Unit 3: Introduction to Computer Networks

A computer network is a collection of interconnected computers and other devices to share

data and other resources (hardware and software resources)

Advantages of computer network

• Facilitate communication through email / video conferencing / instant messaging or any
other mode.
• Share hardware devices like a printer or scanner
• Enable file sharing
• Share software or operating programs
• Share information
Disadvantages of computer network
Lack of robustness, security issue, cost of network

Evolution of networking
ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency NETwork): In 1969, The US govt.
formed an agency named ARPANET to connect computers at various universities and
defense agencies. The main objective of ARPANET was to develop a network that could
continue to function efficiently even in the event of a nuclear attack.
Internet (INTERconnection NETwork): The Internet is a worldwide network of
computer networks. It is not owned by anybody. The internet has evolved from ARPANET.
The internet is a globally connected network system that utilizes TCP/IP to transmit
information.
Following services are instantly available through internet : Email, Web-enabled audio/video
conferencing services, Online movies and gaming , Data transfer/file-sharing, Instant
messaging , Internet forums , Social networking , Online shopping ,Financial services.

Network devices
Network devices, also known as networking hardware, are physical devices that allow
hardware on a computer network to communicate and interact with one another. For
example, Repeater, Hub, Bridge, Switch, Routers, Gateway and NIC, etc.

Repeater – In a network, signal travels a long distance in transmission media. Due to

resistance of media signal becomes weak. Repeater is a networking device which
regenerates/ampify the signal and forwards these signal with more power over the same
network.
Modem

Modem stands for ‘MOdulator DEModulator’.

 It refers to a device used for conversion between analog signals and digital bits.
 It is used to transmit data from a sender to a receiver, or while browsing the internet,
digital data are converted to an analog signal and the medium (be it free-space or a physical
media) carries the signal to the receiver.
 There are modems connected to both the source and destination nodes.
 The modem at the sender’s end acts as a modulator that converts the digital data into
analog signals.
 The modem at the receiver’s end acts as a demodulator that converts the analog signals
into digital data for the destination node to understand.

HUB –
HUB is used to connect multiple computers in
a single LAN network of one workgroup.
Generally HUBs are available with 4,8,12,24,48
ports.
Data arriving on any of the port of hub are
sent out on all the other ports.
There are two types of HUB :
Passive HUB:- It only forwards the signal on
all ports without amplifying the signal.
Active HUB:- it forwards the signal with improvement in the quality of data signal
by amplifying it. That why such hubs need additional power supply.

SWITCH – Switch is also used to connect multiple computers together in a LAN

workgroup, just like hub.
Switches are available with 4,8,12,24,48,64
ports.
Switch makes their switching decisions by
using application specific integrated circuits
Due to switching decision capability,
switch sends signal to recipient only and
that’s why switches are called as
intelligent hub.

Router – A router is a device like a switch that routes data packets based on their IP
addresses. The router is mainly a Network Layer device. Routers normally connect LANs and
WANs and have a dynamically updating routing table based on which they make decisions
on routing the data packets.

A router is a physical or virtual device that passes information between two or more
computer networks. A router inspects a given data packet's destination Internet Protocol
address (IP address), calculates the best way for it to reach its destination and then forwards
it accordingly.

Gateway –
 Gateway serves as the entry and exit point of a network, as all data coming in or going out
of a network must first pass through the gateway in order to use routing paths.
 A networking device capable to convert protocols so that two different network
architecture based system can communicate with each other. It works as protocol
convertor.
A gateway can be implemented completely in software, hardware, or a combination of
both.
Gateways act as a network point that acts as an entrance to another network.
network.
Gateway regulates traffic between two dissimilar networks, while router regulates
traffic between similar networks.
A router is a networking device that forwards data packets between computer
networks, while switch forwards data packets between computers in a LAN.
Routers perform the traffic directing functions on the Internet.
NETWORK TOPOLOGY
The arrangement of computers and other peripherals in a network is called its topology.
Common network topologies are Bus, Star, Tree, Mesh etc.
Bus topology : It is a topology for a Local Area Network (LAN) in which all the nodes
are connected to a single cable called a "backbone".

ADVANTAGES OF BUS TOPOLOGY

i. It is easy to install.
ii. It requires less cable length than a star topology.
DISADVANTAGES OF BUS TOPOLOGY
i. Entire network shuts down if there is a break the main cable.
ii. It is less secure and less reliable.
iii. Difficult to find the problem
iv. At a time only one node can transmit data.
Star topology : A star topology is a topology for
a Local Area Network (LAN) in which all nodes are
individually connected to a central connection point,
like a hub or a switch. It allows each machine on the
network to have a point-to-point connection to the
central hub/switch.
ADVANTAGES OF STAR TOPOLOGY
i. It is easy to install and wire.
ii. Star topology is considered very secure, efficient
and fast.
ii. No disruptions to the network take place while connecting or removing devices.
iii. It is easy to detect faults and to remove parts.
DISADVANTAGES OF STAR TOPOLOGY
i. It requires more cable length than a linear topology.
ii. If the hub, switch, or concentrator fails, nodes attached are disabled i.e., entire network
will fail.
iii. It is more expensive than linear bus topology.
Mesh Topology
In mesh topology , separate cable is used to
connect each device to every other device on the
network, providing a straight communication
path.
Advantages of a Mesh topology
• Avoid traffic since each link can carry its own
data and none are being shared
• If one link breaks, the rest of the network is still
functional
• It provides high privacy and security.
• Fault detection is easy
Disadvantages of a Mesh topology
• A lot of cables are needed
• Too many cables means too much cost
• Too many cables means complex network, i.e., difficult to install

Tree Topology
Tree topology is a combination of bus and star topologies. It is used to combine multiple star
topology networks. All the stars are connected together like a bus.

In this type of network, data transmitted from source first reaches the centralized device
and from there the data passes through every branch where each branch can have links for
more nodes.
ADVANTAGES OF TREE TOPOLOGY
a) When one of the node stops working, it does not impact other nodes.
b) Fault identification is easy.
c) Failing of one segment does not affect the rest of the network.
d) It works well for small network.
DISADVANTAGES OF TREE TOPOLOGY
a) If the backbone line breaks, the entire segment goes down.
b) There is a need for huge cabling.
c) A lot of maintenance is needed even if it is easier.
Computer Network Types
A computer network is a group of computers linked to each other that enables the
computer to communicate with another computer and share their resources, data, and
applications.
A computer network can be categorized by their size, complexity and geographical spread
A computer network is mainly of four types:
1. Personal Area Network (PAN) – communication between two - three mobile devices or PC
for personal purpose.
2. Local Area Network (LAN) – limited area (within building)
3. Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) – within city
4. Wide Area Network (WAN) – within multiple city/state/ countries

1. Personal Area Network(PAN) –

Spread in the proximity of an individual. Cover an area of a few meters radius. Set up using
guided media(USB cable) or unguided media (Bluetooth, Infrared). Owned, controlled, and
managed by a single person.
Examples: A network of devices such as computer, Phone, MP3/MP4 Player, Camera etc.
Transferring songs from one cell phone to another is a PAN of two phones. Transferring files
from a PC to an MP3 player is a PAN between the two.
Advantages of PAN
• PAN is relatively flexible and provides high efficiency for short network ranges.
• It needs easy setup and relatively low cost.
• It does not require frequent installations and maintenance
• It is easy and portable.
• Needs fewer technical skills to use.
Disadvantages of PAN
• Low network coverage area/range.
• Limited to relatively low data rates.
• Devices are not compatible with each other.
• Inbuilt WPAN devices are a little bit costly.

2. Local Area Network (LAN) – LANs are the most frequently used networks. It
is one of the most common one of the simplest types of network. It is designed for small
physical areas such as an office, group of buildings. Any of different types of topologies can
be used to design LAN like Star, Ring, Bus, Tree etc.
Examples: A networked office building, school or home. Sometimes one building can contain
a few small LANs (Like some schools have independent LANs in each computer lab)

Advantages of LAN Disadvantages of LAN

• Resource Sharing • High Setup Cost
• Operate at relatively high speed. • LAN Maintenance Job
• Software Applications Sharing • Covers Limited Area
• Easy and Cheap Communication
• Centralized Data
• Data Security
• Internet Sharing

3. Metropolitan Area Network(MAN):– Spread within a city . Cover an area

of a few kilometers to a few hundred kilometers radius. Set up using all types of all guided
and unguided media. Owned and operated by a government body or a large corporation.
Examples: A network of schools, or banks, or Government offices etc. within a city.
A MAN is usually formed by interconnecting a number of LANs and individual computers.
Advantages of MAN
• MAN offers high-speed connectivity in which the speed ranges from 10-100 Mbps.
• MAN can serve multiple users at a time with the same high-speed internet to all the users.
• MAN allows for centralized management and control of the network, making it easier to
monitor and manage network resources and security.
Disadvantages of MAN
• The architecture of MAN is quite complicated hence, it is hard to design and maintain.
• This network is highly expensive because it required the high cost to set up fiber optics.
• The Data transfer rate in MAN is low when compare to LANs.

WAN (Wide Area Network)

 A Wide Area Network is a network that extends over a large geographical area such as
states or countries through a telephone line, fiber optic cable or satellite links.
 The internet is one of the biggest WAN in the world.
Characteristics of WAN
• Covers large distances(states, countries, continents).
• Communication medium like satellite, public telephone networks etc and routers are used
establish connection.
Examples: A network of ATMs, BANKs, National Government Offices, International
Organizations' Offices etc., spread over a country, continent, or covering many continents.

Advantages of WAN
• Long distance business can connect on the one network.
• Shares software and resources
• Messages can be sent very quickly to wide range of nodes
• Hardware devices can be shared.

Disadvantages of WAN
• Need a good firewall to restrict unauthorized access
• Setting up a network can be an expensive, slow and complicated.
• Maintaining a network is a full-time job
• Security is a major issue when many different people have the ability to use information.

COMPARISON AMONG PAN, LAN, MAN AND WAN

Internet
• Internet is a type of Wide Area Network spread over the entire glob. It is a very large
network of thousands of smaller networks.
• At present internet is the fastest mean of sending and exchanging information and data
among computers across the world.
Some Internet Applications
• WWW/Web • Chat
• Email • VoIP
Advantages of Internet:-
• Availability of Information:- Because of Internet, we can access lots of information within a
click, gather knowledge and learn so many things easily.
• Easy Communication:- Internet avail a facility to communicate with anyone no matter how
far the person is.
• Valuable Resources:- Internet provide valuable resources like contacts for various business
related firms or other such information helpful for individual as well as business. Internet
provide platform to online shopping companies.
• Banking:- Now a days banking facilities is very easy to access just because of Internet.
• Entertainment:- It provides various source of entertainment like YouTube, Netflix etc.

Disadvantages of Internet:-
• Cyber Frauds:- People may lost their money if internet banking is not used properly.
Sometime hackers may get into your account and transfer money.
• Unsuitable Contents:- Some notorious people may publish unsuitable material on internet
which may adversely affect the moral of society.
• Computer Virus:- Internet sometimes become a channel to transmit virus into our
computer, which may damage our files and programs.
• Depression, Loneliness and social isolation:- Now a days people are using internet
unnecessarily which causes depression.

1. WWW /web -
Many people think that the internet and the world wide web (WWW) are the same thing.
While they are closely linked, they are very different systems.
The internet is a huge network of computers all connected together. The world wide web
(‘www’ or ‘web’ for short) is a collection of webpages found on this network of computers.
Our web browser uses the internet to access the web.
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the
Internet. With a web browser, one can view web pages that may contain text, images,
videos and other multimedia and navigate between them via hyperlinks.
Difference between Internet and WWW
Internet World Wide Web(WWW)
Internet stands for Interconnected Networks WWW stands for World wide Web
Internet is a means of connecting a World Wide Web which is a collection of
computer to any other computer anywhere information which is accessed via the
in the world. Internet.
 WWW is service on top of that
Internet is infrastructure.
infrastructure.
WWW is more software-oriented as
Internet is primarily hardware-based.
compared to the Internet.
Internet uses TCP/IP protocol. WWW uses HTTP Protocol.
URL-Uniform Resource Locator
• URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator. A URL is an address of a website on World
Wide Web. Each URL points to a unique website on a web server.
• We use URL to access any required website through special software called “Web
Browser”.
The URL consists of four basic parts, namely, server type, hostname, folder name and the
filename. Each one of these has a specific function.
1) The “server type” indicates the type of Internet server (Protocol) being accessed.
The server type is always followed by “://” and the host name.
2) The host name/domain name is the Internet address of a remote computer on which the
files reside.
3) The folder name indicates the name of the directory in which the files are located.
4) The filename specifies the name of the specific document to be displayed in the browser.
The filename itself consists of two pieces of information, the name of the file to be
displayed and the file extension, which specifies the file type (.htm for HTML file, .txt for a
text file, .bmp for a bitmap image, etc.)
The structure of a URL can be represented as follows:
Server type://hostname/directory/sub-directory/.../filename

Domain Name : It is a text name corresponding to each IP address of the websites or

WebPages on the Internet. For eg., google.com, gmail.co.in, etc.
The process of converting a domain name into the corresponding IP address is called
domain name resolution.
IP ADDRESS
IP address or Internet Protocol address is a unique numeric address assigned to every device
connected to a network. It uniquely identifies every node connected to a local network or
internet.
Example IP address: 24.171.248.170
2. Email - Short for electronic mail, It is used for sending or receiving messages over the
Internet. It is a fast and efficient way to communicate with friends or colleagues. we can
communicate with one person at a time or thousands; we can receive and send files and
other information.
Some common email service providers are gmail, yahoo, hotmail, rediffmail, etc.
Features of email
❖Automatic/default reply to messages.
❖auto-forward and redirection of messages.
❖facility to send copies of a message to many people.
❖automatic filing and retrieval of messages.
❖addresses can be stored in an address book and retrieved instantly.
❖notification if a message cannot be delivered.

Email address
• The email address has three parts:
– a user name
– an "at" sign (@)
– the address of the user's mail server ( also called domain name)
Example:
abc@gmail.com
where “abc” is a user name and gmail.com is mail server (domain name)

E-MAIL PROTOCOLS :
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)
 SMTP is a set of communication guidelines that allow software to transmit an electronic
mail over the internet is called Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.
 It is a program used for sending messages to other computer users based on e-mail
addresses.
POP3 Protocol
Post Office Protocol version 3 (POP3) is a standard mail protocol used to receive emails
from a remote server to a local email client. POP3 allows you to download email messages
on your local computer and read them even when you are offline.
3. Chat – Online chat may refer to any kind of communication over the Internet that
offers a real-time transmission of text messages from sender to receiver. Chat messages are
generally short in order to enable other participants to respond quickly.
Chatting Software Examples:
❖MSN Messenger ❖IRC ❖Yahoo Messenger
4. VOIP – Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), also called IP telephony, is a method and
group of technologies for the delivery of voice communications and multimedia sessions
over Internet Protocol (IP) networks, such as the Internet.
VoIP services convert our voice into a digital signal that travels over the Internet.
Advantages: Disadvantages:
• Less Cost • Reliable Internet Connection Required
• Accessibility • Power Outages/Emergencies
• Flexibility • Latency
• Voice Quality
• Extra/Less Expensive Features

Common examples of VoIP apps:

❖ Skype ❖ WhatsApp
❖ Google Hangouts ❖ Facebook Messenger
Website :- A website is a collection of inter-linked web pages that is identified by a
common domain name (website name) and stored on a web server.
Webpage :- A web page is a Hypertext documents formatted in Hypertext Mark-up
Language (HTML) and displayed in a web browser.
WEBSITE IMPORTANCE –
The websites are utilized for various purposes like Web surfing, Email and chatting, Social
Networking, Videos, Online Business, Searching Jobs, News and Information, Classified Ads,
Blogs, Downloads, Online payments, Online Banking, File sharing, Online games etc.
WEBSITE USES –
➢ Open for Business 24 Hours a Day. ➢ Create A Product Or Service Showcase.
➢ Reach New Markets With a Global Audience. ➢ Sell Your Products and Services Online.
➢ Improved Customer Service. ➢ Stability
➢ Save Money on Printing and Distribution Costs. ➢ Viral Marketing without a Marketing Cost.
Components of a good website -
❖ Easy navigation ❖ Mobile friendly
❖ Secured contents ❖ Font and colour that suits website
❖ Proper links ❖ Good quality images with less size
❖ Fast load time
Some examples of websites
▪ wikipedia.org ▪ google.com ▪ amazon.com
▪ cbse.nic.in ▪ Facebook.com ▪ Yahoo.com
Difference between website and web page
WEBPAGE WEBSITE
A collection of related web pages linked
Single document on the internet
together under same domain
Development requires minimum amount of
Development takes a long time
time
Web page has content about a single entity Has content about several entities
Address of the URL of web page depends on URL of website does not depends upon
website webpage
It is the content that is to be displayed on a Website is a place used to display the
website content
Webpage URL has an extension No extension used in URL of a website
cbse.nic.in/syllabus.html cbse.nic.in

Difference between static webpage and dynamic web page

STATIC WEBPAGES DYNAMIC WEBPAGES
Pages will remain same until Content of pages are different for
someone changes it manually. different visitors.
Static web pages are written in languages Dynamic web pages are written in languages
such as: HTML, JavaScript, CSS, etc. such as: CGI, AJAX, ASP, ASP.NET, etc.
less complexity. more complicated.
Information are change rarely. Information are change frequently.
less time for loading more time for loading.
database is not used. database is used.
Web Server - Web server is a computer where the web content is stored. Basically
web server is used to host the web sites and deliver the resources requested through web
browser.
In more technical term it is a program that uses HTTP for serving files that create web pages
for users in response to their requests that are sent by the HTTP clients (web clients/ web
browser) of their computer is called a web server.
For eg., Apache HTTP Server, Apache Tomcat, IIS (Internet Information Server) etc.

Functions of a Web Server –

• Stores and secures website data
• Provides web database access
• Serve the end user requests
• Bandwidth controlling to regulate network traffic
• Virtual hosting
Web Hosting
 Web hosting is the process of uploading/saving the web content on a web server to
make it available on WWW.
 In case an individual or a company wants to make its website available on the internet, it
should be hosted on a web server.
 A good way to think about this is if the domain name is the address of our house, then
web hosting is the actual house that address points to. All websites on the internet, need
web hosting.
 Domain names and web hosting are two different services. However, they work together
to make websites possible. It is possible with the system known as DNS.
Web Browser : Web browser is software program to navigate the web pages on the
internet. When a user requests a particular website, the web browser retrieves the
necessary content from a web server and then displays the resulting web page on the user's
device.
For eg., Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge etc.
Major functions of a typical Web browser –
❖ Send and receive internet resources
❖ Access web pages, render and display them
❖ Keep records of our activity
❖ Install applications
BROWSER SETTINGS:
➢ These are the settings that enable your web browser to behave differently.
➢ Every web browser comes with some default settings which can be customized as per the
user’s requirements at anytime.

Add-ons/Extensions
A browser extension or Add-on is a computer program that extends the function of web
browsers. They enable additional features on your web browsers, modify web pages and
integrate your browser with the other services you use like : viewing of certain types of Web
content, such as Microsoft's Silverlight or Adobe Flash Player, necessary for Netflix movies
and Youtube videos, respecitvely.
Add-ons manager in
• Google chrome - /more tools/extensions
• Mozilla firefox -/add-ons option or ctrl+shift+A
• Internet explorer - /tools/manage add-ons
• Opera - https://addons.opera.com/en/extensions/

PLUGIN
A plugin is a piece of software that acts as an add-on to a web browser and gives the
browser additional functionality. Plugins can allow a web browser to display additional
content it was not originally designed to display. An example of a plugin is the free
Macromedia Flash Player, a plugin that allows the web browser to display animations using
the Flash format. Most plugins are available as free downloads.
Difference between add ons and plugins
Plug-in is a complete program and add-on is not a program. For example Flash is a plug-in
made by adobe is required to play a video in flash player. Also Java is a plug-in made by Sun
Microsystem which is used to run programs based on Java. Plugin is not bounded for
browsers only. Flash can be installed in computers to play flash files. Similarly Java can be
installed to run Java files.
On the other hand add-on is not a complete program. It is used to add a particular
functionality to a browser. If we suppose to install add-on on other work environment, say,
other operating system, we can’t do it. It means, add-ons are limited to a certain boundary.

Cookies :- These are the small electronic text files that a web server stores on a web
browser so that the web server can keep track of user’s activity on a specific website. The
kind of data that get stored in cookies are :
 Cookie’s name
 Cookie’s content e.g.,
 User’s preferences while visiting a website
History of pages user viewed
Login details (depending on user’s browsers settings).

Advantage: Improve user experience by remembering preferences, like our preferred

language and other settings.