Communication

Networks including the Internet

Section 2.1
Part 1
 Learning Objectives
 Candidates should be able to:
- show understanding of the purpose and
benefits of networking devices
- show understanding of the characteristics
of a LAN (local area network) and a WAN
(wide area network)
- explain the client-server and peer-to-peer
models of networked computers
- show understanding of thin-client and
thick-client and the differences between
them
 Benefits of Networking
 Networking will allow for:
(1) certain hardware devices to be shared by many
computers, for example, a shared printed or
scanner.
(2) specialist applications such as email
(3) access to an Intranet that is available to all
employees of a company
(4) access to files from any workstation
 Benefits of Networking
 Networking will allow for:
(5) good work practices such as:
- file sharing. All employees have common access to
important company documents. The company will only have
a single copy of each document. When a document requires
editing, it will need changing in one place only.
- easy communication between users
(6) centralisation of administration and security
- updating software once only on a central server
(7) use a global wide area network – a huge factor in
how the company does business
 Benefits of Networking
 Networking will allow for:
(7) use of the internet and other networks by
individuals making available a wealth of services
and resources.
 Local Area Network (LAN)
 Definition:
Local Area Network (LAN) - a
network connecting computers in a
single room, in a single building or
on a single site.
 Local Area Network (LAN)
 Characteristics of LAN: (revision guide)

(1) A LAN will be a private network. A LAN

would be appropriate for a home computer
system or for a small enterprise business.
The geography of the LAN will range from a
single room to a single site.
(2) A larger LAN will have specialist servers that
carry out one role only, for example an email
server.
 Local Area Network (LAN)
 Characteristics of LAN: (revision guide)

(3) A typical LAN will have a number of

workstations (computers). Each computer on
the LAN will be ‘scalable’ – more computers
can be connected to the LAN. The
communication method will be either wired or
wireless network. A larger LAN will have
specialist servers that carry out one role only
- for example an email server.
 Local Area Network (LAN)
 Characteristics of LAN: (textbook)

- Used by an organization or a company within a site or

branch
- Owned by the organization or company
- It will be one of many individual LANs at one site
- Transmission medium will be twisted pair cable or WIFI
- LAN will contain a device that allows connection to other
networks
- There will be end-systems connected which will be user
systems or servers.
 Local Area Network (LAN)
 Benefits of connecting PCs in a LAN:
- The expense of installing application software on each
individual PC could be saved by installing the software
on an application server attached to the LAN instead
- A file server could be attached to the LAN that allowed
users to store larger files and also allowed files to be
shared between users.
- Instead of supplying individual printers to be connected
to users’ PC, one or more printers could be attached to
a printer server that was connected to the LAN; these
could be higher quality printers.
 Local Area Network (LAN)
 Benefits of connecting PCs in a LAN:
- Managers in organizations could use electronic mail to
communicate with staff rather than sending round
memos or paper.
- the ‘paper-less office’ became a possibility, where files
were to be stored in a digital form on a file server rather
than as paper copies in a filing cabinet.
 Wide Area Network (WAN)
 Definition:
Wide Area Network (WAN) - a
network connecting computers on
different sites, possible thousands of
kilometers apart.
 Wide Area Network (WAN)
 Characteristics of WAN: (revision guide)

- A WAN is a network of connected networks (or

other networks) which communicate over a wide
geographical area; for example, within a town,
region, country, or even globally.
- Various methods of communication are used to
make this possible including the use of the
public telephone network, leased telephone lines
or satellite communications.
- The INTERNET is an example of WAN.
 Wide Area Network (WAN)
 Characteristics of WAN: (textbook)

- Used by an organization or a company to connect sites

or branches
- It will not be owned by the organization or company
- It will be leased from a public switched telephone
network company (PSTN).
- A dedicated communication link will be provided by the
PSTN.
- Transmission medium will be fibre-optic cable
 Wide Area Network (WAN)
 Characteristics of WAN: (textbook)

- Transmission within the WAN will be from switch to

switch
- A switch will connect the WAN to each site.
- There will not be any end-system connected to the WAN.
 Wide Area Network (WAN)
 Benefits of WAN:
- a ‘job’ could be run on a remote computer that had the
required application software.
- data archive that was stored on a remote computer could
be accessed.
- message could be transmitted electronically to a user on
a remote computer.
Client-Server Model
 Definition:
Client-server – an architecture
where a client runs an application
provided by a server on a network.
Client-Server Model
 The client-server approach is the choice in the
following circumstances.
- The server stores a database which is accessed
from the client system.
- The server stores a web application which allows
the client system to find or, sometimes, supply
information.
- The server stores a web application which allows
the clients system to carry out an e-commerce or
financial transaction.
Client-Server Model
 The CLIENT is a web browser
connected to the Internet.
 The SERVER is a web server
hosted on the Internet

- The server provides an application and

the client uses the application.
Client-Server Model
 There are two options for how the
client functions.
(1) Thin client – a client that only
provides input and receives output from
the application
(2) Thick client – a client that carries
out at least some of the processing itself
Client-Server Model
 A Thin client is one which:
- chooses an application to run on
the server
- sends input data to the server
when requested by the application
- receives output from the
application
Client-Server Model
Thin client (revision guide)
- The resources of the client computer will be very limited,
with limited processing power, memory and data
storage.
- In this arrangement, the user at the client computer requests
an application to run on the server, the client sends input
data to the server when the server requests it and then the
client receives the output from the application.
- Essentially, the server is doing all the work. The role of the
client is only to provide the server with input, then receive
and display the final output.
Client-Server Model
 A Thick client is one which:
- chooses an application provided by the
server
- possibly carries out some processing
before running the application on the
server and also after receiving output
from the application
- alternatively, possibly downloads the application
from the server and runs the application itself
Client-Server Model
Thick client (revision guide)
- The resources of the client computer are more extensive, with
greater processing power, memory and data storage.
- In this arrangement, the client has the applications software
installed locally and the client accesses the server for data
needed by the application, for example, data from a
database. The client is able to process data locally and the
results are displayed.
- Alternatively, the client might have to first download the
application software from the server and then proceed as
above.`
Client-Server Model
 A client computer application will access various
resources and services provided by the server.
 The tasks done by the server are varied, but the
process is always that (1) the client software
makes a request to the appropriate server, (2)
the processing of the request is carried out on the
server and (3) the results of the request are sent
back to the client computer.
Client-Server Model
 Common applications:
(1) File server: all software and user data are
stored on the server.
(2) Domain controller server: the server is used for the
management of user accounts: IDs and passwords. The
client computer software will send a log-on request to the
server. The request is processed on the server. The
request is processed on the server, which will grant
access if the user ID and password are recognized.
(3) Printer server: The server is used for the management of
print jobs from the network client computers.
Client-Server Model
 Common applications:
(4) Database server: the server provides a Database
Management System.
(5) Email server: the server is used for the sending and
receiving of emails, and their storage. A ‘sent email’ is
sent to the server for processing and forwarding to the
Internet Service Provider. When the client computer
requests ‘receiving email’ a request is sent to the email
server, which will access the server of the email provider.
(6) Web server: The server is used for the management of
the pages from the company’s website.
Client-Server Model
Benefits
- Different servers can provide for a wide
range of services.
- Provides for the central storage of all files
and documents
- Security – including the administration of
user accounts – is centralized.
Client-Server Model
Benefits
- it allows an organization to control the
downloading and use of files
- the files can be better protected from
malware attacks because the files are
stored on one server which will be
regularly scanned using appropriate anti-
virus software
Client-Server Model
Drawbacks
- Initial set-up costs for the server and the
client workstations will be high
- A server-based network requires the use
of a specialist network operating system.
- If the server fails then the work of all users
is affected.
Peer-to-peer (P2P)
 File Sharing
(If a user uploads files to a file server then the client-server
operation can be used by another user to download
these from a server. – client-server model)

- An alternative mode of operation for sharing

files is peer-to-peer networking.
Peer-to-peer (P2P)
 File Sharing (P2P)
- Instead of having one server that many
clients access, a peer-to-peer network
operates with each peer(networked
computer) storing some of the files.
- Each peer can therefore act as a client and
request a file from another peer or it can act
as a server when another peer requests the
download of a file.
Peer-to-peer (P2P)
Benefits
- it avoid the possibility of congestion on the network
when many clients are simultaneously attempting to
download files
- parts of a file can be downloaded separately
- the parts available from more than one host
- no dedicated server is required
- additional computers can join the P2P network easily
- each computer can act as both provider and receiver
of resources.
Peer-to-peer (P2P)
Drawbacks
- the system by its nature is ‘de-centralized’
and so will be difficult to administer
- there is less control over the identification
of malware from other computers in the
network