BASIC COMPUTER

NETWORKS
Computer Science I
 WHAT IS A NETWORK?

A network consists of two or more computers that are

linked in order to share resources (such as printers and
CD-ROMs), exchange files, or allow electronic
communications. The computers on a network may be
linked through cables, telephone lines, radio waves,
satellites, or infrared light beams.
 DATA NETWORK

The modern data network has

become a critical asset for
many industries. Most basic
data networks are designed to
connect users and enable them
to access various resources, like
the Internet and other
computers connected to the
network.
Networks are comprised of four basic elements:
hardware, software, protocols and the connection
medium. All data networks are comprised of these
elements, and cannot function without them.
 HARDWARE

The backbone of any network is the

hardware that runs it. Network
hardware includes network cards,
routers or network switches, modems
and Ethernet repeaters. Without this
hardware, computers have no means
of accessing a network.
 ETHERNET SWITCH

Ethernet switch is a device

that gathers the signals from
devices that are connected to
it, and then regenerates a new
copy of each signal.
 REPEATERS

Repeaters refresh the network signal

between Ethernet cable segments, allowing
Category 5 cables to reach beyond their 300-
foot maximum length without signal loss.
 MODEM

Modem is a contraction of the terms modulator and

demodulator. Modems perform a simple function: They
translate digital signals from a computer into analog
signals that can travel across conventional phone lines.
The modem modulates the signal at the sending end
and demodulates at the receiving end.
 ROUTER

Router is a small, inexpensive

device that join multiple networks
together.
 NETWORK CARDS

Network cards give computers direct

access to network media and enable them
to connect to other equipment, including
routers, switches, modems and repeaters.
 HUB
Hub is a small, simple, inexpensive device that
joins multiple computers together. Many network
hubs available today support the Ethernet
standard. Other types including USB hubs also
exist, but Ethernet is the type traditionally used in
home networking.
 SOFTWARE
In order for the hardware to interact with the network, it
needs software to issue commands. The primary form of
networking software is protocol. Protocol is a software that
instructs network devices on how to connect to the network
and how to interact with one another. Other examples of
networking software includes connection monitoring
software, networking clients and other tools designed to
further facilitate your computer's ability to connect to the
network.
 NETWORK GATEWAY
Network gateway is an
internetworking system capable of
joining together two networks that
uses different base protocols. A
network gateway can be
implemented completely in software,
completely in hardware, or as a
combination of both.
 NETWORK FIREWALL
Network firewall protects a computer network from
unauthorized access. Network firewalls may be
hardware devices, software programs, or a combination
of the two. Network firewalls guard an internal
computer network (home, school, business intranet)
against malicious access from the outside. Network
firewalls may also be configured to limit access to the
outside from internal users.
 BRIDGE

Bridge is a software device that filters data

traffic at a network boundary. Bridges reduce
the amount of traffic on a LAN by dividing it
into two segments.
 CLIENT DEVICES
 are the computers and mobile devices connected to
the network.
 are vital components of a network, as without
clients requiring access the network is essentially
pointless.
 may refer to any computer with access to data from
another computer.
 DESKTOPS
A desktop is intended to be used on a single
location. The spare parts of a desktop computer
are readily available at relatively lower costs.
Power consumption is not as critical as that in
laptops. Desktops are widely popular for daily
use in the workplace and households.
 LAPTOPS

Similar in operation to
desktops, laptop computers are
miniaturized and optimized for
mobile use. Laptops run on a
single battery or an external
adapter that charges the
computer batteries.
 NET BOOKS

They fall in the category of laptops, but are

inexpensive and relatively smaller in size.
They had a smaller feature set and lesser
capacities in comparison to regular laptops,
at the time they came into the market.
 PERSONAL DIGITAL ASSISTANTS
It is a handheld computer and popularly known as a
palmtop. It has a touch screen and a memory card for
storage of data. PDAs can also be used as portable
audio players, web browsers and smart phones. Most
of them can access the Internet by means of Bluetooth
or Wi-Fi communication.
 TABLET COMPUTERS

Tablets are mobile computers that are very

handy to use. They use the touch screen
technology. Tablets come with an onscreen
keyboard or use a stylus or a digital pen.
Apple's iPod redefined the class of tablet
computers.
 WEARABLE COMPUTERS

A record-setting step in the evolution of computers

was the creation of wearable computers. These
computers can be worn on the body and are often
used in the study of behavior modeling and human
health.
 CONNECTION MEDIA

Without connections, a network

cannot function. The medium used to
connect the nodes of a network
varies with the type of network. The
means through which we send our
data from one place to another is
known as Transmission medium.
Signals are used to represent data by computers and
other telecommunication devices. The signals (i.e., data
or information) are transmitted in the form of
electromagnetic energy from one device to another.
These signals travel through vacuum, air or other
transmission mediums to move from one point to
another (from sender to receiver).
TYPES OF TRANSMISSION
MEDIUM

• Wired networks will often use network cables

like Category 5 Ethernet cables.
For example, Twisted Pair Cable , Coaxial Cable
and Optical Fiber Cable.
• Wireless networks make direct connections
between devices using radio signals as the
medium.
For example, Radio waves , Microwaves and
Infrared.
 THREE BASIC TYPES OF NETWORKS
COMPUTER COMMUNICATION

LOCAL AREA METROPOLITAN AREA WIDE AREA NETWORK

NETWORK (LAN) NETWORK (MAN) (WAN)
 LOCAL AREA NETWORK
(LAN)

is a network that is confined to a

relatively small area. It is
generally limited to a geographic
area such as a writing lab,
school, or building.
In a typical LAN configuration, one computer is
designated as the file server. It stores all of the software
that controls the network, as well as the software that
can be shared by the computers attached to the
network. Computers connected to the file server are
called workstations.
The workstations can be less powerful than the file
server, and they may have additional software on
their hard drives. On most LANs, cables are used
to connect the network interface cards in each
computer.
 METROPOLITAN AREA
NETWORK

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) but smaller than
the area covered by a wide area
network (WAN).
The term is applied to the interconnection of networks in a
city into a single larger network (which may then also offer
efficient connection to a wide area network). 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.
 WIDE AREA NETWORK

Wide Area Networks (WANs) connect larger

geographic areas, such as Florida, the United
States, or the world. Dedicated transoceanic
cabling or satellite uplinks may be used to
connect this type of network.