Welcome to Week 2

What are we going to discuss today?

A story of internet access
• From the left to the right:

https://isp.page/news/how-starlink-is-revolutionizing-internet-access-in-gabon/
Module 1 - Basics of Data and Networking
• Module 1.1 – Introduction to Data and Computer Networking
• What is Data?
• Computer Network Definition and Categories
• Importance of Protocols

• Module 1.2 – Overview of Internet and Network Architecture

• The Internet
• Accessing the Internet
• Network Architecture Overview
• Network Topology
• Network of Networks
Module 1.1
• What is Data? What is information?
• Encoding/Decoding?
• What are the three transmission modes?
• What are the three main computers' networks we discussed?
• What is a protocol? Give any example.
 Network topology
Topology – The schema that shows how the nodes in a network are structured, connected
and communicate. In a simple way it is the network’s virtual shape.

1.Physical Topology
2.Logical Topology

https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/network-topology
 Why is network topology important in business?

1. Understand our network and devices

2. To show us their interaction and set expectations

Additional reasons:
a) Serving as roadmaps for newcomers
b) Cost reduction and room for quality improvement
c) Easy network diagnosing

https://www.netreo.com/blog/why-is-network-topology-important-for-your-business/
Network Topologies
Geometric representation of nodes
1.Bus Topology
2.Ring Topology
3.Star Topology
4.Tree Topology
5.Mesh Topology
 Bus Topology
• Every node is connected to one main cable/bus
• The bus is the backbone of the network
• Broadcasting the message

- What are the advantages/disadvantages?

Bus Topology
• Advantages:
- Simple, easy and cheap to install
- Node down, network still ok!

• Disadvantages:
- Increasing in number of nodes decrease the performance
- Bus down, the whole network is down!
- What is shared is accessed by everyone! (Privacy issues)

• Example:
- Ethernet Network / Connecting two floors with each others
Ring topology
• Message is distributed only in one direction
• Active topology
• Use of tokens

- What are the advantages/disadvantages?

Ring topology
• Advantages
- Every node serve as a repeater
- Fault identification is easy
- No data collision
- High speed

• Disadvantages
- Packets need to travel through all nodes between sender and receiver making the network slow
- One node goes down; the whole system is down!
- Difficult to extend the network

• Example:
- Used as a backbone network in WAN or MAN
 Star topology
• Requires a central node
• One of the most used

What are the advantages/disadvantages?

Star topology
• Advantages
- Independent from nodes failure
- Easy to expand
- Easy to diagnose and change nodes without affecting the network

• Disadvantages
- Dependant from the main node/server
- More cable needed, more expensive

• Example: LAN networks

Tree topology

• Bus network of many star networks

• Hierarchical network

• What are the advantages/disadvantages?

Tree topology
• Advantages
- Expansion is easier
- Network segmentation offers easier maintenance
- Segments’ failure doesn’t affect the whole network

• Disadvantages
- The installation is complex
- The main bus down, the whole network down

• Example:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1QW5bimgZw
Network in a corporate
Mesh topology
Infrastructure nodes connect directly to as many other nodes as possible
• Non-hierarchically
a) Full mesh
b) Partial mesh

What are the advantages/disadvantages?

Mesh topology
• Advantages
- One link fails, just that connection fails
- Each connection serve for its own data
- Fault is diagnosed relatively easy
- High security and privacy

• Disadvantages
- Especially full mesh is complex
- Installing and configuring are relatively difficult
- More cable, more expensive
- Connections not fully utilized (redundancy)

• Example:
Internet, Smart homes

https://iot.electronicsforu.com/expert-opinion/mesh-network-applications/
 Network edge
• The network edge refers to the area where a
device or local network interfaces with the
internet.

• Some network terms:

- End systems / End nodes
- Hosts (host apps)
a) clients
b) servers

Kurose, J. and Ross, K. (2017). Computer Networking: A Top-Down

Approach. (7th ed.). Essex, England: Pearson Education Limited.
Retrieved from https://ebookcentral-proquest-
com.ezproxy.laureate.net.au/lib/think/reader.action?docID=5573
 Access network
• The network that physically connects two end points.
• An access network is a type of telecommunications network which
connects subscribers to their immediate service provider.
 Home access / DSL
• DSL Internet access
• Telephone company = ISP

Kurose, J. and Ross, K. (2017). Computer Networking: A Top-Down

Approach. (7th ed.). Essex, England: Pearson Education Limited.
Retrieved from https://ebookcentral-proquest-
com.ezproxy.laureate.net.au/lib/think/reader.action?docID=5573
DSL transmission rates
• Downstream and Upstream rates are different: Asymmetrical
• Transmission rates can be limited by ISP (Charging differently)
• Distance and electrical interference can influence rates
 Cable internet access

• Cable TV company = ISP

• HFC (Hybrid Fibre Coax)
• Usually, asymmetrical
• Shared broadcast medium

Kurose, J. and Ross, K. (2017). Computer Networking: A Top-Down

Approach. (7th ed.). Essex, England: Pearson Education Limited.
Retrieved from https://ebookcentral-proquest-
com.ezproxy.laureate.net.au/lib/think/reader.action?docID=5573
 Fibre to the home (FTTH)
• Higher speed
• Longer distance
• Higher bandwidth

• OLT = Optical Line Terminal

• ONT = Optical network terminal

Kurose, J. and Ross, K. (2017). Computer Networking: A Top-Down

Approach. (7th ed.). Essex, England: Pearson Education Limited.
Retrieved from https://ebookcentral-proquest-
com.ezproxy.laureate.net.au/lib/think/reader.action?docID=5573
Other Internet Access Modes
• Satellite link

- High latency
- Affected by external conditions
- Limited download & upload
Ethernet
• Ethernet Twisted Pairs Cable
• Theoretically up to 400 Gbps
• Practically tested up to 40 Gbps
• Widely used up to 100 Mbps (Fast Ethernet) or up to 1 Gbps (Gigabit Ethernet)

• Wireless version (802.11 standard developed by the IEEE for wireless LAN
(WLAN) technology)
Wide area Wireless network
• 3G, LTE 4G, 5G
Internet
• Network of networks
• PC, Servers, Mobile Phones, IoT Devices
• TCP/IP is the main protocol of internet
 Familiar terms
• Packets (data + headers bytes)
• Packet switches (routers and switches*)
a) Routers – mainly in core networks

b) Switches – in access networks

• Communication links (made up from different types of media)

• Transmission rate (bits/s)
• Route (the sequence of communication links from one end to another)
Network of networks
• Different customer-provider relations
• Multi-home (some of the ISP can connect to more than one ISP provider)
• Customer ISP pays fees to Provider ISP (according to the traffic)
• Internet Exchange Points (IXP)
• Content-Provider networks (Ex. Google)
 Video time!
Overview of internet

• https://www.lynda.com/Education-Elearning-tutorials/Overview-Internet/511288/582668-
4.html?org=think.edu.au

Schinkten O. (2017, February 7). Overview of the Internet. Internet

Safety for Students [Video file]. Retrieved
from https://www.lynda.com/Education-Elearning-
tutorials/Overview-Internet/511288/582668-
4.html?org=think.edu.au
Learning activity
Benefits of internet Disadvantages of internet
The importance of the Internet in e-commerce

• Reduce Your Costs

• Go Global
• Lower entry barriers for new businesses
• Easier scale up
• 24/7

What else can you add?

• https://www.digitalmarketingcommunity.com/articles/i
mportance-of-ecommerce/
Quiz – Let’s do it together
• Learning Activity 1: Interactive Knowledge check
Assessment Discussion
• Let’s look at assessment 1. What is your understanding?
• For the diagram, do you have to create it or copy from another
source?
• Please have a look at the rubric on the brief.
• Any question?
 Learning activities
Collect as many “coins” as possible, as the “credit” can help you directly and indirectly to increase your mark.

You can get “coins” for your constructive contribution in class. There will be “coins” especially for the
group activities. I will be taking notes after the class.

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 Group activity
A big charity organization is planning to invest in IoT technology, but they want to make sure the investment is
going to the right place, with the biggest impact possible. They need your help!

• Choose one IoT application in life which has improved or is going to improve the quality of life for people, and
briefly provide your rationale.
Please note, that you are competing with other teams (groups).

• What are the technologies and devices used to access internet?

• What is the topology used there?
• What are the benefits? Who are the potential beneficiaries?
• What are the limitations?
References
• Dixit, V., & Singh, V. (2012). Essentials of computer networks, internet and database
technologies. New Delhi, India: Alpha Science International
• Kurose, J. and Ross, K. (2017). Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach. (7th ed.).
Essex, England: Pearson Education Limited
Quote on the Internet
• The Internet is becoming the town square for the global village
of tomorrow. We are all now connected by the Internet, like
neurons in a giant brain.
• Access to computers and the Internet has become a basic need
for education in our society

• Bill Gates – MicroSoft

Next week
• Communication Stack Protocols and IP Addressing
- Please read/watch the materials provided in the modules.
- Try to understand what is a protocol stack.
- What is an IP address and why is that used?
- We will keep working on the first assessment.

Thank you!