Introduction to Networks and Networking Concepts

NETWORKING
 What is Networking?

• involves connecting computers

and other electronic devices

• sharing information and

resources communication
 What is Networking?

• great deal of technology is

required for one device to
connect and communicate with
another

• and many choices for physical

connections and related
software are possible
 Networking Fundamentals
• Elementary network - two computers connected
by some kind of transmission medium

• Motivation: need to share data and to

communicate quickly and efficiently
– Sharing enables users to exchange information and
route data between them as workflow demands
– Can improve human communication substantially
– Peripheral device sharing enables users to take
advantage of peripherals and other devices attached
directly to a network or to a generally available
computer attached to a network
Networking Fundamentals
 Local and Wide Area Networks
• Local Area Network (LAN):
small network, limited to a single collection of machines and
one or more cables and other peripheral equipment
• Internetwork:
networked collection of LANs tied together by devices
such as routers
• Wide Area Network (WAN):
internetwork that spans distances measured in miles
and links two or more separate LAN
• Metropolitan Area Network (MAN):
uses WAN technologies to interconnect LANs in a
specific geographic region, such as a county or a city
 Developing a Networking Lexicon

• Networking is a subject rich with specialized

terminology and technology

• Computer networks have spawned a

language of their own, and half the
challenge of becoming network literate lies
in mastering this terminology
Clients, Peers, and Servers
 Network Medium
• To communicate successfully,
computers must share access to a
common network medium
• Computers must attach to the
network medium by using some
kind of physical interface
• For large-scale networks, multiple
media usually work together
(interoperate) across the total
networking environment
 Network Protocols

• Network protocol:
common set of rules that allows
two computers on a network to
communicate with one another
successfully
 Network Software

• Computers need network software to

issue the requests and responses that let
them take the roles of clients and servers

• Network operating system (NOS):

determines what services that
computer can offer or request
– Controls access to network services and network
resources a computer makes available to clients
 Network Software

• Sharing resources and communication

requires two components: a server
component that provides access to the
resource and a client component that
requests access to the resource

• Both components are referred to as a

service
Layers of the Networking Process
 Understanding Network Types

Two major network types:

• peer-to- peer
• client/server (also
called server - based)
Peer-to-Peer Networking
 Peer-to-Peer Networking

• Every user must also act as a

network administrator

• network administrator - controls

access to the resources on their
machines
 Peer-to-Peer Networking
• Because of this flexibility and
individual discretion,
institutionalized chaos is the norm
for peer-to-peer networks, and
security can be a major concern
•
- Computers can be affiliated into loose
federations called workgroups, but no
network-wide security can be enforced
- As the number of users and resources
grows, these networks can become
unworkable
Peer-to-Peer Networking Advantages
• Advantages:
– Easy to install and configure
– Machines don’t depend on the presence of a
dedicated server
– Users control their own shared resources
– Inexpensive to purchase and operate
– Need no additional equipment or software
beyond a suitable operating system
– No dedicated administrators are needed
– Work best for networks with 10 or fewer
users
 Peer-to-Peer Disadvantages
• Disadvantages:

– Network security applies to only a single resource at a

time
– Users might be forced to use as many passwords as
there are shared resources
– Each PC must be backed up to protect shared data
– When a shared resource is accessed, performance
of
the PC where the resource resides is reduced
– There is no centralized organizational scheme to
locate
or control access to data
– Access to a shared resource is unavailable if PC where
resource resides is turned off/crashes
– Doesn’t usually work well with more than 10 users
Server-Based Networks
 Server-Based Advantages
• Centralized user accounts, security, and access
controls simplify network administration
• More powerful equipment means more efficient
access to network resources
• Server hardware design is generally more
robust
• A single password delivers access to network-
wide resources as specified in access
controls
• Server-based networking makes the most sense
for networks with 10 or more users or any
networks where resources are heavily used
 Server-Based Disadvantages
• At the worst, server failure renders a
network unusable; at the least, it results in
loss of network resources
• Complex server software requires
allocating
expert staff, which increases expenses
• Dedicated hardware and specialized
software add to the cost of server-based
networking
 Wireless Personal Area Networks
• Wireless personal area network (WPAN): short-
range networking technology designed to
connect personal devices to exchange
information
– Cell phones, pagers, PDAs, GPS devices, MP3 players,
and even watches
– Can connect devices you wear or come in close contact
with, and can transmit to outside devices for a short
range, using a secure access method
– The emerging standard for WPANs is the IEEE 802.15
standard
• One product using this standard is Bluetooth
 Role of Network Servers
• The server is at the heart of any network
that’s too large for a peer-to-peer
configuration
• Most large networks with more than a few
dozen workstations rely on several
network servers
• Your knowledge of a server’s unique
hardware requirements and the many roles
it can play in a network is essential to being
able to design and support today’s computer
networks
Server Hardware Requirements
 Specialized Servers
• Within the broad classification of machines that
function as network servers, assigning a variety of

specialty roles is possible, depending on the

services provided
• On large networks in particular, servers with
specialized roles are often deployed
• In Windows Server 2000/2003 and Linux
environments, these server types typically include
application servers, communication servers,
domain controllers/directory servers, fax servers,
file and print servers, mail servers, and Web
servers
 Application Servers
• Application servers supply the server
side of client/server applications, and often
the data that goes along with them, to
network clients
– For example, a database server
– Differ from basic file and print servers by
providing processing services as well as
handling requests for file or print services
 Communication Servers
• Communication servers provide a
mechanism for users outside a network to
access that network’s resources, and
sometimes permit users on a network to
access resources outside network’s local
scope
– Often, installing communication servers on a
network enables users who are traveling or
working at home to dial in to the network via a
modem
• In Windows Server 2000/2003: Routing and Remote
Access Service (RRAS)
Domain Controllers/Directory Servers
• Make it possible to locate, store, and secure
information about a network and its
resources
– Windows Server 2000/2003 permits computers,
users, groups, and resources to be combined
into logical groups called domains
• A user belonging to a domain can access all
resources and information that he or she has
permission to use simply by logging on to the domain
• Server that handles this logon service and manages
the collection of computers, users, and so on in a
domain is a domain controller or directory server
 Fax Servers
• Fax servers manage fax traffic for a
network
– Receive incoming faxes via telephone,
distribute them to recipients over the network,
and collect outgoing faxes across the
network before sending them via telephone
– Use one or more fax modem interfaces to
perform these tasks
– As with most communication servers,
Windows-
, NetWare-, and Linux-based fax servers come
from third parties instead of the platform
vendors
 File and Print Servers
• File and print servers provide basic
network file storage, retrieval services, and
access to networked printers
– Users can run applications locally but keep data
files on the server (and print those files when
they want hard copies)
– Any Windows, NetWare, or Linux server can act
as a file and print server
 Mail Servers
• Mail servers handle e-mail messages for
users
– Might involve simply acting as a clearinghouse
for local exchange of messages
– Also commonly provide “store-and-forward”
services
– Can store outgoing messages until a connection
to an external mail server is established, and
then forward messages to their intended
destinations
– Examples: Microsoft Exchange Server,
GroupWise, and Lotus Notes
 Web Servers
• The World Wide Web is the most well-
known aspect of the Internet, made up of
documents that can be interlinked by using
hyperlinks
– Examples: Internet Information Services (IIS),
Apache Web server
• Apache is the most widely used Web server in the
world
– Many organizational intranets take advantage
of free Web server packages
 Web-Based Networks
• Most computers today are connected to the
Internet, and the latest handheld devices are
connecting through wireless
communications
• Because of the always-on connections available
via DSL and cable modems, the Web is an integral
and seamless part of the computing experience
– Technologies such as the Microsoft .NET initiative and
Web-enabled devices, such as cell phones and PDAs,
promise to integrate the Web even further into people’s
lives
 .Net Computing
• The Microsoft .NET computing model uses the
Web to deliver applications and to enable
applications on different devices running
different operating environments to
communicate and share data
– Allows a device with a wireless interface to
the Web
to download and run applications directly
– Allows a handheld computer to transfer information to
and from a network server or another handheld
computer by using the Web as the network
– Information can be transferred from one place to
another easily and conveniently
 Web-Enabled Devices
• WPANs allow devices within a person’s personal
space to communicate

• Many devices used in a WPAN are Web-enabled

devices that can gather and send information
via the Internet
• Other devices are becoming Web-enabled
– For example, automobiles
• A host of devices are being created that can
access the Web, thus shifting the networking
paradigm from clients and servers to Web-enabled
and not Web-enabled

Guide to Networking Essentials, Fifth Edition 36

 Selecting the Right Type of Network
• You have a number of choices to make when
deciding how to design and implement a network
– Will a single LAN do, or is an internetwork required?
– Is a MAN or WAN required?
– Will peer-to-peer networking suffice, or is a server-
based network in order?
– Do some functions need to be server-based while
others work well as a peer-to-peer network?
• The following sections offer a brief summary to
help in the decision-making process
Choosing a LAN Versus an Internetwork
• The decision to design a LAN or an internetwork is
primarily based on how many total computers will
participate on the network and whether there’s a
need to tie groups of computers together with
network devices such as routers
– The distance the network will span also plays a part in
the decision
– A LAN is usually called for when:
• The number of computers is fewer than 100
• Network use and security factors don’t require a router
• The network is confined to a single building or floor
 Is it a MAN or a WAN?
• If you need the services of a
communications provider to tie multiple sites
together, you have a MAN or WAN
– The only real difference is whether the sites are
confined to a town or city or whether the sites
are located in different cities
• Within one town or city, the network is generally
referred to as a MAN
• If the network spans different cities, it’s considered
as a WAN
Peer-to-Peer or Server-Based Network
• Choosing peer-to-peer networking
exclusively is appropriate only when all the
following hold:
– The network includes no more than 10 users
– All networked machines are close enough to
fit
within the span of a single LAN
– Budget considerations are paramount
– No specialized servers are needed
Peer-to-Peer or Server-Based Network
• A server-based network makes sense when one
or more of the following conditions is true:

– More than 10 users must share network access

– Centralized control, security, resource management, or
backup is desirable
– Users need access to specialized servers, or they
place
heavy demands on network resources
– An internetwork is in use
• Hybrid network uses elements of both a server-
based network and a peer-to-peer network
 Summary
• Basic elements of all networks include:
– Medium
– Physical interface to that medium for computers
seeking access to network resources
• Computers must have a networking protocol in
common to communicate, and they must include
networking software that knows how to use the
protocol to send/receive information across a
network
• Networks deliver services, such as file sharing,
printing, e-mail, and messaging services, to users
 Summary
• The major types of networks are peer-to-peer (any
computer can function as client or server), server-based
(users act as clients of dedicated server machines), and
wireless personal area networks (network is limited to a
small area around a person)
• Budget, number of users, types of applications or network
services, and requirements for centralized administration
and control are the major criteria in deciding which type of
network to deploy
• Servers require specialized HW and SW, and are capable
of taking specific roles (file and print servers, fax servers,
e-mail servers, application servers)