Chapter Three

Data Communication and Computer Networks

Cont’d
Data Communication
• The term communication can be defined as the process of
transferring messages between entities. Based on what these two
entities are, there are three basic types of communication:
• Human-to-Human
• Computer-to-computer
• Human-to-Computer
• In all the three cases, three basic elements can be identified.
• The source (the sender)
• The medium (the channel)
• The destination

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Cont.…
• Data communication involves transporting data from one point to
another.
• Information is transmitted in the form of analog or digital.
• Most communication media transmits analogue signal. Digital
transmission a rarely used for telecommunications.
• A technique must be used to convert from one form of signal to
another.

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Cont.…
• Most communication lines only able to transmit analogue signal.
• So it needs a conversion mechanism
• Modulation: Converting digital signals into analog signals.
• Demodulation: Converting analog signals back into digital signals.
• Modem: Short for modulator/demodulator.

• Refers to the direction of signal flow between the two devices

Mode of Data Transmission
• There are three modes of transmission
• Simplex:- In this mode, transmission can take place only in one direction.

Sender Simplex Receiver

• Half Duplex:- In this mode, data can be transmitted in both directions, but in only
one direction at a time. Half Duplex
Sender Receiver
(receiver) (Sender)

• Full Duplex:- Full-duplex transmission mode allows simultaneous transmission in

both directions. Full Duplex
Receiver
Sender
(receiver) (Sender)
Type of Data Transmission media
• Transmission Medium is the physical path between transmitter and
receiver in a data communication system.
• The characteristics and quality of data transmission are determined
both by the characteristics of the medium and characteristics of the
signal.
• There are two broad categories of transmission media:
• Guided Transmission media
• Unguided Transmission media (Wireless transmission)
Guided Transmission Media
• Data transmission is through solid medium (wired system).
• The amount of data that can be transmitted through a medium is
called bandwidth.
• Different types of cables are used to connect devices. Commonly used
cable types are:
• Twisted pair :- The oldest, least expensive, and most commonly used media
• Coaxial cable:- used in LANs,
• Optical fiber:- Extremely high bandwidth. They are used for high data
transmission rate
Unguided Transmission Media
• Data transmission through air /space (i.e. wireless system).
• The data signals are not bound to a cabling media
• In unguided media transmission and reception are achieved by means
of an antenna.
• Example: Microwave, Satellite, Infrared(e.g. Bluetooth)
Cont.…
Computer Networks
• A Network System is a system of two or more computers that are connected
to each other for the purpose of data communication and sharing of
resources.
• A network also consists of communication channels that are responsible for
connecting devices with each other and transmitting information.
• Some of the most important advantages of a computer network system are:
• Data sharing
• Sharing of software application systems
• Distribution of computing load
• Sharing of high power computing resources
• Sharing of costly special devices
Networking devices
• Server: high capacity computer, repository of resources
• Workstation: Any computer where the user will be working at.
• Cabling: The communication media
• Network Interface Cards (NIC)
• Other Networking Devices
• Network Repeater:- regenerate signals
• Hub:- used in small network
• Switches:- larger than hub
• Router:- connect different networks
Types of Networks
• Based on the geographic span of coverage, computer networks are
broadly classified into three major categories.
• Local Area Network (LAN)
Computer network that connects computers and other devices located within
close physical proximity (like in a building)
• Metropolitan Network (MAN)
Larger version of a LAN
May span several corporate offices or an entire city

• Wide Area Network (WAN)

May span a country, a continent or the entire globe
Computer Network …
• Network Topology
• Refers to the physical layout of the network.
• That means, it refers to the way in which devices on the network are
connected.
• Topologies are of different types.
• Each topology has its own strengths and weaknesses.
• Four of the most common topologies are:
• bus
• Star
• Ring
• and mesh.

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Bus Topology
• The bus type topology is a network configuration that has a single
high-speed data transmission line (called a bus) shared by nodes and
stations.
• Advantages
• Less cabling
• Easy to install
• Disadvantage
• Only one message can be putted on the bus at a time.
The Ring Topology
• The ring type consists of a network configuration that connects nodes
at certain intervals on a ring-shaped, high-speed data transmission
line.
• Data placed on the ring by a station makes its round on the ring.
• Advantages
• Less cabling cost
• Disadvantage
• A single node failure causes network failure
The Star Topology
• The Star type topology has a controller (hub/switch) at its center that
is connected in a star shape to workstations.
• Advantages
• Cable layouts are easy to modify
• Workstations can be added to the network easily
• Disadvantage
• Large amounts of cable are required
• Hub failure cause network failure
The Mesh topology
• Every node connected to every other node
• This is when we use the three networks together.
• No center of network.
The Internet
• The Internet is a term used to describe a worldwide network of
computer networks connecting millions of computers around the
world.
• The Internet is one of the largest, most widely used network (in fact, a
network of networks) that has evolved and grown overtime.
• It is a group of two or more networks that are
• Interconnected physically
• Capable of communicating and sharing data with each other
• Able to act together as a single network.
Cont..
• Individuals and organizations make information available through the
Internet for a variety of reasons
• The following are some of the people who put information on the
Internet
• Governments:-publishing a wealth of statistical and other information to their
citizens.
• University researchers, educators and students:- provide academic
information
• Non-profit organizations post information on various topics.
• Commercial companies information on their commercial web sites
• Individuals post information about topics of personal interest
Advantage of the Internet
• The Internet helps in various ways:
• To get information
• To provide information
• Ability to communicate:- Electronic mail
Internet Connectivity
• Dial-up Connection: connect to your ISP using a telephone line
modem.
• Direct Connection: permanent connection to ISP
Application on the Internet
• Internet applications include
• World Wide Web (WWW),
• Electronic mail,
• File Transfer
• Discussion Groups
• Usenet (News Group),
• Internet Relay Chat,
• Search Services
Internet Protocols
• Internet protocols are sets of rules that allow for inter-machine
communication on the Internet.
• Common language for interconnected computers
• Some major protocols accessible on the Internet:
• E-mail (Simple Mail Transport Protocol or SMTP)
• HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol)
• FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
Internet Addressing
• Internet addressing is a systematic way to identify people, computer and
the Internet resources.
• IP Address:-An IP address is a unique number that identifies computers on
the Internet.
• Domain Name :-
• A domain name is the text name corresponding to the numeric IP address of a
computer on the internet.
• A domain name must be unique. Internet users access your website using your
domain name.
• A domain name always contains two or more components separated by periods,
called “dots”. Some examples of domain names are : ibm.com, nasa.gov, wgcf-
nr.edu.et etc.
 Con’t
• Internet Address in the form of URL(Universal Resource Locator)
• URLs can have roughly four parts: the protocol, the Domain name, the
directory, and the file name. Here is an example:
• http://www. wgcf-nr.edu.et/instruction/InfoSearch.html
• InfoSearch.html - The file name is the name of the specific document or file displayed.
• /instruction/ - The directory is the location of the file or document on the host computer.
• www. wgcf-nr.edu.et - The domain name (sometimes called machine name, or host
name) identifies the host computer on the Internet where the document is stored.
• The right-most portion of a Domain name (e.g., “.et”), the domain suffix, can be either a
country code or a descriptive zone name.
 Con’t
• The portion of a domain name after the dot describes the type of
organization holding that name. The major categories are:
• Com – commercial entities
• Edu – educational institutions
• Net – organizations directly involved in the Internet operations, such as network
providers and network information centers.
• Org – miscellaneous organizations that do not fit any other category, such as
non-profit groups
• Gov – united states federal government entities
• Mil – united states military
• Country codes – a two-letter abbreviation for a particular country for example
et for Ethiopia, up for united kingdom, or fr for France
Basic Internet Terms
• Web page: are files that contain information written by HTML.
• Web site: is a set of related (linked trough hypertext links) web pages,
published by an organization or an individual.
• Home page: is a starting point or a doorway to a web site.
• Internet Service Provider (ISP): is an organization that provides the
required software, which is used to connect to the Internet.
• Download and Upload: moving data from/to internet.
The End
Thank You
Quiz -3
1. Most communication channels transmit ________ signals.
2. __________________ is the amount of data that can be transmitted
through the medium.
3. Define the term communication.
4. A Computer network can be used to share devices. (True/False)

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