RIFT VALLEY UNIVERSITY

Department of Computer Science

Data Communication and Computer Networks Tutorial

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 1. Introduction
1.1 Overview
 What is a Computer Network?
 Network – two or more entities sharing resources and information.
 Computer network – two or more computing devices connected to
each other to share resources and information.
 Networked system is more powerful than the sum total of individual entities.
 Computers on a network can act as a client or a server.
A client is a computer that requests for resources.
 A server is a computer that controls and provides access to resources.
 1.2.Network Impact on Daily life (cont’d…)
 Networks change the way we Communicate, learn, play, and work.
 Networks change the way we communicate:
 Early communication relies on face-to-face conversation. As our society advances, other means of
communication emerged.

Mail (written message)

Television broad cast(one

way video communication)

Telephone (voice)
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 1.3.Network As a Platform
 Traditional networks required that:
 Television, telephone, and computer networks work in very different
ways.
 Telephone and television networks were maintained separately from
data networks.
 Every one of these services to have a dedicated network, with different
communications channels and different technologies to carry a
particular communication signal.
 Each service to have its own set of rules and standards to ensure
successful communication.
 1.3. Network as a platform (cont’d.…)


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 1.3. Network as a platform (cont’d.…)
 Converged network
 capable of delivering data, voice, and video between many different types of devices over the same
network infrastructure
 This network infrastructure uses the same set of rules, agreements, and implementation standards

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 1.4. Network Architecture
 Network Architecture is the way network services and devices are
structured together to serve the connectivity needs of client devices and
applications.
 It is the physical and logical design of the software, hardware, protocols,
and media of the transmission of data.
 four basic characteristics that the underlying architectures need to
address in order to meet user expectations:
 Fault Tolerance
 Scalability
 Quality of Service (QoS)
 Security

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 1.5. Fundamental Elements of Network
 Fundamental Elements
 hardware,
 software, and
 connection medium

 All
data networks are comprised of these elements, and cannot function
without them.

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 1.5.Fundamental Elements of Network (cont’d…)
❑The Hardware ❑ The Software

❑network cards, ❑ protocol, and NOS(Network Operating

system
❑Hub, ❑ The Media
❑Ethernet repeaters ❑ Two main categories:

❑network switches, ❑ Guided ― wires, cables

❑ Twisted-Pair cables:
❑ routers, and
❑ (UTP, STP) cables
❑modems ❑ Coaxial cables
❑ Fiber-optic cables
❑ Unguided ― wireless transmission, e.g.
radio, microwave, infrared, sound

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Data Communications
 2.1. What is Data Communication?
❑ What is communication?
▪ When we communicate, we are sharing information,
ideas, and transferring messages.
▪ This sharing can be local or remote.
▪ Between individuals, local communication usually
occurs face to face, while remote communication takes
place over distance.
▪ The term telecommunication, which includes telephony,
telegraphy, and television, means communication at a
distance(tele is Greek for "far").

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 2.1.1. Data Communications
❑ Electronic transmission of information that has been encoded
digitally with some standard from one network (systems) to
other network (systems) via certain medium, knows as Data
Communication.
❑ Process in which two or more computers or devices transfer
data, instructions, and information

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 2.2. Data Communication System
❑ A data communication system has 5 components
1.Message: the information to be communicated (text, numbers, pictures, sound, video -
or combinations)
2.Sender: is the device that sends the message
3.Receiver: is the device that receives the message.
4.Medium: the physical path by which a message travels from sender to receiver
5.Protocol: the set of rules that govern data communications; an agreement between
the communicating devices

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 What is Network?
❑ A computer network often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of
hardware components, which are interconnected by communication
channels that allow sharing of resources and information with respect to
certain set of rules / protocols via OS / software.
❑ Elements of Network;
⚫ Hardware equipments
⚫ Network OS / software
⚫ Communication channel
⚫ Information / Data / Recourse
⚫ Protocols

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 Terminologies
❑ Data Communication – is the process of transmitting data between
sender and receiver over a certain channel.

❑ Data: digital information over computer / network, which may define with
certain type of file extension; like .doc, .ppt, .pdf, .exe, and etc. File
extension dominate nature of data file

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 Terminologies
❑ Channel - communication channel is a medium on which resource can be accessed
over network and it establishes connectivity between sender and receiver.
▪ Channel speed / network speed is depends upon bandwidth.
❑ Bandwidth - channel capacity known as bandwidth.
▪ There are two types of channels;
1. Physical channel – like network cable, fiber optic, electrical wire.
2. Logical or virtual channel like; wireless, radio frequency,Wi-Fi,WiMax,
and Bluetooth

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 2.3. Data Transmission
❑ Simplified Communications Model
➢ source node
▪ gather data from sensor or switch using ADC (analog-to-digital converter) or
external interrupt
▪ generate digital binary data
▪ generate frame by adding source/destination address and error detection code

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 2.3. Data Transmission…
➢ Transmitter
▪ covert into electro-magnetic signal to transmit frame via transmission medium
➢ Transmission system
 transmission medium
 point-to-point link vs. network link or multi-point link
➢ Receiver
 covert into binary data
➢ Destination node
 check error
 transmit acknowledgement

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 2.3. Data Transmission…
❑What is the objective?
▪ Maximize the data rate: number of bits that the system can transmit in a unit of time
 within an acceptable bit error rate

▪ Why there could be bit errors?

 The signal received by the receiver is different from the signal sent from the sender

▪ In order to achieve high data rate with low bit error rate, we need to study the principle
of data communications

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 2.3.1. Modes of Transmission

❑ Transmission mode refers to the mechanism of transferring of data between two devices connected
over a network.
❑ It is the manner in which data is sent over the underlying medium
❑ Is direction of signal flow between two linked devices
❑ There are five possible different modes of transmission.
❑ They fall into groups:
▪ Serial / Parallel
▪ Simplex / Half Duplex / Duplex

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 2.3.1. Modes of Transmission…
❑Serial transmission
▪ one bit is sent at a time using single wire
▪ Advantage:
 Simple and reliable because the next bit is not transmitted until the current one has
arrived at its destination. So little or no chance of the bits arriving out of order and
can be used over long distances
▪ Disadvantage:
 Slow, because only one bit can be transmitted at a time.

e.g. 01101101 being transmitted.

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 2.3.1. Modes of Transmission…
❑Parallel Transmission
▪ Multiple bits sent at the same time using more than one wire.
▪ Advantage:
 Faster because all the bits are travelling at the same time.
▪ Disadvantage:
 Expensive, it requires several wires as well as various sending and receiving equipment
 Due to fine tolerances (resistances) in the transmission, it is less reliable as the bits can
become muddled up (as they may arrive out of order).
 The longer the wires the more effect these fine tolerances (resistances) would have.

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 2.3.1. Modes of Transmission…
Simplex mode Half duplex mode
o Data can only travel in one direction. o Data can pass in both directions, but at a different time
o e.g. Walkie-talkies and CB (citizens band) radio system
o E.g. Tv broadcasting

Full Duplex mode

o Data can pass in both directions at the same
time/simultaneously. operates like a two-way,
two-lane street.
o e.g. A telephone conversation 23
 2.3.2. Concepts and Terminology
❑ Data transmission: - occurs between transmitter and receiver over some transmission
medium.
❑ Signal: electromagnetic waves
 Can propagate along the transmission medium
 Like the data they represent, signals can be either analog or digital
❑ Transmission Medium
 Guided medium: the signals are guided along a physical path
 e.g., twisted pair, coaxial cable, optical fiber
 Unguided medium: wireless
 e.g., air, water, vacuum

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 2.3.2. Concepts and Terminology….
❑ Direct link
▪ Refer to the transmission path between the transmitter and
receiver in which signals propagate directly with no
intermediate devices, other than amplifiers or repeaters which
used to increase signal strength.
▪ Note that it can apply to both guided and unguided media
❑A transmission medium is point-to-point if:
▪ Direct link a) Point to point
▪ Only 2 devices share the medium
❑A transmission medium is multipoint if:
▪ More than two devices share the same medium

b) multipoint
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 2.3.2. Concepts and Terminology….
❑ Analog and Digital Data
 Data can be digital or analog
❑ Analog data
▪ Vary with time continuously
▪ For example, speed, pressure, temperature, voice data, Radio &Tv
❑ Digital data
▪ refers to information that has discrete states
▪ can be represented by digital signals, with a different voltage level for each of the two
binary digits.
▪ For example, data stored in computer memory in the form of 0s and 1s.

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 2.3.2. Concepts and Terminology….
❑ Analog and Digital Signals
❑ Analog signal
▪ Propagated over a variety of media: wire, fiber optic, space
▪ Represented by sine wave
▪ Continuously varying according to the source information

❑ Digital signal
▪ A sequence of voltage pulses
▪ Represented by square wave

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 2.3.2. Concepts and Terminology…
❑ Data and Signals
 Data: Entities that convey meaning or information
 Signals: electromagnetic representations of data
 Usually, we use digital signals for digital data and analog signals for analog
data

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 Analog signal, Analog transmission
 Human voice generates an analog (i.e. continuously varying ) signal
 On the way, the signal suffers attenuation, Amplifier are used to overcome this
problem
 But Amplifiers amplify noise along with the original signal too!, cumulative noise at
receiving end
 It is not recommended for larger distance b/c the signal becomes very distorted and it
can’t be reconstructed at all
 Due to this it is not used where a high level of accuracy is desired, How ever in
human communication, a slit distortion does not normally matter in which very
common in telephony in so many past decades

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 Digital signal, Digital transmission
 Information coming out of a computer is in the form of digital signal
 Due to transmission impairments the signal distorted from original signals and
become unrecognizable, For this we use Regenerative repeater or repeater

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 Digital signal, Analog transmission
 When computer are invented, the telephone network was already in existence,
however, telephone uses analog signal and analog circuits.
 There for there are two choices
 To create new digital network with repeaters etc:, expensive
 Using existing telephone network:
 problem is how to send digital signals over analog network?
 Conversion and codification technique is needed

 we use Modem (Modulator and demodulator) to perform conversion.

 Modulator: uses some coding scheme to convert digital signal to analog signal
 Demodulator: converts analog signal back to digital signal
 Both Modulation and demodulation needed at both sides for bidirectional
communication
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 Modulation
 Process of modifying one signal based on another
 The process of imposing a low frequency data signal in to a high frequency
carrier wave
 In other words Modulation is the process of changing amplitude, frequency, and
phase of a carrier wave with data signal as an input.

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 Wave Characteristics
 Waves cause a disturbance of the medium through which they travel, which
allows them to carry energy.
 The amplitude () of a wave is the distance from the center line (or the still
position) to the top of a crest or to the bottom of a trough.
 The frequency of a wave is the number of waves that pass by each second,
and is measured in Hertz (Hz).
 Suppose a wave repeat itself 3 times each second, then we say frequency of
that wave is 3 Hz.

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 2.3.4.Transmission Impairments
❑ With any communications system, the signal that is
received may differ from the signal that is transmitted, due
to various transmission impairments.
❑ Consequences:
▪ For analog signals: degradation of signal quality
▪ For digital signals: bit errors

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 2.3.4.Transmission Impairments…
❑Attenuation
 Signal strength falls off with distance
 Depends on medium
 For guided media, loses some of its energy in overcoming the resistance of the medium in
function of distance
 For unguided media, attenuation is a more complex function of distance and the makeup of
the atmosphere.
 To compensate for this loss, amplifiers and repeaters are used to amplify the signal.

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 2.3.4.Transmission Impairments…
❑Distortion
▪ means that the signal changes its form or shape.
▪ is caused by collision and is having greater and less voltage signal above or lower
than the normal signal range e.g if vol +1 is for 1 and -1 for 0 bit then having 4 volt
at the receiver is Distorted signal (abnormal signal pattern)

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 2.3.4.Transmission Impairments…
❑ Noise
 additional unwanted signals that are inserted somewhere between transmission and
reception.
 The undesired signals are referred to as noise, which is the major limiting factor in
communications system performance.
❑Four categories of noise:
▪ Thermal noise or white noise: random motion of electrons in a wire, which creates
an extra signal not originally sent by the transmitter
▪ Intermodulation noise: signals at different frequencies share the same transmission
medium
▪ Crosstalk: is the effect of one wire on the other
▪ Impulse noise: a signal with high energy in a very short time that comes from power
lines, lightning, and so on
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 2.3.4.Transmission Impairments…
❑Channel Capacity
 The maximum rate at which data can be transmitted over a given communication channel, under
given conditions, is referred to as the channel capacity.
❑Data rate
▪ The rate in bits per second (bps) at which data can be communicated

❑Bandwidth
▪ is amount of data that can travel over channel
▪ capacity of a link to transmit the maximum amount of data from one point to another in a given amount of
time
❑Error rate
▪ The rate at which errors occur, where an error is the reception of a 1 when a 0 was transmitted or the
reception of a 0 when a 1 was transmitted.
❑ We would like to make as efficient use as possible of a given bandwidth, i.e., we would like to
get as high a data rate as possible at a particular limit of error rate for a given bandwidth.
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 2.4. Components of a Network
❑ What is needed for successful communications?
❖ End devices
Sending Communications
❖ Intermediary devices Communications
device — initiates device — connects channel — media
instruction to the sending device to
❖ Network medium on which data,
transmit data, the communications instructions, or
❖ Protocol instructions, or channel information travel
information

Communications Receiving
device — connects device — accepts
the communications transmission of
channel to the data, instructions,
receiving device or information

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 2.4.1.What are Network End Devices?
❑ Sender and receiver are said to be end devices, called Host
❑ The network devices that people are most familiar with are called end devices.
❑ These devices form the interface between the human network and the
underlying communication network.
❑ Some examples of end devices are:
 Computers ,laptops, file servers, web servers.
 Network printers
 VoIP phones
 Security cameras
 Mobile handheld devices.

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 2.4.2. Intermediary Devices
❑Intermediary devices interconnect end devices.
❑These devices provide connectivity and work behind the scenes to ensure that
data flows across the network.
❑Intermediary devices connect the individual hosts to the network and can
connect multiple individual networks to form an internetwork.
❑Examples of intermediary network devices are
➢Network access devices (switches and wireless access points)
➢Internetworking devices (routers)
➢Security devices (firewalls)

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 2.4.2. Intermediary Devices(cont’d.)
A. Wireless Modem
❑ Allows access to the Web wirelessly from a notebook computer, a PDA, a smart
phone, or other mobile device
❑ Typically use the same waves used by cellular telephones

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 2.4.2. Intermediary Devices(cont’d.)
B. Network Card
❑ Adapter card, PC Card, or compact flash card that enables
computer or device to access network
❑ Sometimes called network interface card (NIC)

C. Wireless Access Point

❑ Central communications device that allows computers and
devices to transfer data wirelessly among themselves or to
wired network

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 2.4.2. Intermediary Devices(cont’d.)
D. Repeaters
➢ to overcome attenuation; it receives a signal
before it becomes too weak or corrupted,
and regenerates the original bit pattern and
then sends the refreshed signal
➢ for example, to extend the 100 m limit of
coax cable
➢ it does not connect two LANs (of different
protocols); it connects segments of a LAN
➢ the location of a repeater is important; it
must be placed so that a signal reaches it
before any noise changes the bits completely

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 2.4.2. Intermediary Devices(cont’d.)
E. HUBs
➢ Operate at physical layer
➢ it is a multiport repeater (a number of lines)
➢ used to create connections between stations in a
physical star topology
➢ frames arriving on any of the lines are sent out on all
the others
➢ if two frames arrive at the same time, they may collide

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 2.4.2. Intermediary Devices(cont’d.)
F. The Bridge
➢ Used to divide (segment) the LAN into smaller LANs
segments
➢ can improve network performance because traffic is
not propagated unnecessarily on all network segments
where destination computer found.
➢ Bridge does not send the received frame to all other
interfaces like hubs and repeaters, but it performs
filtering which means: it searches for where the
destination found? By using Mac address
➢ Uses bridge table(segment, Mac address)

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 2.4.2. Intermediary Devices(cont’d.)
G. Switch
 high-performance multi-interface bridges
 prevent the unnecessary flow of network traffic from one segment to another
 It uses mac address to create point to point communication
 switch is a secure device, because it sends information only to the desired
destinations
 Improve network performance.
 It uses switch table (port, mac address) which is originally empty

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 2.4.2. Intermediary Devices(cont’d.)
❑ H. Router
❑ Connects computers and transmits data to correct
destination on network
❑ Routers forward data on Internet using fastest
available path

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 2.4.3. Transmission Medium
❑ Is the physical path by which a message travels from sender to receiver.
❑ The information or the signals are transmitted from a device to another in the form
of electromagnetic signals.
❑ Transmission media are materials capable of carrying one or more signals

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 2.4.3. Transmission Media(cont’d.)
❑ Guided media,
➢ A signal traveling along any of these media is directed and
contained by the physical limits of the medium.
➢ Examples:
✓ Twisted-pair and coaxial cable use metallic (copper)
conductors that accept and transport signals in the form of
electric current.
✓ Optical fiber is a cable that accepts and transports signals in the
form of light.
❑ Unguided media (or wireless communication)
➢ uses radio waves(air) to transport the signals not cable.
➢ Examples are radio waves, satellite communication

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2.4.3.1. Guided Media

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 Twisted-pair Cable
❑ consists of two copper conductor, each with its ❑ The unwanted signals are mostly canceled
own plastic insulation, twisted together out.
❑ number of twists per unit of length (e.g., inch)
❑ One of the wires is used to carry signals to the
has some effect on the quality of the cable
receiver, and the other is used only as a ground
❑ repeaters needed for longer distances
reference. The receiver uses the difference
between the two
❑ Twisting makes it probable that both wires are
equally affected by external influences (noise or
crosstalk). This means that the receiver, which (a) Category 3 UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair)
(b) Category 5 UTP - more twists per cm
calculates the difference between the two,
receives no unwanted signals.

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 Types of Twisted Pair Cable

Unshielded Twisted-pair (UTP) cable Shielded Twisted (STP) Cable

• UTP cable is the most common type of • An extra metallic sheath on each pair
telecommunication medium in use today. • Relatively more expensive
• Advantages of UTP are its cost and ease of use. UTP • Provide better performance than UTP
is cheap, flexible, and easy to install. • Increased Data rate
• Application: • Have high immunity/resistance against noise and
• telephone lines to provide voice and data interference than UTP(more noise resistance)
channels • Extra metal sheath prevents the penetration of
• Local-area networks, such as 10Base-T and noise/radio and electrical frequency interference
100Base-T, also use twisted-pair cables • Not very common (used in IBM)
• The most common UTP connector is RJ45 (RJ stands
for Registered Jack).

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EIA (Electronic Industries Association) - UTP Categorization

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 Coaxial Cable (or coax)
 Coaxial Cable has single copper conductor at its center
 Coaxial cable can span longer distances at higher speeds
 The metal shield helps to block any outside signal interference
 bandwidth dependent on cable quality, length, … - close to 1 GHz for modern cables
 Usage:
 Analog telephone (10,000 voice signals) and Digital telephone (600mbps)- However,
coaxial cable replaced today with fiberoptic cable
 Cable TV networks (latter replaced by Fiber optic)
 traditional Ethernet LANs Thin(10Base-2) and thick (10Base5) Ethernet

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 Pros and Cons of Coax
 Advantage
 highly resistant to signal interference
 it can support greater cable lengths between network devices
 Disadvantage
 difficult to install

 To connect coaxial cable to devices, it is necessary to use coaxial connectors. The

most common type of connector is the Bayone-Neill-Concelman, or BNC,
connectors.

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 Fiber Optic Cable
❑ Three key components
➢ the light source (on one end): a pulse of light indicates a 1 bit,
absence of light indicates a 0 bit
➢ the transmission medium: an ultra-thin fiber or glass
➢ the detector (on the other end): generates an electrical pulse
when light falls on it
❑ Transmits signals in the form of light.
❑ Carry information at vastly greater speeds(as speed of light)
❑ Advantages of fiber optic cables
➢ repeaters required only about every 50 km (saves cost)
➢ not affected by power surge, electromagnetic interference,…
➢ do not leak light and difficult to tap - security

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 Fiber Optic Connector
❑ The most common connector used with fiber optic cable is
 straight-tip (ST) connector. It is barrel shaped, similar to a BNC connector.
A newer connector,
 The subscriber channel(SC)connector is used for cable TV, is becoming
more popular.

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 Cable Summary
Specification Cable Type Maximum length
10BaseT Unshielded Twisted Pair 100 meters

10Base2 Thin Coaxial 185 meters

10Base5 Thick Coaxial 500 meters

10BaseF Fiber Optic 2000 meters

100BaseT Unshielded Twisted Pair 100 meters

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 2.4.3.2. Unguided Media /wireless
❑ It does not contain the signal in some physical conductor or metal. Rather, it
transport electromagnetic signal through air.
❑ Available to anyone who has a device capable of receiving them.
❑ For people who need to be online all the time in any where
❑ Can replace wired network(if running a fiber to a building is difficult due to the
terrain (mountains, jungles, swamps, etc.)
❑ includes: -
❖ Radio waves
❖ Micro waves
❖ Infrared waves
❖ Satellite communication

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 Unguided (wireless) communication
The electromagnetic spectrum and its uses for communication
• The electromagnetic (EM) spectrum is the range of all types of EM radiation.
• Radiation is energy that travels and spreads out as it goes – the visible light that comes
from a lamp in your house and the radio waves that come from a radio station are two
types of electromagnetic radiation.

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 Radio waves Transmission

❑ The Radio waves have frequencies between 3khz and1Ghz

❑ Radio waves are Omni direction(propagated in all directions.)
❑ i.e. the sending and receiving antennas do not have to be aligned
❑ Radio waves can penetrate buildings easily, so that are widely use for
communication both indoors outdoors.
❑ Travel long distances such as AM radio.
❑ The radio waves transmitted by one antenna are susceptible to interference by
another antenna that may send signals using the same frequency or band.
❑ Useful for multicasting, in which there is one sender but many receivers.
❑ AM and FM radio, television, maritime radio, examples of multicasting.

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 Micro waves Transmission
❑ having frequency between 1 GHZ and 300 GHZ.
❑ Micro waves are widely used for one to one communication
between sender and receiver, cellular phone, satellite networks
and in wireless LANs.

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 Infrared Waves

❑ having frequencies from 300 GHz to 400 THz

❑ IR waves are used for short range communication and
use line of sight propagation.
❑ Infrared waves cannot pass through solid objects,
❑ They are cheap, easy to build and do not require any
government license to use them.
❑ IR waves offer very bandwidth for use.

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 Satellite Communication
What is a communications satellite?
❑ Space station
that receives microwave signals from earth-based
station, amplifies signals, and broadcasts signals back
to any number of earth-based stations

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 Network Types

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 3.1.Network Type
How many kinds of Networks?
❑ Depending on one’s perspective, we can classify networks in different
ways
❖ Based on transmission media: Wired (UTP, coaxial cables, fiber-optic cables)
and Wireless
❖ Based on network size: LAN and WAN (and MAN)
❖ Based on management(access) method: Peer-to-peer and Client/Server
❖ Based on topology (connectivity): Bus, Star, Ring …
❖ Switching techniques: packet and circuit switching network

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 Based on Types of Media
 Wired network
 A network type which connect the devices using either of twisted, coaxial or fiber optic
cable
 Includes Ethernet…
 Wireless network
 A network type which connect the devices using radio, microwave, IR etc. waves
 Includes wireless Ethernet, cellular network, satellite network…

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 Local Area Network (LAN)
❑ Small network, short distance
▪ A room, a floor, a building
▪ Limited by no. of computers and distance
covered
▪ Privately owned by organization
▪ Serve a department within an organization
▪ A LAN network is limited to between 100-
1000 meters coverage.
▪ Includes Ethernet, Token ring, Apple-talk
❑ Examples:
▪ Network inside the Student Computer lab
▪ Network inside a small office
▪ Network inside your home
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 Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

❑ is a network with a size between a LAN and a WAN.

❑ It normally covers the area inside a town or a city.
❑ it may be a single network or interconnected LANs
❑ typically use wireless infrastructure or optical fiber connections to link their
sites.
❑ A Metropolitan Area Network is a class of network which serves a large
geographical area between 5 to 50 kilometers in range.
❑ Includes WiMAX…

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 Wide Area Network (WAN)
❑ covering large geographic area; may utilize public, organization, or private
❑ A network that uses long-range telecommunication links to connect 2 or more
LANs/computers housed in different places far apart.
▪ Towns, states, countries, even world
❑ A LAN interconnects hosts; a WAN interconnects connecting devices such as switches,
routers, or modems.
❑ A LAN is normally privately owned by the organization that uses it; a WAN is normally
created and run by communication companies
Your home

❑ Examples:
▪ Internet USA
WAN
IT Centre

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 Internetwork
❑ When two or more networks are connected, they make an internetwork, or internet.
❑ Now the company has an internetwork, or a private internet (with lowercase i).
❑ To make the communication between employees at different offices possible, the
management leases a point-to-point dedicated WAN from a service provider

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 3.2. Peer-to-Peer Networks
❑ Peer-to-peer network is also called workgroup
❑ No hierarchy among computers  all are equal
❑ No administrator responsible for the network
❑ Each station responsible for their resources
❑ Each station can be : provider and consumer

Peer-to-peer

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 ❑ Advantages of peer-to-peer networks:
❑ Low cost
❑ Simple to configure
❑ No need of special software needed

❑ Disadvantages of peer-to-peer networks:

❑ no central storage or authentication of users (Difficult to uphold security policy)
❑ Not scalable

❑ Where peer-to-peer network is appropriate:

❑ 10 or less users
❑ Security is not an issue

❑ 77
 3.2 Clients and Servers
❑ Station can either be provider(server) or consumer(client)
❑ Network Clients (Workstation)
▪ Computers that request network resources or services
❑ Network Servers
▪ Computers that manage and provide network resources
and services to clients
o Usually have more processing power, memory and hard disk
space than clients
o Run Network Operating System that can manage not only data,
but also users, groups, security, and applications on the network
o Servers often have a more stringent requirement on its
performance and reliability
o Can be email server, file server, printer server, web server,
proxy server etc..
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 3.2 Clients and Servers

❑ Advantages of client/server networks

▪ Facilitate resource sharing – centrally administrate and control
▪ Facilitate system backup and improve fault tolerance
▪ Enhance security – only administrator can have access to Server
▪ Support more users – difficult to achieve with peer-to-peer networks

❑ Disadvantages of client/server
networks
▪ High cost for Servers
▪ Need expert to configure the network
▪ Introduce a single point of failure to the system

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Peer-to-Peer Networks Client/Server Networks
<=10 computer tens of thousands of workstations in the network.
All computers have the same status, hence the term 'peer',
is not centralized; Centralized Security .
each computer is responsible to check access rights for its resources. All user accounts are stored in the same database on the server.
is a network where the each computers act as both client and servers. there exist dedicated servers and the other are clients
Each user is responsible for local backup. Backup is centralized and is done by a person responsible for the
job (backup operator).
No specialized operating system is required Server operating system is req.
each of the devices usually runs similar software Window 2000 window server etc
Each machine can have resources that are shared with any other Only server provide resources to share
machine. The client send request
Per to per network Client /server network
There is no assigned role for any particular device Server ---provide service
Client ----send req
Any device can and will send requests to any other. Server ---provide service
Client ----send req
Easy to set up More difficult to set up
Less expensive to install More expensive to install 80
 3.3. Topology ― 4 basic types

• the way in which a network is laid out physically

Bus Topology Ring Topology Mesh topology

Star Topology
Hub

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 ❑ Bus Topology
▪ Simple and low-cost
▪ A single cable called a trunk (backbone, segment)
▪ Only one computer can send messages at a time
▪ Passive topology - computer only listen for, not regenerate data
▪ a fault in the bus cable stops all transmission

❑Star Topology
▪ Each computer has a cable connected to a single point
▪ More cabling, hence higher cost
▪ All signals transmission through the hub; if down, entire network down
▪ Depending on the intelligence of hub, two or more computers may send message at
the same time
❑ 82
 Ring Topology
❑Every computer serves as a repeater to boost signals
❑Typical way to send data: Ack T T
▪ Token passing T

only the computer who gets the token can send data
▪ T dat T dat
a
❑Disadvantages a

▪ Difficult to add computers T

T
▪ More expensive T Ack
T Ack
dat
▪ If one computer fails, whole network fails a
T

T Ack

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 Mesh Topology

❑ every device has a dedicated point-to-point link to every other device

❑ every device must have n-1 I/O ports, where n is the number of devices connected
❑ advantages
➢ no traffic problem (no congestion)
➢ robust; a failure of a link has no effect on others
➢ fault identification and isolation are easy
➢ privacy or security (provided there is no wire tapping)
➢ For n computers, n(n-1)/2 cables are required.
❑ disadvantages
➢ amount of cabling and I/O ports needed (expensive)

84 84
 Advantages and Disadvantages of Network Topologies
Topology Advantages Disadvantages
Cheap. Easy to install. Difficult to reconfigure.
Bus
Break in bus disables
entire network.
Cheap. Easy to install. More expensive than bus.
Star
Easy to reconfigure.
Fault tolerant.
Efficient. Easy to install. Reconfiguration difficult.
Ring
Very expensive.
Simplest. Most fault Reconfiguration extremely difficult.
Mesh tolerant. Extremely expensive.
Very complex.
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