1

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION TO DATA
COMMUNICATION AND COMPUTER
NETWORKS

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 DATACOMMUNICATIONS
2

 When we communicate, we are sharing information.

This sharing can be local or remote.
 Between individuals, local communication usually
occurs face to face, while remote communication takes
place over distance .
 The term telecommunication, which includes
telephony, telegraphy, and television, means
communication at a distance (tele is Greek for "far").

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 Data com cont.….
3

 The word data refers to information presented in

what ever form is agreed up on by the parties
creating and using the data.
 Data communications are the exchange of data
between two devices via some Form of
transmission medium such as a wire cable. For data
communications to occur, the communicating
devices must be part of a communication system
made up of a combination of hardware (physical
equipment)and software(programs).
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 Data com cont.….
4

 A data communications system has five components

 Message. The message is the information (data) to be

communicated. Popular forms of information include text,
numbers, pictures, audio, and video.
 Sender. The sender is the device that sends the data message.
It can be a computer, workstation, telephone handset, video
camera, and soon. 04/07/2025
 Data com cont.….
5

 Receiver. The receiver is the device that receives the message.

It can be a computer, workstation, telephone hand set,
television, and soon.
 Transmission medium. The transmission medium is the
physical path by which a message travels from sender to
receiver. Some examples of transmission media include
twisted-pair wire, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, and radio
waves.
 Protocol. A protocol is a sset of rules that govern data
communications. It represents an agreement between the
communicating devices. Without a protocol, two devices may
be connected but not communicating, just as a person
speaking Amharic cannot be understood by04/07/2025
a person who
speaks only English.
 1.1 What is a computer network?
6

 A computer network is an interconnection of computers

and computing equipment using either wires or radio
waves and can share data and computing resources.
 A computer network is a system in which a number of
independent computers are linked together to share data
and peripherals, such as files and printers.
 All major businesses, and governmental and educational
institutions make use of computer networks to such an
extent that it is now difficult to imagine a world without
them.

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 Definition cont…
7

Networking - the interconnection of workstations, peripherals, terminals and other

devices.
Whatis.com: “In information technology, networking is the construction, design,
and use of network, including the physical (cabling, hub, bridge, switch, router, and
so forth), the selection and use of telecommunication protocol and computer
software for using and managing the network, and the establishment of operation
policies and procedures related to the network.”

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 Benefits of Network Computing
8

 Networks increase efficiency and reduce costs.

Computer networks achieve these goals in four
primary ways:
I. Sharing Information (Or Data)
II. Sharing Hardware (Peripheral Devices)
III. Sharing Programs/Software
IV. Centralizing Administration And Support

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 1.2. Basics of Data Communication
9

 Data transmission is the process of conveying data

between two points by way of a communication
medium.
 A wide variety of media are available :
 Bounded media confine the data to specific physical
pathways. Common examples of bounded media are wire and
optical fiber cables.
 unbounded media transmit the data-carrying signal through
space, independent of a cable. Broadcast radio and television
are examples of unbounded media

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 Basics of Data Communication
10

NOTE : Electrical cable types are frequently referred to

as “copper" because that metal is the most frequently
used conductor. You may hear fiber optic cables called
simply "fiber" or "glass".
 Three Basic elements of any

communication Process:
 Sender (source): Creates the message to be transmitted

 Media: Carries the message e.g. UTP, Fiber, telephone

line
 Receiver (sink): Receives the message.

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 Basics of Data Communication
11

 The sender and receiver in data communications are

usually computer terminals, peripheral devices like
printers, plotters, disks etc
 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:

I. Human-to-Human
II. Computer-to-computer
III. Human-to-Computer 04/07/2025
 1.3. Fundamentals of Information Transmission
media and coding
12

 A message should first be encoded in such a way

that it can be transmitted through a channel
(medium), it is then transmitted, and finally, it
is decoded into a form that can be understood by
the destination at the other end.
 This holds true for voice communication, or data

communication

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 1.3. Fundamentals of Information Transmission
media and coding
13

n
t i natio
Des
g
odin
De c
n
sm issio
Tran
ding
Enco
d er
Se n

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 1.3. Fundamentals of Information Transmission
media and coding
14

 Data communication involves transporting

data from one point to another.
 This is an instance of computer-to-

computer communication, i.e.,

 both the source and the destination are
computer devices, and the transmission
media may be telephone lines, satellite links,
microwave links, etc.
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 Transmission Medium
15
 Simplex :
 Communication can take place in only one direction
like one-way traffic.
 The communication is unidirectional as one way street.
 Devices connected to such a circuit are either a send-
only or a receive only device e.g a line printer.
 This is very inadequate because the sender needs an
acknowledgement, control or error signal.

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 Simplex

16

 Keyboards and traditional monitors are examples of

simplex devices. The keyboard can only introduce
input; the monitor can only accept output. The
simplex mode can use the entire capacity of the
channel to send data in one direction.
Sender Receiver

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 HALF-DUPLEX:

17

 transmits data in both directions but only in one

direction at a time.
 It can alternatively send and receive data.
 It requires two wires.
 It is good for voice communication because only one person is
supposed to speak at a time.

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 HALF-DUPLEX:

18

 Half-duplex

Sender Receiver
(Sender )

(Receiver)

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 FULL DUPLEX
19

 It allows information to flow simultaneously in

both directions on the transmission path.
 It is an advantage over half-duplex which requires
the lines to be turned-around each time the direction
is reversed and half duplex is unacceptable in some
applications which require simultaneous
transmission in both directions.
 One common example of full-duplex
communication is the telephone network. When two
people are communicating by a telephone line, both
can talk and listen at the same time. 04/07/2025
 FULL DUPLEX
20

 Full-duplex

Sender Receiver
and and
Receiver Sender

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 1.4: Network Topologies
21

What is a network topology?

 In communication networks, a topology is a usually schematic
description of the arrangement of a network, including its
nodes and connecting lines.
 There are two ways of defining network geometry: the physical
topology and the logical (or signal) topology.
 The physical topology of a network is the actual geometric
layout of workstations.
 There are several common physical topologies, as described
below:

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 Network Topologies …
22

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 1.4: Network Topologies
23

 The following four types of physical

topologies are frequently used in
computer networking:
1.Star 2. Bus 3. Ring 4. Hybrid
 A LAN is a high-speed communications system
designed to link computers and other data processing
devices together within a small geographic area such as
a workgroup, department, or a single floor of a
multistory building.
 Several LANs can also be interconnected within a
building or campus of buildings to extend connectivity.
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 1. Bus Topology
24

 In a bus topology, all devices attach to the same

transmission medium.
 The medium has a physical beginning and
end(terminator).
 All buses are implemented using electrical cable,
usually coax, and the ends of the cable must be
terminated with a terminating resistor that matches
the impedance of the cable.
 The terminating resistor prevents data reflections
from coming across as data corruption.
 The bus is considered a multipoint system because all
devices tap into the same backbone cable.
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 1. Bus Topology
25

 An important characteristic to remember in bus

topologies is that all data signals are broadcast
throughout the bus structure.
 In the following diagram, if node B sends a signal to
node C, the signal propagates for the length of the
cable and is seen by nodes A and D as well.
 It is necessary to have an addressing mechanism so
that each node understands which messages it is to
receive and which to ignore.

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 1. Bus Topology
26

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 Benefits of Bus topology
27

 Cabling costs are minimized because of

the common trunk.
 Ease of installation

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 Disadvantages of Bus topology
28

 Difficult to troubleshoot because no

central distribution points exist. (fault
isolation)
 Cable breaks can disable the entire

segment because they remove the

required termination from each of the two
cable fragments.
 It is difficult to add new devices
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 Example: Ethernet, (10Base2)
 2. Star Topology
29

 In a star topology all stations are wired to a

central wiring concentrator called a hub.
 Similar to a bus topology, packets sent from one
station to another are repeated to all ports on the
hub.
 This allows all stations to see each packet sent on
the network, but only the station a packet is
addressed to pays attention to it.

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 2. Star Topology
30

 The diagram illustrates a star topology LAN -- which

is a more robust topology than the bus topology.
 In a star topology, each station is connected to a
central wiring concentrator, or hub, by an individual
length of twisted pair cable.
 The cable is connected to the station's NIC at one end
and to a port on the hub at the other.
 The hubs are placed in wiring closets centrally located
in a building.

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 2. Star Topology
31

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 Advantages of Stars topology
32

 Most modern cabling systems are designed in a star

physical topology.
 The benefits of the star topology are:
 Each device is isolated on its own cable.
 It is a reliable network and easy to modify
 Easy to add new workstation.
 A node can fail without affecting other nodes

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 Advantage cont.…
33

 The hub or switch is slightly more expensive

 All data goes through the central point, which can be
equipped with diagnostic devices that make it easy to
trouble shoot and manage the network.
 Hierarchical organization allows isolation of traffic on
the channel.

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 Disadvantages of Star topology
34

 Because point-to-point wiring is utilized for

each node, more cable is required.
 Hub failures results in a shutdown of the

entire network

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35
3. Ring Topology
The ring topology is a physical, closed
loop consisting of point-to-point links.
In the diagram, you can see how each
node on the ring acts as a repeater.
 It receives a transmission from the

previous node and amplifies it before

passing it on.
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 3. Ring Topology
36

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37
Benefits of Ring topology
 Ring topology has the following
advantage:
 Each repeater duplicates the data signals

so that very little signal degradation

occurs.

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 Disadvantages of Ring topology

38

Ring topology has the following disadvantages:

 A break in the ring can disable the entire network.
 Many ring designs incorporate extra cabling that can be

switched in if a primary cable fails.

 Because each node must have the capability of

functioning as a repeater, the networking devices tend to

be more expensive.

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 4. Hybrid Topology
39

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 4. Hybrid Topology
40

The hybrid topology scheme combines

multiple topologies into one large topology.
The hybrid network is common in large
wide-area networks.
 Because each topology has its own

strengths and weaknesses, several different

types can be combined for maximum
effectiveness.
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 Benefits of Hybrid topology
41

Hybrid topology has the following advantages:

 One company can combine the benefits of several
different types of topologies.
 Workgroup efficiency and traffic can be customized

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 Disadvantages of Hybrid topology
42

The disadvantages of hybrid topology

include the following:
 Devices on one topology cannot be placed

into another topology without some

hardware changes

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43

1.5: Host Connectivity

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 A. Peer-to-Peer Networks
44

 This section covers peer-to-peer networks.

 When LAN and WAN technologies are used, many
computers are interconnected to provide services to
their users.
 To accomplish this, networked computers take on
different roles or functions in relation to each other.
Some types of applications require computers to
function as equal partners.
 Other types of applications distribute their work so
that one computer functions to serve a number of
others in an unequal relationship.
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 A. Peer-to-Peer Networks
45

 Two computers generally use request and response

protocols to communicate with each other.

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 A. Peer-to-Peer Networks
46

 One computer issues a request for a service, and a second

computer receives and responds to that request.
 The requestor acts like a client and the responder acts like
a server.
 In a peer-to-peer network, networked computers act as
equal partners, or peers.
 As peers, each computer can take on the client function or
the server function. Computer A may request for a file
from Computer B, which then sends the file to Computer
A. Computer A acts like the client and Computer B acts
like the server. At a later time, Computers A and B can
reverse roles.
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 A. Peer-to-Peer Networks
47

 In a peer-to-peer network:
 individual users control their own resources.
 The users may decide to share certain files with other users.
 The users may also require passwords before they allow
others to access their resources. Since individual users make
these decisions, there is no central point of control or
administration in the network.
 In addition, individual users must back up their own systems
to be able to recover from data loss in case of failures. When a
computer acts as a server, the user of that machine may
experience reduced performance as the machine serves the
requests made by other systems.

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 A. Peer-to-Peer Networks
48

 Peer-to-peer networks are relatively easy to install and

operate.
 No additional equipment is necessary beyond a suitable
operating system installed on each computer.
 Since users control their own resources, no dedicated
administrators are needed.

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 A. Peer-to-Peer Networks
49

 As networks grow, peer-to-peer relationships become

increasingly difficult to coordinate.
 A peer-to-peer network works well with ten or fewer
computers. Since peer-to-peer networks do not scale well,
their efficiency decreases rapidly as the number of
computers on the network increases.
 Also, individual users control access to the resources on
their computers, which means security may be difficult to
maintain.
 The client/server model of networking can be used to
overcome the limitations of the peer-to-peer network
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 B. Client/Server Networks
50
 In a client/server arrangement, network services are
located on a dedicated computer called a server.
 The server responds to the requests of clients.
 The server is a central computer that is continuously
available to respond to requests from clients for file,
print, application, and other services.
 Most network operating systems adopt the form of a
client/server relationship.
 Typically, desktop computers function as clients and one
or more computers with additional processing power,
memory, and specialized software function as servers.
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 Client/Server Networks
51

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 Client/Server Networks
52

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 Client/Server Networks
53

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 Client/Server Networks
54

 Servers are designed to handle requests from many

clients simultaneously.
 Before a client can access the server resources, the
client must be identified and be authorized to use the
resource.
 Each client is assigned an account name and password
that is verified by an authentication service.
 The authentication service guards access to the
network. With the centralization of user accounts,
security, and access control, server-based networks
simplify the administration of large networks.
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 Client/Server Networks
55

 The concentration of network resources such as files, printers, and

applications on servers also makes it easier to back-up and maintain the
data.
 Resources can be located on specialized, dedicated servers for easier
access.
 Most client/server systems also include ways to enhance the network
with new services that extend the usefulness of the network.
 The centralized functions in a client/server network has substantial
advantages and some disadvantages.
 Although a centralized server enhances security, ease of access, and
control, it introduces a single point of failure into the network. Without
an operational server, the network cannot function at all.
 Servers require a trained, expert staff member to administer and
maintain. Server systems also require additional hardware
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and
specialized software that add to the cost
 Advantages and Disadvantages of Peer-to-
Peer and Client/Server Networks
56

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 Advantage and disadvantage cont…
57

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58

1.6: Basic Data Communication

Hardware Devices

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 Symbols for Networking Devices
59

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 1.6.1. NIC /Network Interface Card/Adapter Card:

60

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 Devices cont…
61

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 NIC cont…
62

 A NIC, or LAN adapter, provides network

communication capabilities to and from a PC.
 On desktop computer systems, it is a printed circuit
board that resides in a slot on the motherboard and
provides an interface connection to the network media.
 On laptop computer systems, it is commonly integrated
into the laptop or available on a small, credit card-sized
PCMCIA card.
 PCMCIA stands for Personal Computer Memory Card
International Association.

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 NIC cont…
63

 The function of a NIC is to connect a host

device to the network medium.
 A NIC is a printed circuit board that fits into

the expansion slot on the motherboard or

peripheral device of a computer.
 The NIC is also referred to as a network

adapter. On laptop or notebook computers a

NIC is the size of a credit card.

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 NIC and Modem Installation
64

 Modem – Modulator/Demodulator
 Used to convert data from digital to analog and vice versa
 Modems could be internal or external
 For dialup networking we use modems
 NICs must be installed before a PC can communicate with other
PCs on a network
 Situations that require NIC installation include the following:
 Installation of a NIC on a PC that does not already have one
 Replacement of a malfunctioning or damaged NIC
 Upgrade from a 10-Mbps NIC to a 10/100/1000-Mbps NIC
 Change to a different type of NIC, such as wireless
 Installation of a secondary, or backup, NIC for network security reasons

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 1.6.2. Hub
65

 Hubs are actually multi port repeaters

 Change the network topology from a linear
bus to a star
 Three basic types:
1. Passive – no boost, no clean and no power
2. Active - needs power to amplify the incoming
signal
3. Intelligent - microprocessor chip and diagnostic
capabilities
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 1.6.3. Repeaters

 A repeater regenerates and retimes network

signals at the bit level to allow them to travel
a longer distance
 Too much latency on the LAN increases the

number of late collisions and makes the LAN

less efficient

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 1.6.4: Bridges

 Bridges and switches operate at the Data Link layer.

 When a bridge receives a frame on the network, the destination
MAC address is looked up in the bridge table to determine whether
to filter, flood, or copy the frame onto another segment.
 This decision process occurs as follows:
 If the destination device is on the same segment as the frame, the bridge
will not send the frame onto other segments. This process is known as
filtering.
 If the destination device is on a different segment, the bridge forwards
the frame to the appropriate segment.
 If the destination address is unknown to the bridge, the bridge forwards
the frame to all segments except the one on which it was received. This
process is known as flooding.

67 04/07/2025
 1.6.5: Switches
68

 A switch has many ports with many network segments

connected to them.
 A switch chooses the port to which the destination device is
connected.
 Alleviates congestion in LANs by reducing the size of collision
domains, reducing traffic and increasing bandwidth.
Two basic operations:
1. Switching data frames.
2. Build and maintain switching tables and search for loops.

 Switches operate at much higher speeds than bridges and

can support new functionality, such as virtual LANs.
 Switches is used to divide the network into collision domains

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 Access layer switches
69

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 1.6.6: Router
70

 A router is a special type of computer.

 It has the same basic components as a standard desktop PC.
 It has a CPU, memory, a system bus, and various
input/output interfaces.
 However, routers are designed to perform some very
specific functions that are not typically performed by
desktop computers.
 For example, routers connect and allow communication
between two networks and determine the best path for data
to travel through the connected networks.

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 Router cont…
71

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72

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Routers Connected by WAN Technologies
73

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74

Transmission media

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 Coaxial Cable
75

 The coaxial cable design has been adapted for different

purposes.
 Coax is an important type of cable that is used in wireless and
cable access technologies.
 Coax cables are used to attach antennas to wireless devices.
 The coaxial cable carries radio frequency (RF) energy between
the antennas and the radio equipment.
 Coax is also the most widely used media for transporting high
radio frequency signals over wire, especially cable television
signals.
 Traditional cable television, exclusively transmitting in one
direction, was composed completely of coax04/07/2025
cable.
 Coaxial Cable
76

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 Coaxial …
77

 They come in two basic sizes

 Thicknet
 Has larger diameter
 Good noise rejection characteristics
 Longer cable run
 Difficult to lay the cable
 It is rarely used in LANs
 Thinnet
 Smaller diameter
 Relatively flexible, easier to lay the cable
 Poor noise rejection
 Supports lower bandwidth
 No longer in use
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 Twisted pair
78

 This type of copper cable comes in in

different formats:
 Shielded Twisted Pair (STP)
 Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP)

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 STP
79

 STP cable shields the entire bundle of wires

within the cable as well as the individual wire
pairs.
 STP provides better noise protection than

UTP cabling, however at a significantly

higher price

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 Shielded Twisted Pair (STP)
80

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 UTP
81

 UTP is a four-pair wire medium used in a variety of

networks.
 each pair of wires is twisted around each other.
 This type of cable relies on the cancellation effect
produced by the twisted wire pairs to limit signal
degradation caused by EMI and RFI.
 Category 5e is the cable most frequently
recommended and implemented in installations.
 Category 6 UTP cables are also available

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 Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP)
82

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 The figure shows some commonly used copper media and connectors.

83

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 UTP
84

 Advantages
 is easy to install
 Is less expensive than other types of networking
media.
 Has small external diameter
 Disadvantages
 Error prone
 Commonly used connector for LANs is an RJ-45
connector,

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 UTP connections
85

 The transmit pin of the source device needs to

ultimately connect to the receiving pin of the
destination device
 There are three types of connections that are used
to connect different devices
 Straight Through cables
 Crossover Cables
 Rollover cables

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 Straight Through cables
86

 Are used to connect dissimilar devices

 Switch/Hub to PC
 Switch/Hub to Router
 Straight Through cable
pin out

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 Cross over cable
87

 Connects
 Hub to hub
 Switch to switch
 PC to PC
 PC to Router??

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UTP implementation

 An RJ-45 connector for UTP cable

 RJ stand for Registered Jack
 45 refers to the specific wiring sequence
Crossover Straight-through

Switch to router
Switch to switch Router to router
Switch to PC or server
Switch to hub PC to PC
Hub to PC or server
Hub to hub Router to PC ???
X to no X
88 04/07/2025
 Rollover Cable
89

 Connects
 A PC with console port of a router
 Also called Console Cable
 Pin-out:

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 Fiber Optic Cables
90

 Light rays are transmitted through the core

 Two types of cable
 Multimode and Singlemode fiber cables

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 Fiber Cable
91
 Wireless Media
92

 Wireless media carry electromagnetic signals at

radio and microwave frequencies that represent the
binary digits of data communications.
 As a networking medium, wireless is not
restricted to conductors or pathways, as are copper
and fiber media.

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 Wireless Devices
93

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 Wireless cont… [ detail chapter 3]
94

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 Attenuation and insertion loss on copper
media

 Attenuation is the decrease in signal amplitude over

the length of a link.

95 04/07/2025
 1.7: Importance of bandwidth
 Bandwidth - The amount of information that can flow through a
network connection in a given period of time.

96 04/07/2025
 Measurement

 In digital systems, the basic unit of bandwidth is bits

per second (bps).
 Bandwidth is the measure of how much
information, or bits, can flow from one place to
another in a given amount of time, or seconds.
97 04/07/2025
 Throughput
 Throughput - The amount of data transferred from one place to another or
processed in a specified amount of time. (wikipedia.com)
 Often far less than the maximum possible digital bandwidth of the medium that is
being used by internetworking devices

The following are some of the factors that determine throughput:

 Type of data being transferred
 Network topology
 Number of users on the network
 User computer
 Server computer
 Power conditions

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 Assignment 1:
99

Discuss briefly the following Network Transmission

Technologies. Show their similarity, differences, give
examples under each communication/ transmission
Technology:

1. Broadband transmission
2. Baseband transmission
3. Narrowband transmission

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THANK YOU !

END OF CHAPTER ONE

04/07/2025