Chapter 5

Data Communication and Networks

Objectives
After completing this chapter the learner should be able to:
o describe data communication
o identify data transmission modes
o discuss different components of data communication
o identify data communication media
o define computer networks
o identify components of computer networks
o define network topology
o identify the advantages and disadvantages of different topologies
o define the Internet
o discuss the use of Internet
o identify services provided over the Internet
o computer viruses

DATA COMMUNICATIONS
The term communication can be defined as the process of transferring messages between
entities. Based on what these two entities are, there are three basic types of
communication:
 Human-to-Human
 Computer-to-computer
 Human-to-Computer

In all the three cases, three basic elements can be identified.

 The source (the sender)

 The medium (the channel)
 The destination

Transmission Decoding Destination

Sender Encoding

A message should first be encoded in such a way that it can be transmitted through a
channel (medium), it is then transmitted, and finally, it is decoded into a form that can be
understood by the destination at the other end. This holds true for voice communication,
or data communication.
Data communication involves transporting data from one point to another. This is an
instance of computer-to-computer communication, i.e., both the source and the
destination are computer devices, and the transmission media may be telephone lines,
satellite links, microwave links, etc.

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Information is transmitted in the form of analog or digital. Most communication lines are
designed to carry analog signals. Digital transmission a rarely used for telecommunications.

Therefore, a technical must be used to represent a digital signal or an analog carrier

 Modulation: Converting digital signals into analog signals.
 Demodulation: Converting analog signals back into digital signals.
 Modem: Short for modulator/demodulator: A communications device that converts
one form of a signal to another that is suitable for transmission over communication
circuits, typically from digital to analog and then from analog to digital.

Data transmission is the process of conveying data between two points by way of

a communication medium. A wide variety of media are available,

Bounded media confine the data to specific physical pathways. Common examples

of bounded media are wire and optical fiber cables. Cable TV uses bounded media.

Unbounded media transmit the data-carrying signal through space, independent of

a cable. Broadcast radio and television are examples of unbounded media.

NOTE: Electrical cable types are frequently referred to as "copper" because that

metal is the most frequently used conductor. You may hear fiber optic cables called

simply "fiber" or "glass".

Three Basic elements of any communication Process:

Sender(source): Creates the message to be transmitted

Medium: Carries the message eg UTP, Fiber, telephone line

Receiver(sink): Receives the message.

The sender and receiver in data communications are usually computer, , terminals,

peripheral devices like printers, plotters, disks etc

Modes of Data Transmission

When data are transmitted from one point to another, three modes of transmission can be
identified:
 Simplex
 Half Duplex
 Full Duplex
Sender (Source) Receiver (Sink)
Medium
Sender Receiver

Simplex

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 Sender Receiver
(Receiver) Half-duplex (Sender)

Sender Receiver
Full-duplex
and and
Receiver Sender

SIMPLEX: Communication can take place in only one direction like one-way traffic.

Devices connected to such a circuit are either a send-only or a receive only device

e.g. a line printer. This is very inadequate because the sender needs an

acknowledgement, control or error signal.

HALF-DUPLEX: transmits data in both directions but only in one direction at a time.

It can alternatively send and receive data. It requires two wires. It is good for voice

communication because only one person is supposed to speak at a time.

FULL DUPLEX: It allows information to flow simultaneously in both directions on

the transmission path. It is an advantage over half-duplex which requires the lines

to be turned-around each time the direction is reversed. This way is unacceptable

in some applications which require simultaneous transmission in both directions.

Activity:
Select any communication mechanism. Can you classify them as Simplex, half-
duplex or full-duplex

Types of Transmission Media

Transmission Medium is the physical path between transmitter and receiver in a data
communication system. The characteristics and quality of data transmission are
determined both by the characteristics of the medium and characteristics of the signal.
Factors to be considered in selecting data transmission media:
I. Bandwidth – the amount of data that can be transmitted through the medium
II. Transmission impairments: - ability to withstand signal loss (attenuation) and noise
(unwanted signals).
III. Interference: ability to avoid cross talks (cross talks are signal exchanges between
signals at close frequency ranges).
IV. Number of receivers: A guided media can be used to construct a point to point link
or a shared link with multiple attachments. In multiple attachment case, each
attachment introduces some attenuation and distortion and usually the bandwidth
available will be shared among the various attachments.
Fundamentals of Networking
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What is networking?

A computer network is a collection of computers and other devices that

communicate to share data, hardware, and software.

When a computer system is processing data all by itself, without any interaction or
interconnection with any other computer system, it is called a stand-alone computer
system. A Network System is a system of two or more computers that are connected
to each other for the purpose of data communication and sharing of resources.

A network also consists of communication channels that are responsible for

connecting devices with each other and transmitting information.

Some of the most important advantages of a computer network system are:

Data sharing between different users of computers with certain
amount of data security and access control.
Sharing of software application systems – software applications
installed on remote computers can be used from any other computer on the
network

Distribution of computing load – a task that has to be processed will be

divided among different computers to reduce the load of a single computer.
Sharing of high power computing resources situated at a central
location on a need basis.
Sharing of costly special devices by several computer users.

Components of Computer Networks

The components required to operate a network can be divided into two major
categories - Hardware and Software

Hardware
The hardware components of a network consist of the following five items
Server
Workstation
Cabling
Network Interface Cards (NIC)
Other Networking Devices

The Server
High capacity computers that function as the central repository of
resources/services the network provides.
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 Usually the server is also responsible for controlling which users on which
computers in the network are granted access to a service.

Workstations
A place where the services of the server are used (This is where the user is
working)
Any computer where the user will be working at. It does not have to be a high
capacity computer

Cabling
Cables that interconnect the different devices on the network.
There are various types of cables, including coaxial cable, twisted-pair cable
and fiber-optic cables.
Wireless networks do not require physical cables

Network interface card (NIC)

The NIC is located in every workstation on the network as well as in the
servers.
It is a card that plugs into one of the expansion slots on the motherboard of a
network device, thereby providing a connector on the back to connect the
device to the network
It acts as a “transmitter” and “receiver” and therefore can be referred to as
transceiver

Other Networking Devices

In modern networks, special purpose devices are required to connect
workstations and servers on the network. These devices are called networking
devices.

Some Commonly used workstations are:

1. Hubs: devices that connect devices (workstations, servers, printers,
etc) to each other. It is suitable for small networks ( <16 devices
on the network)

2. Switches: have the same function as hubs. But they are faster and
more expensive than Hubs. They are used in large networks
3. Routers: These devices are used to interconnect different networks.
If a company has different networks at different sites, routers
are used to interconnect these networks.
4. Firewall: devices used to protect a network from unauthorized
access from a different site.

Software

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The Network Operating System
The network operating system is the software that resides on the server.
The network operating system, or NOS, controls virtually all the activity on
the network.
The NOS manages access to the resource on the server and handles security
of the resource on the server.
It provides true multi-user capabilities and is probably the most important
part of the network.

The workstation operating system

The operating system software for each workstation is loaded at the
workstation.
This software is essential for the workstation to operate, even if that
workstation is not part of a network

The server software

Usually loaded on the server
provides an interface through the service is given to clients
Most popular ones are web server, mail server, print server, file server,
database server, etc.
The client software
Used to access the service given by the server software on the server
Capable of interfacing with server software
e.g. web browsers, e-mail clients etc

TYPE OF NETWORKS

LOCAL AREA NETWORK (LAN):

A network that connects computer equipment and other terminals distributed in a

localized area eg a university campus, factory, office, school or a building.

Characteristics include:

1. Limited geographical area less than two kilometers

2. Ranges from simple two computers connected to complex hundreds of

computers.

3. High bandwidth greater than 1mbps.

4. Inexpensive cable media(coaxial or twisted pairs)

5. Good for resource sharing.

6. Usually one computer serves as the file server which stores the software

that controls the network and the software that can be shared by the

computers attached to the network.

The main purpose of having local area network is:

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1 • Share hardware, software like databases, word processors, spreadsheets, and
data like lists of phone numbers, accounting record, calendars.

To share software and data we have to decide where to put the software and the
data in the networked computers. There are two methodologies in deciding where
to put files for common access. These are peer-to-peer networking and server-
based networking.

Peer-to-peer networking
Under this networking all computers on the network belong to users and are equal
as far as the network is concerned. Two computers in the network are peers
(equal). A data in computer is available for another computer users (sharing hard
disk)
It is accomplished by connecting cables between computers and installing software
that will let the various computers share data.

Client -Server Based Networking

Under this networking, a main computer “servers” file to the users who need to
access to them. Any files that are to be shared by more than one user are stored on
a hard disk on the file server rather than the hard disk on an individual user’s
computers.

METROPOLITAN AREA NETWORK (MAN)

It covers larger geographical areas such as cities or school districts. Multicampuses

university can link LAN in the various campuses together to form MAN. An example

is the MAN network at Addis Ababa University (AAU) which networked the

computers in various faculties located at distance locations at Addis, Ethiopia. It is a

high speed network using fiber optics.

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WIDE AREA NETWORK (WAN)

This is when computers in a network are situated in a wider geographical area. A

WAN is made up of a number of interconnected LANs. For instance, a WAN network

can be in different countries or continents.

Communication is established through telephone lines, microwave links, fiber

optics or satellite links. For example, University of Jimma in Ethiopia can be

connected to White House in Washington DC.

Network Topology
The way in which devices on the network are connected is called the topology of the
network. Network topology specifically refers to the physical layout of the network,
especially the locations of the devices and how the cable is run between them. It is
important to select the right topology for how the network will be used. Each topology
has its own strengths and weaknesses.

The following four types of physical topologies are frequently used in

computer networking:

1. Star 2. Bus 3. Ring 4. Hybrid

A LAN is a high-speed communications system designed to link computers and

other data processing devices together within a small geographic area such as a

workgroup, department, or a single floor of a multistory building. Several LANs can

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also be interconnected within a building or campus of buildings to extend

connectivity.

A Basic Star Topology LAN

In a star topology all stations are wired to a central wiring concentrator called a

hub. Similar to a bus topology, packets sent from one station to another are

repeated to all ports on the hub. This allows all stations to see each packet sent on

the network, but only the station a packet is addressed to pays attention to it.

The diagram illustrates a star topology LAN -- which is a more robust topology

than the bus topology. In a star topology, each station is connected to a central

wiring concentrator, or hub, by an individual length of twisted pair cable. The cable

is connected to the station's NIC at one end and to a port on the hub at the other.

The hubs are placed in wiring closets centrally located in a building.

Advantages of Stars topology

Most modern cabling systems are designed in a star physical topology. The

benefits of the star topology are:

 Each device is isolated on its own cable.

 It is a reliable network and easy to modify

 Easy to add new workstation.

 A node can fail without affecting other nodes

 The hub or switch is slightly more expensive

 All data goes through the central point, which can be equipped with

diagnostic devices that make it easy to trouble shoot and manage the

network.
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  Hierarchical organization allows isolation of traffic on the channel.

Disadvantages of Star topology

Star topology has the following disadvantages:

 Because point-to-point wiring is utilized for each node, more cable is

required.

 Hub failures results in a shortdown of the entire network.

Bus Topology

In a bus topology, all devices attach to the same transmission medium. The

medium has a physical beginning and end. All buses are implemented using

electrical cable, usually coax, and the ends of the cable must be terminated with a

terminating resistor that matches the impedance of the cable. The terminating

resistor prevents data reflections from coming across as data corruption. The bus is

considered a multipoint system because all devices tap into the same backbone

cable.

An important characteristic to remember in bus topologies is that all data signals

are broadcast throughout the bus structure. In the following diagram, if node B

sends a signal to node C, the signal propagates for the length of the cable and is

seen by nodes A and D as well. It is necessary to have an addressing mechanism so

that each node understands which messages it is to receive and which to ignore.

Benefits of Bus topology

Bus topology has the following advantage:

 Cabling costs are minimized because of the common trunk.

Disadvantages of Bus topology

Disadvantages of bus topology are as follows:

 Difficult to trouble shoot because no central distribution points exist.

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  Cable breaks can disable the entire segment because they remove the

required termination from each of the two cable fragments.

Example: Ethernet, (10Base2)

Ring Topology

The ring topology is a physical, closed loop consisting of point-to-point links. In the

diagram, you can see how each node on the ring acts as a repeater. It receives a

transmission from the previous node and amplifies it before passing it on.

Benefits of Ring topology

Ring topology has the following advantage:

 Each repeater duplicates the data signals so that very little signal

degradation occurs.

Disadvantages of Ring topology

Ring topology has the following disadvantages:

 A break in the ring can disable the entire network. Many ring designs

incorporate extra cabling that can be switched in if a primary cable fails.

 Because each node must have the capability of functioning as a repeater,

the networking devices tend to be more expensive.

Example of Ring topology : The following are examples of ring topologies:

 IBM Token Ring (although wired as a star)

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Hybrid Topology

The hybrid topology scheme combines multiple topologies into one large topology.

The hybrid network is common in large wide-area networks. Because each

topology has its own strengths and weaknesses, several different types can be

combined for maximum effectiveness.

Benefits of Hybrid topology

Hybrid topology has the following advantages:

 One company can combine the benefits of several different types of

topologies.

 Workgroup efficiency and traffic can be customized.

Disadvantages of Hybrid topology

The disadvantages of hybrid topology include the following:

 Devices on one topology cannot be placed into another topology without

some hardware changes.

The Internet
 The Internet is a term used to describe a worldwide network of computer networks
connecting millions of computers around the world.
 The Internet is one of the largest, most widely used networks (in fact, a network of
networks) that has evolved and grown overtime. It is a group of two or more
networks that are
o Interconnected physically
o Capable of communicating and sharing data with each other
o Able to act together as a single network.
 The Internet connects millions of computers globally and provides worldwide
communications to businesses, homes, schools, and governments.

Advantages of the Internet

The Internet helps in various ways:
To get information
You could get information about people, products, organizations, research data,
electronic versions of the printed media, etc. from the Internet. You can get easy access to

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a wealth of information and entertainment. As such it is often described as the prototype
for a world wide information "superhighway".
To provide information
Most of what you want to provide could be considered global advertising. The best and
most inexpensive way to let people know who you are, what you are doing/have done,
and how
Publishing: including full test articles, reports, abstracts, computer programs, and
demonstrations
Teaching: The possibilities here include both distance learning and assistance for
students
Sharing/ exchanging information with the outside world.
Ability to communicate
The Internet gives people the ability to communicate with other connected
computer users through electronic mail and real time typed conversations (bulletin
boards, databases, and discussion groups). Users will be able to use electronic
mails to transmit messages, announcements and document/file attachments to
other users within the Intranet or over the Internet.
Applications and Services on the Internet
The Internet is actually very boring since it is nothing more than hardware connections. It
is the Internet applications and services that make the Internet come alive.
Internet applications include
World Wide Web (WWW),
Electronic mail,
Discussion Groups
Internet Chat,
Search Engines
Electronic commerce

World Wide Web

In simpler terms, the Web is an Internet-based computer network that allows users on one
computer to access information stored on another through the worldwide network.
The WWW is an Internet service that provides a network of interactive documents and
the software to access them. It is based on documents called web pages that combine
text, pictures, forms, sound, animation and hypertext links called hyperlinks. To navigate
the WWW, users “Surf” from one page to another by pointing and clicking on the
hyperlinks in text or graphics.

E-Mail
E-Mail is the ability to write a message to someone, using a mail program, and use the
Internet as a means of delivering that message. Email is not a free service. The cost of
your email is covered in your service charge to your provider.
E-mail is the most popular application of computer communication system. For the
purpose of our discussion, we shall adopt the simplest definition of E-mail as follows:
Email (Electronic mail) refers to a computer-based system allowing two or more people
to communicate through the transmission of character coded or graphic information by
electronic means. Electronic mail, or e-mail, allows computer users locally and
worldwide to exchange messages. Each user of e-mail has a mailbox address to which
messages are sent. Messages sent through e-mail can arrive within a matter of seconds.

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Search Engine
A search engine is a web site that collects and organizes content from all over the
internet. Those wishing to locate something would enter a query about what they'd like to
find and the engine provides links to content that matches what they want. Examples of
search engines are google.com, yahoo.com, Ask.com….
E-commerce
It stands for electronic commerce and refers to the buying and selling of products or
services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks.

Internet Connectivity
You can connect to the Internet in one of two basic ways
 Dial-up connection - is type of Internet connection that is made by connecting a
plain old telephone line to the phone jack at the back of a computer which, in turn
connects to the internal modem of the computer, and allows the user to dial a
phone number of a service provider and connect to the Internet.
 Direct (Broadband) Connection: is a permanent connection between your computer
system and the Internet. This refers to a connection that has capacity to transmit
large amount of data at high speed.

How do we Access the Internet from our Computer?

Using Browser
A Web browser or shortly a browser is an application program that provides a way to
look at and interact with all the information on the World Wide Web. Examples of
browsers are internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, chrome….

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 Chapter Six
Computer Security and Ethics
What is Computer Security?
It is the concept of attaining a secure computing environment by detecting the
vulnerabilities associated with computer use.
It is a general term relating to measures designed to protect computer assets in all
configurations.
The protection of information assets can be handled using technology, processes and
training.
Computer Security is technique developed to safeguard information and information
systems stored on computers.
Computer Threats
A computer threat is a term that relates to the security of a computer system being
compromised. This threat can lead to cyber-attacks and data being stolen, lost or edited.
Potential threats include the destruction of computer hardware and software and the loss,
modification, theft, unauthorized use, observation, or disclosure of computer data.
Cyber-crimes are criminal acts conducted through the use of computers by Cyber-
criminals.
Computer virus
What is a Virus?
 A computer virus is a small software program that spreads from one computer to
another computer and that interferes with computer operation.
 A computer virus may corrupt or delete data on a computer, use an e-mail
program to spread the virus to other computers, or even delete everything on the
hard disk. it’s just like a human virus, it can be very dangerous and destructive
 A virus is just a computer program. Like any other program, it contains
instructions that tell your computer what to do. But unlike an application, a virus
usually tells your computer to do something you don't want it to do, and it can
usually spread itself to other files on your computer -- and other people's
computers.
Characteristics of Computer Viruses:
1. Cannot exist in a viable form, apart from another (usually legitimate) program.
2. Propagates when the host program is executed.
3. Has an incubation period, during which no damage is done.
4. After incubation period, begins to manifest its behavior.
Different Malware Types
What is the difference between viruses, worms and Trojan horses?
Some people distinguish between general viruses, worms and Trojan horses. A worm is a
special type of malware programs that can replicate itself and use memory, but cannot
attach itself to other programs, and a Trojan horse is a file that appears harmless until
executed.
Worms:
A worm is a computer program that has the ability to copy itself from machine to
machine. Worms normally move around and infect other machines through computer
networks. Worms eat up storage space and slow down the computer. But worms don't
alter or delete files.

Trojan horses:
A Trojan horse is simply a computer program that claims to do one thing (it may claim
to be a game) but instead does damage when you run it (it may erase your hard disk).
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When loaded onto your machine, a Trojan horse can capture information from your
system -- such as user names and passwords or could allow a malicious hacker to
remotely control your computer. Trojan horses have no way to replicate automatically.
Origins of Viruses:
People create viruses. A person has to write the code, test it to make sure it spreads
properly and then release the virus. A person also designs the virus's attack phase,
whether it's a silly message or destruction of a hard disk.
In most of the cases people create viruses just for the thrill or fun.

How They Spread?

 Sharing disks
 E-mail attachment
 Network
 …
Symptoms of a computer virus
 The computer runs slower than usual.
 The computer stops responding, or it locks up frequently.
 The computer crashes, and then it restarts every few minutes.
 A program disappears from the computer even though you did not intentionally
remove the program.
 Applications on the computer do not work correctly.
 Disks or disk drives are inaccessible.
 You cannot print items correctly.
 You see unusual error messages.

Prevention is the best cure:

 Run a secure operating system like UNIX or Windows NT.
 Install virus protection software.
 Avoid programs from unknown sources.
 Disable floppy disk booting
 Macro Virus Protection is enabled in all Microsoft applications.
 Never double-click on an attachment that contains an executable that arrives as an
e-mail attachment
Types of Computer Antivirus Software
There are thousands of computer viruses out there today. It is essential that you have
antivirus software installed on your computer to help protect your system. This protection
will defend your system against potential damage, as well as protect your personal
information from being spread throughout the Internet. The following are some examples
 Norton Antivirus
 McAfee antivirus
 Avira antivirus
 AVG antivirus
 Kasperskey antivirus
 …
Practice safe computing
The best way to protect yourself from viruses is to avoid :
 opening unexpected e-mail attachments
 Downloads from unreliable sources.
 For added safety, you need to
 install reliable antivirus scanning software
 download updates regularly.{Regular updates }

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