Tutorial
What is a Computer Network:
A Computer network is a set of devices connected through links. A Node is a device capable of receiving and
sending data. Links connecting the Nodes are called communication channel.
Introduction
National Interface Card (NIC):
Nic is a hardware component used to connect a computer with another computer onto a network
Wireless NIC: A connection is made using an antenna that’s sends radio wave technology
Wired NIC: Cables are used to transfer data
Hub:
Central Device that splits the network connection into multiple devices. A computer can send a request to
the hub when it wants to get Infortmation from the Network
Switches:
A Switch is a Networking Device that groups all the Devices in the network to send data to another device
Cables and Connectors:
Twisted pair Cable: High speed cable that transmits 1Gbps or more
Coaxial Cable: It’s a more expensive twisted pair cable with higher data transmission speed
Fibre Optic Cable: High speed cable that transmits data using light beams. Most expensive cable
Router:
Device that connects the LAN to the internet
Modem:
Connects a computer to the internet using an existing telephone line
Uses of Computer Network:
Resource Sharing: Sharing of Resources such as Files, Printer and data among the users on a Network
without needing to know their Location
Server-Client Model: The Server is a Cental Computer that stores the information which is maintained by the
system operator. Clients are other Machines to access the server remotely.
Communication Medium: A Computer network behaves as a communication medium among the users.
E-Commerce: Doing buisness over the internet, e.g. Amazon.com
Features
Features of a Computer Network:
Communication Speed: A Networks provides us with a fast and efficient communication
File Sharing: Computer Networks provides us to share files with eachother
Back up and Roll back is easy: All Files are saved in the Main server (which is centrally located) so its easy to
back-up those files
Software and Hardware Sharing: Ability to install applications on the main server so that all users can access
that application, so we don’t have to install it on every computer. Same with hardware
Security: Only the right users can access the right files
Scalability: Ability to add new computers to the network, at cost of decreased connection and data
transmission speed, it can also increase errors
Reliability: Computer Network are a good, reliable source to transmit data the hardware fails
Computer Network Architecture
Peer-To-Peer network:
All computers are linked together with equal privilege and responsibilities for processing data
Useful for small environments, normaly up to 10 computers
No dedicated Server
Special permission assigned to each computer for sharing resources, can lead to problem if the computer
with the resource is down
Advantages:
Less costly as it doesn’t contain a dedicted server
If one Computer stops workiing the other ones will still work
Easy to setup and maintain
Disadvantages:
No Centralized system, therefore no backups
Security issue
Client/Server Network:
Network model designed for the end users (called clients), to access the resources from a cental computer
known as a server
Central controller = Server and other computers in the network = clients
The server performs all major operations
A server is responsible for managing all resources
All clients communicate to eachother through the server
Advantages:
Easy data backups due to centralized system
Dedicated server improves overall performance of the system
Better Security due to single server administers the resources
Increases sharing speed
Disadvantages:
Expensive server with large memory and Networks operating system
Requires a dedicated admin network for management
Computer Network Components
NIC:
NIC stands for Network interface card
Hardware component used to connect a computer with another computer through a network
Supports a transfer rate of 10,100 to 1000mb/s
MAC adress is encded on the network card chip
Two types of NIC:
Wired NIC: Present inside the motherboard. Cable and connectors are used to transfer data with wired NIC
Wireless NIC: Antenna to obtain connection over the wireless network
Hub:
A Hub is a hardwaer device devides the network connection among multiple devices. If a computer requests
information it sends the request to the Hub, the hub will broadcast the request into the networks for every
device to check if the request belongs to them. Process used by hub consumes more bandwith and limits the
amount of communication. Nowdays it is replaced by e.g. Switches or Routers.
Switch:
Hardware device that connects multiple devices to a computer network. Switch contains more advanced
features than the Hub, such as if data is transmitted or not. A switch sends the message to the correct
destination based on the physical adress on the incoming message, it does not broadcast the message to the
whole network. Therefore a switch provides a direct connection between source and destination. Also
increases speed of the network.
Router:
Hardware device to connect a device to a LAN. Used to receive, analyze and forward incoming packets to
another network
Works in a Layer 3 of the OSI reference model (Network Layer | Layer 3 | The OSI-Model)
Forwards packets based on the information availible in the routing cable
Determines best path from availible path for the transmition
Advantages of a Router:
Security: Information transmited will traverse the entire cable, but only the specified device adressed can
read the data
Reliability: If the servers stops working, the networks go down, but no other networks are affected
Performance: Router enhances overall performance, e.g. if there are 24 networks sending data, the router
will split the network into 12 workstations each to reduce the traffic load by half
Netwok range: High network range
Modem:
Hardware device that allows the computer to connecet to the internet using a existing telephone line
Not intergrated into the motherboard, it can be installed on the PCI slot on the motherboard
Stands for Modulator/demodulator. Converts the digital data into analog signals for the telephone lines
3 Types of Modems: Standart PC modem or Dial-up modem, Cellular Modem, Cable Modem
Cable and Connectors:
Transmission Media used to transmit a signal
3 Types of cable: Twisted Pair Cable, Coaxial Cable, Firbe (Explained earlier in more detail)
Computer Network Types:
LAN (Local Area Network):
Group of computers connected to eachother in a small area
LAN is used for connecting two or more personal commputers through a communication medium such as a
coaxial cable, etc
Less costly as its built with inexpensive hardware
Data Transferred at an extremely fast rate in LAN
LAN provides higher Security
PAN (Personal Area Network):
Arranged with an individual person, typically within a range of 10 meters
Used for connecting the computer devices of personal use
Thomas Zimmerman was the first research scientist to bring the idea of the PAN
Personal Computer Devices are used to develop the PAN
Wireless Personal Area Network: Deveoped by simply using wireless techonlogies such as WiFi, Blootooth,
etc. It’s a low range network
Wired Personal Area Network: Wired PAN is created by using USD
Examples:
Body Area Network: Network that moves with a person, e.g. Mobile Network
Offline Network: Home network, designed to intergrate the devices such as printers, computers, etc
Small Home Office: Used to connet a variety of devices to the internet and to a corporate newtorking using a
VPN
MAN (Matropolitan Area Network):
Used to cover a larger geographic areas by interconnectiong a differnet LAN form
Government agencies use MAN to connect to the citizens and private industries
In MAN, various LANs are connected to eachother through a telephone exchange line
Widely used protocols in MAN are RS-232, Frame Delay, ATM, ISDN, OC-3, ADSL, etc 1
Higher range than a LAN
Uses Of MAN:
MAN is used in communications between the banks in a city
Can be used in an Airline Reservation
Can be used in a college within a city
Used for communication in the military
WAN (Wide Area Network):
Networks that extends over a large geographical area such as states or countries
Quite bigger than a LAN
Not limited to a single location, spans over a large geographical area through telephone lines, fibre optic
cable or satellite links
The internet is one of the biggest WAN in the world
A WAN is widely used in the field of buisness, government and education
1
RS-232 - Wikipedia, How does Frame Relay Work? - GeeksforGeeks, Asynchronous Transfer Mode - Wikipedia,
Integrated Services Digital Network - Wikipedia, What Is OC3 Technology? (chron.com), Asymmetric Digital Subscriber
Line – Wikipedia
Examples of WAN:
Mobile Broadband: A 4G network is widely used across regions
Last mile: Telecom company
Private network: A bank provides private networks to connect offices
Advantages of WAN:
Geographical Area: Connecion between cities
Centralized data: Data is centralized so no need for back up servers
Get updated files: Software companies work on live servers
Exchange messages: Messages are transmitted fast, e.g. facebook, whatsapp, etc
Sharing of software and resources: Easy sharing of files
Global buisnesses: Buisness over the internet globally
High bandwith: High bandwith increases the data transfer rate which increases the productivity of a
company
Disadvanages of WAN:
Security Issue: More security issues compared to LAN or MAN, as all these combined create the security
problem
Needs Firewall + antivirus software: Firewall against Hackers and antivirus against Viruses
High setup cost: Expensive since it involves buying routers and switches
Troubleshooting problems: Covers a large area so fixing is difficult
Internetwork:
Internetwork is defined as two or more computer network LANs or WAN or computer network segments are
connected using devices. These are configuered locally. Known as Internetworking
A interconnection between public, private, commercial, industrial or government computers can also be
called internetworking
Internetworking uses the internet protocol
Reference model used for itnernetworking is the Open System interconnection (OSI)
Types of Internetwork:
Extranet: Communication network so it is used for informatio sharing. It can only be accessed by using with
login credentials. Lowest level of internetworking.
Intranet: Private network. Belongs to an organization which is only accessible by the organizatins employee
or members. Intranet shared information or resources among the organization employees
Intranet Advantages:
Communication: Provides cheap and easy communication
Types of Computer Network - javatpoint
Models:
Networking Concept devided into several layers, every layer is assigned a particular task, we can say
networking tasks depends upen the layers
Layered Architechture:
Main aim is to divide degisn into small pieces
Each lower layer adds its services to a higher layer to provide a full set of services
Provides modularity and clear interfaces
Ensures Independence between layers. Therefore any modification in a layer will not affect other layers
Number of layers vary from Network to Network
Basic Elements of layered Architechture are services, protocols and Interfaces:
Service: Set of actions that a layer provides to a higher layer
Protocol: Defines a set of rules a layer uses to exchange information with peer entity
Interface: Way the messages are sent from one layer to another layer
In a n-layer architechture, a n-layer from one machine has communication with a n-layer from another
machine, rules used in this communication are called n-layer protocol
In case of layered Architechture, if no data is transferred using n-layers, every layer passes the data down
until it reaches the lower layer
Below layer 1 is the physical medium, where communication actually takes place
Unimanagable tasks are divided into smaller, managable tasks
Layered Architechture provides a clean-cut interface so that minimum of information is shared between
layers. Ensures that one layer can easily be replaced by implimentation
Set of layers and protocol is known as network architechture
Why do we require Network Architechture?
Divide and Conquer approach: Makes that a unmanagable design process is broken down into smaller,
managable tasks
Modularity: Layered architechture is more modular, Modularity provides independence of layers, which is
easier to understand and impliment
Easy to Modify: Ensures Independence of layers so that implimentation of one layer can be changed without
affecting other layers
Easy to test: Each layer can be analyzed and tested individually
OSI Model:
OSI stands for Open System Interconnection, it’s a reference model that discribes how information moves
from a software, through a physical medium, onto another software on another computer
OSI consists of seven layers, each layer performs a particular network function
Developed by International Organizazion for Standartization in 1984
OSI model divides a task into 7 managable tasks. Each layer is designed one specific task
Each layer is self-contained, tasks assigned can be perfomed independently
Characteristics of ISO Model:
The OSI Model is divided into two layers: upper layer and lower layer
The upper layer deals with applicatin related issues, they are implimented into the Software. An upper layer
refers to the layer above another layer
The lower layer deals with transportation issues, its implimented in hardware and software. The physical
Layer is mainly responsible for placing communication on the physical medium
7 Layers of ISO Model:
1-Physical Layer:
Main functionality of Physical Layer is to transmit the individual bits from one node to another node
Lowest Layer of the OSI Model
Establishes, Manages and deactivate the physical connection
Specifies the mechanical, electrical and procedular network interface specifications
Functions: Line configuration, Data transmition, Topology and Signals
2-Data link layer:
Responsible for Error free transmitions
Defines the format of the data
Reliable and efficient communication
Unique identification
Two Sub Layers:
Logical Link Control Layer:
Responsible for transferring packets
Identifies the adress of the protocol layer
Provide Flowcontroll
Media access Controll Layer:
Controll Layer between Logical Link Control Layer and the networks physical layer
Used for transferring the packets over Newtorks
Functions of Data-Link layer
Framing: Translates the physical bit stream into packets known as Frames
Physical Adressing: Contains the destination address
Flow control: Technique which there is a constant data rate without intorruption
Error control: Checking the message Frames before its sent to the Physical Layer
Access control: To determine which device has control over the link at a given time
3-Network Layer:
TCP/IP Model:
