Introduction to Computer

Networks
Content

❖ Networks: Basic concepts

❖ Uses of networks in sharing of resources, Backups
❖ Common types of networks; LAN/WAN/Internet,
Server based networks, client server model, P2P
❖ Network media
❖ Wireless networks.
❖ Threats to networks
❖ The internet world
❖ Cloud and Cloud Computing
Computer Network
⮚ A computer network is a group of computers/devices(Nodes)
that use a set of common communication protocols over digital
interconnections for the purpose of sharing resources located on
or provided by the network nodes.
⮚ The nodes of a computer network may include personal
computers, servers, networking hardware, or other specialised or
general-purpose hosts.
⮚ The interconnections between nodes are formed from a broad
spectrum of telecommunication network technologies, based on
physically wired, optical, and wireless technologies.
⮚ A communication protocol is a set of rules for exchanging
information over a network. physically wired, optical, and
wireless
 Wired Network PC Firewall The Internet

Fiber Optic Network Cable

Router
Switch

Server Other LANS

Wireless Network
Advantages
Simultaneous Access
⮚ There are moments in any business when several workers may need to
use the same data at the same time.
Shared Peripheral Devices

Personal Communications
⮚ Videoconferencing
⮚ Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP):-VoIP transmits the sound of voice over
a computer network using the Internet Protocol (IP ) rather than sending
the signal over traditional phone wires
Easier Data Backup
Network Divices

1. NIC Card
2. Repeater
3. Hub
4. Switch
5. Bridge
6. Router
7. Gateway
8. Firewall
 Network Interface Card
⮚ NIC is used to physically connect
host devices to the network media.
⮚ A NIC is a printed circuit board that
fits into the expansion slot of a bus on
a computer motherboard.
⮚ It can also be a peripheral device.
NICs are sometimes called network
adapters.
⮚ Each NIC is identified by a unique
code called a Media Access Control
(MAC) address.
⮚ This address is used to control data
communication for the host on the
network.
 Repeaters
⮚ A repeater is a network device
used to regenerate a signal.
⮚ Repeaters regenerate analog or
digital signals that are distorted by
transmission loss due to
attenuation.
⮚ A repeater does not make an
intelligent decision concerning
forwarding packets
 Hubs
⮚ Hubs concentrate on
connections.
⮚ In other words, they take a
group of hosts and allow the
network to see them as a
single unit. This is done
passively, without any other
effect on the data
transmission.
⮚ Active hubs concentrate hosts
and also regenerate signals.
 Bridges
⮚ Bridges convert network data
formats and perform basic
data transmission
management.
⮚ Bridges provide connections
between LANs.
⮚ They also check data to
determine if it should cross
the bridge. This makes each
part of the network more
efficient
 Switches
⮚ Switches add more intelligence to data transfer management.
⮚ They can determine if data should remain on a LAN and
transfer data only to the connection that needs it.
⮚ Another difference between a bridge and switch is that a
switch does not convert data transmission formats
 Routers
⮚ Routers have all the capabilities
listed above.
⮚ Routers can regenerate signals,
concentrate multiple connections,
convert data transmission formats,
and manage data transfers.
⮚ They can also connect to a WAN,
which allows them to connect
LANs that are separated by great
distances.
 Gateway
⮚ A gateway is a piece of
networking hardware is a piece of
networking hardware used in
telecommunications for
telecommunications networks that
allows data to flow from one discrete
network to another.
⮚ Gateways are distinct from routers
Gateways are distinct from routers
or switches in that they
communicate using more than one
protocol to connect a bunch of
networks
Firewall
⮚ A firewall is a network device or
software for controlling network
security and access rules.
⮚ Firewalls are inserted in connections
between secure internal networks
and potentially insecure external
networks such as the Internet.
⮚ Firewalls are typically configured to
reject access requests from
unrecognized sources while allowing
actions from recognized ones.
⮚ The vital role firewalls play in network
security grows in parallel with the
constant increase in cyber attacks.
 Network Media
The function of the media is to carry a flow of information through a LAN.

A.Wired Media:- A widely adopted family that uses copper and fiber media in
local area network that uses copper and fiber media in local area network
(LAN) technology are collectively known as Ethernet

1. Copper Cable
a. Coaxial Cables
b. Shielded Twisted Pair(STP)
c. Unshielded Twisted Pair

2. Fibre Optic Cable

B.Wireless Media:- use the atmosphere, or space, as the medium.

 Copper Cable
⮚ The most common, easiest,
quickest, and cheapest form of
network media to install.
⮚ The disadvantage of sending
data over copper wire is that
the further the signal travels,
the weaker it becomes.
 Coaxial Cable
⮚ It can be run longer distances than Twisted pair Cables.

• Speed: 10-100Mbps
• Cost: Inexpensive
• Media and connector size: Medium
• Maximum cable length: 500m
Shielded Twisted Pair(STP)
• Speed: 0-100Mbps
• Cost: Moderate
• Media and connector size: Medium to large
• Maximum cable length: 100m
Unshielded Twisted Pair
⮚ UTP is a four-pair wire Speed: 10-100-1000 Mbps*
medium used in a variety of Cost: Least Expensive
networks. Media and connector size: Small
⮚ Each of the eight copper Maximum cable length: 100m * (Depending
wires in the UTP cable is on the quality/category of cable)
covered by insulating material
 UTP Implementation
⮚ EIA/TIA specifies an RJ-45 connector
for UTP cable.
⮚ The letters RJ stand for registered jack.
 Fiber Optic Cable
⮚ Glass fiber carrying light pulses,
each pulse a bit.
⮚ Based on the Total Internal
Reflection of Light.
⮚ High-speed point-to-point
transmission 10-100’s
Gbps
⮚ low error rate:
⮚ repeaters spaced far apart
⮚ immune to electromagnetic
noise
 Communication Protocols
Internet Protocol Suite
⮚ Also called TCP/IP, is the foundation of all modern networking.
⮚ It defines the addressing, identification, and routing
specifications for IPv4 and for IPv6.
⮚ It is the defining set of protocols for the Internet.
IEEE 802
⮚ It is a family of IEEE standards dealing with local area networks
and metropolitan area networks.
⮚ They operate mostly at levels 1 and 2 of the OSI model.
Ethernet
⮚ It is a family of protocols used in wired LANs, described by a set
of standards together called IEEE 802.3
TCP/IP Protocol Suite
 Communication Protocols
Wireless LAN
⮚ It is standardized by IEEE 802.11 and shares many properties with wired
Ethernet.

SONET/SDH
⮚ Synchronous optical networkingSynchronous optical networking
(SONET) and Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) are standardized
multiplexing protocols that transfer multiple digital bit streams over
optical Fibre using lasers.

Asynchronous Transfer Mode(ATM)

⮚ It uses asynchronous time-division multiplexingIt uses asynchronous
time-division multiplexing and encodes data into small, fixed-sized cells.
⮚ Good choice for a network that handle both traditional high-throughput
data traffic, and real-time, low-latency content such as voice and video.
 Types of Networks
1. Personal Area Network (PAN)
2. Local Area Network (LAN)
3. Campus Area Network (CAN)
4. Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
5. Wide Area Network (WAN)
6. Storage-Area Network (SAN)
7. Virtual Private Network (VPN)
8. Client Server Network
9. Peer to Peer Network (P2P)
 1. Personal Area Network
1. Personal Area Network (PAN) is a
computer network used for data
transmission amongst devices
such as computers, telephones,
tablets and personal digital
assistants.
2. Also Known as HAN (Home Area
Network)
3. PANs can be used for
communication amongst the
personal devices themselves
(interpersonal communication), or
for connecting to a higher level
network and the Internet (an
uplink) where one "master" device
 2. Local Area Network
⮚ Xerox Corporation worked in
collaboration with DEC and
Intel to create Ethernet, which
is the most pervasive LAN
architecture used today.
⮚ Ethernet has evolved and has
seen significant improvements
in regard to speed and
efficiency.
⮚ An upside of a LAN is fast data transfer with data speed that can reach
up to 10Gbps.
⮚ Other significant LAN technologies are Fiber Distributed Data Interface
(FDDI) and token ring.
 3. Campus Area Network
⮚ Larger than LANs, but smaller
than metropolitan area networks
these types of networks are
typically seen in universities,
large K-12 school districts or
small businesses.
⮚ They can be spread across
several buildings that are fairly
close to each other so users can
share resources
 4. Metropolitan Area Network

1. A MAN is larger than a LAN but smaller than or equal in size to a WAN.
2. The size range anywhere from 5 to 50km in diameter.
3. MANs are typically owned and managed by a single entity.
4. This could be an ISP or telecommunications company that sells its services
to end-users in that metropolitan area.
5. For all intents and purposes, a MAN has the same characteristics as a WAN
with distance constraints.
 5. Wide Area Network

• A Wide Area Network exist over a large area

• Data travels through telephone or cable lines
• Usually requires a Modem
• The world’s largest Wide Area Network in the Internet
 6. Storage Area Network
⮚ SAN may be referred to as a Sub network or special purpose network.
⮚ Its special purpose is to allow users on a larger network to connect
various data storage devices with clusters of data servers.
⮚ SANs can be accessed in the same fashion as a drive attached to a
server.
 7. Virtual Private Network
⮚ VPN is a private network that can
access public networks remotely. VPN
uses encryption and security protocols
to retain privacy while it accesses
outside resources.
⮚ When employed on a network, VPN
enables an end user to create a virtual
tunnel to a remote location. Typically,
telecommuters use VPN to log in to
their company networks from home.
⮚ Authentication is provided to validate the identities of the two peers.
⮚ Confidentiality provides encryption of the data to keep it private from
prying eyes.
⮚ Integrity is used to ensure that the data sent between the two devices or
sites has not been tampered with.
 8. Client/Server Network
⮚ In a client/server arrangement,
network services are located on a
dedicated computer called a server.
⮚ The server responds to the requests
of clients.
⮚ The server is a central computer that
is continuously available to respond
to requests from clients for file, print,
application, and other services.
⮚ Most network operating systems adopt the form of a client/server
relationship.
⮚ Typically, desktop computers function as clients, and one or more
computers with additional processing power, memory, and specialized
software function as servers.
 9. Peer to Peer Network

⮚ Usually very small networks

⮚ Each workstation has equivalent capabilities and responsibilities
⮚ Does not require a switch or a hub.
⮚ These types of networks do not perform well under heavy data
loads.
 Network Topologies
Network topology defines the structure of the network.
A.Physical topology:- It define the actual layout of the wire or media.
1. Bus
2. Ring
3. Star
4. Tree(Hierarchical)
5. Mesh
B.Logical topology:- It defines how the hosts access the media to send data.
1. Broadcast
2. Token passing
C.Hybrid Topology
 1. Bus Topology
All devices are connected to a central
cable, called bus or backbone. T T
There are terminators at each end of
the bus that stops the signal and
keeps it from traveling backwards.
Advantages: Disadvantages:
1.There is no central controller. 1.It is possible that more than one station may attempt
transmission simultaneously (collision or contention).
2.Control resides in each station
2.Difficult reconfiguration and fault isolation.
3.The less interconnecting wire is
required. 3.A fault or break in the bus cable stops all
transmission, even between devices on the same side
4.Ease of installation.
of the problem.
5.Backbone cable can be laid along the
4.The damaged area reflects signals in the direction of
most efficient path, and then connected
origin, creating noise in both directions
to the nodes by drop lines of various
lengths
 2. Ring Topology
• All devices are connected to one another in the shape of
a closed loop.
• Each device is connected directly to two other devices,
one on either side of it.
Advantages:
1.Avoids the collisions that are possible in the bus topology.
2.Each pair of stations has a point-to-point connection.
3.A signal is passed along the ring in one direction, from device to
another, until it reaches its destination.
4.Each device incorporates a repeater.
5.Relatively easy to install and reconfigure.
6.Fault isolation is simplified.

Disadvantages:
7.A break in the ring (such as station disabled) can disable the entire
network.
 3. Star Topology
• All devices are connected to a central hub.
• Nodes communicate across the network by passing data
through the hub or switch.
Advantages:
1. Easy to install and reconfigure.
2. Robustness, if one link fails; only that link is affected. All other
links remain active.
3. Easy fault identification and isolation. As long as the hub is
working, it can be used to monitor link problems and bypass
defective links.
Disadvantages:
1. The devices are not linked to each other.
2. If one device wants to send data to another, it sends it to the
controller, which then relays the data to the other connected device.
 4. Tree/Hierarchical Topology
Advantages:
1.It allows more devices to be attached to a
single central hub and can therefore increase
the distance a signal can travel between
devices.
2.It allows the network to isolate and prioritize
communications from different computers.

Disadvantages:
3.The devices are not linked to each other.
4.If one device wants to send data to another, it
sends it to the controller, which then relays the
data to the other connected device.
5.The addition of secondary hubs brings two
further advantages.
 6. Mesh Topology
Each host has its connections to all other hosts.
Mesh topology is implemented to provide as much
protection as possible from interruption of service.
1.A nuclear power plant might use a mesh topology
in the networked control systems.
2.Although the Internet has multiple paths to any
one location, it does not adopt the full mesh
topology.
Advantages: Disadvantages:
1. The use of dedicated links guarantees that each 1. A large amount of cabling required.
connection can carry its data load, thus eliminating 2. A large amount of I/O ports required.
the traffic problems that can occur when links must 3. Installation and reconfiguration are
be shared by multiple devices. difficult.
2. It is robust, if one link becomes unusable, it does 4. The sheer bulk of the wiring can be
not incapacitate (affect) the entire system. greater than the available space (in the
3. Privacy and Security (every message sent travels walls, ceiling, or floors) can accommodate.
along a dedicated line; only the intended recipient 5. The hardware required to connect each
sees it). link (I/O ports and cables) can be
4. Point-to-point links make fault identification and prohibitively expensive.
fault isolation easy.
 Wireless Networks
Wireless network is a
type of computer network
that uses wireless data
connections for
connecting network
nodes.
Example
Bluetooth
Wi-Fi
 Bluetooth
⮚ Bluetooth is a short-range
wireless technology standard
used for exchanging data
between fixed and mobile
devices over short distances.
⮚ It is using UHFIt is using UHF
radio wavesIt is using UHF
radio waves in the ISM bands,
from 2.402 GHz to 2.48 GHz.
⮚ The IEEE standardized
Bluetooth as IEEE 802.15.1,
but no longer maintains the
standard.
 Wi-Fi
⮚ Wi-Fi Stands for Wireless Fidelity.
⮚ Wi-Fi, is a Local Area Wireless
technology.
⮚ Wi-Fi networks use radio technologies
to transmit and receive data at high
speed.
⮚ It is based on the IEEE 802.11
family of standards.
⮚ Access point: The access point is a
wireless LAN transceiver or “ base
station” that can connect one or many
wireless devices simultaneously to the
internet
 The Internet
The simplest How Information Travel Through the Internet
definition of A page on the Internet—whether it's full of words, images or
both—doesn't come to you in one shipment. It's translated
the Internet into digital information, chopped into 1500 byte pieces called
is that it's a PACKETS, and sent to you like a puzzle that needs to be
reassembled. Each part of the packet has a specific
network of function: Sequence ID
computer Header ID’s where the information
belongs in relation to the rest
networks Provides the
complete of the information
destination
address for the End of Message
packet ID’s the end of the
packet

Data Block
The portion of the overall information
carried by the packet
 The Internet
How Information Travel Through the Internet
When you connect to a Web site through an ISP and start exchanging information,
there isn't a fixed connection between your computer and the Web server computer
hosting the Web site. Instead, information is exchanged using the best possible path
at that particular time. Special computers called routers determine these paths,
avoiding slow links and favoring fast ones.

Your Web
Computer ISP Routers Servers
 Cloud Computing
⮚ Cloud computing is Internet-based
computing, whereby shared resources,
software, and information are provided to
computers and other devices on demand, like
the electricity grid.
⮚ A Cloud is a type of parallel and distributed
system consisting of a collection of
interconnected and virtualized computers
that are dynamically provisioned and
presented as one or more unified computing
resources based on service-level agreements
established through negotiation between the
service provider and consumers.
Properties & Characteristics
 IaaS
Infrastructure as a Service – IaaS
⮚The capability provided to the consumer is to provision processing,
storage, networks, and other fundamental computing resources where
the consumer is able to deploy and run arbitrary software, which can
include operating systems and applications.
⮚The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud
infrastructure but has control over operating systems, storage, deployed
applications, and possibly limited control of select networking
components .
Examples :
Amazon EC2
Eucalyputs
OpenNebula
… etc
 PaaS
Platform as a Service – PaaS
⮚The capability provided to the consumer is to deploy onto the cloud
infrastructure consumer-created or acquired applications created using
programming languages and tools supported by the provider.
⮚The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud
infrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, or storage,
but has control over the deployed applications and possibly application
hosting environment configurations.
Examples :
Microsoft Windows Azure
Google App Engine
Hadoop(High Availability Distributed Object Oriented Platform)
… etc
 SaaS
Software as a Service – SaaS
⮚The capability provided to the consumer is to use the provider’s
applications running on a cloud infrastructure. The applications
are accessible from various client devices through a thin client
interface such as a web browser (e.g., web-based email).
⮚The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud
infrastructure including network, servers, operating systems,
storage, or even individual application capabilities, with the
possible exception of limited user-specific application
configuration settings.
Examples :
Google Apps (e.g., Gmail, Google Docs, Google sites, …etc)
 Cloud-Deployment Model
There are four primary cloud deployment models :
1.Public Cloud
2.Private Cloud
3.Community Cloud
4.Hybrid Cloud
Public Cloud Private Cloud
Homogeneous
Infrastructure Homogeneous Heterogeneous
Policy Model Common defined Customized & Tailored

Resource Model Shared & Multi-tenant Dedicated

Cost Model Operational expenditure Capital expenditure

Economy Model Large economy of scale End-to-end control