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Computer Network

A computer network consists of interconnected devices, known as nodes, that share resources and facilitate communication. Networks can be categorized into LANs and WANs, with various topologies such as bus, star, and mesh, each having distinct advantages and disadvantages. Key considerations include setup costs, maintenance, and security risks, as well as the importance of protocols for data flow management.

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2 views

Computer Network

A computer network consists of interconnected devices, known as nodes, that share resources and facilitate communication. Networks can be categorized into LANs and WANs, with various topologies such as bus, star, and mesh, each having distinct advantages and disadvantages. Key considerations include setup costs, maintenance, and security risks, as well as the importance of protocols for data flow management.

Uploaded by

doejohnny549
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Computer Network

A linked set of computer systems, which may be capable of sharing computer power and resources

Individual devices are called nodes

Can share files across a network

Users can work collaboratively

Share hardware resources such as printers

Can access files from any computer in the network

Communication is improved through messaging, Voip and email services

Software can be installed and updated centrally rather than having to do it on every device

Disadvantages

Can be expensive to set up

Expensive to maintain

If the server goes down

Queues to use resources as they are shared

Network speed can be slow as there are too many users/downloads

Internet speeds may vary, more users mean a slower internet speed

Viruses spread quickly and easily

Hackers can gain access to one computer and then the whole thing

Lan vs Wan

Lan- Cover a small geographical area usually in one building or site

Owned by the organisation that bought the hardware

Connected using dedicated cables or Wi-Fi

Examples include schools

Wan

Connected multiple Lans across alarge geographical area could be across countries or continents
Not owned by one organisation organisations hire the equipment to connect WAN

Connected using fibre optic cables telephone lines satellite links or radio links

Examples include the internet, mobile phone networks

Network topology is simply the shape or structure of the network

How the workstations servers and switches are connected together

Bus-

One main cable with terminators at each end

Data flows both ways both ways through the main cable

Advantages

Nodes connected off cable in series easy to extend

Cheap relatively

Disadvantages slows down with heavy traffic as it gets bigger

Collisions occur – large collision domain

If main cable fails all nodes fail

Poor security

STAR

One or more nodes could be a server

Central point is a hub or switch(Not a server) which directs traffic to the correct node

Advantages

If one cable fails the rest of the network is unaffected

Consistent performance even with heavy traffic


Higher transmission speeds

Very few to no data collisions

Greater security due to independent connections

Easy to add or remove nodes

Disadvantages

Costly due to independent collisions

If central switch fails the whole network fails

Extended Star

Connects several star networks together via a core switch

Segments the network reducing traffic

Scales well

Macmillan network model

Adv-

If one switch goes down only the connected computers go down

Partial MESH

Decentralised design

Each node connects to two nodes

No SPoF single point of failure

Nodes connect directly to other nodes or to other routers

Full mesh

All nodes connected to each other

With the introduction of WiFi full mesh is now very common


The internet uses a Mesh System as do your home networks

Mesh Topologies

Advantages –

Failure of single or even multiple connections do not affect the rest of the network

High security

Faster communication due to direct points of contact#

Little to no data collisions

If wireless-no cabling costs

Disadv-

Costy

Difficult to set up

Physical Vs Logical topology

Physical Topology

Reflects the physical layout of devices and cables taking into account the placement of nodes and
the distance between them

Depends on the ease of installation and setup of the network which in turn affects cost and
bandwidth capacity

Logical topology

Independent of physical topology the logical topology reflects the arrangement of devices and their
communication

It is the arrangement of transmission of data over physical topology

Reconfigured using routers and switches

Therefore, a physical star network can transmit data as a bus topology

Used to ensure maximum data flow across the physical network

Logical networks#
In order to control the flow of data a network must use protocols

Some physical topologies use certain protocols which have been designed to work with that
topology e.g. the Ethernet protocol was designed to work on a cabled Bus and now Star Network
was designed for wirelesss transmissions

These protocols can be applied onto a physical network to change the data flow around it, therefore
become logical protocols

The protocols have been “layered onto a topology

This means the control of data can be manipulated without affecting the physical topology and vice
versa

Modem

Nic

Mac address

Routers

Switches

wap

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