Computer Networks

What youll learn

Types of networks:

Ring, bus, star and tree

Local area networks(LANs), wide area networks(WANs), wireless LANs(WLANs)

Network devices- modems, hubs and switches, routers and bridges

The internet- web browsers and internet services and providers (ISPs)
Intranets
Network security- user IDs, passwords, encryption and authentication techniques
Communications-fax, email, conferencing and voice over internet protocol(VOIP).

 Computer systems are connected together to form a network.

Most networks are controlled by the use of servers.
Types of servers:
File Servers

This allows the users to save and load data/files.

Application Servers

This deals with the distribution of applications software to each computer.

Printer Servers

This type of server ensure printing from devices on the network is done in a queue.

Proxy Servers

This server is used as a buffer between WANs and LANs.

LAN consists of multiple computers and devices

that are connected to hubs or switches. One of the
hubs or switches will be connected to a router or
modem to allow the LAN to connect the internet. It
then becomes WAN(Wide Area Network)

Advantages

Disadvantages

Communications between users

A network administration to
control and monitor all aspects
of the network.

Virus spreading is easier to get

through network.
Slower access to external
networks.
If main servers breaks down,
networks will no longer
function.

There are four types of LAN network topologies:

Ring
Bus
Star
Tree networks

Ring Network
A ring network is a network topology in
which each node connects to exactly two
other nodes, forming a single continuous
pathway for signals through each node a ring.

Advantages

Disadvantages

They work well under heavy loading.

Possible to create a very large network.

If theres a problem with the wiring between

two computers, it will also affect the

Any system where you can connect to a network

or to a single computer through a wireless
communication. They rely on some form that
uses radio frequency technology to receive and
send signal

Examples:
To WLANs
PDAs and other handheld devices
Laptop computers
Printers, keyboard and mouse

 Bluetooth is an example of wireless personal area working

(WPAN)technology. Spread spectrum transmission is used to
provide wireless links between mobile phones, computers and
other handheld devices and allow connection to the internet.
With this system, it is possible to create a small home network.

WIDE ARE NETWORKS

A wide area network (WAN) is basically formed by a number of LANs
being connected together through either a router or a modem. Some
companies will set up private WANs. This is expansive but comes with
the advantage of much enhanced security.

NETWORK DEVICES MODEMS

Modem means modulator demodulator and is a device which
converts a computers digital signal into an analogue signal for
transmission over an existing telephone line.
Modems are used to allow computers to connect to networks over a
long distances using existing telephone networks.
Dial-up modems operate at transmission speeds of about 60 kilobits
per second, which is quite slow by todays standards.
Although the ADSL modems still use the existing telephone network,
unlike dial-up modems they do not tie up the line while accessing the
internet, so the land-line telephone can still be used at the same
time.

NETWORK HUBS
Network hubs are hardware devices that can have a number of
devices/computers connected to them. Its main task to take any data
received via one of the pots and then send out this data from all of the
pots. Each computer/device will receive the data, whether it is relevant
or not.

SWITCHES
Switches are similar to hubs but are more efficient in the way they
distribute data. A hub learns which devices are connected to which
ports. Each device has a media access control (MAC) address which
identifies it uniquely. Data packets sent to the switch will have a MAC
address giving the source and receiving device.
If a device X is always sending the switch data via port 4 then it learns
that X must be connected to that port. This means that the network
traffic only goes to where it is needed and so a switch is more
efficient than a hub, especially when the network is very busy.

BRIDGES
Bridges are devices that connect one LAN to another LAN that uses
the same protocol. They decide whether a message from a user is
going to another user on the same LAN or to a user on a different
LAN.
In network that use bridges, workstation addresses are not specific to
their location and therefore messages are actually sent out to every
workstation on the network. However, only the target workstation
accept this message. Networks using bridges are interconnected LANs
since sending out every message to every workstation would flood a
large network with unnecessary traffic.

ROUTERS
Since large companies often have more than one network there are
occasions when the computers in one network want to communicate with
the computers in one of the other networks. Routers are often used to
connect LANs together and also connect them to the internet.
Routers inspect the data packages sent to it from any computer on any of
the networks connected to it. Since every computer on the same network
has the same first part of an internet protocol (IP) address, the router is
able to send the data package to the appropriate switch and it will then be
delivered using the mac destination address in the data packet. If this mac
address doesnt match any device on the network it passes on to another
switch on the same network until the device is found.

HTTP PROXY SERVERS

This is a special type of server that acts as a buffer between WAN and
a LAN. The server passes on the service requests to the internet and
then passes back the requested pages. It therefore retrieves web
pages and passes them on to the computer that made the request.
Any page retrieved from the internet is stored on the server, which
means that when a different computer requests the same page it is
available immediately thus considerably speeding up the browsing
process.

THE INTERNETWEBSITES
The web is made up of millions of those websites and millions of web pages . Web pages are documents on
a computer screen which may consist of text, pictures, sounds, animation or video. A website consists of
many of these pages linked together. The website shows these hyperlinks to allow users to navigate between
web pages. These hyperlinks are often shown as blue underlined text. An alphanumeric form is usually used
which has the format: protocol://site address/path/filename.
Where protocol is usually http
Site address consists of: host computer name, domain name, domain type and the country code
Computer name is usually www
Domain name is the name of the website
Domain type is commonly one of the following: .com, .org, .co, .net, .gov
Examples of country code include: .uk, .us, .de, .cy, .vn
Path is the web page
File name is the item of the webpage

ACCESSING THE INTERNET

An ISP is a company that provides users with access to the internet,
usually for a fee. When a user registers with an ISP, an account is set
up and they are given login details, which include a username and a
password. Most IPs also provide an email account.
Emails allow attachments. An email address contain 2 parts:
example1@yahoo.co.uk OR example2@yahoo.com

INTRANETS
Many companies use an intranet as well as internet. Intranets is a
computer network based on internet technology that is designed to
meet the internal needs for sharing information within a single
organization/company. Reasons for doing this:
It is safer since there is less chance of external hacking or viruses
it is possible to prevent employees from accessing unwanted websites
It is now worth comparing the internet with intranets:
The term internet come from the phrase international network
The term intranet comes from the phrase internal restricted access
network

NETWORK SECURITY
The security problems when using networks such as the internet are
well documented. There are various security threats to network and
there are many equally varied ways of combating the threat.

USER IDS
When logging on to any network system, a user will be asked to type
in a User ID. The assigns the user privilege once the logon procedure
is successful

PASSWORDS
After keying in the user ID, the user will then be requested to type in
their password. This should be a combination of letters and numbers
which would be difficult for somebody else to guess. When the
password is types in it often shows on the screen as ****** so
nobody overlooking can see what the user has typed in. if the
password doesnt match up with the user ID then access will be
denied. Many systems ask for the password to be typed in twice as a
verification check. To help protect the system, users are only allowed
to type in their password a finite number of times three times is
usually maximum number of tries allowed before the system locks the
user out.

ENCRYPTION
Encryption is the converting of data into a code by scrambling it orencoding
it. This is done by employing encryption software. Since the data isall
jumbled up it appears meaningless to a hacker or anyone who illegally
accesses the data. It should be stressed that this technique doesnt prevent
illegal access.
The system works like this:
A user writes a message and the computer sending this message uses an
encryption key to encode the data
At the other end, the receiving computer has a decryption key which its
uses to decode the message. Note that the data when the message was
sent is important since this formed part of encryption algorithm.

AUTHENTICATION TECHNIQUES
There are many ways in which a computer user can prove who they
are. This is called authentication, and a type of authentication is used
in the banking. Most systems adopt the following authentication
logic: something that you know - PIN/password Something belonging
to you your bank card Something unique to you your
fingerprints. At least two of these are needed at the moment when a
user has to prove who they are. Something you know surname,
reference number, PIN, date last logged on. Something belonging to
you card put into card reader to produce the 8-digit code

COMMUNICATION METHODSFAX
With this system, documents are scanned electronically and
converted into a bit map image. The receiving fax machine converts
this electronic image and prints it out on paper.
It is also possible to generate fax signals from a computer to allow
files and documents to be sent to a fax machine. Fax/modem
software in the computer converts the image into a form recognized
by a fax machine.

EMAIL
This is an electronic method for sending text and attachments from
one computer to another over a network
The speed of sending and receiving replies using the email system
Advantages

Disadvantages

The low cost, since stamps, paper and The possibility of virus threats and
envelopes are not needed.
hacking.
Not needing to leave home to send
The need for the email address to be
the email.
completely correct.
The inability to send bulky objects via
emails.

VIDEO CONFERENCING
This is a method o communication between people at 2 locations. The
system works in real time and uses additional hardware. There are
potential problems with those systems such as time lag, sound and
picture quality can be poor.
However, these systems are becoming more and more popular at the
cost of travelling increases and the risk of terrorist attacks becomes
higher.

VOIP

A method that is used to talk to people using the internet. It converts the
sounds into discrete digital packets which can be sent to their destination by
the internet.
Prominent Security issues:
Identity and service theft
Viruses and Malware

Spamming

Phishing attacks
Advantages

Disadvantages

Free
Local rate around the world

The sound quality

Security