All of us have used computer networks

.
What
is
a

Computer Network ?
Computer Network

• Multiple computers that are connected together to share

information and other resources
 Examples of Computer Network Usage

• we can send an e-Mail message to a remote computer using the

SMTP protocol
• we can browse documents residing on a remote computer using
the HTTP protocol
• we can download or upload files to a remote computer using the
FTP protocol
• we can run a program on a remote computer using the TELNET
protocol
Example of Computer Networks

HUB
Components of Conventional Computer Networks

1. Computers

2. Network Interface Cards (NIC)

–I/O device that plugs into the computer
–Enables it to communicate over a network
3. Hub
–The network traffic controller
 Components of Conventional Computer Networks

4. Cables
–Are either electrical or optical
–Not required at all for wireless networks

5. Protocol
–Rules governing communications over the network
Working of Conventional Network ?

1. Suppose computer A wants to send a message to D

2. Computer A sends the message to its NIC
3. The NIC translates the message into electrical pulses suitable for
the computer network in use & transmits it to the hub through the
cable
 How Does a Conventional Network Work?

4. The hub receives them and forwards them to all computers

connected to the it
5. The NICs of all computers connected to the hub receive the
forwarded electrical pulses
6. The NIC of computer D decides that the message is for it, &
translates the pulses back to a form suitable for the computer
 Hub (1)

• A device that is used to connect several computers

to form a network

• A hub has several ports. The number generally is

8, 12, 16, 24, 32, or 48
 Hub (2)

• Each computer in a network is connected to one of those ports

through a cable

• A computer wanting to send a message to one of the others in the

network sends a message to the hub, which, in turn, broadcasts the
message to all others connected to it
 Packet (1)

• The smallest unit of data transmitted over a computer network

• A message to be transferred over the network is broken up into
small packets by the sending computer
• Each packet contains the following info:
–Sender's address
–Destination address
–Data
–Error-recovery info
 Packet (2)

• All packets travel independently

• When all packets are received by the destination computer,
it reassembles them to form the original message
Types of Computer Networks
According to the network access policy

• Private
• Public
Private Networks (1)

• Organizations having many computers usually connect them

in the form of private networks
• Access is restricted to authorized computers only
Private Networks (2)

• Exchange of information within the organization is allowed

• Information is protected from outsiders
• All equipment is generally for the exclusive use of that
organization
Public Networks

• All networks that are not private, are … public

• Example: Internet
• Communication equipment used is generally being used by
users belonging to several (possibly thousands of) organizations
as well as those belonging to no organization
 VPN
Virtual Private Network (1)

• From the user’s point-of-view, a VPN looks like a secure,

private network
• VPNs use public telecom infrastructure, maintaining
privacy through security procedures
 VPN:
Virtual Private Network (2)

• VPNs provide secure network connections for distance computers

without using dedicated, private channels to supply the connection
• Key benefit of VPNs over conventional PNs: Lower cost
Types of Computer Networks
According to the distance between nodes

• LAN:
(Local Area Network)

• WAN:
(Wide Area Network)
 LAN

• A network of computers located in the same building or

a handful of nearby buildings

• Example:
–Computer network of a University campus
 WAN
• A network in which computers are separated by great distances,
typically across cities or even continents
• May consist of several interconnected LANs

• Examples:
– The network connecting the ATM of a bank located in various cities
– A network connecting the local and oversea offices of a SW house
– Internet
 Connecting LANs to other Networks

• Special-purpose devices are used to link LANs to other networks

• They may belong to one of the following categories:

–Routers
–Bridges
–Gateways
–Modems
 Router
• A special-purpose computer that directs data traffic when several
paths are available
• A router examines the destination info in each arriving packet
and then routes it through the most efficient path available
• The router either delivers the packet to the destination computer
across a local network or forwards the packet to another router that
is closer to the final destination
 Bridge

• Used to form a connection between two separate, but

similar networks

• In a way, it creates an extended LAN by passing

information between two or more LANs
 Gateway

• A special-purpose computer that connects and translates

between networks that use different communications protocols
• LAN’s may use a gateway (or router) to connect to the Internet
Modem (1)

• I/O device used for connecting two computers

over telephone lines

• modem = modulator + demodulator

Modem (2)

• Modulator
converts computer messages to electrical pulses that are
suitable for transmission over the telephone lines

• Demodulator
converts electrical pulses received over telephone lines
into messages that are comprehensible for computers
Network Topologies

• The pattern in which computers are connected to form a network

• Popular patterns:
– Point-to-point
– Star
– Bus
– Ring
• Networks are also formed by combining 2 or more of these 4
basic patterns
Point to Point

Comp B
Comp A
Point to Point

• Inexpensive
• Limited connectivity
• Quite often used for connecting two LANs to form a
WAN
STAR Topology
Comp A

Comp B Comp C
SERVER

Comp D
 Star (1)

• A computer sends the address of the intended receiver and the

data to the server
• The server then sends the message to the intended receiver

• This topology allows multiple messages to be sent simultaneously

 Star (2)

• Costly, because it uses an additional computer to direct the data

• Costly, because each node is individually wired to the server
• If the server goes down, so does the network
• If any of the nodes goes down, the rest of the network is not
affected
 BUS Topology

Comp A
Comp C

BUS
a high speed cable Comp B Comp D
 Bus (1)

• No server is required
• One computer sends data to another by broadcasting the
address of the receiver and the data over the bus
• All the computers in the network look at the address
simultaneously, and the intended recipient accepts the data
 Bus (2)
• A bus network, unlike ring or star networks, allows data to be
sent directly from one computer to another
• However, only one computer at a time can transmit data. The
others must wait until the bus gets idle
• If any of the nodes goes down, the rest of the network is not
affected
RING Topology
Comp A

Comp D Comp B

Comp C
 Ring (1)
• No server is required
• A computer sends the message to its neighbor. The neighbor
examines the message to determine if it is the intended recipient
• If the data are not intended for that particular neighbor, it
passes the message to the next computer in the ring
 Ring (2)
• This process is repeated until the data arrive at their intended
recipient
• This topology allows multiple messages to be carried,
simultaneously
• Data transmission is slow since each message is checked by each
computer
Ring (3)

• New nodes are difficult to add

• Messages propagate in one direction only
• The network fails if a single node fails
COMBINATION

HUB HUB
Networking Protocols
• Networks use protocols, or rules, to exchange info through shared
channels
• Protocols prevent collisions of packets caused by simultaneous
transmission between two or more computers
• Several protocols are available for various types of networks.
Most Popular protocols for LANs:

• Ethernet
• Token Ring
Ethernet Protocol
• A computer using this protocol checks if a shared connection is
in use before transmitting a message
• If not, the computer transmits data
• Two computers may sense an idle connection and may send
packets simultaneously. To account for such situations,
transmitting computers continue to monitor the connection and re-
transmit if a packet collision occurs
Token Ring Protocol
• This protocol passes a special message called a token through
the network
• A computer that receives the token is given permission to send
a packet of information
• If the computer has no packet to send, it passes the token to the
next computer
Computer Networks
=
Computers
+
Communications
Types of Communication Channels

• 1. Wire
• 2. Wireless

• A key characteristic of these channels is bandwidth

 Bandwidth

• Capacity of a communication channel for carrying data

• Measured in bits/s (bps), kb/s, Mb/s, Gb/s, Tb/s
• Optical fiber channels have the highest (1 Tb/s)
• Telephone lines the lowest (56 kb/s)
Types of Communication Channels

• Wire
–Copper based
• Twisted-pair
• Coaxial cable
–Optical fiber based
Types of Communication Channels

Wireless
–Line-of-sight
• Microwave
• Optical

–Non-line-of-sight
• Satellite
• Radio
• Cellular
Wireless (Radio) LANs Are Becoming Popular

Key benefits:
–Set-up time short
–Set-up cost low Key challenges:
–Maintenance cost low –Security & privacy
–Quality of service not
very good