Chapter 1

Introduction to Networking

Introduction

Networking is the process of connecting or linking two or more computers together by

electronic means for the purpose of sharing information. Resources such as files,
applications, printers and software are common information shared in a networking. The
advantage of networking can be seen clearly in terms of security, efficiency,
manageability and cost effectiveness as it allows collaboration between users in a wide
range. Basically, network consists of hardware component such as computer, hubs,
switches, routers and other devices which form the network inf rastructure. These
are the devices that play an important role in data transfer from one place to another using
different technology such as radio waves and wires. There are many types of network
available in the networking industries and the most common network are Local Area
Network (LAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN). LAN network is made up of two or
more computers connected together in a short distance usually at home, office buildings
or school. WAN is a network that covers wider area than LAN and usually covers cities,
countries and the whole world. Several major LAN can be connected together to form a
WAN. As several devices are connected to network, it is important to ensure data
collision does not happened when these devices attempt to use data channel

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simultaneously. A set of rules called Carrier Sense Multiple Access / Collision detection
are used to detect and prevent collision in networks.

Figure 1. Local Are Network

OBJECTIVES

At the end of the module, the student is expected to:

 Understand the basic of networking
 Explain Client-Server & Peer-to-Peer
 Identify the types of networks
 Differentiate Internet vs Intranet vs Extranet
 Identify the types of Transmission Media

LEARNING CONTENTS

Network
A network is a collection of computers, servers, mainframes, network devices,
peripherals, or other devices connected to one another to allow the sharing of data. An
excellent example of a network is the Internet, which connects millions of people all over
the world. 

Figure 2. Home Network

Why do we need computer networks?

Computer networks help users on the network to share the resources and in
communication. Can you imagine a world now without emails, online newspapers, blogs,
chat and the other services offered by the internet?

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The following are the important uses and benefits of a computer network.

File sharing: Networking of computers helps the network users to share data files.

Figure 3. File sharing

Hardware sharing: Users can share devices such as printers, scanners, CD-ROM drives,
hard drives etc. Without computer networks, device sharing is not possible.

Figure 4. Printer sharing

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Application sharing: Applications can be shared over the network, and this allows to
implement client/server applications

User communication: Networks allow users to communicate using e-mail, newsgroups,

and video conferencing etc.

Figure 5. Network sharing

Network gaming: A lot of network games are available, which allow multi-users to play
from different locations.

Voice over IP (VoIP): Voice over Internet Protocol (IP) is a revolutionary change in
telecommunication which allows to send telephone calls (voice data) using standard
Internet Protocol (IP) rather than by traditional PSTN.

Difference Between Client-Server and Peer-to-Peer Network

Figure 6. Client-Server vs Peer-to-peer Network

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Content:

 Comparison Chart
 Definition
 Key Differences
 Conclusion

Comparison Chart

BASIS FOR
CLIENT-SERVER PEER-TO-PEER
COMAPAISON

Basic There is a specific server and Clients and server are not
specific clients connected to distinguished; each node act as
the server. client and server.

Service The client request for service Each node can request for
and server respond with the services and can also provide the
service. services.

Focus Sharing the information. Connectivity.

Data The data is stored in a Each peer has its own data.
centralized server.

Server When several clients request As the services are provided by

for the services several servers distributed in the
simultaneously, a server can peer-to-peer system, a server in
get bottlenecked. not bottlenecked.

Expense The client-server are Peer-to-peer are less expensive to

expensive to implement. implement.

Stability Client-Server is more stable Peer-to-Peer suffers if the number

and scalable. of peers increases in the system.
Definition of Client-Server

The Client-Server network model is widely used network model. Here, Server is a

powerful system that stores the data or information in it. On the other hands, the Client is
the machine which let the users access the data on the remote server.

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 Figure 7. Client-Servers Network Model

The system administrator manages the data on the server. The client machines and the
server are connected through a network. It allows the clients to access data even if the
client machine and server are far apart from each other.

In Client-Server model, the client process on the client machine sends the request to the
server process on the server machine. When the server receives the client request, it
lookouts for the requested data and send it back with the reply.

As all the services are provided by a centralized server, there may be chances of server
getting bottlenecked, slowing down the efficiency of the system.

Definition of Peer-to-Peer

Unlike Client-Server, the Peer-to-Peer model does not distinguish between client and
server instead each node can either be a client or a server depending on the whether the
node is requesting or providing the services. Each node is considered as a peer.

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 Figure 8. Peer-to-Peer Network Model

To become a part of peer-to-peer, a node must initially join the network. After joining it

must start to provide services to and must request the services from other nodes in the
peer-to-peer system. There are two ways to know which node provides which services;
they are as follow:

 When a node enters the peer-to-peer system, it must register the services it will be

providing, into a centralized lookup service on the network. When a node desires
for any specific service it must contact centralized lookup services to check out
which node will provide the desired services. Rest of the communication is done by
the desiring node and the service providing node.
 A node desiring for the specific services must broadcast the request for services
to all other nodes in the peer-to-peer system. The node providing the requested
service will respond to the node making the request.

Peer-to-Peer network has the advantage over client-server that the server is not
bottlenecked as the services are provided by the several nodes distributed in a peer-to-
peer system.

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Key Differences Between Client-Server and Peer-to-Peer Network

1. The key difference between Client-Server and Peer-to-Peer network is that there is
a dedicated server and specific clients in the client-server network model
whereas, in peer-to-peer each node can act as both server and client.
2. In the client-server model, the server provides services to the client. However, in
peer-to-peer, each peer can provide services and can also request for the services.
3. In the client-server model, sharing information is more important whereas, in
peer-to-peer model connectivity between peers is more important.
4. In the client-server model, data is stored on a centralized server whereas, in peer-
to-peer each peer has its own data.
5. In peer-to-peer model, the servers are distributed in a system, so there are fewer
chances of server getting bottlenecked, but in the client-server model, there is
a single server serving the clients, so there are more chances of server getting
bottlenecked.
6. The client-server model is more expensive to implement than peer-to-peer.
7. The client-server model is more scalable and stable than peer-to-peer.

Types of Networks

There are several different types of computer networks. Computer networks can be
characterized by their size as well as their purpose.
The size of a network can be expressed by the geographic area they occupy and the
number of computers that are part of the network. Networks can cover anything from a
handful of devices within a single room to millions of devices spread across the entire
globe.
Some of the different networks based on size are:

 Personal area network, or PAN

 Local area network, or LAN
 Metropolitan area network, or MAN
 Wide area network, or WAN

In terms of purpose, many networks can be considered general purpose, which means
they are used for everything from sending files to a printer to accessing the Internet.
Some types of networks, however, serve a very particular purpose. Some of the different
networks based on their main purpose are:

 Storage area network, or SAN

 Enterprise private network, or EPN
 Virtual private network, or VPN

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Types of Networks in Use Today

1. Personal Area Network (PAN)

The smallest and most basic type of network, a PAN is made up of a wireless modem, a
computer or two, phones, printers, tablets, etc., and revolves around one person in one
building. These types of networks are typically found in small offices or residences, and
are managed by one person or organization from a single device.

2. Local Area Network (LAN)

We’re confident that you’ve heard of these types of networks before – LANs are the most
frequently discussed networks, one of the most common, one of the most original and one
of the simplest types of networks. LANs connect groups of computers and low-voltage
devices together across short distances (within a building or between a group of two or
three buildings in close proximity to each other) to share information and resources.
Enterprises typically manage and maintain LANs.

Using routers, LANs can connect to wide area networks (WANs, explained below) to
rapidly and safely transfer data.

3. Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)

Functioning like a LAN, WLANs make use of wireless network technology, such as
WiFi. Typically seen in the same types of applications as LANs, these types of networks
don’t require physical cables to connect to the network.

4. Campus Area Network (CAN)

Larger than LANs, but smaller than metropolitan area networks (MANs, explained
below), these types of networks are typically seen in universities, large K-12 school
districts or small businesses. They can be spread across several buildings that are fairly
close to each other so users can share resources.

5. Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

These types of networks are larger than LANs but smaller than WANs – and incorporate
elements from both types of networks. MANs span an entire geographic area (typically a
town or city, but sometimes a campus). Ownership and maintenance is handled by either
a single person or company (a local council, a large company, etc.).

6. Wide Area Network (WAN)

Slightly more complex than a LAN, a WAN connects computers together across longer
physical distances. This allows computers and low-voltage devices to be remotely
connected to each other over one large network to communicate even when they’re miles
apart.

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The Internet is the most basic example of a WAN, connecting all computers together
around the world. Because of a WAN’s vast reach, it is typically owned and maintained
by multiple administrators or the public.

7. Storage-Area Network (SAN)

As a dedicated high-speed network that connects shared pools of storage devices to
several servers, these types of networks don’t rely on a LAN or WAN. Instead, they
move storage resources away from the network and place them into their own high-
performance network. SANs can be accessed in the same fashion as a drive attached to a
server. Types of storage-area networks include converged, virtual and unified SANs.

8. System-Area Network (also known as SAN)

It is a relatively local network designed for high-speed interconnection in cluster
environments (server to server), multiprocessing systems (processor to processor), and
SANs (storage area networks). The architecture is now almost exclusively switched
fabric. Fibre Channel is an example of a SAN technology. It provides a high-speed
switched environment in which any device on the network can connect with any other
device and communicate over a dedicated high-speed link.

9. Passive Optical Local Area Network (POLAN)

As an alternative to traditional switch-based Ethernet LANs, POLAN technology can be
integrated into structured cabling to overcome concerns about supporting traditional
Ethernet protocols and network applications such as PoE (Power over Ethernet). A point-
to-multipoint LAN architecture, POLAN uses optical splitters to split an optical signal
from one strand of single mode optical fiber into multiple signals to serve users and
devices.

10. Enterprise Private Network (EPN)

These types of networks are built and owned by businesses that want to securely connect
its various locations to share computer resources.

11. Virtual Private Network (VPN)

By extending a private network across the Internet, a VPN lets its users send and receive
data as if their devices were connected to the private network – even if they’re not.
Through a virtual point-to-point connection, users can access a private network remotely.

Internet vs Intranet vs Extranet

 Intranet is shared content accessed by members within a single organization. An

internal network local to a company mostly.
 Extranet is shared content accessed by groups through cross-enterprise
boundaries. A part of an intranet that's publicly available mostly through the internet.

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 Internet is global communication accessed through the Web. There's only one of
it.

Note: The World Wide Web was invented 1991

For better comprehension, take a look at this drawing:

Figure 9. Diagram of Internet, Intranet and Extranet

SUMMARY:

A network is a collection of computers, servers, mainframes, network devices,

peripherals, or other devices connected to one another to allow the sharing of data

Important uses and benefits of a computer network:

 File sharing - share data files
 Hardware sharing - share devices such as printers, scanners, CD-ROM drives,
hard drives etc.
 Application sharing - access a shared application or document from their respective
computers simultaneously in real time
 User communication - allow users to communicate using e-mail, newsgroups,
and video conferencing etc.
 Network gaming - allow multi-users to play from different locations.
 Voice over IP (VoIP) - allows to send telephone calls (voice data) using standard
Internet Protocol (IP) rather than by traditional PSTN

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Difference between Client-Server and Peer-to-Peer Network:

S.N
O CLIENT-SERVER NETWORK PEER-TO-PEER NETWORK

1. In Client-Server Network, Clients and

server are differentiated, Specific In Peer-to-Peer Network, Clients and
server and clients are present. server are not differentiated.

2. Client-Server Network focuses on While Peer-to-Peer Network focuses

information sharing. on connectivity.

3. In Client-Server Network, Centralized While in Peer-to-Peer Network, each

server is used to store the data. peer has its own data.

In Client-Server Network, Server While in Peer-to-Peer Network, Each

4. respond the services which is and every node can do both request
requested by Client. and respond for the services.

5. Client-Server Network are costlier While Peer-to-Peer Network are less

than Peer-to-Peer Network. costly than Client-Server Network.

6. Client-Server Network are more While Peer-to-Peer Network are less

stable than Peer-to-Peer Network. stable if number of peers is increase.

Types of Networks
1. Personal Area Network (PAN)
2. Local Area Network (LAN)
3. Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)
4. Campus Area Network (CAN)
5. Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
6. Wide Area Network (WAN)
7. Storage-Area Network (SAN)
8. System-Area Network (also known as SAN)
9. Passive Optical Local Area Network (POLAN)
10. Enterprise Private Network (EPN)
11. Virtual Private Network (VPN)

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Internet vs Intranet vs Extranet
The Internet, extranets, and intranets all rely on the same TCP/IP technologies. However,
they are different in terms of the levels of access they allow to various users inside and
outside the organization and the size of the network. An intranet allows for restricted
access to only members of an organization; an extranet expands that access by allowing
non-members such as suppliers and customers to use company resources. The difference
between the Internet and extranets is that while the extranet allows limited access to non-
members of an organization, the Internet generally allows everyone to access all network
resources.

REFERENCES
 Illustrated TCP/IP by Matthew G. Naugle.2003
 Data and Computer by William Stallings.2007
 Introduction to data Networks by Lawrence Harte.2008
 ASP in a nutshell – A desktop quick reference, 2nd Ed. By Keyton Weissinger. 2009
 Inside Windows 2003 Server – William Boswell.2008
 Fcit.usf.edu/network/ - An Educator’s Guide to School Network. Produced by the
Florida Center for Instructional technology College Education, University of South
Florida 1997-2009
 Networking for dummies. 4th Ed. Lowe, D. San Mateo, CA:IDG Books Worldwide,
Inc.
 https://www.incentre.net/content/view/75/2/en.kioskea/contents/configuration-
reseau/tests-dianogtics-eseau.php3
 https://www.techbooksforfree.com/intro_to_data_com/toc.html#toc
 https://fossbytes.com/difference-tethering-hotspot/
 https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/network-devices-hub-repeater-bridge-switch-router-
gateways/
 https://www.computernetworkingnotes.com/
 https://commotionwireless.net/docs/cck/networking/learn-networking-basics/
 https://www.dummies.com/computers/operating-systems/windows-7/how-to-share-
an-internet-connection-in-windows-7/
 https://techdifferences.com/difference-between-client-server-and-peer-to-peer-
network.html
 https://telcomaglobal.wordpress.com/2017/11/27/network/

Photo References
https://www.omnisci.com/technical-glossary/local-area-network
https://www.visual-paradigm.com/tutorials/how-to-create-network-
diagram/https://www.omnisecu.com/basic-networking/why-we-need-computer-
network.php

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https://www.keralapool.com/photos/client-server-vs-peer-to-peer.html
https://techdifferences.com/difference-between-client-server-and-peer-to-peer-
network.html
https://jantannormal.web.app/peer-to-peer-network-definition.html

http://www.businessarchives.org/professional-services/the-key-differences-between-an-
intranet-and-extranet.html

Quiz:
1. Explain what is Networking
2. Compare and contrast (Client-Server & Peer-to-Peer)
3. Enumerate the Types of Networks
4. What is the Difference between Internet vs Intranet vs Extranet?

TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Activity 1  
Directions: Read each statement or question below carefully and fill in the
blank(s) with the correct answer.

1. A ____________ is a collection of computers, servers, mainframes, network

devices, peripherals, or other devices connected to one another to allow the
sharing of data.
2. Computer networks help users on the network to share the ____________ and in
communication.
3. ____________ is where users can share devices such as printers, scanners, CD-
ROM drives, hard drives etc.
4. ___________ Protocol allows to send telephone calls (voice data) using standard
Internet Protocol (IP) rather than by traditional PSTN.

5. The ___________ manages the data on the server.

6. In Client-Server model, the client process on the client machine sends the
____________ to the server process on the server machine.
7. ____________ is the smallest and most basic type of network
8. ____________ connect groups of computers and low-voltage devices together
across short distances to share information and resources.

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 9. WAN stands for ____________________.
10. MAN stands for ____________________.
11. ____________ is a dedicated high-speed network that connects shared pools of
storage devices to several servers, these types of networks don’t rely on a LAN or
WAN
12. A ____________ lets its users send and receive data as if their devices were
connected to the private network – even if they’re not.
13. ___________ is shared content accessed by members within a single organization.
14. ____________ is shared content accessed by groups through cross-enterprise
boundaries.
15. ____________ is global communication accessed through the Web.

1. Network
2. Resources
3. Hardware sharing
4. Voice over Internet
5. System administrator
6. Request
7. Personal Area Network (PAN)
8. LAN
9. Wide Are Network
10. Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
11. Storage-Area Network (SAN)
12. VPN
13. Intranet
14. Extranet
15. Internet

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