Chapter two

Computer Network Types, Topologies and

LAN Devices
Contents
Network, Criteria…..
Network types
 LANs, MANs, WANs and Internetworks
 Peer to peer versus Server based Networks
 Packet-switched and Circuit switched networks
 Network cabling & Topologies
LAN (End and Intermediary) devices and their roles
Transmission medias 1
What is a network?
•A Network is a system of interconnected computers that can
communicate with each other via some communication medium.
What is the d/ce b/n Internet, Intranet and Extranet?
•Intranet is a company's private network that hosts an internal website
with various resources -- such as a knowledge base, communications
channel and/or collaboration platform -- for employees and other select
internal users, such as contractors.
•Extranet is a private network that enterprises use to provide trusted
third parties -- such as suppliers, vendors, partners, customers and
other businesses -- secure, controlled access to business information or
operations.
•Internet is an interconnection of millions of computers together globally, forming a
network in which any computer can communicate with any other computer as long as
they are both connected to the network.
•Internet is a worldwide system of computer networks -- a network of networks in
which users at any one computer can, get information from any other computer.
2
 An example of a network

Router
Hub
Bridge Segment Node

Hub

Internet
Network Criteria
•A network must be able to meet a certain number of criteria. The most
important of these are performance, reliability, and security.
1. Performance can be measured in many ways, including transit time and
response time. Transit time is the amount of time required for a message to
travel from one device to another. Response time is the elapsed time
between an inquiry and a response.
•The performance of a network depends on a number of factors, including
the number of users, the type of transmission medium, the capabilities of the
connected hardware, and the efficiency of the software.
•Performance is often evaluated by two networking metrics: throughput
and delay.
•We often need more throughput and less delay. However, these two criteria
are often contradictory. If we try to send more data to the network, we may
increase throughput but we increase the delay because of traffic congestion
in the network.

4
2. Reliability
•Network reliability is measured by the frequency of
failure, the time it takes a link to recover from a failure, and the
network’s robustness in a catastrophe.
3. Security:- Network security issues include protecting data from
unauthorized access and viruses.
•Network security issues include protecting data from unauthorized
access, protecting data from damage and development, and
implementing policies and procedures for recovery from breaches and
data losses.
•Unauthorized access: For a network to be useful, sensitive data must
be protected from unauthorized access. Protection can be
accomplished at a number of levels. At the lowest level are user
identification codes and passwords. At a higher level are encryption
techniques.
•Viruses: Because a network is accessible from many points, it can be
susceptible to computer viruses. 5
Types of Networks
•Four primary categories of networks. Factors for the categorization are size,
coverage (covered by the network), structure and ownership.
•Network coverage is defined as the extent of the area to which the network
signals are transmitted.
1.Personal Area Networks (PANs)-----bluetooth, Infrared, hotspot
2.Local Area Networks (LANs)------10baseT, 100baseT, 1000baseCx, Wi-Fi
3.Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs)----10base2, 10base5, 1000baseTx
4.Wide Area Networks (WANs)------Internet, 1000baseFx, 1000baseCx
Baseband –transmit analog signals, broadband—transmit digital signal.
PANs
•A PAN is a network that is used for communicating among computers and
computer devices (including telephones) in close proximity of around a few
meters within a room.
•It can be used for communicating between the devices themselves, or for
connecting to a larger network such as the internet.
•PAN’s can be wired or wireless
6
 Local Area Network
• A LAN is a network that is used for communicating among
computer devices, usually within an office building or home
• LAN’s enable the sharing of resources such as files or hardware
devices that may be needed by multiple users
• Is limited in size, typically spanning a few hundred meters, and no
more than a mile
• Is very fast, with speeds from 10 Mbps to 10 Gbps
• Requires very little wiring, typically a single cable connecting to
each device
• Has lower cost compared to MAN’s or WAN’s
A metropolitan area network (MAN)
•MAN is a network with a size between a LAN and a WAN.

•It normally covers the area inside a large campus, town or a city.
•MANs bridge the gap between LANs and WANs, covering a city or
a large campus.
•They are used by organizations or cities to provide high-speed
connectivity over short to medium distances.

•It is designed for customers who need a high-speed connectivity,

normally to the Internet, and have endpoints spread over a city or
part of city.

•A MAN typically covers an area of between 5 and 50 km diameter.

8
 P2P vs Server based networks
Peer-to-peer (P2P)
•Each connected device on this network behaves as the client, as well as the
server, and enjoys similar privileges.
•The resources of each peer are shared among the entire network, including
memory, processing power and printing.
•Many companies use the P2P architecture to host memory-intensive
applications, such as three-dimensional rendering, across multiple network
devices.
Client-server.
•This model consists of many clients -- or nodes -- where at least one network
node acts as the central server.
•The clients in this model don't share resources, but request the central server,
as all the resources are installed on it.

9
Network Topology
• The term topology refers to the way in which a network is laid
out physically. Two or more devices connect to a link; two or
more links form a topology. The topology of a network is the
geometric representation of the relationship of all the links and
linking devices (usually called nodes) to one another.
• There are a number of basic topologies possible: mesh, star,
bus, ring, hybrid.
Star Topology
• In a star topology, each device has a dedicated point-to-point
link only to a central controller, usually called a hub.
• The term dedicated means that the link carries traffic only
between the two devices it connects.
• The devices are not directly linked to one another.
• Unlike a mesh topology, a star topology does not allow direct
traffic between devices.
• The controller acts as an exchange: If one device wants to send
data to another, it sends the data to the controller, which then
relays the data to the other connected device
Upsides of Star Topology:
•Because there are separate connections between end nodes and
the central device, this topology enables the network administrator
to add or remove end nodes without
•affecting/disrupting service to all other nodes on that network.
•Easy to install and wire.
•No single point failure, and easy to detect faults when they occur.
Downsides of Star Topology:
•It requires more cabling than the linear bus topology
•If the hub/switch fails, all nodes connected to it are disabled.
•More expensive than bus topology cos of the cost of hub/switch
and cables.
 Network Topologies

• Bus Topology
– Each node is connected one after the other (like christmas lights)
– Nodes communicate with each other along the same path called the
backbone
Upsides of Bus Topology:
•Because the bus topology uses a single cable, it is a low-
cost option that is easily implemented.
•Easy to extend using barrel connectors.

Downsides of Bus Topology:

•If the cable breaks, the entire network goes down (lack of
redundancy). Prone to single point failure.
•Terminators are required at both ends of the backbone
cable.
•The trunk can be the bottleneck to the network
performance when the network traffic is very high.
Ring Topology
• In a ring topology, each device has a dedicated point-to-point
connection with only the two devices on either side of it.
• A signal is passed along the ring in one direction, from device to
device, until it reaches its destination.
• Each device in the ring incorporates a repeater. When a device
receives a signal intended for another device, its repeater
regenerates the bits and passes them along
• For n devices in a network we have n-1 number cable links
Upsides of Ring Topology:
•Unlike to bus topology, no terminators are required.
•The modular design results in a network that is easy to
expand.
Downsides of Ring Topology:
•Network configuration can be technically intricate.
•It suffers single point failure just like the linear bus
topology.
•The cabling system is complicated as compared to the
star cabling.
Mesh topology
• In a mesh topology, every device has a dedicated point-to-point link to
every other device.
• To find the number of physical links in a fully connected mesh network
with n nodes, we first consider that each node must be connected to
every other node.
• Node 1 must be connected to n - I nodes, node 2 must be connected to
n – 1 nodes, and finally node n must be connected to n - 1 nodes. We
need n(n - 1) physical links.
• However, if each physical link allows communication in both directions
(duplex mode), we can divide the number of links by 2. In other words,
we can say that in a mesh topology, we need n(n -1) /2 duplex-mode
links.
• To accommodate that many links, every device on the network must
have n – 1 input/output (VO) ports to be connected to the other n - 1
stations.
• A mesh offers several advantages over other network
topologies.
• First, the use of dedicated links guarantees that each
connection can carry its own data load, thus eliminating the
traffic problems that can occur when links must be shared by
multiple devices.
• Second, a mesh topology is robust. If one link becomes
unusable, it does not incapacitate the entire system.
• Third, there is the advantage of privacy or security. When
every message travels along a dedicated line, only the
intended recipient sees it. Physical boundaries prevent other
users from gaining access to messages.
• Finally, point-to-point links make fault identification and fault
isolation easy.
• Traffic can be routed to avoid links with suspected problems.
This facility enables the network manager to discover the
precise location of the fault and aids in finding its cause and
solution.
The main disadvantages of a mesh are related to the
amount of cabling and the number of I/O ports required.
•First, because every device must be connected to every
other device, installation and reconnection are difficult.
•Second, the sheer bulk of the wiring can be greater than
the available space (in walls, ceilings, or floors) can
accommodate.
•Finally, the hardware required to connect each link (I/O
ports and cable) can be prohibitively expensive.
•For these reasons a mesh topology is usually
implemented in a limited fashion, for example, as a
backbone connecting the main computers of a hybrid
network that can include several other topologies.
•One practical example of a mesh topology is the
connection of telephone regional offices in which each
regional office needs to be connected to every other
regional office
Hybrid Topology
• It is a type of network topology that combines two or
more basic network topologies.
• For example, we can have a main star topology with
each branch connecting several stations in a bus
topology (star-bus topology)
• Examples of hybrid topology include star-bus, star-star,
star-ring, tree, etc.
Impacts over the choice one topology over another.

How do choose best topo.. that meets your

requirements?
• Equipment of the network needs
• Capabilities of the equipment
• Growth of network (scalability)
• The way network is managed
Access Methods of LANs, MANs, WANs
•An access method determines how a host will place data on the wire.
•Does the host have to wait its turn or can it just place the data on the wire
whenever it wants?
•It is determined by three major access methods: CSMA/CD, CSMA/CA,
and token passing.

CSMA/CD
•Carrier sense multiple access with collision detection (CSMA/CD) is one
of the most popular access methods.

•With CSMA/CD, every host has equal access to the wire and can place
data on the wire when the wire is free from traffic.

•If a host wishes to place data on the wire, it will “sense” the wire and
determine whether there is a signal already on the wire.

•If there is, the host will wait to transmit the data; if the wire is free, the
host will send the data.
CSMA/CD
•The problem with CSMA/CD is, if there are two systems on the wire
that “sense” the wire at the same time to see if the wire is free, they will
both send data out at the same time if the wire is free.

•When the two pieces of data are sent out on the wire at the same time,
they will collide with one another, and the data will be destroyed. If the
data is destroyed in transit, the data will need to be retransmitted.

•Consequently, after a collision, each host will wait a variable length of

time before retransmitting the data (they don’t want the data to collide
again), thereby preventing a collision the second time.

•When a system determines that the data has collided and then
retransmits the data, that is known as collision detection.
CSMA/CD
•To summarize, CSMA/CD provides that before a host sends data on the
network, it will “sense” (CS) the wire to ensure that the
wire is free of traffic.

•Multiple systems have equal access to the wire (MA), and if there is a
collision, a host will detect that collision (CD) and retransmit the data.
CSMA/CD
A host “sensing” the wire to see if it is free of traffic
CSMA/CA
•Carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) is not as
popular as CSMA/CD.

•With CSMA/CA, before a host sends data on the wire, it will “sense” the
wire as well to see if the wire is free of signals.

•If the wire is free, it will try to “avoid” a collision by sending a piece of
“dummy” data on the wire first to see whether it collides with any other data.
•If it does not collide, the host in effect assumes “If my dummy data did not
collide, then the real data will not collide,” and it submits the real data on the
wire.
Token Passing
•With both CSMA/CD and CSMA/CA, the possibility of collisions is always there,
and the more hosts that are placed on the wire, the greater the chances of collisions,
because you have more systems “waiting”’ for the wire to become free so that they
can send their data.
•Token passing takes a totally different approach to deciding on how a system can
place data on the wire.
•With token passing, there is an empty packet running around
on the wire the “token.”
•In order to place data on the wire, you need to wait for the token; once you have the
token and it is free of data, you can place your data on the wire.
•Since there is only one token and a host needs to have the token to “talk,” it is
impossible to have collisions in a token-passing environment.
Token Passing
•For example, if Workstation 1 wants to send data on the wire, the workstation would wait
for the token, which is circling the network millions of times per second.
•Once the token has reached Workstation 1, the workstation would take the token off the
network, fill it with data, mark the token as being used so that no other systems try to fill the
token with data, and then place the token back on the wire heading for the destination host.

•All systems will look at the data, but they will not process it, since it is not destined for
them. However, the system that is the intended destination will read the data and send the
token back to the sender as a confirmation.

•Once the token has reached the original sender, the token is unflagged as being used and
released as an empty token onto the network.
29
30
Services that we get fro a Server:
•A network server can perform many functions within your
business
•You can use a network server to:
store and share your files;
share a single internet connection between all your devices;
manage incoming and outgoing email
allow staff to access files when out and about through a
virtual private network (VPN);
centralize printing, so the server manages print jobs and
lets you share printers;
run networked applications and software;
host an intranet (a kind of private website holding 31
32
Network Firewalls
•A Network Firewall is a security device used to prevent or limit illegal
access to private networks by using policies defining the only traffic
allowed on the network; any other traffic seeking to connect is blocked.
•Network firewalls are located at the network’s front line, serving as a
communications link between internal and external networks.
•A network firewall is hardware or software that restricts and permits
the flow of traffic between networks.
•Network firewalls help prevent cyberattacks by enforcing policies that
block unauthorized traffic from accessing a secure network.
•Network firewalls analyze inbound and outbound network traffic,
checking for IP address, communication protocols, content type, and
other traffic characteristics. After analyzing the characteristics of the
traffic, the network firewall blocks or allows traffic based on established
firewall policy.
•Network firewall security is often required to achieve security, privacy,
33
and compliance mandates
Network Firewalls
•Network firewall security is often required to achieve security, privacy,
and compliance mandates
Benefits of network firewall security
Enforce access privileges to reduce risk. Network firewalls that only
allow traffic that has been expressly permitted to pass—”deny by
default”—can support Zero Trust security architectures.

Limit access to sensitive resources. Network firewalls can prevent

unauthorized users from accessing sensitive and confidential data, such
as patient data and financial information.

Protect the network from cyber-threats. Attacks caused by malware

or threats propagated by malicious websites visited by users within the
organization can be blocked and prevented by network firewalls.
34
Network Interface Card
•Every computer on the network needs one add-on card called the
Network Interface Card (NIC) or Ethernet adapter or Network Interface
Adapter.
•The role of NIC is to move the serial signals on the network cables or
media into parallel data stream inside the PC.
•In some cases, two or more such NIC’s are used in the server to split
the load.
•These interface units also have important jobs of controlling access to
the media.
•NIC is layer-1 device since it uses electrical signals to transmit bit

35
36
37
38
39
Repeater…..
•If your network layout exceeds the normal specifications of the cable,
you can use repeaters to allow the signal to travel the distance by
placing the repeaters at different points in the network.
•For example, if you are using thinnet cabling, you know that thinnet is
limited to 185 m.
•But what if you want to connect two systems together that are 235 m
apart? You would place a repeater somewhere before the 185 m mark so
that the repeater will regenerate or rebuild the signal, allowing it to travel
the extra difference.
•It is used to increase the networking distance by increasing the
strength and quality of signals.

40
Features of Repeaters
Repeater can regenerate the signal without
modifying it.
Repeaters can be used in analog signals and digital
signals.
Repeaters can extend the range of networks.
Dynamic networking is supported by repeater.
Use of Repeaters reduces error and loss of data.
Power is required for working of repeaters.
Using repeater can add complexity in the network.

41
42
Bridges break the network down into multiple network segments.
A bridge forwards the traffic only to the needed network segments.
Figure shows how a Bridge is used to segregate networks

43
24 port Network Switches 44
CISCO and
Huawei
routers

45
Gateway---device that translates one data format to another is called gateway.
•The key point is only the data format is translated not the data itself.
•Two different networks can be connected using a gateway.
•A network gateway is a device or node that connects disparate networks by
translating communications from one protocol to another.
•Unlike routers, a gateway converts the format of the data sent between two
networks.
•A router adds only addressing information to the data packet.
•Routers never change the content of the message.
•However, a gateway has to identify the protocols used in the networks, and
recognize the data format and convert the message format into a suitable
format to be accepted by the other network.
•Wide area networks often use gateways because there is a large number of
different networks present in a WAN.
•Gateways provide excellent connectivity to different kinds of networks on the
Internet.

CISCO Gateways 46
47
Transmission Media in Computer Network and
Its Types
•Transmission Media is a method of establishing a
communication medium to transmit and receive information in
the form of electromagnetic signal waves.

•The transmission medium is the physical path between

transmitter and receiver in a data transmission system.
•The communication channel through which the data travels
from one computer to another over a network is called
transmission media.

•It is the pathway for transmitting data and information. It may

be a cable or a wave.
•Transmission media can be classified as guided or unguided.
unguided
• As we know, communication system usually use a wire or cable
to connect sending and receiving devices.
• Currently, the most common cable types deployed in network
communication system are fiber optic cable, twisted pair cable
and coaxial cable.
• For guided transmission media, the transmission capacity, in terms of either
data rate or bandwidth, depends critically on the distance

• The primary guided media types include coaxial, twisted-pair, and fiber-
optic cables.
• Cable media offer physical connectivity to the network devices.
• Cables may consist of metal, glass, or plastic.
• Copper is the most popular metal cable.
• Fiber-optic uses glass or plastic cabling.
• How they distinct from each other in terms of features and
specifications?
• What’s the differences between performance and capacity when it
comes to fiber optic cable vs twisted pair cable vs coaxial cable?
• Fiber optic cable transmits data as pulses of light go through tiny tubes of
glass, the transmission capacity of which is 26,000 times higher than that of
twisted-pair cable. When comparing with coaxial cables, fiber optic cables
are lighter and reliable for transmitting data.
1. Twisted-Pair Cable
•Twisted pair cable consists of a pair of insulated wires twisted together,
which is adapted in the field of telecommunication for a long time.
•With the cable twisting together, it helps to reduce noise from outside
sources and crosstalk on multi-pair cables.
•Basically, twisted pair cable can be divided into two types: unshielded
twisted-pair (UTP) and shielded twisted-pair (STP).
•The former serves as the most commonly used one with merely two
insulated wires twisted together.
•Any data communication cables and normal telephone cables belong to
this category.
•However, shielded twisted pair distinguishes itself from UTP in that it
consists of a foil jacket which helps to prevent crosstalk and noise from
outside source.
•It is typically used to eliminate inductive and capacitive coupling, so it
can be applied between equipment, racks and buildings.
1. Twisted-Pair Cable

STP

UTP
• Cross-over cables also use four wires and pins 1, 2, 3, and 6. The difference is in how the pins are
connected at each end. With cross-over cables, pin 1 connects to pin 3 and pin 2 connects to pin
6.
• Use a cross-over cable for the following connection types:
 From a switch to another switch
 From a router to another router
 From a PC to another PC
 From a PC to a router
 From a hub to another hub
 From a hub to a switch

• Rolled or rollover cables use eight wires and connect from a host to a console serial
communications (com) port on a router.
• You may also hear this cable referred to as a console cable.
• Make sure not to confuse a rollover cable with a cross-over cable.
Examples:
•What type of media link you may use in your network deployment?
•How do u choose UTP Ethernet cables as your best media links for your project (Cat3, 5, 5e, 6, 6a, 7,8)?

•(cost, no.of twist, rate, BWD…) “It is a confusing task to select the appropriate media link for your network design
unless you are an expert.”
•Why cat5e reduced potential crosstalk than cat5? (cat5=3-twists per inch, cat5e=2twists per cm, what does this
mean?) (1 inch=2.54cm)

•Factors to choose cables, when designing your network? Cost, rate, signal attenuation, bandwidth, expansion
capabilities, travel distance……..
•How do they communicate? When do we use fiber cables, Ethernet cables, copper cables?? How do we access data
at endpoints?
2. Coaxial Cable
•Coaxial cable acts as a high-frequency transmission cable which
contains a single solid-copper core.
•A coaxial cable has over 80 times the transmission capability of the
twisted-pair.
•It is commonly used to deliver television signals and to connect
computers in a network as well, so people may get more familiar with
this kind of cable.
•There are two coaxial cables based on their services:
•75 Ohm and 50 Ohm.
•What’s the application of them respectively?
2. Coaxial Cable
75 Ohm coaxial cable
•The primary use of a 75 Ohm cable is to transmit a video signal. One of the
typical applications is television signals over cable, sometimes called signal feed
cables.
•The most common connector used in this application is a Type F.
•Another application is video signals between components such as DVD players,
VCRs or Receivers commonly known as audio/video (A/V) cables.
•In this case BNC and RCA connectors are most often found. In both of these
applications RG59 with both solid center conductor (RG59B/U) and stranded
center conductor (RG59A/U) as well as RG6 are often found.

50 Ohm coaxial cable

•The primary use of a 50 Ohm coaxial cable is transmission of a data signal in a
two-way communication system.
•Some common applications for 50 Ohm coaxial cable are computer Ethernet
backbones, wireless antenna feed cables, GPS (Global Positioning Satellite)
antenna feed cables and cell phone systems.
2. Coaxial Cable
•Coaxial cables for data consist of a single copper wire surrounded by a
plastic insulation cover and a braided copper shield.

•Coaxial cable comes in two versions based on their diameter and flexibility
to work: Thinnet and Thicknet.
Thin coax has the following characteristics:
Also called Thinnet
0.25 inches in diameter, 1/4 inch in diameter and is very flexible and easy to work with.
Maximum cable length = 185 meters
Uses Bayonet Neill Concelman connectors (BNCs)
10BASE-2 Ethernet standard
Coaxial cable Thicknet has the following characteristics:
Also called Thicknet, 1/2 inch in diameter and not very flexible.
Maximum cable length = 500 meters
Uses attachment unit interface (AUI) adapters
10BASE-5 Ethernet standard
use of an external transceiver.
The transceiver is used to convert signals from parallel to serial for
transmission on the network.
The Thicknet cable attaches to the transceiver via a clamp or vampire tap.
•The coaxial cable media is not nearly as popular as twisted
pair or fiber optic.
•It is not as flexible or cost effective as other options. You
may see this cable implemented on an older network.
Assignment 2 (12%)
1. Users in Haramaya University are complaining that the performance
of the network is not satisfactory. It takes a long time to pull files
from the server and under heavy loads workstations can become
disconnected from the server. The network is heavily used and a
new video conferencing application is about to be installed. The
network is a 100baseT system created with Ethernet hubs. What
network device most likely will be installed to alleviate the
performance problems? Justify your ans?
2. How Bridges block or permit data from passing to a specified
network segment?
3. What type of network topology do you recommend for HU ICT and
HU CCI office? Justify why?
4. Discuss differences between Internet and a network.
5. Why a hub forwards data packets to all connected ports?

70
6. Analyze and write a short note about the
network performance of Haramaya University
regarding to its throughput and delay including
both Wired and Wi-Fi networks?
 Thank You
End of chap two