COMPUTER NETWORK

computer network is the connection of two or more computers or communication devices

connected by transmission media and guided by a set of rules for communication purposes that
allow users to communicate with each other and share applications and data. The fundamental
components of a network are devices, media, messages and protocols.
Network Media (Transmission Media)
For data to be transmitted from one location to another, a physical pathway or medium must be
used. These pathways are called transmissions media and can be either physical or wireless. The
physical transmission use wire, cable, and other tangible materials; wireless transmission media
send communications signals through the air or space. The physical transmission media are
generally referred to as cable media (example, twisted pair wire, coaxial cable, and fiber optic
cable). Wireless media include cellular radio, microwave transmission, satellite transmission,
radio and infrared media.
Modern networks primarily use three types of media to interconnect devices and to provide the
pathway over which data can be transmitted. These media are: ƒ
1. Copper cables ƒ
2. Glass or plastic fibers (fiber optic cable) ƒ
3. Wireless transmission
The signal encoding that must occur for the message to be transmitted is different for each media
type. On metallic wires, the data is encoded into electrical impulses that match specific patterns.
Fiber optic transmissions rely on pulses of light, within either infrared or visible light ranges or
in wireless transmission, and patterns of electromagnetic waves depict the various bit values.
Different types of network media have different features and benefits. All network media do not
have the same characteristics and are appropriate for the same purpose.
KEY CONCEPTS
Signal is an electric or electromagnetic form of data that passes over transmission media.
A wire is a long thin piece of metal that is used to fasten things or to carry electric current.
Definition of Network
A network is a connection of two or more computers that are linked together in order to share
resources (such as printers, files and disks) or allow electronic communications. Using Bluetooth
application in your mobile phone to share files is an example of a network. Sometimes, the
Internet is called the largest global network.
The central network device is, in turn, connected with a global network through an internet
service provider (ISP) company such as Ethio-telecom. You will learn more about these in the
next sections.
Fundamental Elements of Network
Networks are comprised of four basic elements: hardware, software, protocols and connection
medium. All data networks are comprised of these elements, and cannot function without them.
The backbone of any network is the hardware that runs it. Network hardware includes end
devices (sending and receiving devices) and intermediary devices which are network cards,
routers or network switches, modems and Ethernet repeaters.
In order for the hardware to interact with the network, it needs software to issue commands. The
primary form of networking software is protocols, connection monitoring software, networking
operating system, clients and other tools designed to further facilitate your computer’s ability to
connect to the network.
 End devices ƒ
 Intermediary devices ƒ
 Communication Protocols, which are rules held in the form of software and, ƒ
 Transmission medium (wired or wireless);
End Devices
End devices, which are also called hosts, are devices used to send or receive data over the
network. The sending device is called a sender and the receiving one is a receiver. Some
examples of end devices are:
 Computers (such as desktops, laptops, file servers and web servers etc.) ƒ
 Network printers ƒ
 Security cameras ƒ
 Mobile handheld devices.
Intermediary devices
Intermediary devices interconnect end devices. These devices interconnect and work behind the
scenes to ensure data flow across the network and the devices. Intermediary devices connect the
individual hosts to the network and also can connect multiple individual networks to form an
internetwork. Intermediary device includes network cards, routers or network switches, wireless
access point (WAP) and repeaters. Without these hardware devices, end devices have no means
of accessing a network.

a. Network Interface Card (NIC)

Network Interface Card (NIC) is a computer hardware component that connects a computer to a

computer network. (NIC) comes in a card form to be plugged into the computer system or can be
an integrated one as part of the systems board that you often see in laptops. NIC has a slot to
plug-in a cable connection with a network.
b. Repeater
Communication media or cables that you are going to learn in section 2.2.4 have limitation in
distance coverage in carrying electronic signals beyond which it weakens. Repeater enables a
network segment to extend the coverage to reach beyond its inherent distance limitation.
Repeater has also additional purposes that you will learn in your advanced lessons. In general,
repeaters refresh the network signal between cable segments, allowing cables to reach beyond
their maximum length without signal loss.
c. Switch
A switch, as shown in Figure 2.5 (a), is a device that interconnects various devices such as
computers, printers and servers in a small business network, as shown in Figure 2.5 b below.
Switch is more intelligent device than hub as it can segment a computer network into smaller
parts. In addition, switch forwards packets to specific destination after learning the network
topology. To perform this, switch uses a table which contains computer physical address and
switch port number on which a computer connected on. A hub is unintelligent device which
broadcasts all received packets to all computers connected to it except the sender.
d. Router
Consider yourself as a taxi driver in a given town which has a lot or streets (roads)
interconnected. Think about the driver when he or she selects a particular street from many
different options available to reach to his or her destination. What factors does he or she
consider? The distance? The traffic jam or number of cars in a certain road segment? Which road
segment would take him or her where? What else, he or she might think of?
A router is such an intelligent device which operates in determination of pathways for electronic
messages in networks. A router, as its name suggests, works with routing or finding a route
through a network. That is, it is a router of a network. The main objective of router is to connect
dissimilar and different networks simultaneously.
e. Wireless Access Points
A wireless access point (WAP) is an intermediary device in a network that connects various
types of wireless communication devices with wireless networks. The connectivity is made
possible through Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technologies. It acts as an intermediary between wireless
and wired devices that are part of a network.
Communication Protocol