Networks

IT in Business
Instructor: Urooj Azhar
What Is A Network?
 A network is a way to connect computers
together so that they can communicate,
exchange information and share resources.

 Computer networking is a combination of

software, hardware and cables that joins
computers together to share resources such as
data, messages, printers, fax machines, modems
and other devices.

 Each computer connected to the communication

medium with a network adapter, called
Network Interface Card(NIC).
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Every Network includes
 At least two computers
 A network interface on each computer (the
device that lets the computer talk to the network
—usually called a network interface card [NIC]
or adapter)
 A connection medium—usually a wire or cable,
but wireless communication between networked
computers and peripherals is also possible
 Network operating system software—such as
Microsoft Windows 95 or Windows NT, Novell
NetWare, Apple Share, or Artisoft LANtastic
Most networks—even those with just two
computers also have a hub or a switch to act as a
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Basic Network

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Benefits
 Allows common files to be shared from a
central location among multiple users
 Allows sharing of devices such as printer,
faxes, modems and scanner etc
 Provide the internal & external security of an
organization
 Allow important files to be managed and backed
up from a central location
 Allowing simultaneous access to critical
programs & data
 Streamlining personal communication with e-
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Networks can
 Reduce computing cost by sharing data and
peripherals such as printers.
 Reduces support cost by establishing
corporate standards for applications
(Accelerates access to corporate data).
 Centralizes the installation, management and
upgrade of application’s software.
 Increasing communication and scheduling
capabilities.
 Increases security by requiring users to enter a
user name and password to access the network.
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Uses of Computer
Networks
 Access to remote  Communication
information  electronic e-mail
 World Wide Web  Internet phone
 On-line newspapers  videoconferencing
 Public data bases  newsgroups and
discussion forums
 Entertainment
 Video and TV on
demand
 Networked games

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Basic Data Communications
Channels
 A communications channel is a pathway over
which information can be conveyed. It may be
defined by a physical wire that connects
communicating devices, or by a radio, laser, or
other radiated energy source that has no obvious
physical presence.

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Types Of Networks

Generally networks can be put into three

categories.

 Local area net works (LAN)

 Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)

 Wide area networks (WAN)

 Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

 Virtual private networks (VPN)

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Local Area Network
(LAN)
 A communications network that is a high-speed,
fault-tolerant data network and serves users
within a confined geographical area & are group
of computers connected together to permit the
(rapid) transfer of information between them.

 It typically connects workstations, personal

computers, printers, and other devices.

 LANs offer computer users many advantages,

including shared access to devices and
applications, file exchange between connected
users, and communication between users via
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Local Area Network
(LAN)
 LANs are designed to do the following:
 Operate within a limited geographic area
 Allow many users to access high-bandwidth
media
 Provide full-time connectivity to local services
 Connect physically adjacent devices

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Local Area Network
(LAN)

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Wireless LANs’
 A wireless LAN lets users roam around a
building with a computer (equipped with a
wireless LAN card) & stay connected to their
network without being connected to a wire.

 The standard for WLANs put out by the Institute

of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
called "802.11B" or "Wi-Fi" is making WLAN use
faster & easier.

 A WLAN can reach 150 m radius indoors and

300 m outdoors. WLANs require a wired access
point that connects all the wireless devices into
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Wireless LANs’
 There are four general types of wireless (radio)
communication systems:
 Cellular Telephone
 Basic 2-Way Radio
 Point-to-point
 Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) also known as Wi-Max

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Wireless LANs’
 In some environments, role for the wireless LAN
 Buildings with large open areas
 Manufacturing plants, stock exchange trading
floors, warehouses
 Historical buildings
 Small/congested offices where wired LANs not
economical

 To be taken into consideration

 High prices
 Low data rates
 Safety concerns. IT in Business 16
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Wide Area Network
(WAN)
 Communication networks that are regional,
nationwide or worldwide in (relatively broad)
geographic area, with a minimum distance
typical of that between major metropolitan areas
and often uses transmission facilities provided
by common carriers, such as telephone
companies.
 A wide area network is a geographically
dispersed telecommunications network. The
term distinguishes a broader telecommunication
structure from a local area network.
 WAN technologies function at the lower three
layers of the OSI reference model, the Physical
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Wide Area Network
(WAN)
 WANs often connect multiple smaller networks,
such as local area networks or metro area
networks. , which then provided access to
computers or file servers in other locations.

 Because WANs connect user networks over a

large geographical area, they made it possible
for businesses to communicate with each other
across great distances. As a result of being
networked or connected, computers, printers,
and other devices on a WAN could communicate
with each other to share information and
resources, as well as to access the Internet.
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Wide Area Network
(WAN)
 Some common WAN technologies are:
 Modems
 ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network)
 DSL (Digital Subscriber Line)
 Frame relay
 ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode)
 The T (US) and E (Europe) Carrier Series: T1,
E1, T3, E3, etc.
 SONET (Synchronous Optical Network)

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Virtual Private Networks
(VPN)
 A VPN is a communications environment in
which access is controlled to permit peer
connections only within a defined community of
interest, and is constructed though some form of
partitioning of a common underlying
communications medium, where this underlying
communications medium provides services to
the network on a non-exclusive basis.

 A VPN is private network constructed within a

public network infrastructure, such as the global
Internet
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Client & Server
 In general, all of the machines on the network
can be categorized as two types: servers and
clients. Those machines that provide services
(like Web servers or FTP servers) to other
machines are servers. And the machines that
are used to connect to those services are
clients. (e.g. Yahoo)
 Client: A client is a stand alone computer that
gathers data from a user and prepares it for the
server. The client accesses the shared resources
provided by a server. The "clients" are the user's
workstations typically running Windows,
although Mac and Linux clients are also used.
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Open Systems Interconnection
(OSI) Reference Model
 The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI)
reference model describes how information from
a software application in one computer moves
through a network medium to a software
application in another computer. The OSI
reference model is a conceptual model
composed of seven layers, each specifying
particular network functions.
 The OSI model divides the tasks involved with
moving information between networked
computers into seven smaller, more manageable
task groups. A task or group of tasks is then
assigned to each of the seven OSI layers. Each
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Open Systems Interconnection
(OSI) Reference Model
 The following list details the seven layers of the
Open System Interconnection (OSI) reference
model:

 Layer 7—Application layer

 Layer 6—Presentation layer
 Layer 5—Session layer
 Layer 4—Transport layer
 Layer 3—Network layer
 Layer 2—Data Link layer
 Layer 1—Physical layer

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Open Systems Interconnection
(OSI) Reference Model

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OSI Protocol Suite

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Interaction Between OSI
Layers

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OSI Model Layers and
Information Exchange

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TCP/IP Refrence Model
 Although the OSI reference model is universally
recognized, the technical open standard of the
Internet is Transmission Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
 The TCP/IP reference model and the TCP/IP
protocol stack make data communication
possible between any two computers, anywhere
in the world, at nearly the speed of light.

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IP
 An IP address consists of 32 bits, grouped into
four octets

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IP
 IP addressing supports five different address
classes: A, B,C, D, and E. Only classes A, B, and
C are available for commercial use.

 There are IP networks reserved for private

networks; 10.0.0.0 / 172.16.0.0 / 192.168.0.0
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OSI & TCP/IP
comparison
 Similarities
 Both have layers.
 Both have application layers, though they
include very different services.
 Both have comparable transport and network
layers.
 Packet-switched (not circuit-switched)
technology is assumed.
 Networking professionals need to know both.

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OSI & TCP/IP
comparison
 Differences
 TCP/IP combines the presentation and session
layer issues into its application layer.
 TCP/IP combines the OSI data link and
physical layers into one layer.
 TCP/IP appears simpler because it has fewer
layers.
 TCP/IP protocols are the standards around
which the Internet developed, so the TCP/IP
model gains credibility just because of its
protocols. In contrast, typically networks
aren't built on the OSI protocol, even though
the OSI model is used asIT inaBusiness
guide. 34
OSI & TCP/IP
comparison

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Communication Media
 Data packets are transmitted between
computers on the network either as electrical
signals in electric wires, as light signals in Fiber
optic cables or as electromagnetic waves
through space.
 Cable is the medium through which information
usually moves from one network device to
another.
 Several types of cables are used in Networks. In
some cases, a network will utilize only one type
of cable, other networks will use a variety of
cable types.
 There are three basic types of cables:
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Twisted Pair Cable
 Twisted pair is the ordinary copper wire that
connects home and many business computers to
the telephone company.
 To reduce crosstalk or electromagnetic induction
between pairs of wires, two insulated copper
wires are twisted around each other.
 Twisted pair cables come in two types, either as
an unshielded twisted pair (UTP) which is
common in telephone cables or as a shielded
twisted pair (STP).

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Twisted Pair Cable
 Unshielded twisted pair cables have pairs of
insulated copper wires twisted round each other
to cancel out electromagnetic interference.
 Shielded twisted pair wires have a metal sheath
encasing the twisted pairs, shielding them
further from outside electromagnetic
interference.

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Coaxial Cable
 Coaxial cable is a primary type of copper cable
used by cable TV companies for signal
distribution between the community antenna
and user homes and businesses.
 Coaxial cable is a cable type used to carry radio
signals, video signals, measurement signals and
data signals.
 It was once the primary medium for Ethernet
and other types of local area networks.
 Coaxial cable can carry more signals than the
conventional twisted-pair cables.
 A signal carried through a coaxial cable needs to
be re-amplified every few kilometers.
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Coaxial Cable

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Fiber Optic Cable
 Fiber optics is a medium for carrying
information from one point to another in the
form of light.
 Unlike the copper form of transmission, fiber
optics is not electrical in nature.
 A basic fiber optic system consists of a
transmitting device, which generates the light
signal; an optical fiber cable, which carries the
light; and a receiver, which accepts the light
signal transmitted.
 Mainly two types of Fiber optic cables
 Single-mode: for Long Distances
 Multimode: for Short Distances
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Fiber Optic Cable

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Comparison with Copper
Cables
 SPEED: Fiber optic networks operate at high
speeds - up into the gigabits

 BANDWIDTH: large carrying capacity

 DISTANCE: Signals can be transmitted further

without needing to be "refreshed" or
strengthened.

 RESISTANCE: Greater resistance to

electromagnetic noise such as radios, motors or
other nearby cables.
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Comparison with Copper
Cables
Media Maximum
Type Segment Speed Cost
Length
100 m (UTP) 10 - 1000 Mbps Least expensive
Twiste
d Pair 100 m (STP) 10 - 100 Mbps More expensive than
UTP
500 m
Coaxia (Thicknet) 10 - 100 Mbps Relatively
l inexpensive, but
185 m more costly than
(Thinnet) UTP
10 km and 100 Mbps to
Fiber- farther 100 Gbps
Optic (single-mode) (single mode) Expensive
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 Comparison with Copper
Cables
Media
Type Advantages Disadvantages
Easy to install Susceptible to interference
Twisted Widely available and widely used Can cover only a limited
Pair distance
Reduced crosstalk Difficult to work with;
More resistant to EMI than Thinnet Can cover only a limited
or UTP distance
Difficult to work with
Coaxial Less susceptible to EMI interference (Thicknet)- limited bandwidth;
than other types of copper media limited application
(Thinnet)- damage to cable
can bring down entire
network
Cannot be tapped, so security is
Fiber- better Difficult to terminate
Optic Can be used over great distances
Its not susceptible to EMI
It has a higher data rate than coaxial
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Network Devices
 Network Interface Card (NIC) is a printed
circuit board that provides network
communication capabilities to and from a
personal computer. Also called a LAN adapter or
card, it plugs into a motherboard and provides a
port for connecting to the network. This card
can be designed as an Ethernet card, a Token
Ring card, or a Fiber Distributed Data Interface
(FDDI) card
 Every NIC has a 48 bit unique Media Access
Control (MAC) address.

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Network Devices
 Hubs are simple devices that interconnect
groups of users. Hubs forward any data packets
they receive over one port from one workstation
to all of their remaining ports. Its a Layer 1
device.

 Repeaters are devices who enhance the single

to extend the network.
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Network Devices
 Bridges and switches are data
communications devices that operate principally
at Layer 2 of the OSI reference model.

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Network Devices
 Routers use a more complete Packet “address”
to determine which router or workstation should
receive each packet. Based on a network
roadmap called a “routing table,” routers can
help ensure that packets are traveling the most
efficient paths to their destinations. If a link
between two routers goes down, the sending
router can determine an alternate route to keep
traffic moving. It operates on Layer 3 of the OSI
model.

 Modems can be of different types depending on

the service you have, i.e. Dial Up, ISDN, DSL,
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Questions

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