Network Types

Chapter 3
 Local Area Network
• A local area network (LAN) is usually privately owned and connects some
hosts in a single office, building, or campus.
• Depending on the needs of an organization, a LAN can be as simple as two PCs
and a printer in someone’s home office, or it can extend throughout a company
and include audio and video devices.
Each host in a LAN has an
identifier, an address, that
uniquely defines the host in the 192.168.2.1
LAN. 192.168.2.2
A packet sent by a host to
another host carries both the
source host’s and the
destination host’s addresses.

• In the past, all hosts in a network were connected through a common cable,
which meant that a packet sent from one host to another was received by all
hosts.
• The intended recipient kept the packet; the others dropped the packet.
• Today, most LANs use a smart
connecting switch, which is
able to recognize the
destination address of the
packet and guide the packet
to its destination without
sending it to all other hosts.
• The switch alleviates the
traffic in the LAN and allows
more than one pair to
communicate with each other
at the same time if there is no
common source and
destination among them.
 Wide Area Network
• A wide area network (WAN) is also an interconnection of devices capable of
communication.
• A LAN is normally limited in size, spanning an office, a building, or a campus; a
WAN has a wider geographical span, spanning a town, a state, a country, or
even the world.
• A LAN interconnects hosts; a WAN interconnects connecting devices such as
switches, routers, or modems.
• A LAN is normally privately owned by the organization that uses it; a WAN is
normally created and run by communication companies and leased by an
organization that uses it.
• There are two distinct examples of WANs:
• point-to-point WANs and
• switched WANs.
• Point-to-Point WAN
• A point-to-point WAN is a network that connects two communicating devices through a
transmission media (cable or air).
• Switched WAN
• A switched WAN is a network with more than two ends.
• A switched WAN is used in the backbone of global communication today.
• We can say that a switched WAN is a combination of several point-to-point WANs
that are connected by switches.
 Internetwork
• Today, it is very rare to see a LAN or a WAN in isolation; they are connected to
one another.
• When two or more networks are connected, they make an internetwork, or
internet.
• As an example, assume that an organization has two offices, one on the east coast and
the other on the west coast.
• Each office has a LAN that allows all employees in the office to communicate with each
other.
• To make the communication between employees at different offices possible, the
management leases a point-to-point dedicated WAN from a service provide, and
connects the two LANs.
• Now the company has an internetwork, or a private internet.
• When a host in the west coast office sends a message to another host in the same office,
the router blocks the message, but the switch directs the message to the destination. On
the other hand, when a host on the west coast sends a message to a host on the east
coast, router R1 routes the packet to router R2, and the packet reaches the destination.
 Client-Server Network
• Client-Server Network model is broadly used network model.
• In Client-Server Network, Clients and server are differentiated, specific server
and clients are present.
• In Client-Server Network, Centralized server is used to store the data because
its management is centralized.
• In Client-Server Network, Server respond the services which are requested by
Client.
• In Server-based network, server administers the whole set-up in the network.
• Access rights and resource allocations are also done by the server.
• Due to centralized storage, it becomes easy to find a file or some other
resource.
• A centralized server makes data backup and recovery possible in a convenient
manner.
• Changes in the network can be made very easily by just upgrading the server.
Also, the network is easily scalable.
• Servers can be accessed remotely from various platforms in the network.
• Rules defining security and access rights can be defined at the time of the set-
up of the server.
 Peer-to-Peer Network
• Peer-to-Peer Network model does not differentiate the clients and the servers, each and every
node is itself client and server.
• In Peer-to-Peer Network, Each and every node can do both request and respond for the
services.
• Peer-to-peer networks are often created by collections of fewer machines.
• All of these computers use unique security to keep their data, but they also share data with
every other node.
• In peer-to-peer networks, the nodes both consume and produce resources.
• Therefore, as the number of nodes grows, so does the peer-to-peer network’s capability for
resource sharing.
• This is distinct from client-server networks where an increase in nodes causes the server to
become overloaded.
• It is challenging to give nodes in peer-to-peer networks proper security because they function as
both clients and servers.
• A denial of service attack may result from this.
• The majority of contemporary operating systems, including Windows and Mac OS, come with
software to implement peer
• Peer-to-peer network model is easy to implement
and manage.
• Nodes or workstations are independent of one
another.
• No access permissions is also needed.
• The network is reliable in nature.
• If a peer fails, it will not affect the working of
others.
• There is no need for any professional software in
such kind of networks.
• The cost of implementation of such networks is very
less.
• In Peer-to-peer network model Storage is
decentralized, and also not so efficiently managed.
• Data backup options are not available in peer-to-peer
networks.
• These kinds of networks are not so secure too.
 Packet-switched and Circuit
switched networks
• Circuit-Switched Network
• In a circuit-switched network, a dedicated connection, called a circuit, is always available
between the two end systems; the switch can only make it active or inactive.
• Circuit switching was very common in telephone networks in the past, although part of
the telephone network today is a packet-switched network.
• The switches used in this case have forwarding tasks but no storing capability.
• Let us look at two cases.
• In the first case, all telephone sets are busy; four people at one site are talking
with four people at the other site; the capacity of the thick line is fully used.
• In the second case, only one telephone set at one side is connected to a
telephone set at the other side; only one-fourth of the capacity of the thick line
is used.
• This means that a circuit-switched network is efficient only when it is working
at its full capacity; most of the time, it is inefficient because it is working at
partial capacity.
• The reason that we need to make the capacity of the thick line four times the
capacity of each voice line is that we do not want communication to fail when
all telephone sets at one side want to be connected with all telephone sets at
the other side.
• Packet-Switched Network
• In a computer network, the communication between the two ends is done in blocks of
data called packets.
• In other words, instead of the continuous communication we see between two telephone
sets when they are being used, we see the exchange of individual data packets between
the two computers.
• This allows us to make the switches function for both storing and forwarding because a
packet is an independent entity that can be stored and sent later.
• A router in a packet-switched network has a queue that can store and forward the packet.
• Now assume that the capacity of the thick line is only twice the capacity of the data line
connecting the computers to the routers.
• If only two computers (one at each site) need to communicate with each other, there is
no waiting for the packets.
• However, if packets arrive at one router when the thick line is already working at its full
capacity, the packets should be stored and forwarded in the order they arrived.
• The two simple examples show that a packet-switched network is more efficient than a
circuit switched network, but the packets may encounter some delays.
 Network cabling & Topologies
• The term physical 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 four basic topologies possible: mesh, star, bus, and ring.
• Mesh Topology
• In a mesh topology, every device has a dedicated point-to-point link to every other device.
• The term dedicated means that the link carries traffic only between the two devices it connects.
• 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 – 1 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 (I/O) ports
• 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.

• 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.
• Star Topology

• In a star topology, each device has a dedicated point-to-point link only to a central controller, usually

called a hub or switch, The devices are not directly linked to one another.

• 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.

• A star topology is less expensive than a mesh topology.

• In a star, each device needs only one link and one I/O port to connect it to any number of others.

• This factor also makes it easy to install and reconfigure.

• Far less cabling needs to be housed, and additions, moves, and deletions involve only one connection:

between that device and the hub.

• Other advantages include robustness.

• If one link fails, only that link is affected. This factor also lends itself to easy fault identification and fault isolation. As long
 • One big disadvantage of a star topology is the dependency of the whole topology on one
single point, the hub.
• If the hub goes down, the whole system is dead.
• More cabling is required in a star than ring or bus.
• The star topology is used in local-area networks (LANs).
• High-speed LANs often use a star topology with a central hub.
• Bus Topology
• The preceding examples all describe point-to-point connections.
• A bus topology, on the other hand, is multipoint. One long cable acts as a backbone to
link all the devices in a network.
• Nodes are connected to the bus cable by drop lines and taps.
• A drop line is a connection running between the device and the main cable.
• A tap is a connector that either splices into the main cable or punctures the sheathing of a cable to create a contact with the
metallic core.
• As a signal travels along the backbone, some of its energy is transformed into heat. Therefore, it becomes weaker and weaker as it
travels farther and farther.
• For this reason there is a limit on the number of taps a bus can support and on the distance between those taps.
• Advantages of a bus topology include
• Ease of installation.
• Backbone cable can be laid along the most efficient path, then connected to the nodes by drop lines of various lengths.
• In this way, a bus uses less cabling than mesh or star topologies
• In a star, for example, four network devices in the same room require four lengths of cable reaching all the way to the hub. In a bus, this redundancy
is eliminated. Only the backbone cable stretches through the entire facility. Each drop line has to reach only as far as the nearest point on the
backbone.
• Disadvantages include
• Difficult reconnection and fault isolation.
• A bus is usually designed to be optimally efficient at installation.
• It can therefore be difficult to add new devices.
• Signal reflection at the taps can cause degradation in quality.
• This degradation can be controlled by limiting the number and spacing of devices connected to a given length of cable. Adding
new devices may therefore require modification or replacement of the backbone.
• In addition, a fault or break in the bus cable stops all transmission, even between devices on the same side of the
problem. The damaged area reflects signals back in the direction of origin, creating noise in both directions.
• Bus topology was the one of the first topologies used in the design of early local area networks. Traditional Ethernet
LANs can use a bus topology, but they are less popular now.
• 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.
• A ring is relatively easy to install and reconfigure.
• Each device is linked to only its immediate neighbors (either physically or logically).
• To add or delete a device requires changing only two connections.
• The only constraints are media and traffic considerations (maximum ring length and
number of devices).
• In addition, fault isolation is simplified.
• Generally, in a ring a signal is circulating at all times.
• If one device does not receive a signal within a specified period, it can issue an alarm.
• The alarm alerts the network operator to the problem and its location.
• However, unidirectional traffic can be a disadvantage.
• In a simple ring, a break in the ring (such as a disabled station) can disable the entire
network. This weakness can be solved by using a dual ring or a switch capable of closing
off the break.
• Ring topology was prevalent when IBM introduced its local-area network, Token Ring.
• Today, the need for higher-speed LANs has made this topology less popular.
 Network Cabling
• Cable is the medium through which information usually moves from one
network device to another.
• There are several types of cable which are commonly used with LANs.
• The type of cable chosen for a network is related to the network's topology,
protocol, and size.
• Understanding the characteristics of different types of cable and how they
relate to other aspects of a network is necessary for the development of a
successful network.
• Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) Cable
• The quality of UTP may vary from telephone-grade wire to extremely high-speed cable.
• The cable has four pairs of wires inside the jacket.
• Each pair is twisted with a different number of twists per inch to help eliminate
interference from adjacent pairs and other electrical devices.
• The tighter the twisting, the higher the supported transmission rate and the greater the
cost per foot.
• The EIA/TIA (Electronic Industry Association/Telecommunication Industry Association)
has established standards of UTP and rated six categories of wire (additional categories
are emerging).
Category Speed Use
•1 1 Mbps Voice Only (Telephone Wire)
•2 4 Mbps Local Talk & Telephone (Rarely used)
•3 16 Mbps 10BaseT Ethernet
•4 20 Mbps Token Ring (Rarely used)
•5 100 Mbps (2 pair) 100BaseT Ethernet
1000 Mbps (4 pair) Gigabit Ethernet
• 5e 1,000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet
•6 10,000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet
• Unshielded Twisted Pair Connector
• The standard connector for unshielded twisted pair cabling is an RJ-45 connector.
• A slot allows the RJ-45 to be inserted only one way.
• RJ stands for Registered Jack, implying that the connector follows a standard borrowed
from the telephone industry.
• This standard designates which wire goes with each pin inside the connector.
• Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) Cable
• Although UTP cable is the least expensive cable, it may be susceptible to radio and
electrical frequency interference (it should not be too close to electric motors,
fluorescent lights, etc.).
• If you must place cable in environments with lots of potential interference, or if you
must place cable in extremely sensitive environments that may be susceptible to
the electrical current in the UTP, shielded twisted pair may be the solution.
• Shielded cables can also help to extend the maximum distance of the cables.
• Shielded twisted pair cable is available in three different configurations:
• Each pair of wires is individually shielded with foil.
• There is a foil or braid shield inside the jacket covering all wires (as a group).
• There is a shield around each individual pair, as well as around the entire group of wires
(referred to as double shield twisted pair).
• Coaxial Cable
• Coaxial cabling has a single copper conductor at its center.
• A plastic layer provides insulation between the center conductor and a braided metal
shield.
• The metal shield helps to block any outside interference from fluorescent lights, motors,
and other computers.

• Although coaxial cabling is difficult to install, it is highly resistant to signal interference.

• In addition, it can support greater cable lengths between network devices than twisted
pair cable.
• The two types of coaxial cabling are thick coaxial and thin coaxial.
• Thin coaxial cable is also referred to as thinnet.
• 10Base2 refers to the specifications for thin coaxial cable carrying Ethernet signals.
• The 2 refers to the approximate maximum segment length being 200 meters.
• In actual fact the maximum segment length is 185 meters.
• Thin coaxial cable has been popular in school networks, especially linear bus networks.
• Thick coaxial cable is also referred to as thicknet.
• 10Base5 refers to the specifications for thick coaxial cable carrying Ethernet signals.
• The 5 refers to the maximum segment length being 500 meters.
• Thick coaxial cable has an extra protective plastic cover that helps keep moisture away from the
center conductor.
• This makes thick coaxial a great choice when running longer lengths in a linear bus network.
• One disadvantage of thick coaxial is that it does not bend easily and is difficult to install.
• The most common type of connector used with coaxial cables is the Bayone-Neill-Concelman
(BNC) connector.
• Different types of adapters are available for BNC connectors, including a T-connector, barrel
connector, and terminator.
• Connectors on the cable are the weakest points in any network.
• To help avoid problems with your network, always use the BNC connectors that crimp, rather
screw, onto the cable.
• Fiber Optic Cable
• Fiber optic cabling consists of a center glass core surrounded by several layers of protective
materials.
• It transmits light rather than electronic signals eliminating the problem of electrical
interference.
• This makes it ideal for certain environments that contain a large amount of electrical
interference.
• It has also made it the standard for connecting networks between buildings, due to its
immunity to the effects of moisture and lighting.
• Fiber optic cable has the ability to transmit signals over much longer distances than coaxial and
twisted pair.
• It also has the capability to carry information at vastly greater speeds.
• This capacity broadens communication possibilities to include services such as video
conferencing and interactive services.
• The cost of fiber optic cabling is comparable to copper cabling; however, it is more difficult to
install and modify.
• 10BaseF refers to the specifications for fiber optic cable carrying Ethernet signals.
• The center core of fiber cables is made from glass or plastic fibers.
• A plastic coating then cushions the fiber center, and kevlar fibers help to strengthen the cables
and prevent breakage.
• There are two common types of fiber cables -- single mode and multimode.

• Multimode cable has a larger diameter; however, both cables provide high bandwidth at
Specification Cable Type
high speeds. 10BaseT Unshielded Twisted Pair
10Base2 Thin Coaxial
• Single mode can provide more distance, but it is more expensive. 10Base5 Thick Coaxial
100BaseT Unshielded Twisted Pair
100BaseFX Fiber Optic
100BaseBX Single mode Fiber
100BaseSX Multimode Fiber
1000BaseT Unshielded Twisted Pair
1000BaseFX Fiber Optic
1000BaseBX Single mode Fiber
1000BaseSX Multimode Fiber