Vocational Training Course-2008

5
NETWORKING METHODS
Networking is a complex part of the computing and it covers the broader range of the
IT industry. All the communication in the world including satellite communication,
mobile communication, internet, telephones and WANs is due to the networking.
There are two main types of the networking.

Local Area Network (LAN)

A local area network is relatively covers small space and provides services to a small
amount of people. A local area can be divided into two major types, peer to peer and
the client server. Depending on the number of the users a network is configured.
Among the few examples of the peer-to-peer networks are small office network and
home networks. On the other hand, in the client/server-networking model all the
client computers depends on the server for resources like (modem, printer, scanner,
cd-rom) and they are connected with the server. The servers in the client/server
networking model works in different capacities like single service server and multiple
service servers.

Wide Area Network (WAN)

A wide area network is a network where are large number of the resources are
deployed in a very wide geographically area. The best example of the WAN is the
internet itself, which is a largest network in the world.

In order for communication to take place between the computers the mediums must
be used. These mediums can be cables, Routers, Repeaters, Ethernet, Protocols
and switches etc. These different mediums make the data communication possible in
different scenarios.

Types of WANs

There are two basic types of Wide Area Networking.

A computer network is set of computers and devices that are connected with each
other. Examples of the networks are the Internet, local area network, Wide area
network and satellite networks.

Centralized WANS:

A WAN that consists of a server or a group of servers in a central location to which

client computers connect, the server provides the most of the functionalities of a
network. Many banks, large stores, large schools and universities use centralized

AIR GWALIOR C.P.Harikumar-2008

Vocational Training Course-2008

WAN. A centralized wide area network may have a number of the servers in the
centralized location.

Distributed WAN:

A wide area network that consists of the client and server computers that are
distributed throughout the WAN, the functionalities of the network are distributed
throughout the WAN. The internet is an example of the wide area network.

The impact of Wide Area Networking on business

In this age of information, data communication (sending and receiving data) over a
long distance is a necessity. There have been number of technologies developed
that enable networks and their users to communicate with each other, and exchange
data easily even if they are at the different end of the world. Geographical area is no
more a matter in today’s communication age. Because of this the communication
through WAN has been become vital. Wide area networks make it feasible for the
companies to have a single network, which will connect their several offices and
departments. Companies, banks, large organizations often have their offices spread
over a large distance. Without wide area networking the people of a multinational
organization can face difficulties to communicate with each. WANs are important in
connecting institutes they are very far from each other.

The main purpose of the wan is to establish a secure, fast and reliable communicate
channel among the people who are widely away from each other. Wide area
networks are often privately owned networks. A wide area network uses many types
of network devices such as WAN switches, access servers, CSU/DSU, modems,
ISDN terminal adapters, routers, multiplexers, ATM switches and other networking
devices. An example of the WAN is SURF net, which is a research network and that
connects the universities and research centers of the Netherlands with each other.

What is Ethernet ?

In this section you will learn about the lan terminology, basic ethernet networking
overview, a general introduction to LAN, introduction to IEEE, lan topologies, wan
standards. You can also find these categories in this site such as network tutorials,
computer networking guide, what is networking, tech study guides, topologies, what
is data recovery, wireless communication, computer interview questions and network
certification. The IEEE standards have been developed by the International
Standards Organization (ISO). The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
(IEEE) in 1985 produced a series of standards for the Local Area Networks, which
are called IEEE 802 standards. 

These standards have been accepted widely throughout the IT world. One of the
IEEE 802 standards, the IEEE 802.3 is known as “Ethernet”. Ethernet is the most
widely used LAN technology. Ethernet was developed by Xerox corporations in 1972
and it was the first LAN.

According to the ISO standards allows manufactures to produce the devices and
equipments, which are guaranteed to operate anywhere.

AIR GWALIOR C.P.Harikumar-2008

Vocational Training Course-2008

The Ethernet in its simplest form uses a passive bus that operates at 10 Mbps. The
bus is formed from the co-axial cable, which connects all the PCs in the LAN.

A single LAN may have 1024 attached computers, although in the real practice most
LANS have fewer computers than this number. One or more segments of the co-
axial cable are attached to end to end to create the Ethernet Cable Segment. Each
segment is terminated by 50-ohm resistors.

In today’s IT world the reliable and timely access to the information has become vital.
Today coworkers thousands of miles apart from each other can share data, voice,
video etc with the fractions of seconds. Similarly a larger number of the coworkers
can review the research data simultaneously. The Internet allows businesses to
share information and resources with their customers.

Ethernet is a communication protocol that is embedded in software and hardware

devices that intended. Ethernet has become the standard computer networking
protocol with the help of the Xerox, Intel and Digital

A basic LAN consists of the following components.

• Two or more computers.

• Network Interface card or LAN Card in each PC.
• Ethernet cable (Cat5, UTP/SPT) cable to connect the two computers.
• A hub, switch or router to route or direct the network traffic.
• Software for the communication/computer networking.

A network interface card (NIC) is attached and installed in each PC and is assigned
a unique address. An Ethernet cable is used to connect two computers; Ethernet
cable has RJ45connectors at both ends. There can be two scenarios 1. Two
computers can directly connect with each other or 2. Each computer is directly
connected with the hub/switch and hence communication occurs in the network. The
hub or switch acts as relay.

Computer Network can be wireless. Despite of using Ethernet cable for the
communication, Wireless Network Interface cards use radio waves to communicate
with the wireless switch or hub. A small antenna is used in the wireless NICs,
switches and hubs. Although the wireless networks are more easy to use as
compared to the cabled networks, but more configurations and extra care is required
to setup and run a wireless network.

The alternate technologies to Ethernet are “Token Ring”, which is used in the Ring
Topologies networks. Token Ring is designed by the IBM and ATM. In ATM
networking, devices are connected with each other over a very large distance (thus
forms the WAN), and behaves like LANs.

Ethernet is a well-established and widely used network standard for small to medium
sized Ethernet networks as well as for other networks. Ethernet has been used over
the 3 decades and forms a very excellent networking/communication environment.
Ethernet Terms

AIR GWALIOR C.P.Harikumar-2008

Vocational Training Course-2008

Ethernet follows a simple set of rules. To understand these rules its important to
understand thefollowing terminology.

• Node – The devices that are attached to the segments are nodes.
• Frame – The nodes (computers or network devices) communicates in the form of
short messages that are known as frames. The frames are chunks of information
with variable size.
• Segment – A single shared medium is known as a Ethernet segment.

• Medium – The Ethernet devices are attached to a common medium. The frames of
the data travel along with that medium. This medium can be coaxial cable. Today
most commonly used communication mediums are UTP/STP cable, fiber optic
cables.

Frames are analogous in human language. We have some rules for constructed the
sentences. The

Ethernet protocol specifies a set of rules for constructing the frames. The frames
length varies. Each frame must contain source and destination address for the
identification of the recipient and the send of the message. The nodes can be
uniquely and easily identified. Each Ethernet devices must have a single unique
address.

Compute networking standards has brought a revolution in the network computing

and it made the communication very easy and standardized. Now every computer
and networking devices has to to follow the same standard to communicate with
each other.

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AIR GWALIOR C.P.Harikumar-2008