Computer Networks

Objectives
 Types of Networks
 3-Layers Network Design Model
 Collision Domain vs Broadcast Domain
 Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection
(CSMA/CD)
 The Layered Approach
Types of Networks
• Networking Components
• Categories of Networks
Networking Components
Classification of Computer Networks

 Computer networks are classified based on various

factors. They includes:
 Geographical span
 Inter-connectivity
 Administration
 Architecture
Network Types

 Personal Area Network

 Local Area Network
 Metropolitan Area Network
 Wide Area Network
 Personal Area Network

 personal to a user
 connectivity range up to 10 meters
 E.g. wireless computer keyboard and
mouse, Bluetooth enabled headphones,
wireless printers and TV remotes
 Local Area Network

 spanned inside a building

 an organization’ offices, schools,
colleges or universities
 mostly operates on private IP addresses
 Ethernet is most widely employed LAN
technology and uses Star topology
 Metropolitan Area Network

 generally expands throughout a

city
 works in between Local Area
Network and Wide Area Network
 Wide Area Network

 covers a wide area which may

span across provinces and even a
whole country
 connectivity to MANs and LANs
 Comparison
LAN
 Confined to small areas i.e., it
connects several devices over a
distance of 5 to 10 km.
 High speed.
 Most inexpensive equipment.
 Low error rates.
 Data and hardware sharing between
users owned by the user.
 Operates at speeds ranging from
10Mbps to 100Mbps. Now days 1000
Mbps are available.
MAN
 Confined to a larger area than a
LAN and can range from 10km
to a few 100km in length.
 Slower than a LAN but faster
than a WAN.
 Operates at a speed of 1.5 to 150
Mbps.
 Expensive equipment.
 Moderate error rates.
WAN
 A WAN can range from 100km to 1000km
and the speed between cities can vary
form1.5 Mbps to 2.4 Gbps.
 WAN supports large number of computers
and multiple host machines.
 Various segments of network are
interconnected using sophisticated support
devices like routers and gateways.
 Usually the speed is much slower than
LAN speed.
 Highest possible error rate compared to
LAN & MAN.
3-Layers Network Design
Model
• Concept of hierarchy
• The Core Layer
• The Distribution Layer
• The Access Layer
Concept of hierarchy
3 Layers Network Design Model
The Core Layer

 The core layer is responsible for transporting large amounts of traffic both reliably and quickly.
 The only purpose of the network’s core layer is to switch traffic as fast as possible.
 Things we don’t want to do:
 Never do anything to slow down traffic
 Don’t support workgroup access here
 Avoid expanding the core
 Things that we want to achieve:
 Design the core for high reliability
 Design with speed in mind
 Select routing protocols with lower convergence times
The Distribution Layer

 The distribution layer is sometimes referred to as the workgroup layer and is the
communication point between the access layer and the core.
 Functions of the distribution layer are:
 Routing
 Implementing tools (such as access lists), packet filtering, and queuing
 Implementing security and network policies, including address translation and firewalls
 Redistributing between routing protocols, including static routing
 Routing between VLANs and other workgroup support functions
 Defining broadcast and multicast domains
The Access Layer

 The access layer controls user and workgroup access to internetwork resources.
 The access layer is sometimes referred to as the desktop layer.
 The following are some of the functions to be included at the access layer:
 Continued (from distribution layer) use of access control and policies
 Creation of separate collision domains (micro segmentation/switches)
 Workgroup connectivity into the distribution layer
 Device connectivity
 Resiliency and security services
 Advanced technology capabilities (voice/video, etc.)
Collision Domain vs
Broadcast Domain
Ethernet Networks

 Ethernet is a contention-based media access method that allows all hosts on a

network to share the same link’s bandwidth.
 Ethernet is a family of technologies that provides data-link and physical
specifications for controlling access to a shared network medium.
 Ethernet has several benefits:
 Simple to install and manage
 Inexpensive
 Flexible and scalable
 Easy to interoperate between vendors
HUB
SWITCH
ROUTER
Remember That!

 Routers separate broadcast and collision domains.

 Switches separate collision domains.
 Hubs belong to only one collision domain.
 Switches and hubs both only belong to one broadcast
domain.
Carrier Sense Multiple Access with
Collision Detection (CSMA/CD)
CSMA/CD

 Ethernet networking uses a protocol called Carrier Sense

Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD),
which helps devices share the bandwidth evenly while
preventing two devices from transmitting simultaneously
on the same network medium.
Energy level during transmission, idleness, or collision
Behavior of three persistence methods for CSMA/CD
Flow diagram for three persistence methods
Flow diagram for the CSMA/CD
CSMA/CD

 When a collision occurs on an Ethernet LAN, the following

happens:
 A jam signal (32-bits) informs all devices that a collision occurred.
 The collision invokes a random backoff algorithm.
 Each device on the Ethernet segment stops transmitting for a short
time until its backoff timer expires.
 All hosts have equal priority to transmit after the timers have
expired.
The Layered Approach
 Layered Tasks
An example from the everyday life

Hierarchy?
Services
Why layered communication?

 To reduce complexity of communication task by

splitting it into several layered small tasks
 Each layer has its own task
 Each layer has its own protocol