-Based Media
– Twisted-Pair cables:
Unshielded Twisted-Pair (UTP) cables
Shielded Twisted-Pair (STP) cables
– Coaxial cables
– Fiber-optic cables
Wireless Media
• Use radio or infrared signals that travel
through air for transmitting data
• Office LANs can use radio signals to
transmit between nodes in a building
• Laptops equipped with cellular modems
allow users to connect to the office
network when they travel
• Corporate WANs use microwave
transmission to connect LANs within the
same metropolitan area
• WANs that cover long distances often use
satellites and microwave communication
Network Hardware
• Network Interface Controller (NIC)
– Computer hardware that allows
computers to communicate over
computer network using cables or
wirelessly. It provides physical
access to a networking medium
and provides a low-level
addressing system.
• Hub
– A device for connecting multiple
twisted pair or fiber optic Ethernet
devices together, making them act
as a single segment
– It broadcast packets it received to
all nodes attached to its ports
 Protocol
• Agreed upon format for transmitting data between two
devices
• To effectively communicate, a user must have same protocol
installed on the local PC and the remote PC to make
connection
• TCP/IP
• IPX/SPX
• NetBIOS/NetBEUI
Internet
 Internet
• Network of networks
• Global communication system that links together thousands
of individual networks
• Result:any computer on any network can communicate
with any other computer on any other network
• Allow users to exchange messages, communicate in real time,
share programs and to access limitless stores of information
 Connecting to the internet through
wires
• Dial-up connections
- initiated every time user desired to have Internet access
• High-Speed Broadband connections
- remains available 24/7 (“always-on” or fulltime)
- Internet can be accessed by just opening a browser or
email program
 Internet Services
• Email
• News
• FTP
• Instant Messaging
• Online services
• Peer-to-Peer Services