Basic Networking Concept

Chetana Kamlaskar
Lecturer, School of Science and Technology
YCMOU,Nashik

Friends, welcome to Electronics Engineering Diploma Programme (EEDP).

Now, all of you are familiar with this programme quite well. Our school always try
to encourage/ motivate the students for the study with the help of latest
technology. In this programme to increase interaction with the students or to
bridge the distance, Internet is used as the master medium. To learn faster and
get better knowledge, the various techniques like Online Counselling, Virtual
Classroom Models (VCMs) and Online self-test are available on website at
http://www.ycmou.com. Apart from this, we try to interact with you through this
patrika.
This is one of the best examples of communication system where you can easily
find out how the theoretical knowledge has been applied? Can you guess how it is
possible? Yes! You can understand very well only if you study Computer Network
Technology course. That’s why, in Diploma in Computer Technology, Computer
Network Technology (CNT072) course has been introduced. It not only initiates
you but also prepare you to focus on the real world problems.
Friends, today in brief, we discuss here a part of this course, Networking concept,
how it works and how would you provide powerful networks of computers. The few
questions obviously come in mind are:
What is network? Network is a group of computers and other devices like printer,
scanners, fax machine, CD R/W drive etc. connected together is called a network.
What is networking? As network consists of two or more computers connected to
exchange data or share expensive resources like printer, scanners, etc. The
concept of computers connected togethers to share the resources is called
Networking.

Basic Network Concepts

We can say networks are an interconnection of computers. These computers can
be linked together using a wide variety of different cabling types, and for a wide
variety of different purposes. The basis reasons why computers are networked are:
to share resources (files, printers, modems, fax machines)
to share application software (MS Office)
increase productivity (make it easier to share data amongst users)

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Take for example a typical office scenario where a number of users in a small
business require access to common information. As long as all user computers are
connected via a network, they can share their files, exchange mail, schedule
meetings, send faxes and print documents all from any point of the network.
What are the advantages of networking?
Friends, Some advantages are listed here,
Sharing of peripheral devices: The best way to use highly expensive
hardware like laser printers, disk drivers are to connect the peripheral
devices to a network serving several computer users.
Sharing of programs and data: In most organizations, people use the
same software and need access to the same information. By sharing the
software users can easily update the changes. It is economical to purchase
network version program (software) than individual copy for each employee.
Better communications: The greatest feature of network is E-mail. The
important information can be easily posted without any delay to each other.
In short, networks enhance the usefulness of computers.
What are types of Networks? Networks are categorized principally in the following
three sizes. LAN, MAN and WAN
Local Area Network
It is abbreviated as LAN. A local network that links computers, terminals and
other devices within a limited geographic area such as a college campus, one office
or perhaps one building.

Metropolitan Area Network

It is abbreviated as MAN. A communication network which covering a geographic
area size of a city or suburb. A MAN covers more area than LAN, ranging from
several blocks of building to entire cities. The purpose of a MAN is often to bypass
local telephone companies when accessing long distance services. Cellular phone is
one of the examples of MAN.

Wide Area Network

It is abbreviated as WAN. A communication network covers a wide geographical
area such as a state or a country. Some examples are Telenet, Uninet, Tymnet and
Accunet. The Internet links together hundreds of computer WANs.
Suppose, in your office, you want to do networking. You should have some basic
information about networking. In this article, the essential information, you must
have before proceeding for LAN implementation is given. As mentioned in the
types of networks, office network comes in the category of LAN. The typical
characteristics of a LAN are,

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 physically limited (< 2km)
high bandwidth (> 1Mbps)
inexpensive cable media (coax or twisted pair)
data and hardware sharing between users
owned by the user
Here, which aspects of local network you have to consider are mentioned:
Types of LANs
Topology of LANs
Components of LAN
Let us see one by one aspects of LAN:

Types of LANs
There are many ways in which computers can provide services and manage users
into logical groups. Computer plays three types of role such as Clients, Peers and
Severs. Based on the roles of the computers networks are divided into three types:
Client-server network
Peer to peer network
Hybrid network
Client-server network
A powerful computer which is used only to provide the resources shared on a
network is known as server whereas client is a computer which use but do not
provide network resources.
In client/server, client is requesting computer and server is delivering computer.
Take an example of company, you can‘t interfere with another work without prior
permission of your Boss. Here, Boss is controlling/central person plays a role of
server and yourself as a client.
The advantages of client-server network are
Strong central security
Ability of share expensive equipment
Central data storage
Dedicated server provides faster service
The above advantages you get by paying penalty against it. It requires expensive
dedicated hardware, expensive network operating system and client’s licenses.
Peer to peer network:
The word peer denotes one who is equal in standing with another. All computers
on the network communicate directly with one another without relying on a server.

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In this there is no Boss, each one has equal rights. This network is defined by lack
of central control over the network as there is no server in peer network, users
simply share resources.
The advantages are
Easy setup
No network administrator required
Ability of users to control resources sharing
Lower cost for small networks
This network too, have disadvantages such as additional load on computers,
inability of peers to handle as many network connections as servers, lack of central
management which can make data hard to find.
Hybrid network
Peer to peer networks are usually less secure than client/server network because
peer network use share level security while client/server network commonly use
file level or access permission security. This network has both network advantages
and client/server network disadvantage. The most of LAN has hybrid network.
Topology of LANs
Networks can be laid out in different ways. The physical layout, or shape of
network, or the way in which network connections are made is called a topology. It
refers especially the locations of computers and how the cable is run between
them. It is important to select the right topology for how the network will be used.
There are five basic topologies:
Bus
Star
Ring
Hybrid
FDDI
Let us consider Bus topology
In a bus topology the computers are connected in a line, the cable is just one or
more wires; pass it along from computer to computer. It is a passive topology.
How a Bus Network Works
When one computer sends a signal up (and down) the wire, all the computers on
the network receive the information, but only one (the one with the address that
matches the one encoded in the message) accepts the information. The rest
disregard the message. Only one computer at a time can send a message;
therefore, the number of computers attached to a bus network can significantly

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affect the speed of the network. A computer must wait until the bus is free before
it can transmit. Figure 1 shows Bus network.

Figure 1: All computers are connected to common channel (BUS)

The important issue in bus networks is termination. Since the bus is a passive
topology, the electrical signal from a transmitting computer is free to travel the
entire length of the cable. Without termination, when the signal reaches the end of
the wire, it bounces back and travels back up the wire. When a signal echoes back
and forth along an unterminated bus, it is called ringing. To stop the signals from
ringing, you have to attach terminators at either end of the segment. The
terminators absorb the electrical energy and stop the reflections. Cables cannot be
left unterminated in a bus network.
Advantages
Simple, easy to use, and suitable for very small networks
Least amount of cable is required to connect the computers together and
therefore it is less expensive.
Easy to extend a bus, two cables can be joined with a BNC barrel connector,
allowing more computers to join the network.
Disadvantages
Heavy network traffic can slow a bus considerably
Each connector reduces the strength of the electrical signal
A cable break or loose connector will cause reflections and the entire network
will stop.
As the number of workstations(computers) increase, the speed of the
network slows down
Star Topology
A star network is one in which all the cables run from the computers to a central
location, where they are all connected by a device called a hub. Figure 2 shows a
star topology.
How a Star Network Works
Each computer on a star network communicates with a central hub that resends
the message either to all the computers (in a broadcast star network) or only to
the destination computer (in a switched star network). The hub in a broadcast star
network can be active or passive.

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 Figure 2: In a star topology the computers are all connected
by Cables to a central point
An active hub regenerates the electrical signal and sends it to all the computers
connected to it. This type of hub is often called a multiport repeater. Active hubs
and switches require electrical power to run.
A passive hub, such as wiring panels or punch-down blocks acts as a connection
point and does not amplify or regenerate the signal. Passive hubs do not require
electrical power to run.
Advantages
It is easy to modify and add new computers to a star network without
disturbing the rest of the network.
Hub can accommodate multiple cable types.
Fault finding becomes very simple
Single computer failure does not bring down the whole network
It is more flexible among the remaining topology.
Disadvantages
If central hub fails, the entire network collapses. Because every computer is
given equal access to the token, no one computer can monopolize the
network.
It is more expensive because all network cables must be pulled to one
central point.
Ring Topology
In this, each computer is connected to the next computer with the last one
connected to the first.
How a Ring Network Works
Every computer is connected to the next computer in the ring, and each
retransmits what it receives from the previous computer. The messages flow in
one direction. Since each computer retransmits what it receives, a ring is an active
network. There is no signal loss problems and termination requirement like bus
topology because there is no end to the ring.

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 Figure 3: Ring Topology
An example of a ring network is IBM's Token Ring Network, in which a bit pattern
(called a "token") determines which user on the network can send information. A
short message called a token is passed around the ring until a computer wishes to
send information to another computer. That computer modifies the token, adds an
electronic address and data, and sends it around the ring. Each computer in
sequence receives the token and the information and passes them to the next
computer until either the electronic address matches the address of a computer or
the token returns to its origin. The receiving computer returns a message to the
originator indicating that the message has been received. The sending computer
then creates another token and places it on the network, allowing another station
to capture the token and begin transmitting. The token circulates until a station is
ready to send and captures the token.
This all happens very quickly: a token can circle a ring 200 meters in diameter at
about 10,000 times a second. Some even faster networks circulate several tokens
at once. Other ring networks have two counter-rotating rings that help them
recover from network faults.
Advantages
Because every computer is given equal access to the token, no one
computer can monopolize the network.
Disadvantages
Failure of one computer on the ring can affect the whole network.
Difficult to troubleshoot
Adding or removing computers disrupts the network
Star Bus and Star Ring Topology (Hybrid Network)
Hybrid networks are combinations of star, ring, and bus networks. For example, a
small college campus might use a bus network to connect buildings and star and
ring networks within certain buildings.

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Star Bus
The star bus topology combines the bus and the star, linking several star hubs
together with bus trunks as shown in figure 4. If one computer fails, the hub can
detect the fault and isolate the computer. If a hub fails, computers connected to it
will not be able to communicate, and the bus network will be broken into two
segments that cannot reach each other.

Figure 4: Star Bus

Star Ring
In the star ring, also called the star wired ring, the network cables are laid out
much like a star network, but a ring is implemented in the central hub. Outlying
hubs can be connected to the inner hub, effectively extending a loop of the inner
ring. Figure 5 shows this connection.

Figure 5 Star Ring

FDDI Network
A newer and higher-speed network is the FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface).
It is a ring based topology, capable of transmitting 100-200 Mbps. FDDI network
uses fiber-optic cables to implement fast, reliable network. It uses a token passing
scheme to control network access, in this not one but two "token rings” are used.

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The FDDI network is being used for such high- tech purposes as electronic
imaging, high-resolution graphics, and digital video.
One advantage of the FDDI network is clearly its speed. Another is that because
two rings are used, if one should fail, the network can continue operating with the
second ring. The disadvantage of FDDI is its cost.
Components of LAN
Connections or cable system: The transmission media for the network is
broadly divided into two categories wired or wireless. Wired or cable media is
typically used for small LANs. Wired connections may be twisted pair, coaxial or
fiber-optic cable. Wireless connection may be infrared or radio-wave transmission.
Wireless networks are especially useful if computers are portable and are moved
often.
Let us consider Wired LAN: Cable is used to interconnect computers and network
components together. There are THREE main cable types used today such as
twisted pair, coax and fiber optic. The choice of cable depends upon a number of
factors, like
cost
distance
number of computers involved
speed
requirements [called bandwidth] i.e., how fast data is to be transferred
1. Twisted pair cable consists of 2 wires twisted together into a pair. Generally
several pair is bundled together into a cable. Currently two grades of twisted
pair cable are in use:
a. Category 3, which is usually limited to 10 Mb/s, and
b. Category 5, which is usually limited to 100 Mb/s.
A category 3 offer data rates up to 16Mbps for example the data cable in the
College of Engineering is category 3. Category 5 offers enhancement over
Category 3, it support fast Ethernet, more insulation and higher data rate more
than 20Mbps. The main difference between category 3 and category 5 wire is
that the category 5 pairs are twisted together tighter.
The features of twisted pair cable are,
reasonably cheap
reasonably easy to terminate [special crimp connector tools are necessary
for reliable operation ]
low to medium capacity
medium to high loss

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 category 2 = up to 1Mbps (Telephone wiring)
category 3 = up to 10Mbps (Ethernet and 10BaseT)
category 5 = 100MBps (supports 10BaseT and 100BaseT)
used in Token Ring (4 or 16MBps), 10BaseT (Ethernet 10MBps), 100BaseT
(Ethernet 100Mbps )
Twisted pair cable can be either shielded where the pairs are enclosed in an
electrical conductor or unshielded where the shield is omitted. In addition to the
overall shield, each pair can be shielded separately. Most of the twisted pair cable
from a closet into a room has 4 pairs and is unshielded.
Unshielded Twisted Pair cable used in Category 5 looks like

2) Coaxial cable consists of one wire with a second conductor around the wire.
Its characteristic impedance describes coaxial cable. Two common values of the
characteristic impedance are 50-ohm, which is used for Ethernet, and 75-ohm,
which is used for cable television. The larger diameter cables can be used for
longer cable runs.
Coaxial cable has traditionally been the cable of choice for low cost, small user
networks. This has been mainly due to its ease of use and low cost. Persons with
minimal network understanding can readily build a LAN using coax components,
which can often be purchased in kit ready format.
The general features of coaxial cable are,
medium capacity
Ethernet systems (10Mbps)
slighter dearer than UTP
more difficult to terminate
not as subject to interference as UTP
care when bending and installing is needed
10Base2 uses RG-58AU (also called Thin-Net or Cheaper Net)
10Base5 uses a thicker solid core coaxial cable (also called Thick-Net)
Thin coaxial cable [RG-58AU rated at 50 ohms], as used in Ethernet LAN's, looks
like

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3) Fibre optic cable
Fibre optic cable is considered the default choice for connections involving high
speed [large bandwidth requirements like video, large database systems], long
distances and interconnecting networks. It costs more than either twisted pair or
coax, and requires special connectors and jointing methods.
The features of fiber-optic cable systems are,
expensive
used for backbones [linking LAN’s together] or FDDI rings (100Mbps)
high capacity [100Mbps]
immune to electromagnetic interference
low loss
difficult to join
connectors are expensive
long distance

A) Multi-mode consists of a core of glass surrounded by another kind of glass

with a different refractive index. Typical values for the core diameter are 50 µm,
62.5 µm, and 75 µm. The diameter of the outer layer is typically 125 µm. Multi-
mode fiber is characterized by the bandwidth-distance product which tells how far
a signal can be transmitted before it becomes too spread out. A typical value is
200 MHz-km.
Multi-mode fiber optic cables are used in campus. The fiber inside buildings is 160
MHz-km and the fiber outside buildings is 200 MHz-km bandwidth-distance
product. Multi-mode fiber can carry data up to about 100 Mb/s for about 2000
meters. The maximum length decreases for higher data rates. Either a light
emitting diode or a laser can drive multi-mode fiber.
B) Single-mode fiber optic cable consists of a smaller glass fiber than multi-mode
fiber. A typical single mode fiber is 8 µm. Single mode fiber can transmit data for

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longer distances at higher rates than multi-mode fiber. A laser drives single mode
fiber.
Computers with interface cards: Two or more microcomputers are required,
along with network interface cards. A network interface card, which is
inserted into an expansion slot in a microcomputer, enables the computer to
send and receive messages on the LAN. The interface card can also exist in a
separate box, which can serve a number of devices.
Network operating system: As mentioned, the network operating system
software manages the activity of the network. Depending on the type of
network, the operating system software may be stored on the file server, on
each microcomputer on the network, or a combination of both.
Examples of network operating systems are Novell's NetWare, Microsoft's
Windows NT, and IBM's LAN. Peer-to-peer networking can also be
accomplished with AppleTalk, Windows 95 or 98, Windows NT Workstation,
and Microsoft Windows for Workgroups.
Other shared devices: Printers, fax machines, scanners, storage devices, and
other peripherals may be added to the network as necessary and shared by
all users.
Friends, this section covers fundamental part of networking. The detail about this
network tutorial will be continued in the next Sanvad Patrika.
Your comments and suggestions are appreciated. Please send email to me at
chetana_k@rediffmail.com for any positive suggestions or comments you may
have about this study guide or network tutorial.

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