Computer Network and IoT

Introduction to Terminologies of Computer Network Part - 02

By: Pankaj Mishra

Assistant Professor
Dept. of CSE/IT
JIIT, Noida
 Content

Type of Connection
Physical Topology
Categories of Networks
THE INTERNET
Protocols
 Type of Connection

Point-to-Point - A point-to-point connection provides a dedicated link between two

devices. The entire capacity of the link is reserved for transmission between those two
devices. Most point-to-point connections use an actual length of wire or cable to connect
the two ends, but other options, such as microwave or satellite links, are also possible.
When you change television channels by infrared remote control, you are establishing a
point-to-point connection between the remote control and the elevision's control system.
Multipoint - A multipoint (also called multidrop) connection is one in which more than
two specific devices share a single link. In a multipoint environment, the capacity of the
channel is shared, either spatially or temporally. If several devices can use the link
simultaneously, it is a spatially shared connection. If users must take turns, it is a
timeshared connection.
 Physical Topology
 The term physical topology refers to the way in which a network is laid out
physically. Two or more devices connect to a link; two or more links form a
topology.
 The Topology of a network is the geometric representation of the relationship of
all the links and linking devices (usually called nodes) to one another.
Mesh-

 In a mesh topology, every device has a dedicated point-to-point link to every other device.

 The term dedicated means that the link carries traffic only between the two devices it connects.

 To find the number of physical links in a fully connected mesh network with n nodes, we first
consider that each node must be connected to every other node. Node 1 must be connected to n - I
nodes, node 2 must be connected to n - 1 nodes, and finally node n must be connected to n - 1
nodes. We need n(n - 1) physical links.

 However, if each physical link allows communication in both directions (duplex mode), we can
divide the number of links by 2. In other words, we can say that in a mesh topology, we need

n(n -1) /2
Advantages

 First, the use of dedicated links guarantees that each connection can carry its own data
load, thus eliminating the traffic problems that can occur when links must be shared by
multiple devices.
 Second, a mesh topology is robust. If one link becomes unusable, it does not
incapacitate the entire system.
 Third, there is the advantage of privacy or security. When every message travels along a
dedicated line, only the intended recipient sees it
 Fault identification and fault isolation easy.

Disadvantages

 First, because every device must be connected to every other device, installation and
reconnection are difficult.
 It’s costly.
Star-
 In a star topology, each device has a dedicated point-to-point link only to a central
controller, usually called a hub.
 The controller acts as an exchange: If one device wants to send data to another, it sends
the data to the controller, which then relays the data to the other connected device.
Advantages
 A star topology is less expensive than a mesh topology.
 it is easy to install and reconfigure.
 It is robustness, If one link fails, only that link is affected. All other links remain
active.
 Fault identification and fault isolation is easy.

Disadvantage
 One big disadvantage of a star topology is the dependency of the whole topology
on one single point, the hub. If the hub goes down, the whole system is dead.
 Although a star requires far less cable than a mesh, each node must be linked to a
central hub. For this reason, often more cabling is required in a star than in some
other topologies (such as ring or bus).
Bus Topology-
 A bus topology is multipoint. One long cable acts as a backbone to link all the devices
in a network
 Nodes are connected to the bus cable by drop lines and taps.
 As a signal travels along the backbone, some of its energy is transformed into heat.
Therefore, it becomes weaker and weaker as it travels farther and farther. For this
reason there is a limit on the number of taps a bus can support.
Advantage
 Advantages of a bus topology include ease of installation.
 Less cost from mesh and star topology.

Disadvantage
 Difficult reconnection and fault isolation.
 Signal reflection at the taps can cause degradation in quality. This degradation can
be controlled by limiting the number and spacing of devices connected to a given
length of cable.
 A fault or break in the bus cable stops all transmission.
Ring Topology-
 In a ring topology, each device has a dedicated point-to-point connection with only
the two devices on either side of it.
 A signal is passed along the ring in one direction, from device to device, until it
reaches its destination. Each device in the ring incorporates a repeater.
 When a device receives a signal intended for another device, its repeater regenerates
the bits and passes them along.
Advantage
 A ring is relatively easy to install and reconfigure. Each device is linked to only its
immediate neighbors (either physically or logically). To add or delete a device requires
changing only two connections.
 Fault isolation is simplified. Generally in a ring, a signal is circulating at all times. If
one device does not receive a signal within a specified period, it can issue an alarm.
The alarm alerts the network operator to the problem and its location.

Disadvantage
 Unidirectional traffic can be a disadvantage.
 In a simple ring, a break in the ring (such as a disabled station) can disable the entire
network.
Categories of Networks
 The Internet
 The Internet has revolutionized many aspects of our daily lives. It has affected the way
we do business as well as the way we spend our leisure time. Count the ways you've used
the Internet recently. Perhaps you've sent electronic mail (e-mail) to a business associate,
paid a utility bill, read a newspaper from a distant city, or looked up a local movie
schedule-all by using the Internet. Or maybe you researched a medical topic, booked a
hotel reservation, chatted with a fellow Trekkie, or comparison-shopped for a car. The
Internet is a communication system that has brought a wealth of information to our
fingertips and organized it for our use.
 In the mid-1960s, mainframe computers in research organizations were standalone
devices. Computers from different manufacturers were unable to communicate with one
another. The Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) in the Department of Defense
(DoD) was interested in finding a way to connect computers so that the researchers they
funded could share their findings, thereby reducing costs and eliminating duplication of
effort.
 By 1969, ARPANET was a reality. Four nodes, at the University of California at Los
Angeles (UCLA), the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB), Stanford
Research Institute (SRI), and the University of Utah, were connected via the IMPs to
form a network. Software called the Network Control Protocol (NCP) provided
communication between the hosts.
❑ millions of connected computing devices: hosts = end systems
❑ running network apps
❑ communication links
❖ fiber, copper, radio, satellite
❖ transmission rate = bandwidth
❑ routers: forward packets (chunks of data)
❑ protocols control sending, receiving of msgs
❖ e.g., TCP, IP, HTTP, FTP, PPP
❑ Internet: “network of networks”
❖ loosely hierarchical
❖ public Internet versus private intranet
❑ Internet standards
❖ RFC: Request for comments
❖ IETF: Internet Engineering Task Force
 Protocols
 A protocol is a set of rules that govern data communications.
 The key elements of a protocol are syntax, semantics, and timing.

Syntax- The term syntax refers to the structure or format of the data, meaning the
order in which they are presented. For example, a simple protocol might expect the
first 8 bits of data to be the address of the sender, the second 8 bits to be the address
of the receiver, and the rest of the stream to be the message itself.

Semantics.- The word semantics refers to the meaning of each section of bits.
How is a particular pattern to be interpreted, and what action is to be taken based
on that interpretation? For example, does an address identify the route to be taken
or the final destination of the message?
Timing- The term timing refers to two characteristics: when data should be sent
and how fast they can be sent. For example, if a sender produces data at 100 Mbps
but the receiver can process data at only 1 Mbps, the transmission will overload the
receiver and some data will be lost.
Thank You