Introduction to computer
networking
Objective:
The definitions of networking
Network topology
Network peripherals, hardware and
software
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Definitions
1.1 Network Definition
A network can be defined as two or more
computers connected together in such a
way that they can share resources.
The purpose of a network is to share
resources.
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Definitions (cont..)
A resource may be:
A file
A folder
A printer
A disk drive
Or just about anything else that exists
on a computer.
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Definitions (cont..)
A network is simply a collection of
computers or other hardware devices that are
connected together, either physically or
logically, using special hardware and software,
to allow them to exchange information and
cooperate.
Networking is the term that describes the
processes involved in designing, implementing,
upgrading, managing and otherwise working
with networks and network technologies.
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Advantages of networking
Connectivity and Communication
Data Sharing
Hardware Sharing
Internet Access
Internet Access Sharing
Data Security and Management
Performance Enhancement and Balancing
Entertainment
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
The Disadvantages (Costs) of Networking
Network Hardware, Software and Setup
Costs
Hardware and Software Management and
Administration Costs
Undesirable Sharing
Illegal or Undesirable Behavior
Data Security Concerns
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Introduction to Computer Networks
Fundamental Network Classifications
Network in small geographical Area (Room, Building
or a Campus) is called LAN (Local Area Network)
Network in a City is call MAN (Metropolitan Area
Network)
Network spread geographically (Country or across
Globe) is called WAN (Wide Area Network)
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Fundamental Network Classifications
Local Area Networks (LANs):
A local area network (LAN) is a computer network covering a small geographic area, like a home,
office, or group of buildings
Wide Area Networks (WANs):
Wide Area Network (WAN) is a computer network that covers a broad area (i.e., any network whose
communications links cross metropolitan, regional, or national boundaries). Or, less formally, a network
that uses routers and public communications links
The largest and most well-known example of a WAN is the Internet.
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
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN):
o A metropolitan area network (MAN) is a network that interconnects users with computer resources in a
geographic area or region larger than that covered by even a large local area network (LAN)
o but smaller than the area covered by a wide area network (WAN).
o The term is applied to the interconnection of networks in a city into a single larger network
o It is also used to mean the interconnection of several local area networks by bridging them with
backbone lines. The latter usage is also sometimes referred to as a campus network.
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Fundamental Network Classifications
(cont)
The Local Network (LAN)
Client Client
Client Client
Client Client
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Fundamental Network Classifications
(cont)
Wide Area Network
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Fundamental Network Classifications
(cont)
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Intranet and Internet
Specifications
Intranet: An intranet is a private network that is
contained within an enterprise. It may consist of
many interlinked local area networks.
An intranet uses TCP/IP, HTTP, and other Internet
protocols.
Internet: is a worldwide system of computer
networks - a network of networks in which users at
any one computer can, if they have permission, get
information from any other computer (and
sometimes talk directly to users at other
computers).
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Client and Server computer role in
networking
Server computer is a core component of the
network, providing a link to the resources necessary
to perform any task.
A server computer provides a link to the resources
necessary to perform any task.
The link it provides could be to a resource existing on
the server itself or a resource on a client computer.
Client computers normally request and receive
information over the network client. Client computers
also depends primarily on the central server for
processing activities
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Peer-to peer network
A peer-to-peer network is a network where the
computers act as both workstations and servers.
great for small, simple, and inexpensive networks.
In a strict peer-to-peer networking setup, every
computer is an equal, a peer in the network.
Each machine can have resources that are shared
with any other machine.
There is no assigned role for any particular device,
and each of the devices usually runs similar
software. Any device can and will send requests to
any other.
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Network topology
A topology is a way of “laying out” the
network. Topologies can be either
physical or logical.
Physical topologies describe how the
cables are run.
Logical topologies describe how the
network messages travel
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Network topology (cont.)
Bus (can be both logical and physical)
Star (physical only)
Ring (can be both logical and physical)
Mesh (can be both logical and
physical)
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Network topology (cont.)
Bus
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.
Each computer shares the same data and address
path. With a logical bus topology, messages pass
through the trunk, and each workstation checks to see
if the message is addressed to itself. If the address of
the message matches the workstation’s address, the
network adapter copies the message to the card’s on-
board memory.
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Network topology (cont.)
It is difficult to add a workstation
if any one of the cables breaks, the
entire network is disrupted. Therefore,
it is very expensive to maintain.
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Network topology (cont.)
Bus topology
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Network topology (cont.)
Star Topology
The star topology is the most commonly used
architecture in Ethernet LANs.
(Ethernet: Ethernet is a network standard of communication
using either coaxial or twisted pair cable. The most widely
used for of LAN communication, Ethernet typically runs at 10
megabytes per second)
A physical star topology branches each network device off a
central device called a hub, 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.)
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Network topology (cont.)
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.
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Network topology (cont.)
Star Topology
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Network topology (cont.)
Ring
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.
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Network topology (cont.)
The ring makes it difficult to add new
computers.
Unlike a star topology network, the ring
topology network will go down if one
entity is removed from the ring.
Physical ring topology systems don’t
exist much anymore, mainly because the
hardware involved was fairly expensive
and the fault tolerance was very low.
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Network topology (cont.)
Ring Topology
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Network topology (cont.)
Mesh
The mesh topology is the simplest logical topology in terms of data
flow, but it is the most complex in terms of physical design.
In this physical topology, each device is connected to every other
device
This topology is rarely found in LANs, mainly because of the
complexity of the cabling.
If there are x computers, there will be (x × (x–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!
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Network topology (cont.)
Because of its design, the physical mesh topology is very
expensive to install and maintain.
Cables must be run from each device to every other device.
The advantage you gain from it is its high fault tolerance.
With a logical mesh topology, however, there will always be a
way of getting the data from source to destination.
It may not be able to take the direct route, but it can take an
alternate, indirect route. It is for this reason that the mesh
topology is still found in WANs to connect multiple sites across
WAN links. It uses devices called routers to search multiple
routes through the mesh and determine the best path.
However, the mesh topology does become inefficient with five
or more entities.
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Network topology (cont.)
Mesh Topology
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Network topology (cont.)
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 tolerant. Reconfiguration extremely difficult.
Mesh
Extremely expensive.
Very complex.
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Hardware, Software and Networks
Peripherals (device)
Network Interface Card (NIC)
Repeater
Hub
Bridge
Routers
Switch
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Hardware, Software and Networks Peripherals (cont.)
Network Interface Card (NIC)
NIC provides the physical interface between computer and
cabling.
It prepares data, sends data, and controls the flow of data. It
can also receive and translate data into bytes for the CPU to
understand.
The following factors should be taken into consideration when
choosing a NIC:
1. - Preparing data
2. - Sending and controlling data
3. - Configuration
4. - Drivers
5. - Compatibility
6. - Performance
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Hardware, Software and Networks Peripherals (cont.)
Preparing Data
In the computer, data moves along buses in parallel,
as on a four-lane interstate highway. But on a
network cable, data travels in a single stream, as on
a one lane highway. This difference can cause
problems transmitting and receiving data, because
the paths traveled are not the same.
It is the NIC’s job to translate the data from the
computer into signals that can flow easily along the
cable.
It does this by translating digital signals into electrical
signals (and in the case of fiber-optic NICs, to optical
signals).
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Hardware, Software and Networks Peripherals (cont.)
Sending and Controlling Data
For two computers to send and receive data, the cards must
agree on several things. These include the following:
- The maximum size of the data frames
- The amount of data sent before giving
confirmation
- The time needed between transmissions
- The amount of time needed to wait before sending
confirmation
- The amount of data a card can hold
- The speed at which data transmits
In order to successfully send data on the network, you need to
make sure the network cards are of the same type and they
are connected to the same piece of cable.
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Configuration
The NIC’s configuration includes things like
a manufacturer’s hardware address, IRQ
address, Base I/O port address, and base
memory address. Some may also use DMA
channels to offer better performance.
Each card must have a unique hardware
address. If two cards have the same
hardware addresses, neither one of them
will be able to communicate.
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Hardware, Software and Networks Peripherals (cont.)
Drivers
For the computer to use the network
interface card, it is very important to
install the proper device drivers.
These drivers communicate directly
with the network redirector and
adapter. They operate in the Media
Access Control sublayer of the Data
Link layer of the OSI model.
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Hardware, Software and Networks Peripherals (cont.)
Compatibility
When choosing a NIC, use one that fits
the bus type of your PC. If you have
more than one type of bus in your PC
(for example, a combination ISA/PCI),
use an NIC that fits into the fastest type
(the PCI, in this case).
This is especially important in servers,
as the NIC can very quickly become a
bottleneck if this guideline isn’t followed.
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Hardware, Software and Networks Peripherals (cont.)
Performance
The most important goal of the network
adapter card is to optimize network
performance and minimize the amount
of time needed to transfer data packets
across the network.
There are several ways of doing this,
including assigning a DMA channel,
use of a shared memory adapter, and
deciding to allow bus mastering.
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Hardware, Software and Networks Peripherals (cont.)
Repeaters
Repeaters are very simple devices. They allow a cabling system
to extend beyond its maximum allowed length by amplifying the
network voltages so they travel farther.
Repeaters are nothing more than amplifiers and, as such, are
very inexpensive.
Repeaters can only be used to regenerate signals between
similar network segments.
For example, we can extend an Ethernet 10Base2 network to 400
meters with a repeater. But can’t connect an Ethernet and Token
Ring network together with one.
The main disadvantage to repeaters is that they just amplify
signals. These signals not only include the network signals, but
any noise on the wire as well.
Eventually, if you use enough repeaters, you could possibly
drown out the signal with the amplified noise. For this reason,
repeaters are used only as a temporary fix.
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Hardware, Software and Networks Peripherals (cont.)
Repeaters
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Hardware, Software and Networks Peripherals
(cont.)
Hubs
Hubs are devices used to link several computers
together.
They repeat any signal that comes in on one port and
copy it to the other ports (a process that is also called
broadcasting).
There are two types of hubs: active and passive.
Passive hubs simply connect all ports together
electrically and are usually not powered.
Active hubs use electronics to amplify and clean up
the signal before it is broadcast to the other ports.
In the category of active hubs, there is also a class
called “intelligent” hubs, which are hubs that can be
remotely managed on the network.
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Hardware, Software and Networks Peripherals (cont.)
Hubs
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Hardware, Software and Networks Peripherals
(cont.)
Bridges
They join similar topologies and are used to divide network
segments.
For example, with 200 people on one Ethernet segment, the
performance will be mediocre, because of the design of Ethernet
and the number of workstations that are fighting to transmit. If
you divide the segment into two segments of 100 workstations
each, the traffic will be much lower on either side and
performance will increase.
If it is aware of the destination address, it is able to forward
packets; otherwise a bridge will forward the packets to all
segments. They are more intelligent than repeaters but are
unable to move data across multiple networks simultaneously.
Unlike repeaters, bridges can filter out noise.
The main disadvantage to bridges is that they can’t connect
dissimilar network types or perform intelligent path selection. For
that function, you would need a router.
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Hardware, Software and Networks Peripherals (cont.)
Bridges
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Hardware, Software and Networks Peripherals
(cont.)
Routers
Routers are highly intelligent devices that connect multiple
network types and determine the best path for sending data.
The advantage of using a router over a bridge is that routers
can determine the best path that data can take to get to its
destination.
Like bridges, they can segment large networks and can filter
out noise.
However, they are slower than bridges because they are more
intelligent devices; as such, they analyze every packet,
causing packet-forwarding delays. Because of this
intelligence, they are also more expensive.
Routers are normally used to connect one LAN to another.
Typically, when a WAN is set up, there will be at least two
routers used.
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Hardware, Software and Networks Peripherals (cont.)
Routers
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Hardware, Software and Networks Peripherals
(cont.)
Switch
A network switch is a computer networking device that connects network
segments.
Low-end network switches appear nearly identical to network hubs, but a switch
contains more "intelligence" (and a slightly higher price tag) than a network hub.
Network switches are capable of inspecting data packets as they are received,
determining the source and destination device of that packet, and forwarding it
appropriately.
By delivering each message only to the connected device it was intended for, a
network switch conserves network bandwidth and offers generally better
performance than a hub.
A vital difference between a hub and a switch is that all the nodes connected
to a hub share the bandwidth among themselves, while a device connected to a
switch port has the full bandwidth all to itself.
For example, if 10 nodes are communicating using a hub on a 10-Mbps network,
then each node may only get a portion of the 10 Mbps if other nodes on the hub
want to communicate as well. .
But with a switch, each node could possibly communicate at the full 10 Mbps.
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
Hardware, Software and Networks Peripherals (cont.)
Switch
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
LAB1
Connect 2 buildings 3 storey high with a distance of
500m between each building.
Each floor is occupied by the Finance Department,
Administration Department and Computing
Department.
Your report should have the following items.
Anything extra is encouraged.
a. Introduction
b. Network Diagrams
c. Devices that will be used.
You are required to use MS Visio to draw the
Network Diagrams.
Presented by Aftab Hussain, GIIT, Rawalpindi
