INTRODUCTION TO

DATA COMMUNICATIONS

Computer Science & Information Technology

University of Juba,
South Sudan
CNT 411:Data Communications

Instructor: Richard Ring Kuach MSc, BCE

Email : ringkuach@gmail.com)
Data communications

wireless
links

wired
links

Modem Server
Workstation Modem Public Telephone Network

Simplified Communications Model

 Introduction to Data Communication and Networks What’s the Internet:

1. Computer or Devices
• billions of connected
PC computing devices:
• hosts = end systems global ISP
server
Mobile Network
• running network apps
wireless
laptop
smartphone Home
network
2. Communication links regional
• fiber, copper, ISP
wireless radio, satellite
links
wired
• transmission rate:
links bandwidth

3. Routing devices
 packet switches: forward
router packets (chunks of data)

• routers and switches Institutional

network
Data Communications, Data Networks, and The Internet

Data
Communications Data
The Internet
and Networking Communications
for Enterprise

A
Communications Networks
Model
Data communications

Data communications: deals with the transmission

of signals in a reliable and efficient manner.
• Signal Transmission,
• Transmission Media,
• Signal Encoding,
• Interfacing,
• Data Link Control,
• And Multiplexing.
Data communications

Networking: deals with technology and

architecture of the communications networks used
to interconnect communicating devices.
• Local Area Networks (LANS)
• And Wide Area Networks (WANs).
 A COMMUNICATIONS MODEL
The Fundamental purpose of a communications system is the
exchange of data between two or more parties.
• Example, communication between a workstation and a server over a public telephone
network.
• Exchange of voice signals between two telephones over the same network.
 Source System Destination System

Transmission
Source Transmitter Receiver Destination
System

General Block Diagram

 Destination: Takes the
Transmission system: This can be incoming data from the
Source. This device generates the

.
a single transmission line or a receiver.
data to be transmitted; examples are
complex network connecting
Telephones And personal computers
source and destination.

Transmitter: Data generated by a source system are transmitted in

signal. Transmitter transforms and encodes information in such a
way as to produce electromagnetic signals that can be transmitted
across some sort of transmission system. Modem takes a digital bit
stream from an attached device such as a personal computer and
transforms that bit stream into an analog signal that can be handled
by the telephone network.
Receiver: The receiver accepts the signal from
the transmission system and converts it into a
form that can be handled by the destination
device. For example, a modem will accept an
analog signal coming from a network or
transmission line and convert it into a digital bit
stream.
 Communications Tasks

Transmission system utilization Addressing

Interfacing Routing

Signal generation Recovery

Synchronization Message formatting

Exchange management Security

Error detection and correction Network management

Flow control
Transmission System Utilization
Refers to the need to make efficient use of transmission facilities
that are typically shared among a number of communicating
devices.
Various techniques (referred to as multiplexing) are used to allocate
the total capacity of a transmission medium among a number of
users.
Congestion control techniques may be required to assure that the
system is not overwhelmed by excessive demand for transmission
services.
Interface: device interface with the transmission system.

All the forms of communication depend on the use of electromagnetic signals propagated over a
transmission medium, once an interface is established,

signal generation is required for communication. The properties of the signal, such as form and
intensity, must be such that the signal is (1) capable of being propagated through the
transmission system, and (2) interpretable as data at the receiver.
Synchronization between transmitter and receiver. The receiver must be able to determine
when a signal begins to arrive and when it ends. It must also know the duration of each signal
element.
Exchange Management. If data are to be exchanged in both directions over a period of time, the
two parties must cooperate

Error detection and correction are required in circumstances where errors cannot be tolerated.
This is usually the case with data processing systems. Example, in transferring a file from one
computer to another, it is simply not acceptable for the contents of the file to be accidentally
altered.
Flow control is required to assure that the source does not overwhelm the destination by
sending data faster than they can be processed and absorbed.
Addressing and Routing. When more than two devices share a
transmission facility, a source system must indicate the identity of the
intended destination. The transmission system must assure that the
destination system, and only that system, receives the data.

Recovery is required in situations in which an information exchange, such

as a database transaction or file transfer, is interrupted due to a fault
somewhere in the system. The objective is either to be able to resume
activity at the point of interruption or at least to restore the state of the
systems involved to the condition prior to the beginning of the exchange
Message formatting has to do with an agreement
between two parties as to the form of the data to be
exchanged or transmitted, such as the binary code for
characters.
Network management capabilities are needed to
configure the system, monitor its status, react to failures
and overloads, and plan intelligently for future growth.
Security: it is important to provide some measure of security in a data
communications system. The sender of data may wish to be assured that
only the intended receiver actually receives the data. And the receiver of
data may wish to be assured that the received data have not been altered
in transit and that the data actually come from the purported sender.
Network management capabilities are needed to configure the system,
monitor its status, react to failures and overloads, and plan intelligently for
future growth.
Simplified Data Communications Model
The Transmission of Information

The transmission line. Multiplexing refers to

The information is the ability of a number
Wireless transmission
encoded and of devices to share a
transmitted across a line transmission facility.
The Transmission and Transmission Media
Information can be communicated by
converting it into an electromagnetic
signal and transmitting that signal
over some medium, such as a
twisted-pair telephone line.

• twisted-pair lines,
The most commonly used • coaxial cable,
transmission media are • optical fiber cable,
• and terrestrial and satellite microwave.

The data rates that can be achieved

and the rate at which errors can occur
depend on the nature of the signal
and the type of medium
NETWORKS
 Introduction to Computer Networks
Uses of Computer Networks

 Business Applications,
 Home Applications,
 Mobile Users,
 Social Issues
Introduction to Computer Networks

Network hardware
Two types of transmission technology used widespread
broadcast links and point-to-point links.

Transmission Technologies

Point-to-point Links Broadcast Links

 Introduction to Computer Networks
Point-to-point Links
Access point Access point

Point-to-point links is
connection between pairs of
machines from the source to
destination on a network Access point

Point-to-point links: short messages

called packets is first sent to one or
more intermediate machines to
establish connection.

Point-to-point transmission is achieved

with exactly one sender and one
receiver. This sometimes called
unicasting.
 Introduction to Computer Networks

Broadcast Links
Broadcast links connect two or more nodes and support broadcast transmission, where one node can transmit so
that all other nodes can receive the same transmission. Example Ethernet connection, satilite

Broadcast link (wireless network): is communication shared over a coverage region that depends on wireless
channel and transmitting machine.
 Introduction to Computer Networks

Broadcast Links
Broadcast network: Communication channel is
shared by all machines on network
• Packets sent by any machine are received by all the others.
• An address field within each packet specifies the intended
recipient.
• Upon receiving a packet, a machine checks address field.
• If the packet is intended for the receiving machine,
• That machine processes the packet;
• If the packet is intended for some other machine, it is
ignored.
 Introduction to Computer Networks

Network hardware
Broadcast links
Broadcast systems allow addressing packet to all destinations by using a special code
in the address field.

Packet with this code is transmitted, received and processed by every machine on
network. This mode of operation is called broadcasting

Some broadcast systems also support transmission to a subset of machines,

which known as multicasting.
 Classification Of Interconnected Processor By Scale

Classification of networks by scale. Distance is important as a classification metric because different

technologies are used at different scales.

Inter processor Processor Located

in Same Example
distance
1m Square meter
Personal Area Network
10m Room
100m Building
1km Campus Local Area Network
10km City
100km Country Metropolitan Area Network
1000km Continent
10,000km Planet Wide Area Network

Internet
(Burleigh et al., 2003
 Introduction to Computer Networks

Network hardware

Divided into local, metropolitan, and wide area networks, each with increasing scale.

Brief Introduction To Network Hardware By Scale

 Personal Area Networks,

 Local Area Networks,
 Metropolitan Area Networks,
 Wide Area Networks,
 Internetworks,
 Introduction to Computer Networks

Personal Area Networks

PANs (Personal Area Networks) let devices communicate over range of a
person. Example is a wireless network that connects a computer with its
peripherals.

Almost every computer has an attached monitor, keyboard,

mouse, and printer. Without using wireless, this connection
must be done with cables.

Users, companies design a short-range wireless network

called Bluetooth to connect components without wires.
 Introduction to Computer Networks

Local Area Networks

Networks used to interconnect computers in a single room, rooms within a
building or buildings on one site are called Local Area Network (LAN).

LAN transmits data with a speed of several megabits per second

 The transmission medium is normally coaxial cables.

LAN links computers, in the same area for the purpose of sharing information.

Usually LAN links computers within a limited geographical area because they
must be connected by a cable, which is quite expensive.
People working in LAN get more capabilities in data processing, work
processing and other information exchange compared to stand-alone
computers.
 Introduction to Computer Networks

Local Area Networks

Characteristics of LAN
• Every computer has the potential to communicate
with any other computers on network
• High level of connection between computers
• Easy physical connection of computers in a network
• Inexpensive medium of data transmission
• High data transmission rate

When LANs are used by companies, they are called enterprise networks. This device, called an
AP (Access Point), wireless router, or base station,
Introduction to Computer Networks

Local Area Networks

To ISP Network

To Wired
Network Switch

Ethernet

Wireless LAN (a) 802.11 Wired LAN (b) Switched Ethernet

 Introduction to Computer Networks

Local Area Networks

Uses of LAN
1) File transfers and Access
2) Word and text processing
3) Electronic message handling
4) Remote database access
5) Personal computing
6) Digital voice transmission and storage
 Introduction to Computer Networks

Metropolitan Area Networks

A MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) covers a city: Examples of MANs are cable television networks.

Antenna systems used in areas with poor over-the-air television reception.

Television signals & Internet being fed into centralized

cable headend for subsequent distribution to people’s
homes.
Antenna

Junction Box

Head End

Development of highspeed wireless Internet

access have resulted in another MAN has been
standardized as IEEE 802.16 known as WiMAX.

Internet Junction Box Metropolitan Area Network Based on cable TV

 Introduction to Computer Networks

Wide Area Networks

Wide Area Network
A WAN (Wide Area Network) spans a large geographical area, often a country or continent. wired WANs,
using the example of a company with branch offices in different cities.

 Wide Area Network (WAN) is used to describe a computer network spanning a

regional, national or global area.
 For example, a large company head quarters might be at Juba and regional branches at
Wau, and Malakal.
 Transmission medium used are normally telephone lines, microwaves and satellite
links.
 Subnet

o n L ine Router 2 Malakal

Wau ns mi s si
Tra
Router 3

Juba
Router 1

WAN connects three branch offices in

South Sudan
 Introduction to Computer Networks

Wide Area Networks

Characteristics of Wide Area Network

1. Every computer has the potential to communicate with any other
computers of the network
2. High degree of connection between computers
3. Easy physical connection of computers in a network
4. Inexpensive medium of data transmission
5. High data transmission rate
Introduction to Computer Networks

Wide Area Networks

Characteristics of WAN
6. Remote Data Entry is possible in WAN. It means sitting at any location you can
enter data, update data and query other information of any computer
attached to the WAN.

7. Centralized Information: This means if the organization is spread over many

cities, they keep their important business data in a single place. WAN
permits collection of this data from different sites and save at a single site.

Ethernet: Ethernet developed by Xerox Corporation is a famous example of WAN

 Introduction to Computer Networks
Difference between LAN and WAN
LAN WAN
1. LAN is restricted to limited
geographical area of few kilometers.
2. In LAN, computer terminals and
peripheral devices are connected with
wires and coaxial cables.
3. Cost of data transmission in LAN is less
because the transmission medium is
owned by a single organization.
4. The speed of data transmission is
much higher in LAN than in WAN.
5. Few data transmission errors occur in
LAN compared to WAN.
1. But WAN covers great distance and
operate nationwide or even worldwide.
2. In WAN there is no physical connection.
Communication is done through telephone
lines and satellite links.
3. In case of WAN the cost of data
transmission is very high because the
transmission medium used are hired,
either telephone lines or satellite links.
4. The speed of data transmission is low in
WAN than in LAN.
5. High data transmission errors occur in LAN
compared to WAN.
 Introduction to Computer Networks

Internetworks
Internetworks: connection of different, and frequently incompatible
networks with different hardware and software.

A collection of interconnected networks is an internetwork or internet.

 Introduction to Computer Networks

Internetworks
Internetworks: connection of different, and frequently incompatible
networks with different hardware and software.
A collection of interconnected networks is an internetwork or internet.
The Internet uses ISP networks to connect enterprise networks, home networks,
and other networks.
Subnets, networks, and internetworks are often confused

The term ‘‘subnet’’ makes the most sense in the context of a wide area network,
where it refers to the collection of routers and communication lines owned by
the network operator
 Internetworks
An internet is formed when distinct networks are interconnected, connecting a LAN and
WAN connecting two LANs is way to form an internetwork,

There are two rules of thumb that are useful.

First, if different organizations have paid to construct different parts of network and each
maintains its part, we have an internetwork rather than a single network..

Second, if the underlying technology is different in different parts (e.g., broadcast versus
point-to-point and wired versus wireless), we probably have an internetwork

Two different networks can be connected. The machine that makes a connection between two
or more networks and provides necessary translation, both in terms of hardware and
software, is called a gateway. Gateway are distinguished by layer at which its operate in
protocol hierarchy