EEE51101 -
Computers
Networks
Lecture 1
Introduction to Computers Networks:
What is a network
Advantages & Disadvantages of networking
Components of a network
Types of networks
Requirements to design a network
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Definitions: What is a Network?
Several definitions exist:
1. In its simplest forms: A network can be defined
as two or more computers connected together in
such a way that they can share resources.
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The purpose of a network is to share resources.
A resource may be:
- A file
- A folder
- A printer
- A disk driver
- Or just about anything else that exists on a computer.
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Definitions: (cont.)
2. A network is simply a collection of computers or other
hardware devices that are connected together, using
special hardware and software, to allow them to exchange
information and cooperate.
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Definitions: (cont.)
Networking:
- Is the term that describes the processes
involved in designing, implementing,
upgrading, managing and otherwise
working with networks and network
technologies.
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Lecture 1
Introduction to Computer Networks:
What is a network
Advantages & Disadvantages of networking
Components of a network
Types of networks
Requirements to design a network
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Advantages of Networking
Connectivity/Universal
Communication (any to any)
Remote Computing (remote desktop)
Data Sharing
Hardware Sharing
Internet Access
Internet Access Sharing
Performance Enhancement
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The Disadvantages (Costs) of Networking
Network Hardware, Software and Setup
Costs
Hardware and Software Management and
Administration Costs
Data Security Concerns
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Lecture 1
Introduction to Computer Networks:
What is a network
Advantages & Disadvantages of networking
Components of a network
Types of networks
Requirements to design a network
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Network Components
All networks have four basic elements in common:
1. Messages
2. Devices
3. Medium
4. Rules or Protocols
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1. Messages
Units of information that travel from one device to
another .
Message formats: text, video, voice, computer data,
…etc.
Message gets converted into a format that can be
transmitted on the network.
All types of messages must be converted to bits,
binary coded digital signals, before being sent to their
destinations.
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2. Devices
Devices on the network that exchange messages
with each other.
A computer is only one type of device that can send
and receive messages over a network.
Many other types of devices can also be connected
to the network to participate in network services .
Among these devices are telephones, cameras,
music systems and printers.
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Networking devices such as:
- Switch: the most common device for interconnecting local
area networks
- Firewall : provides security to networks
- Router: helps direct messages as they travel across a
network
- Wireless Router (Access point): a specific type of router
often found in home networks
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3. Medium
Networking media can be defined simply as the
means by which signals (data) are sent from one
computer to another either by:
1. Cables/wires: connect the computers and other
devices that make up the networks.
2. Wireless: the medium is the Earth's atmosphere, or
space.
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4. Rules or Protocol
Among the protocols that govern successful
human communication are:
1. An identified sender and receiver
2. Agreed upon method of communicating (face-
to-face, telephone, letter)
3. Common language and grammar
4. Speed and timing of delivery
5. Confirmation or acknowledgement
requirements (important , Less important )
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EX: Human Protocol
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So What’s a Computer Protocol
Govern how the messages are sent
Govern how messages are directed through the
network
Govern how messages are interpreted at the
destination devices
Protocols are the rules that the networked devices
use to communicate with each other
EX: HTTP, SMTP, TCP, UDP, FTP …etc.
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EX: Computer Protocol
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Lecture 1
Introduction to Computer Networks:
What is a network
Advantages & Disadvantages of networking
Components of a network
Types of networks
Requirements to design a network
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Types of Networks
Several ways to classify networks:
1. According to Coverage
2. According to type of connection
3. According to topology
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1. Classification according to Coverage
a. Local Area Networks (LANs):
- Is a computer network covering a small
geographical area, like a home, school or office.
- LANs are typically owned, controlled, and managed
by a single person or organization.
- Use devices like switches, bridges, hubs, repeaters.
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EX: LAN
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b. Wide Area Networks (WANs):
- A WAN spans a large physical distance.
- A WAN is a geographically-dispersed collection of
LANs.
- 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
- A network device called a router connects LANs to a
WAN.
- The largest and most well-known example of a WAN is
the Internet.
- A WAN differs from a LAN in several important ways.
Most WANs (like the Internet) are not owned by any
one organization but rather exist under collective or
distributed ownership and management.
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EX: WAN
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2. Classification according to Connection
a. Point-to-point/dedicated link:
Point-to-Point network provides a dedicated link
between any two computers/devices
Dedicated link: used by only two computers and not
shared with others
(N2-N)/2 links are needed for N computers/devices
45 links (N=10), 4950 links (N=100), 499500 links
(N=1000)
Such a network is not practical because of its high
cost and inflexibility
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EX: Dedicated Link
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b. Multiple Access Connection
- Multiple sending & receiving stations share the same
transmission medium.
- Advantage: Low cost infrastructure.
- Disadvantage: stations should not be transmitting
simultaneously or interrupting each other.
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3. Classification according to Topology
What is network topology?
- The way network elements are interconnected.
- Describes the layout of the wire and devices as well
as the paths used by data transmissions.
- Types:
o Bus
o Star, extended star
o Ring
o Mesh
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Types
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1. Bus Topology
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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.
A device wanting to communicate with another device
on the network sends a message to all other devices,
but only the intended recipient actually accepts and
processes the message.
Disadvantages:
o It is difficult to add a workstation
o If any one of the cables breaks, the entire network is
disrupted. Therefore, it is very expensive to
maintain.
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2. Star Topology
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A star topology branches each network device
off a central device (hub or switch), 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.)
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.
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3. Ring Topology
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Hosts are connected in a physical ring or circle.
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.
The ring makes it difficult to add new
computers.
Unlike a star topology, the ring topology
network will go down if one entity is removed
from the ring.
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Ring topology is rarely used, mainly because the
hardware involved was fairly expensive and the
fault tolerance was very low.
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4. Mesh Topology
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Each device is connected to every other device
Rarely found in LANs, mainly because of the
complexity of the cabling.
If there are N computers, there will be (N * (N–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!
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Advantages & Disadvantages of Network Topologies
Topology Advantages Disadvantages
Bus - Cheap. - Difficult to reconfigure.
- Easy to install. - Break in bus disables
entire network.
Star -Cheap. More expensive than bus.
- Easy to install.
- Easy to reconfigure.
- Fault tolerant.
Ring - Easy to install. - Reconfiguration difficult.
- Very expensive.
Mesh - Most fault tolerant. - Reconfiguration extremely difficult.
- Extremely expensive.
- Very complex.
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Lecture 1
Introduction to Computer Networks:
What is a network
Advantages & Disadvantages of networking
Components of a network
Types of networks
Requirements to design a network
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Requirements to Design a network
There are four basic characteristics that the
underlying architectures need to address in
order to meet user expectations:
1. Fault Tolerance
2. Scalability
3. Quality of Service (QoS)
4. Security
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1. Fault Tolerance
Also called: high availability/redundancy.
Always available to the millions of users.
Limits the impact of a hardware or software failure and
can recover quickly when such a failure occurs.
Depends on redundant links, or paths, between the
source and destination of a message.
Both the physical infrastructures and the logical
processes that direct the messages through the network
are designed to accommodate this redundancy
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Example
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2. Scalability
A scalable network can expand quickly to
support new users and applications without
impacting the performance of the service being
delivered to existing users.
i.e. must consider future growth.
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Example
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3. Quality of Service (QoS)
Voice and live video transmissions require a
level of consistent quality and uninterrupted
delivery that was not necessary for traditional
computer applications.
Quality of these services is measured against the
quality of experiencing the same audio or video
presentation
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4. Security
Data travels in clear text!
Prevent unauthorized disclosure or theft of
information
Prevent unauthorized modification of
information
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EEE51101 -
Computers
Networks
Thank you
for your
attention
