Computer Network

• A computer network can be defined as a

group of computers and other peripheral
devices interconnected to communicate
and share data and other hardware
devices such as printers, memory, hard
disk and CPU. The computers in a
network can communicate with each
other as well as work independently.
Node
• Each computer in a network is called a Node. The Nodes can be
connected through cables , telephone lines , radio waves , satellites or
infrared light beams. When computers are connected to a network ,
they can share a printer or a file.
• On the basis of connection medium , there are 2 types of networks:-

(i) Wired Network (ii) Wireless Network

Node
• Each computer in a network is called a Node. The Nodes can be
connected through cables , telephone lines , radio waves , satellites or
infrared light beams. When computers are connected to a network ,
they can share a printer or a file.
• On the basis of connection medium , there are 2 types of networks:-
• It is the network that uses cables to
connect the different devices such as
laptops , computers and printer.

(i) Wired Network

Node
• Each computer in a network is called a Node. The Nodes can be
connected through cables , telephone lines , radio waves , satellites or
infrared light beams. When computers are connected to a network ,
they can share a printer or a file.
• On the basis of connection medium , there are 2 types of networks:-

(i) Wired Network (ii) Wireless Network

Node
• Each computer in a network is called a Node. The Nodes can be
connected through cables , telephone lines , radio waves , satellites or
infrared light beams. When computers are connected to a network ,
they can share a printer or a file.
• On the basis of connection medium , there are 2 types of networks:-
• It does not use wires or cables to connect
computers and other devices. In a wireless
network, devices are connected through
radio waves. 2 wireless technologies that
use radio waves for connecting various
devices are:-

(ii) Wireless Network

WIFI BLUETOOTH
Node
• Each computer in a network is called a Node. The Nodes can be
connected through cables , telephone lines , radio waves , satellites or
infrared light beams. When computers are connected to a network ,
they can share a printer or a file.
• On the basis of connection medium , there are 2 types of networks:-

(i) Wired Network (ii) Wireless Network

Types Of Networks
• Based on the geographical area and transmission medium used,
computer networks can be categorized into the following types:-

 Personal Area  Local Area

 Metropolitan  Wide Area Network
Network(PAN) Network(LAN)
Area Network (WAN)
(MAN)
Types Of Networks
• Based on the geographical area and transmission medium used,
computer networks can be categorized into the following types:-
A personal area network , is a
network of connected devices around
 Personal Area
an individual person. It only covers 10
Network(PAN)
meters. The devices can be
connected using USB cables
(Universal Serial Bus) or they can be
connected without wires , using
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi . Eg- A Bluetooth
headphone connected to a smart
phone.
Types Of Networks
• Based on the geographical area and transmission medium used,
computer networks can be categorized into the following types:-

 Personal Area  Local Area

 Metropolitan  Wide Area Network
Network(PAN) Network(LAN)
Area Network (WAN)
(MAN)
Types Of Networks
• Based on the geographical area and transmission medium used,
computer networks can be categorized into the following types:-
In a LAN , 2 or more computers and
 Local Area other peripheral devices are
Network(LAN) connected within a small area such as
a building , school lab or a small office.
The computers are either physically
connected using wires or cables or
using Wi-Fi. Eg- The computer lab of a
school.
Types Of Networks
• Based on the geographical area and transmission medium used,
computer networks can be categorized into the following types:-

 Personal Area  Local Area

 Metropolitan  Wide Area Network
Network(PAN) Network(LAN)
Area Network (WAN)
(MAN)
Types Of Networks
• Based on the geographical area and transmission medium used,
computer networks can be categorized into the following types:-
MAN is a computer that is larger than a
LAN. It can cover cities or even a large
 Metropolitan campus connecting computers across
Area Network buildings that are quite far from each
(MAN)
other. It generally uses coaxial or Fiber
optics cables for connecting computers.
Eg- Cable television network or
telephone company network.
Types Of Networks
• Based on the geographical area and transmission medium used,
computer networks can be categorized into the following types:-

 Personal Area  Local Area

 Metropolitan  Wide Area Network
Network(PAN) Network(LAN)
Area Network (WAN)
(MAN)
Types Of Networks
• Based on the geographical area and transmission medium used,
computer networks can be categorized into the following types:-
 A Wide Area Network (WAN) is a computer
that covers a large geographical area such as
 Wide Area city , a country , or other countries. It
Network (WAN) connects LAN’s in different cities and
countries via Fiber optics cables , satellite
radio links , and microwave radio links , etc.
A repeater is used in WAN to extend the
signal over a distance. Eg- Internet , ATM ,
multinational bank customer service.
Types Of Networks
• Based on the geographical area and transmission medium used,
computer networks can be categorized into the following types:-

 Personal Area  Local Area

 Metropolitan  Wide Area Network
Network(PAN) Network(LAN)
Area Network (WAN)
(MAN)
Transmission
Medium
• Information travels through devices connected through transmission medium , A
transmission medium is a channel that carries the data from the sender to the receiver. It
can be broadly classified into 2 categories:-

Guided Media Unguided Media

Transmission Medium
• Information travels through devices connected through transmission medium , A
transmission medium is a channel that carries the data from the sender to the receiver. It
can be broadly classified into 2 categories:-
• In a guided media , a physical medium is
Guided Media used to transmit signals to the destination.
The cables in guided media carry electrical
signals and provide a specific direction to
the signal for traveling in a network. It is also
know as wired communication or bounded
transmission media. A landline telephone
system is an example of a guided media.
• Some network cables which are used to
connect various devices in a network:-

 Coaxial  Twisted  Fiber optic

cables pair cables
cables
 Transmission
•Medium
Information travels through devices connected through transmission medium , A
transmission medium is a channel that carries the data from the sender to the receiver. It
can be broadly classified into 2 categories:-
• In a guided media , a physical medium is
Guided Media used to transmit signals to the destination.
The cables in guided media carry electrical
signals and provide a specific direction to
the signal for traveling in a network. It is also
know as wired communication or bounded
transmission media. A landline telephone
system is an example of a guided media.
• Some network cables which are used to
connect various devices in a network:-
 It has a single copper conductor at its centre separated
from an outer brailed metal shield by a plastic insulator. It
is difficult to install as it can’t bend easily but is very
resistant to signal interference. It is mainly used in
television networks.
 Coaxial
cables
Transmission Medium
• Information travels through devices connected through transmission medium , A
transmission medium is a channel that carries the data from the sender to the receiver. It
can be broadly classified into 2 categories:-
• In a guided media , a physical medium is
Guided Media used to transmit signals to the destination.
The cables in guided media carry electrical
signals and provide a specific direction to
the signal for traveling in a network. It is also
know as wired communication or bounded
transmission media. A landline telephone
system is an example of a guided media.
• Some network cables which are used to
connect various devices in a network:-

 Coaxial  Twisted  Fiber optic

cables pair cables
cables
Transmission Medium
• Information travels through devices connected through transmission medium , A
transmission medium is a channel that carries the data from the sender to the receiver. It
can be broadly classified into 2 categories:-
• In a guided media , a physical medium is
Guided Media used to transmit signals to the destination.
The cables in guided media carry electrical
signals and provide a specific direction to
the signal for traveling in a network. It is also
know as wired communication or bounded
transmission media. A landline telephone
system is an example of a guided media.
• Some network cables which are used to
connect various devices in a network:-
 This are made up of 2 insulated copper wires
around each other. They are twisted to avoid
interference from adjacent pairs and other
electrical devices. Twisted pair cables are 2
 Twisted types:- (i) Shielded , (ii) Unshielded.
pair  Unshielded(UTP) are most famous in small area
cables LAN. They are connected to ports using an
RJ(Registered jack)-45 connector.
Transmission Medium
• Information travels through devices connected through transmission medium , A
transmission medium is a channel that carries the data from the sender to the receiver. It
can be broadly classified into 2 categories:-
• In a guided media , a physical medium is
Guided Media used to transmit signals to the destination.
The cables in guided media carry electrical
signals and provide a specific direction to
the signal for traveling in a network. It is also
know as wired communication or bounded
transmission media. A landline telephone
system is an example of a guided media.
• Some network cables which are used to
connect various devices in a network:-

 Coaxial  Twisted  Fiber optic

cables pair cables
cables
Transmission Medium
• Information travels through devices connected through transmission medium , A
transmission medium is a channel that carries the data from the sender to the receiver. It
can be broadly classified into 2 categories:-
• In a guided media , a physical medium is
Guided Media used to transmit signals to the destination.
The cables in guided media carry electrical
signals and provide a specific direction to
the signal for traveling in a network. It is also
know as wired communication or bounded
transmission media. A landline telephone
system is an example of a guided media.
• Some network cables which are used to
connect various devices in a network:-

 It uses strands of glass and pulses of lights for

data transmission. It completely eliminates the
problem of electrical interference. Since it is
capable of transferring a large amount of data , it
 Fiber optic
is typically used in WAN’s.
cables
Transmission
Medium
• Information travels through devices connected through transmission medium , A
transmission medium is a channel that carries the data from the sender to the receiver. It
can be broadly classified into 2 categories:-

Guided Media Unguided Media

Transmission
Medium
• Information travels through devices connected through transmission medium , A
transmission medium is a channel that carries the data from the sender to the receiver. It
can be broadly classified into 2 categories:-
 In an unguided media , there is no physical medium like wires
Unguided Media and cables to transmit the signals to the destination. It uses
radio waves , micro waves , infrared waves to share
information or resources between different the various
devices in the network. It is also known as unbounded
transmission media or wireless communication.
 It doesn’t provide any specific direction to the signal.
Wireless devices such as TV remote , smartphones , satellite
dishes receiver have sensors or antennas to transmit and
receive signals. Types of unguided media:-
 Radio Waves  Micro Waves  Infrared Waves
Transmission
Medium
• Information travels through devices connected through transmission medium , A
transmission medium is a channel that carries the data from the sender to the receiver. It
can be broadly classified into 2 categories:-
 In an unguided media , there is no physical medium like wires
Unguided Media and cables to transmit the signals to the destination. It uses
radio waves , micro waves , infrared waves to share
information or resources between different the various
devices in the network. It is also known as unbounded
transmission media or wireless communication.
 It doesn’t provide any specific direction to the signal.
Wireless devices such as TV remote , smartphones , satellite
dishes receiver have sensors or antennas to transmit and
receive signals. Types of unguided media:-
 Radio Waves
 They are used for transmission in Am and
FM radios. The frequency of these waves
ranges from 3kHz to 1GHz.
Transmission
Medium
• Information travels through devices connected through transmission medium , A
transmission medium is a channel that carries the data from the sender to the receiver. It
can be broadly classified into 2 categories:-
 In an unguided media , there is no physical medium like wires
Unguided Media and cables to transmit the signals to the destination. It uses
radio waves , micro waves , infrared waves to share
information or resources between different the various
devices in the network. It is also known as unbounded
transmission media or wireless communication.
 It doesn’t provide any specific direction to the signal.
Wireless devices such as TV remote , smartphones , satellite
dishes receiver have sensors or antennas to transmit and
receive signals. Types of unguided media:-
 Radio Waves  Micro Waves  Infrared Waves
Transmission
Medium
• Information travels through devices connected through transmission medium , A
transmission medium is a channel that carries the data from the sender to the receiver. It
can be broadly classified into 2 categories:-
 In an unguided media , there is no physical medium like wires
Unguided Media and cables to transmit the signals to the destination. It uses
radio waves , micro waves , infrared waves to share
information or resources between different the various
devices in the network. It is also known as unbounded
transmission media or wireless communication.
 It doesn’t provide any specific direction to the signal.
Wireless devices such as TV remote , smartphones , satellite
dishes receiver have sensors or antennas to transmit and
receive signals. Types of unguided media:-

 Micro Waves  These are used in TV distribution &

mobile phone communication. Their
frequency ranges from 1GHz to 300
GHz.
Transmission
Medium
• Information travels through devices connected through transmission medium , A
transmission medium is a channel that carries the data from the sender to the receiver. It
can be broadly classified into 2 categories:-
 In an unguided media , there is no physical medium like wires
Unguided Media and cables to transmit the signals to the destination. It uses
radio waves , micro waves , infrared waves to share
information or resources between different the various
devices in the network. It is also known as unbounded
transmission media or wireless communication.
 It doesn’t provide any specific direction to the signal.
Wireless devices such as TV remote , smartphones , satellite
dishes receiver have sensors or antennas to transmit and
receive signals. Types of unguided media:-
 Radio Waves  Micro Waves  Infrared Waves
Transmission
Medium
• Information travels through devices connected through transmission medium , A
transmission medium is a channel that carries the data from the sender to the receiver. It
can be broadly classified into 2 categories:-
 In an unguided media , there is no physical medium like wires
Unguided Media and cables to transmit the signals to the destination. It uses
radio waves , micro waves , infrared waves to share
information or resources between different the various
devices in the network. It is also known as unbounded
transmission media or wireless communication.
 It doesn’t provide any specific direction to the signal.
Wireless devices such as TV remote , smartphones , satellite
dishes receiver have sensors or antennas to transmit and
receive signals. Types of unguided media:-

 Infrared Waves  These are used in wireless mouses , printer

, TV remotes , etc. The frequency of these
waves is 300 GHz to 400 GHz.
Transmission
Medium
• Information travels through devices connected through transmission medium , A
transmission medium is a channel that carries the data from the sender to the receiver. It
can be broadly classified into 2 categories:-

Guided Media Unguided Media

Network Devices
• Some of the commonly used network devices are as follows:-

Hub Switch Modem

Router
Network Devices
• Some of the commonly used network devices are as follows:-

 It is a hardware device that connects 2 different

Router networks for sending data. It is commonly used to
connect device and computer to the internet. It can
be wired or wireless. A wireless router can provide
Wi-Fi across access to smartphones and other
device. These are commonly used in home networks
to share a single internet connection with PC’s ,
Tablets , Smartphones.
Network Devices
• Some of the commonly used network devices are as follows:-

Hub Switch Modem

Router
Network Devices
• Some of the commonly used network devices are as follows:-

 It is a device that acts as an common connection

Hub point for computers in a LAN. When the hub
receives a message from a particular computer , it
broadcasts it to every computer on the network. All
devices check whether the message is meant for
them or not. For this reason it is not very safe.
Network Devices
• Some of the commonly used network devices are as follows:-

Hub Switch Modem

Router
Network Devices
• Some of the commonly used network devices are as follows:-

 It is smart hub. When it receives a message , it

Switch checks who it is meant for , based on the address
contained in the message and then sends it to only
that specific computer. This reduces the amount of
unnecessary data travelling around the network ,
and the whole network work faster.
Network Devices
• Some of the commonly used network devices are as follows:-

Hub Switch Modem

Router
Network Devices
• Some of the commonly used network devices are as follows:-

 It stands for Modulator and Demodulator. It is an

Modem electronic device that allows a computer to transmit
data over telephone or cable lines. The data is a
computer is stored digitally , whereas transmission
over the telephone lines is done in the form of
analog signals. So modem is used to convert or
“modulate” an analog signal to digital and vice
versa.
Network Devices
• Some of the commonly used network devices are as follows:-

Hub Switch Modem

Router
Network
Topologies
• To form a computer network , computers and other devices must be interconnected in some
layout. The layout/Pattern in which various computers are connected to form a network is
called a topology.
• Types of Network Topologies:-

Bus Topology Ring Topology Star Topology Tree Topology Mesh Topology
Network
Topologies
• To form a computer network , computers and other devices must be interconnected in some
layout. The layout/Pattern in which various computers are connected to form a network is
called a topology.
• Types of Network Topologies:-  In this topology, all nodes in the network are connected to a
single length of the transmission medium, called a bus
which is normally a co-axial cable. Both ends of the cable
are terminated by terminators. Data transmission from any
Bus Topology workstation can travel in both directions.
 Advantages:-
• It is quite easy to set up a network using bus topology and a
failure in one node will not affect the other nodes.
• It is easy to add extra workstations.
• It uses less cables when compared to star topology.
• It can be the best choice of temporary networks.
 Disadvantages:-
• When there is a problem with the central cable , the entire
network stops working
• If there are a number of workstations on the network , data
can travel slowly.
Network
Topologies
• To form a computer network , computers and other devices must be interconnected in some
layout. The layout/Pattern in which various computers are connected to form a network is
called a topology.
• Types of Network Topologies:-

Bus Topology Ring Topology Star Topology Tree Topology Mesh Topology
Network
Topologies
• To form a computer network , computers and other devices must be interconnected in some
layout. The layout/Pattern in which various computers are connected to form a network is
called a topology.
• Types of Network Topologies:-  In this topology, each node is connected to two other computers, one on each
side, to form a closed ring-like structure. The data is transmitted in one
direction only. A node that receives the message from the previous computer
will retransmit it to the next node until it reaches its destination. The
disadvantage of the ring network is that the breakdown of any one computer
Ring Topology on a ring can disable the entire system or network. It is however more reliable
as the communication system is not dependent on one single computer.
 Advantages:-
• The transmission of data is fast as it happens in one direction.
• It is easy to add extra computers with little effect on performance.
 Disadvantages:-
• When a single machine is switched off then the entire network stops working.
• If the cable breaks, the network does not work.
• The data must pass through all computers until it reaches its destination.
• This can make the network slow.
• If there are any problems with the network, it can be difficult to identify the
cause.
Network
Topologies
• To form a computer network , computers and other devices must be interconnected in some
layout. The layout/Pattern in which various computers are connected to form a network is
called a topology.
• Types of Network Topologies:-

Bus Topology Ring Topology Star Topology Tree Topology Mesh Topology
Network
Topologies
• To form a computer network , computers and other devices must be interconnected in some
layout. The layout/Pattern in which various computers are connected to form a network is
called a topology.
 In this topology, each node is connected to a central node which is
• Types of Network Topologies:- a switch or a hub using cables. The data to be exchanged between
two computers passes through the central node. The central node
controls all activities of the nodes. More computers can be easily
added to the network. The breakdown of computers does not affect
Star Topology the functioning of the network. However, the failure of the central
node disables communication across the entire network.
 Advantages:-
• It is very reliable. If one connection fails, it does not affect other
computers in a network.
• The security of a network is better as there is no interaction of
computers with each other.
 Disadvantages:-
It is expensive to install as it requires extensive cabling.
• Extra hardware such as hubs and switches may be needed.
• Installation of the network needs an expert.
• If the server crashes or stops working then no computers in the
network can be used.
Network
Topologies
• To form a computer network , computers and other devices must be interconnected in some
layout. The layout/Pattern in which various computers are connected to form a network is
called a topology.
• Types of Network Topologies:-

Bus Topology Ring Topology Star Topology Tree Topology Mesh Topology
Network
Topologies
• To form a computer network , computers and other devices must be interconnected in some
layout. The layout/Pattern in which various computers are connected to form a network is
called a topology.
• Types of Network Topologies:-
 In this topology, a root node is connected to two or more sub-level nodes that
are further connected hierarchically to other sub-level nodes. Thus, the shape of
a network is like an inverted tree, where the data is transmitted from the central
node which is at the root and from there, the data passes to the network, which
Tree Topology is branching out. Tree topology is mainly used to provide broadband
transmission i.e., signals are sent over long distances without reducing its
strength. Since it is a combination of bus and star topology, it is also called as a
hybrid topology.
 Advantages:-
• It combines the benefits of different types of topologies in one topology.
• The nodes in the network can be modified as per requirement.
• It is extremely flexible and reliable.
• It is used to set up a large network.
 Disadvantages:-
• The design of a hybrid network is very complex and expensive to set up.
• Hybrid topology is larger in scale, so they require a lot of cables in the
installation process.
Network
Topologies
• To form a computer network , computers and other devices must be interconnected in some
layout. The layout/Pattern in which various computers are connected to form a network is
called a topology.
• Types of Network Topologies:-

Bus Topology Ring Topology Star Topology Tree Topology Mesh Topology
Network
Topologies
• To form a computer network , computers and other devices must be interconnected in some
layout. The layout/Pattern in which various computers are connected to form a network is
called a topology.
• Types of Network Topologies:-  In this topology, each node is connected with every other node in
the network. It can handle large amounts of traffic since multiple
nodes can transmit data simultaneously. Also, such networks are
more reliable, even if a node gets down it does not cause any break
Mesh Topology in the transmission of data between other nodes. This topology is
also more secure as compared to other topologies because each
cable between two nodes carries different data.
 Advantages:-
• It is capable of managing heavy traffic as multiple devices can
transmit data simultaneously.
• A failure of one device does not affect the transmission of data.
 Disadvantages:-
• The cost to set up is higher than other network topologies.
• The wiring is complex and the cabling cost is high in creating such
networks and there are many redundant or unutilized connections.
Network
Topologies
• To form a computer network , computers and other devices must be interconnected in some
layout. The layout/Pattern in which various computers are connected to form a network is
called a topology.
• Types of Network Topologies:-

Bus Topology Ring Topology Star Topology Tree Topology Mesh Topology
CREDITS-

Name-Aditya Narayan Saha,Class-8, Section-A,

Roll-1,
Computer Presentation.