COMPUTER NETWORKS

Requirements for accessing a network

For the network to be accessed by the users, several
requirements are needed depending on whether it’s a
LAN or a WAN
LAN
Network interface card
Cables and connectors (Media)
Browsers/network software.
Switch or a hub
WAN.
Routers
Switches
All the requirements for the LAN
• Network Topologies
• The arrangement or mapping of the elements of
a network gives rise to certain basic topologies
which may then be combined to form more
complex topologies (hybrid topologies). The
most common of these basic types of topologies
are (refer to the illustration at the top right of this
page):
• Bus (Linear, Linear Bus)
• Star
• Ring
TOPOLOGIES
 Data Transmission

• In recent computer terms, it means

sending a stream of bits or bytes from one
location to another using any number of
technologies, such as copper wire,
optical fiber, laser, radio, or infra-red light.
Practical examples include moving data
from one data storage device to another
such as accessing a website, which
involves data transfer from web servers to
a user's browser.
 Types of data transmission

• Serial transmission
• bits are sent over a single wire individually. Whilst only one bit is sent
at a time, high transfer rates are possible.
• Parallel transmission
• Multiple wires are used and transmit multiple bits simultaneously and
is much faster than Serial transmission as one byte can be sent rather
than one bit.
• Asynchronous transmission
• USES START AND STOP BITS. This allows the receiver to
recognize when the second packet of information is being sent.
• Synchronous transmission
uses no start and stop bits but instead synchronizes
transmission speeds at both the receiving and
sending end of the transmission using clock signals
built into each component.
• Duplex (telecommunications)

• Half Duplex
• Simplex