EEX5434 Data Communications & Networking – Block 1

Session 1
Introduction to Data Communication
Content
Introduction
1.1 Data communication model
1.2 Data representation
1.3 Networks
1.4 Network topologies
1.5 The Internet
Summary

Introduction
Data communication means sharing of information between two or more devices via some
form of transmission medium such as a wire, cable or free space. A computer network is a
set of devices such as computers, printers, etc. connected by communication links. For data
communication to occur, the communicating devices must be part of a communication
system made up of a combination of hardware (physical equipment) and software
(programs). In this session, we study the components of the basic data communication
model, how different types of data can be represented, network types, connection
topologies and the formation of the Internet.

1.1 Data Communication Model

Figure 1.1 shows the basic block diagram of a basic communication system:

Figure 1.1 Basic communication systems

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EEX5434 Data Communications & Networking – Block 1

According to the diagram, you can identify the following blocks:

 Source – generates data (e.g. audio, video, text, pictures, etc.) to be transmitted
Ex: Workstation
 Transmitter - Converts data into transmittable signals Ex: Modem
 Transmission medium - Carries data e.g. fiber optic cable, radio waves, etc.
 Ex: Public Switching Telephone Network (PSTN)
 Receiver - Converts received signal into data (Modem)
 Destination - Receives incoming data (server)

Though the main function of each component is described above, the role of each element
in fulfilling the key communication tasks which are necessary for the main communication
process can be listed as: Signal generation, Transmission system utilization, interfacing,
synchronization, exchange management, error detection and correction, flow control,
addressing, routing, recovery, message formatting, security and network management.
When you proceed through the next sessions of this book, you will be able to learn how
these tasks will be implemented in a data communication system.

Read the relevant material from page 16 to 21 of Stallings, W. (2011) Data and Computer
communications, 9th edn. Pearson and complete activity 1.1.

Activity 1.1
Find a few more examples for the main communication blocks described above.

Now you have studied the basic components of a basic data communication system and its
functions. Next, let’s look at how to represent information data that we need to
communicate.

1.2 Data Representation

Think about what types of data you have to communicate. It can be in different forms such
as voice, music, text, numbers, images, videos, etc. Based on their characteristics we can
categorize them into two types; analog and digital. As you know, computers can only
communicate with digital signals or we can say with ‘1’s and ‘0’s. So, in this section you will
study how the original form of data is represented and how we can convert them into digital

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EEX5434 Data Communications & Networking – Block 1

form. When many different systems share and exchange data, common data formats are
necessary and we call them as standards. As a summary, Table 1.1 gives how each of the
basic data categories will be represented in data communication. People use a combination
of these different data categories by integrating them with a computer and we call this
multimedia. That means in multimedia, you can represent, store, transmit or process
digitally.

Type of Representation Standards

Data
Text Bit pattern Unicode, ASCII etc.
Images Matrix of pixels JPEG, GIF, PCX, TIFF,
- 1 bit per pixel for Black & White BMP, etc
image
-More than 1 bits are required for
colour image e.g. 24-bit colour –
24 bits are needed for each pixel
Audio Analog signal WAV, AU, MP3, etc
- Use sampling, quantizing
and encoding to convert it
into a digital signal
Video Analog or a digital signal MPEG-2, MPEG-4 etc
- Collection of still images
- Framerate, resolution,
aspect ratio, method of
data compression and
recording format to be
considered
Table 1.1: Representation of different data types and their standards

Essential Reading:
Chapter 1-Forouzan, B. (2013), Data Communications and Networking, 4thedn. Mc. Grow
Hill.

Activity 1.2
Information can be grouped into two broad categories: block-oriented information
(occurs naturally in the form of a single block) and stream-oriented information (i.e.
produced continuously and needs to be transmitted at the same time). Identify the type
of data involved in the following applications:

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EEX5434 Data Communications & Networking – Block 1

1. Image transmission (colour)

2. Digital telephony
3. MPEG audio
4. Video conferencing
5. High definition television

1.3 Networks
A computer network can be defined as a set of computers or any communication devices
(often referred to as nodes) interconnected through some form of communication links in
order to share resources (such as printers and CDs), exchange files, or allow electronic
communications. Based on the geographical location of this set of devices, we can
categorize the networks into different types; Local Area Networks (LANs), Metropolitan Area
Networks (MANs), Wide Area Networks (WANs) and Personal Area Networks (PANs). Within
these types depending on the media used for interconnection, we can further divide these
into 2 main types as wired or wireless.

1.4 Network Topologies

When connecting devices in a network, there are different methods used and we call them
topologies. Topologies can be categorized into two types as physical and logical. Physical
topology means the physical layout of the computers, cables and other components on a
network (or the way of components arranged in a network). The main 4 physical topologies
are star, bus, ring and mesh. A combination of more than one of these topologies may be
also possible and we call it the hybrid topology. The logical network topology represents
how information flows through the network. Commonly used logical topologies are peer to
peer, client/server, VPN and VLAN.

Essential Reading
Chapter 1 – Forouzan, B. (2013), Data Communications and Networking, 4thedn. Mc. Grow
Hill.

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EEX5434 Data Communications & Networking – Block 1

Activity 1.3
For a WAN consisting of 6 nodes,
1. draw the topology with the least number of point to point links
2. draw another topology that will maximize the resilience of the whole network
3. draw a topology that will minimize the delays between one node and all of the
others.

1.5 The Internet

The Internet is a massive network of networks, a networking infrastructure. It connects
millions of computers together globally, forming a network in which any computer can
communicate with any other computer as long as they are both connected to the Internet.
You need to learn about the Internet architecture and its key elements to have an overview
of the Internet.

Figure 1.2 shows a general view of today’s Internet. Backbones are at the top level of the
hierarchy and we call them Tier-1 ISPs. They are large networks owned by some
communication companies such as Sprint, Verizon (MCI), AT&T, and NTT. The back-bone
networks are connected through some complex switching systems, called peering points.

At the second level Tier-2, there are smaller networks, called provider networks that use the
services of the backbones for a fee. The provider networks are connected to backbones and
sometimes to other provider networks and they provide regional or national coverage. The
customers networks are at the lowest level, Tier-3, and are situated at the edge of the
Internet that actually use the services provided by the Internet. They pay fees to provider
networks for receiving services. Backbones and provider networks are also called Internet
Service Providers (ISPs). The backbones are often referred to as international ISPs; the
provider networks are often referred to as national or regional ISPs.

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EEX5434 Data Communications & Networking – Block 1

Figure 1.2 General view of the Internet

To access the internet, the end users are physically connected to an ISP. This connection
can be done using various access networks depending on the user requirements. Dial-up
service and DSL service are two main access methods coming under telephone networks.
Cable networks and wireless networks also provide various access services to the internet. A
direct connection to the internet can be obtained by leasing a high speed WAN connection
from a carrier provider.

Essential Reading
Chapter 1: Behrouz A. Forouzan, (2013) Data Communications and Networking, 5thedn. Mc.
Graw Hill
Sections 5 of chapter 1, Stallings, W. (2011) Data and Computer communications, 9th edn.
Pearson

Activity 1.3
Illustrate the key elements in the internet using a diagram and compare the role of Tier-1
and Tier-2 ISPs in the internet operation.

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Learning outcomes
After following this session, you will be able to:
 explain what data communication is & how a data communication model is
formed
 differentiate types of data and various data representation methods
 differentiate types of networks with their characteristics
 compare and contrast various types of network connections
 discuss Internet architecture and its key elements

Recommended Reading
Chapter 1 – Stallings, W. (2011) Data and Computer communications, 9thedn. Pearson

Chapter 1 – Forouzan, B. (2013), Data Communications and Networking, 4th edn. Mc. Grow
Hill.

IETF [online]. [10th April 2020]Available from: https://www.ietf.org/.

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