NETWORKS AND THEIR NEED

A computer network, is a collection of computers and

devices connected by communications channels that
facilitates communications among users and allows
users to share resources and information among
devices with other users. Computer networks can be
used for several purposes:--

•Sharing files, data, and information. In a network

environment, authorized user may access data and
information stored on other computers on the network.
The capability of providing access to data and
information on shared storage devices is an important
feature of many networks. A network makes it easy for
everyone to access the same file and prevents people
from accidentally creating different versions.
 Need for networks contd..
•Hardware sharing : In a networked environment, each computer
on a network may access and use hardware resources on the
network, such as printing a document on a shared network
printer. With a network, several computers can share the same
printer. Although we might need a more expensive printer to
handle the added workload, it's still cheaper to use a network
printer than to connect a separate printer to every computer in
your office.

•Communication and collaboration: It's hard for people to work

together if no one knows what anyone else is doing. A network
allows employees to share files, view other people's work, and
exchange ideas more efficiently. Using a network, people can
communicate efficiently and easily via email, instant messaging,
chat rooms, telephone, video telephone calls, and video
conferencing.
 Need for Networks contd…
• Organization: A variety of scheduling software are available that makes
it possible to arrange meetings without constantly checking everyone's
schedules. This software usually includes helpful features ex: shared
address books and to-do lists.

• Remote access: Having a network allows greater mobility while

maintaining the same level of productivity. With remote access in
place, users are able to access the same files, data,
and messages even when they're not in the office.

• Sharing software. Users connected to a network may run application

programs on remote computers.

• Data protection: It's vital to back up computer data regularly. A

network makes it easier to back up all of your company's data on an
offsite server or other backup systems.
 NETOWORK TOPOLOGIES
In computer networking, topology refers to the layout of
connected devices. Network topology is a network's virtual
shape or structure. This shape does not necessarily
correspond to the actual physical layout of the devices on
the network. For example, the computers on a home LAN
may be arranged in a circle in a family room, but it would
be highly unlikely to find a ring topology there.

Network topologies are categorized into the following basic

types: Bus , Ring , Star ,Tree and Mesh

Note : More complex networks can be built as hybrids of two

or more of the above basic topologies.
 BUS TOPOLOGY
• It uses a common backbone to connect all devices. A single
cable, the backbone functions as a shared communication
medium that devices attach or tap into with an interface
connector. A device wanting to communicate with another
device on the network sends a broadcast message onto the
wire that all other devices see, but only the intended
recipient actually accepts and processes the message.
 RING TOPOLOGY
• In a ring network, every device has exactly two neighbors
for communication purposes. All messages travel through
a ring in the same direction (either "clockwise" or
"counterclockwise"). A failure in any cable or device
breaks the loop and can take down the entire network.
 Star Topology
Many home networks use the star topology. A star network
features a central connection point called a "hub" that may
be a hub,switch or router. Devices typically connect to the
hub with Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) Ethernet.
Compared to the bus topology, a star network generally
requires more cable, but a failure in any star network cable
will only take down one computer's network access and not
the entire LAN. (If the hub fails, however, the entire
network also fails.)
 TREE TOPOLOGY
• Tree topologies integrate multiple star topologies together
onto a bus. In its simplest form, only hub devices connect
directly to the tree bus, and each hub functions as the
"root" of a tree of devices. This bus/star hybrid approach
supports future expandability of the network much better
than a bus (limited in the number of devices due to the
broadcast traffic it generates) or a star (limited by the
number of hub connection points) alone.
 MESH TOPOLOGY
It involves the concept of routes. Unlike each of the previous
topologies, messages sent on a mesh network can take any
of several possible paths from source to destination. (Recall
that even in a ring, although two cable paths exist,
messages can only travel in one direction.) Some WANs,
most notably the Internet, employ mesh routing. A mesh
network in which every device connects to every other is
called a full mesh.
 NETWORK HARDWARE
All networks are made up of basic hardware building blocks to interconnect
network nodes, such as Network Interface Cards (NICs), Bridges, Hubs,
Switches, and Routers.
Network interface cards : is a piece of computer hardware designed to allow
computers to communicate over a computer network. It provides physical
access to a networking medium and often provides a low-level addressing
system through the use of MAC address (media access control address- a
unique identifier assigned to NIC usually by manufacturer).

Repeaters: is an electronic device that receives a signal, cleans it of

unnecessary noise, regenerates it, and retransmits it at a higher power level,
or to the other side of an obstruction, so that the signal can cover longer
distances without degradation. In most twisted pair Ethernet configurations,
repeaters are required for cable that runs longer than 100 meters..

Hubs : contains multiple ports. When a packet arrives at one port, it is copied
unmodified to all ports of the hub for transmission.
 HARDWARE CONTD…
Bridges : Bridges do send broadcasts to all ports except the one on which
the broadcast was received. However, bridges do not promiscuously copy
traffic to all ports, as hubs do. Once the bridge associates a port and an
address, it will send traffic for that address to that port only. Bridges learn
the association of ports and addresses by examining the source address of
frames that it sees on various ports. Once a frame arrives through a port,
its source address is stored and the bridge assumes that MAC address is
associated with that port. The first time that a previously unknown
destination address is seen, the bridge will forward the frame to all ports
other than the one on which the frame arrived.
Bridges come in three basic types:
Local bridges: Directly connect local area networks (LANs)
Remote bridges: Can be used to create a wide area network (WAN) link
between LANs. Remote bridges, where the connecting link is slower than
the end networks, largely have been replaced with routers.
Wireless bridges: Can be used to join LANs or connect remote stations to
LANs.
 HARDWARE CONTD….

Switches : is a device that forwards and filters between

ports (connected cables) based on the MAC addresses in
the packets. It is distinct from a hub in that it only
forwards the frames to the ports involved in the
communication rather than all ports connected. Switches
make forwarding decisions of frames on the basis of
MAC addresses. A switch normally has numerous ports,
facilitating a star topology for devices, and cascading
additional switches.[

Routers : is an internet working device that forwards

packets between networks by processing information
found in the datagram . Routers use routing tables to
determine what interface to forward packets.
 Types of networks

Local Area Network : connects network devices over a

relatively short distance. A networked office building,
school, or home usually contains a single LAN, though
sometimes one building will contain a few small LANs
(perhaps one per room), and occasionally a LAN will span
a group of nearby buildings. In addition to operating in a
limited space, LANs are also typically owned, controlled,
and managed by a single person or organization. Each
computer or device on the network is a node. The
defining characteristics of LANs, is to include higher data
transfer rates, smaller geographic range, and no need for
leased telecommunication lines. Current wired LANs are
most likely to be based on Ethernet technology.
 Types of Networks Contd….
• Wide area network As the term implies, a WAN spans a large
physical distance. The Internet is the largest WAN, spanning
the Earth. A WAN is a geographically-dispersed collection of
LANs. A network device called a router connects LANs to a
WAN. In IP networking, the router maintains both a LAN
address and a WAN address. Most WANs (like the Internet)
are not owned by any one organization but rather exist
under collective or distributed ownership and management.
WAN is a computer network that covers a large geographic
area such as a city, country, or spans even intercontinental
distances, using a communications channel that combines
many types of media such as telephone lines, cables, and air
waves. A WAN often uses transmission facilities provided by
common carriers, such as telephone companies.
 Types of networks contd..

• Home area network : A home area network (HAN)is a residential

LAN which is used for communication between digital devices
typically deployed in the home, usually a small number of personal
computers and accessories, such as printers and mobile computing
devices. Residences typically employ one LAN and connect to the
Internet WAN via an Internet Service Provider (ISP) using a
broadband modem. The ISP provides a WAN IP address to the
modem, and all of the computers on the home network use LAN ) IP
address.
• Personal area network (PAN) : is a computer network used for
communication among computer and different information
technological devices close to one person. Some examples of
devices that are used in a PAN are personal computers, printers, fax
machines, telephones, PDAs, scanners, and even video game
consoles. A PAN may include wired and wireless connections
between devices. The reach of a PAN typically extends to 10 meters.
 Types of networks contd…
• Campus network :is a computer network made up of an
interconnection of local area networks (LANs) within a limited
geographical area. The networking equipments (switches, routers) and
transmission media (optical fiber, copper plant etc) are almost entirely
owned (by the campus tenant / owner: an enterprise, university,
government etc.).In the case of a university campus-based campus
network, the network is likely to link a variety of campus buildings
including; academic departments, university library and student
residence halls.
• Enterprise private network : is a network build by an enterprise to
interconnect various company sites, e.g., production sites, head offices,
remote offices, shops, in order to share computer resources.
• Global area network : is a network used for supporting mobile
communications across an arbitrary number of wireless LANs, satellite
coverage areas, etc. The key challenge in mobile communications is
handing off the user communications from one local coverage area to
the next.
 Types of Networks contd..
• Overlay network :is a virtual computer network that is built on
top of another network. Nodes in the overlay are connected by
virtual or logical links, each of which corresponds to a path,
perhaps through many physical links, in the underlying network.
• Wireless Local Area Network - a LAN based on WiFi wireless
network technology
• Metropolitan Area Network - a network spanning a physical area
larger than a LAN but smaller than a WAN, such as a city. A MAN
is typically owned an operated by a single entity such as a
government body or large corporation.
• Storage Area Network - connects servers to data storage devices
through a technology like Fibre Channel.
• System Area Network - links high-performance computers with
high-speed connections in a cluster configuration. Also known as
Cluster Area Network.