Introduction to computer networking

1.1 Network ;
• A network can be defined as two or more
computers connected together in such a way
that they can share resources.

• The purpose of a network is to share resources.

A resource may be:

• A file
• A folder
• A printer
• A disk drive
• Or just about anything else that exists on a computer

A network is simply a collection of computers or other

hardware devices that are connected together, either
physically or logically, using special hardware and
software, to allow them to exchange information and
cooperate. Networking is the term that describes the
processes involved in designing, implementing, upgrading,
managing and otherwise working with networks and
network technologies.
Advantages of networking
• Connectivity and Communication
• Data Sharing
• Hardware Sharing
• Internet Access
• Internet Access Sharing
• Data Security and Management •
Performance Enhancement and Balancing •
Entertainment
The Disadvantages (Costs) of Networking

• Network Hardware, Software and Setup Costs

• Hardware and Software Management and Administration Costs
• Undesirable Sharing

Fundamental Network Classifications

Local Area Networks (LANs):

• A local area network (LAN) is a computer network covering a small geographic area, like a home, office,
or group of buildings

Wide Area Networks (WANs):

• Wide Area Network (WAN) is a computer network that covers a broad area (i.e., any network whose
communications links cross metropolitan, regional, or national boundaries). Or, less formally, a
network that uses routers and public communications links
• The largest and most well-known example of a WAN is the Internet.
• WANs are used to connect LANs and other types of networks together, so that users and computers in
one location can communicate with users and computers in other locations

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN):

o A metropolitan area network (MAN) is a network that interconnects users with computer resources in a
geographic area or region larger than that covered by even a large local area network (LAN) but smaller
than the area covered by a wide area network (WAN). The term is applied to the interconnection of
networks in a city into a single larger network (which may then also offer efficient connection to a wide
area network). It is also used to mean the interconnection of several local area networks by bridging
them with backbone lines. The latter usage is also sometimes referred to as a campus network.

Fundamental Network Classifications

(cont) The Local Network (LAN)

Client Client
 Client
Client Client Client

Fundamental Network Classifications (cont)

• Wide Area Network

Fundamental Network Classifications (cont)
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
Intranet and Internet Specifications
• Intranet: An intranet is a private network that is contained within an
 enterprise. It may consist of many interlinked local area networks and
also use leased lines in the wide area network.
• An intranet uses TCP/IP, HTTP, and other Internet protocols and in
general looks like a private version of the Internet. With tunneling,
companies can send private messages through the public network, using
the public network with special encryption/decryption and other
security safeguards to connect one part of their intranet to another.
• Internet: is a worldwide system of computer networks - a network of
networks in which users at any one computer can, if they have
permission, get information from any other computer (and sometimes
talk directly to users at other computers).
Client and Server computer role
in networking
• Server computer is a core component of the network,
providing a link to the resources necessary to perform any
 task.
• A server computer provides a link to the resources
necessary to perform any task.
• The link it provides could be to a resource existing on the
server itself or a resource on a client computer.
• Client computers normally request and receive information
over the network client. Client computers also depends
primarily on the central server for processing activities

Peer-to peer network

• A peer-to-peer network is a network where the computers
act as both workstations and servers.
• great for small, simple, and inexpensive networks.
• In a strict peer-to-peer networking setup, every computer is
an equal, a peer in the network.
• Each machine can have resources that are shared with any
other machine.
• There is no assigned role for any particular device, and each
of the devices usually runs similar software. Any device can
and will send requests to any other.

Peer-to peer network

 (cont..)

Client/Server Networking
• In this design, a small number of computers are
designated as centralized servers and given the task
of providing services to a larger number of user
machines called clients
Client/Server Networking

(cont..)
Network topology
• A topology is a way of “laying out” the network.
Topologies can be either physical or logical.
• Physical topologies describe how the cables are
run.
• Logical topologies describe how the network
messages travel
Network topology (cont.)
• Bus (can be both logical and physical)
• Star (physical only)
• Ring (can be both logical and physical) •
Mesh (can be both logical and physical)
Network topology (cont.)
Bus
• A bus is the simplest physical topology. It consists of a single
cable that runs to every workstation
• This topology uses the least amount of cabling, but also
covers the shortest amount of distance.
• Each computer shares the same data and address path.
With a logical bus topology, messages pass through the
trunk, and each workstation checks to see if the message is
addressed to itself. If the address of the message matches
the workstation’s address, the network adapter copies the
message to the card’s on-board memory.
Network topology (cont.)
• it is difficult to add a workstation
• have to completely reroute the cable and possibly
run two additional lengths of it.
• if any one of the cables breaks, the entire network
is disrupted. Therefore, it is very expensive to
maintain.
Network topology

(cont.) • Bus topology

Network topology (cont.)
Star Topology
• A physical star topology branches each network device off a
central device called a hub, making it very easy to add a new
workstation.
• Also, if any workstation goes down it does not affect the
entire network. (But, as you might expect, if the central
device goes down, the entire network goes down.)
• Some types of Ethernet and ARCNet use a physical star
topology. Figure 8.7 gives an example of the organization
of the star network.

Network topology (cont.)

• Star topologies are easy to install. A cable is run
from each workstation to the hub. The hub is
placed in a central location in the office.
• Star topologies are more expensive to install than
bus networks, because there are several more
cables that need to be installed, plus the cost of the
hubs that are needed.
Network topology (cont.)
• Star Topology
Network topology (cont.)
Ring
• Each computer connects to two other computers,
joining them in a circle creating a unidirectional
 path where messages move workstation to
workstation.
• Each entity participating in the ring reads a
message, then regenerates it and hands it to its
neighbor on a different network cable.
Network topology (cont.)
• The ring makes it difficult to add new computers.
• Unlike a star topology network, the ring topology
network will go down if one entity is removed from
the ring.
• Physical ring topology systems don’t exist much
 anymore, mainly because the hardware involved
was fairly expensive and the fault tolerance was
very low.
Network topology

(cont.) • Ring Topology

Network topology (cont.)

Mesh
• The mesh topology is the simplest logical topology in terms of data flow,
but it is the most complex in terms of physical design.
• In this physical topology, each device is connected to every other device
• This topology is rarely found in LANs, mainly because of the complexity
of the cabling.
• If there are x computers, there will be (x × (x–1)) ÷ 2 cables in the
network. For example, if you have five computers in a mesh network, it
will use 5 × (5 – 1) ÷ 2, which equals 10 cables. This complexity is
compounded when you add another workstation.
• For example, your five-computer, 10-cable network will jump to 15
cables just by adding one more computer. Imagine how the person
doing the cabling would feel if you told them you had to cable 50
computers in a mesh network—they’d have to come up with 50 × (50
– 1) ÷ 2 = 1225 cables!

Network topology (cont.)

• Because of its design, the physical mesh topology is very expensive to
install and maintain.
• Cables must be run from each device to every other device. The
advantage you gain from it is its high fault tolerance.
• With a logical mesh topology, however, there will always be a way of
getting the data from source to destination.
• It may not be able to take the direct route, but it can take an alternate,
indirect route. It is for this reason that the mesh topology is still found in
WANs to connect multiple sites across WAN links. It uses devices called
routers to search multiple routes through the mesh and determine the
best path.
• However, the mesh topology does become inefficient with five or more
entities.

Network topology (cont.)

• Mesh Topology
Network topology (cont.)
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Network Topologies

Topology Advantages Disadvantages

 Cheap. Easy to install.

Cheap. Easy to install.

Easy to reconfigure.
Fault tolerant.

Efficient. Easy to install.

Bus Difficult to reconfigure. Break in bus disables

entire network.

Star More expensive than bus.

Ring Reconfiguration difficult. Very expensive.

Mesh Simplest. Most fault tolerant. Reconfiguration extremely difficult. Extremely

expensive.
Very complex.