Introduction to Communication

Networks
 Subtopics
• Data Communication Systems

• Types and Categories of Networks

• Benefits and Drawbacks of Networks

 Communication Networks
A network or communications network or telecommunication is a
system of interconnection of computers, telephones, links or other
communication devices (nodes) for communication and resource (e.g
data) sharing.
•Data transferred include;
Voice
Sound
Images
Video
Text
•Combination of all these forms of data is referred to as multimedia
• Data then converted into electric, air waves or light energies (waves)
then transmitted over transmission media (air, wire)
Communication System Model

(a) A simple communication system model

(b) Examples of Communication Model Devices

(c) Example of Data Communication Transformation

Source (Data Terminal Equipment-DTE)
generates data to be transmitted (e.g computer,
telephones, scanners, camera)
Transmitter (Data Component Equipment-DCE)
converts data into transmittable signals (e.g
routers, switches, modems, hubs)
Transmission System
carries data (e.g twisted pairs, fibre optic cables,
radio waves)
Receiver (Data Component Equipment-DCE)
converts received signal into data (e.g routers,
switches, modems, hubs)
Destination (Data Terminal Equipment-DTE) takes
incoming data from the receiver (e.g computer,
telephones, scanners, camera, radio, tv)
 Types of Networks
There are two broad types of networks namely computer
networks and telephone networks

Computer Network

•are interconnection of computers and computer devices

to share data and communicate.
•There are several types that include PAN, LAN, CAN,
MAN, WAN, etc but we look at three main types
•Size, type of connections and ownership feature
distinguish LANs from MANs and WANs, therefore used
to describe them
 Local Area Networks (LANs)
• Network of computers and other devices
confined in relatively small area e.g. a
room or in a building.
• Connected by dedicated circuits
(transmission media type and network
technology is limited)
• A private network that is associated with
intranets
 Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN)
•Network of computers and other device within
a confined geographical region e.g urban
region of urban centre, town, a county, a
country, a continent or globally
•Connects two or more LANs of the same
organization distributed over a
region(campuses/branches)
•Uses different transmission media and
technology than LAN
•normally belongs to the same organization
 Wide Area Network (WAN)
•Covers a wide geographical area (sites).
•Interconnects LANs and or MANs of different
organizations (.org, .com, .ac, .gov, etc); a network of
networks
•Usually connected by non-dedicated circuits.
•Use greater verities of transmission technology and
media.
•E.g. telephones network, satellite links and internet.
•It is public network
 Computer Networks
Network Size Connections Ownership
LAN Small Dedicated circuits Private
MAN Large Non-dedicated Organizational
WAN Very large Non-dedicated Public
 Categories of Computer Networks
Peer-to-peer
•A computer network where computers are connected
on the same level (no one computer in the network is
more superior than the others)
•Aka 1-tier, unstructured, ad hoc, simple (Bluetooth)
•Used for communication and not administration.
•Computers can have same OS or different OS.
•OS in each computer considers itself more authoritative
than the other.
•They are easy to manage; do not require expertise,
less expensive.
•Not flexible (expand), unsecure and not practical: not
centralized.
 Client-Server
•One superior computer (server) serves the other
computer (clients / workstations).
•Server must be installed with NOS (MS windows server
2000, Novell, NetWare, UNIX and Linux, Windows NT)
•NOS designed to;
•Manage data and other resources for a number of
clients e.g files disks space, net work printers, computer
processing power and communication ports.
•Ensure that only authorized users access the network.
•Control which type of files a user can open and read.
•Restrict when and from where users can access the
network.
•Dictate which ruler’s computers will use to
communicate.
•Supply applications to users
Advantage
Client-Server
•Easy to manage and control other computers from
the server.
•More secure: use passwords and log ins.
•Allow filtered information e.g. (for exams, accounts,
personnel etc.)
Disadvantage
•Slow use of resources
•Failure of the server crumbles the organizations
operations; therefore need
•backups
•Several servers (secondary domain
controllers).
•May be complex: server software configuration to
server the other computers.
 Types of Servers
• File and print servers – manage print jobs and
file transfers.
•Mail servers for Emails.
•Application servers; handles applications e.g
databases.
•Communication serves for fax etc.
•Proxy server: provides proxy services and
stores frequently used websites to be accessed
locally rather than remotely
All these can be configure in one server, but will
make operations slow.
 Advantages of Computer Networks
Share resources : Software (e.g DBMS) and Hardware (e.g RAM)
Less running cost: Files are all on servers and thin client
More efficiency : Against system failure (Failing nodes can be by passed
and Additional backup servers), Group working (Single online project:
multiple participants for same free space) and Distributed processing
(Some heavy tasks can on some systems share out workload to idle
nodes on the network)
Faster :10,100mbps or even higher mbps as compared to ordinary
telecommunicating modems at 56k.
Facilitate communication (sending of documents, Faxes and internet or
ISDN lines e-mail)
Flexible working: Tele-working and data logging using portable
computers.
Security : Centralized control via servers
Data integrity: No duplicates of same documents in different files.
 Disadvantages
•Errors can be propagated: hard to
eradicate.
•Virus can spread across the entire system
•Costly to manage: extra staff without
adequate safeguards in place.
•Less secure than standalone.
•Complex network software.
•Not simple to install.
 Telephone Networks
A network that involves telephones and other
related devices
(i) Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTN)
•Similar to the internet.
•It is the network of world’s public circuit switched
telephone networks.
•Originally was a network of fixed line – analog
telephone system but digital now, that includes
mobile as well as fixed telephones.
•Use services like
ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network or Isolated
Subscriber Digital Network) is an international standard
for dial-up network access that integrates voice, data,
image and video services and transmits it as a true
digital signal over ordinary telephone copper wires;
results in better voice quality than analog phone. It also
offers circuit switched connections. It is a set of
protocols for establishing and breaking circuit switched
connections e.g. in video conferencing (for simultaneous
voice, video text).
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) – a family of technologies
that operate over existing copper telephone lines to
carry voice, data, and video digitally, but they have
higher transmission capacities than ISDN.
FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) – uses fibre technology to
(ii) Private Branch Exchange (PBX)
•privately owned or leased telephone switching
systems
•connects telephone extensions in-house and also
to the outside world vs switchboard
•Used to handle analog but now can handle both
digital and analog data
•Examples of PBX include hosted, mobile and IP-
Phone PBX Systems

•Discuss hosted, mobile and IP-Phone PBX Systems