Computer Networking

SYNOPSIS OF DISSERTATION
ON

NETWORKING
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Master of Technology in Information Technology By

Jatinder Garg
(Roll No. 1021DMTE1255)

Supervisor: _______________________________________

Information Technology Department Karnataka State Open University Manasagangotri, Mysore 570006 Karnataka (2009-2010)

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Computer Networking

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the Dissertation entitled NETWORKING TECHNOLOGY submitted by Jatinder Garg having Roll No. 1021DMTE1255 for the partial fulfillment of the requirements of Master of Technology degree of Karnataka State Open University, Mysore, embodies the bonafied work done by him under over supervision.

Place:__________________

Signature of Internal Supervisor Name:

Date:__________________

Designation: Employing Organization Name and Address:

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Computer Networking

Abstract Format:

Karnataka State Open University, Mysore

Roll No Name of the Student E-mail Address Internal Supervisors Name Internal Supervisors Employing Organization 1021DMTE1255 Jatinder Garg ergarg.86@gmail.com _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________

Internal Supervisors E-mail Address Dissertation Title

_________________ Signature of the Student Name: Date: Place:

____________________________ Signature of Internal Supervisor Name: Date: Place:

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Computer Networking

Table of Contents
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Introduction Objectives of the Dissertation Components of a Network Types of Networks Topologies of Networks Scope of the Solution Analysis Future scope and further enhancement of the Dissertation Bibliography

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Computer Networking

Introduction
A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of computers and devices connected by communications channels that facilitates communications among users and allows users to share resources with other users. Networks may be classified according to a wide variety of characteristics. A computer network allows sharing of resources and information among devices connected to the network. Computer networks can be used for several purposes: Facilitating Communications Using a network, people can communicate efficiently and easily via e-mail, instant messaging, chat rooms, telephone, video telephone calls, and video conferencing.

Sharing Hardware In a networked environment, each computer on a network can access and use hardware on the network. Suppose several personal computers on a network each require the use of a laser printer. If the personal computers and a laser printer are connected to a network, each user can then access the laser printer on the network, as they need it.

Sharing files, data and information In a network environment, any authorized user can access data and information stored on other computers on the network. The capability of providing access to data and information on shared storage devices is an important feature of many networks.

Sharing Software Users connected to a network can access application programs on the network.

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Computer Networking

Fig 1 gives an example of a network in a school comprising of a local area network or LAN connecting computers with each other, the internet, and various servers.

Access to: Internet content & learning resources, Scoilnet etc Email communication

File and Print Server CD or Multimedia Servers Printers , Scanners etc

Users computers

Cache, Proxy, Filtering, Firewall Server

School Local Area Network (LAN)

Modem or Router

Other users, computers

Fig 1: Representation of Network in a school.

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Computer Networking

Objectives of Dissertation
To study how implement a functional networking. Many challenges must be faced especially in the areas of connectivity, reliability, network management and flexibility. To study how connecting systems to support communication among disparate technologies using different-different internet services To provide centralized support and troubleshooting in an internetwork

To provide security within an internetwork for an internetwork to function smoothly and secure form the perspective of protecting the private network from viruses and outside attacks. To differentiate leased line & dial up Network with Cable Network.

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Computer Networking

Components of a Network
A computer network comprises the following components: A minimum of at least 2 computers Cables that connect the computers to each other, although wireless communication is becoming more common (see Advice Sheet 20 for more information) A network interface device on each computer (this is called a network interface card or NIC) A Switch used to switch the data from one point to another. Hubs are outdated and are little used for new installations. Network operating system software

Structured Cabling
The two most popular types of structured network cabling are twisted-pair (also known as 10BaseT) and thin coax (also known as 10Base2). 10BaseT cabling looks like ordinary telephone wire, except that it has 8 wires inside instead of 4. Thin coax looks like the copper coaxial cabling that's often used to connect a Video Recorder to a TV.

10BaseT Cabling
When 10BaseT cabling is used, a strand of cabling is inserted between each computer and a hub. If you have 5 computers, you'll need 5 cables. Each cable cannot exceed 325 feet in length. Because the cables from all of the PCs converge at a common point, a 10BaseT network forms a star configuration.

Fig 4a shows a Cat5e cable, with a standard connector, known as an RJ-45 connector.

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Computer Networking

Fig 4a: Cat5e Cable and a close up of RJ-45 connector

Fig 4b shows a standard Cat5e Wall Outlet socket which the cables are connected to.

Fig 4b: Cat5e Wall Outlets

Fig 4c shows a standard Cat5e Patch Panel Wall Outlet socket which is used to terminate the cables from various points in the school bank to a central point.

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Computer Networking

Fig 4c: Cat5e Patch Panel

Fig 4d shows a wall mounted cabinet used to house and protect patch panel cables and connectors.

Fig4d: Wall Mounted Cabinet

10BaseT cabling is available in different grades or categories. Some grades, or "cats", are required for Fast Ethernet networks, while others are perfectly acceptable for standard 10Mbps networks--and less expensive, too. All new networks use a minimum of standard

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Computer Networking unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) Category 5e 10BaseT cabling because it offers a performance advantage over lower grades.

Network Interface Card (NIC)

A NIC (pronounced 'nick') is also known as a network card. It connects the computer to the cabling, which in turn links all of the computers on the network together. Each computer on a network must have a network card. Most modern network cards are 10/100 NICs and can operate at either 10Mbps or 100Mbps. Only NICs supporting a minimum of 100Mbps should be used in new installations schools. Computers with a wireless connection to a network also use a network card (see Advice Sheet 20 for more information on wireless networking).

Fig 5: Network Interface Cards (NICs)

Hub and Switch

A hub is a device used to connect a PC to the network. The function of a hub is to direct information around the network, facilitating communication between all connected devices. However in new installations switches should be used instead of hubs as they are more effective and provide better performance. A switch, which is often termed a 'smart hub'. Switches and hubs are technologies or boxes to which computers, printers, and other networking devices are connected. Switches are the more recent technology and the accepted way of building today's networks. With switching, each connection gets "dedicated bandwidth" and can operate at full speed. In contrast, a hub shares bandwidth across multiple connections such that activity from one PC or server can slow down the effective speed of other connections on the hub. Now more affordable than ever, Dual-speed 10/100 autosensing switches are recommended for all school networks. Schools may want to consider upgrading any hub based networks with switches to improve network performance i.e. speed of data on the network. Page 11 of 23

Computer Networking

Fig 6a: An 8 port Hub

Fig 6b: 2 Examples of 24 port Switches

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Computer Networking

Types of Networks
There are many categories under which networks can be classified into. The following types of network are categorized on the basis of the number of systems or devices that are under the networked area:

LAN - Local Area Network

A LAN connects network devices over a relatively short distance. A networked office building, school, or home usually contains a single LAN, though sometimes one building will contain a few small LANs (perhaps one per room), and occasionally a LAN will span a group of nearby buildings. In TCP/IP networking, a LAN is often but not always implemented as a single IP subnet. In addition to operating in a limited space, LANs are also typically owned, controlled, and managed by a single person or organization. They also tend to use certain connectivity technologies, primarily Ethernet and Token Ring.

MAN Metropolitan Area Network

A metropolitan area network (MAN) is a computer network that usually spans a city or a large campus. A MAN usually interconnects a number of local area networks (LANs) using a high-capacity backbone technology, such as fiber-optical links, and provides up-link services to wide area networks (or WAN) and the Internet. The IEEE 802-2002 standard describes a MAN as being A MAN is optimized for a larger geographical area than a LAN, ranging from several blocks of buildings to entire cities. MANs can also depend on communications channels of moderate-to-high data rates. A MAN might be owned and operated by a single organization, but it usually will be used by many individuals and organizations. MANs might also be owned and operated as public utilities. They will often provide means for internetworking of local networks.

WAN - Wide Area Network

As the term implies, a WAN spans a large physical distance. The Internet is the largest WAN, spanning the Earth. A WAN is a geographically-dispersed collection of LANs. A network device called a router connects LANs to a WAN. In IP networking, the router maintains both a LAN address and a WAN address. A WAN differs from a LAN in several important ways. Most WANs (like the Internet) are not owned by any one organization but rather exist under collective or

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Computer Networking distributed ownership and management. WANs tend to use technology like ATM, Frame Relay and X.25 for connectivity over the longer distances. Another type of network classification is the following:When a group of two or more computers are linked together, they can broadly be classified into two types of networks: 1.Peer-to-peer networks are more commonly implemented where less then ten computers are involved and where strict security is not necessary. All computers have the same status, hence the term 'peer', and they communicate with each other on an equal footing. Files, such as word processing or spreadsheet documents, can be shared across the network and all the computers on the network can share devices, such as printers or scanners, which are connected to any one computer.

Peer to Peer Network

Fig 2: Peer to Peer Networking

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Computer Networking

2.Client/server networks are more suitable for larger networks. A central computer, or 'server', acts as the storage location for files and applications shared on the network. Usually the server is a higher than average performance computer. The server also controls the network access of the other computers which are referred to as the 'client' computers. Typically, everybody will have access to use the client computers for their work but only the network administrator will have access rights to the server.

File Server

Other equipment

Fig 3: Client - Server Networking

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Topologies of Networks
Network topology is the layout pattern of interconnections of the various elements (links, nodes, etc.) of a computer or biological network. Network topologies may be physical or logical. Physical topology refers to the physical design of a network including the devices, location and cable installation. Logical topology refers to how data is actually transferred in a network as opposed to its physical design. In general physical topology relates to a core network whereas logical topology relates to basic network.

Point-to-point
The simplest topology is a permanent link between two endpoints. Switched point-topoint topologies are the basic model of conventional telephony. The value of a permanent point-to-point network is unimpeded communications between the two endpoints. The value of an on-demand point-to-point connection is proportional to the number of potential pairs of subscribers

BUS
In local area networks where bus topology is used, each node is connected to a single cable. Each computer or server is connected to the single bus cable. A signal from the source travels in both directions to all machines connected on the bus cable until it finds the intended recipient. If the machine address does not match the intended address for the data, the machine ignores the data. Alternatively, if the data matches the machine address, the data is accepted. Since the bus topology consists of only one wire, it is rather inexpensive to implement when compared to other topologies. However, the low cost of implementing the technology is offset by the high cost of managing the network. Additionally, since only one cable is utilized, it can be the single point of failure. If the network cable is terminated on both ends and when without termination data transfer stop and when cable breaks, the entire network will be down.

STAR
In local area networks with a star topology, each network host is connected to a central hub with a point-to-point connection. The network does not necessarily have to resemble a star to be classified as a star network, but all of the nodes on the network must be connected to Page 16 of 23

Computer Networking one central device. All traffic that traverses the network passes through the central hub. The hub acts as a signal repeater. The star topology is considered the easiest topology to design and implement. An advantage of the star topology is the simplicity of adding additional nodes. The primary disadvantage of the star topology is that the hub represents a single point of failure.

RING
A network topology that is set up in a circular fashion in which data travels around the ring in one direction and each device on the right acts as a repeater to keep the signal strong as it travels. Each device incorporates a receiver for the incoming signal and a transmitter to send the data on to the next device in the ring. The network is dependent on the ability of the signal to travel around the ring.

MESH
The value of fully meshed networks is proportional to the exponent of the number of subscribers, assuming that communicating groups of any two endpoints, up to and including all the endpoints, The number of connections in a full mesh = n(n - 1) / 2. The physical fully connected mesh topology is generally too costly and complex for practical Page 17 of 23

Computer Networking networks, although the topology is used when there are only a small number of nodes to be interconnected

TREE
The type of network topology in which a central 'root' node (the top level of the hierarchy) is connected to one or more other nodes that are one level lower in the hierarchy (i.e., the second level) with a point-to-point link between each of the second level nodes and the top level central 'root' node, while each of the second level nodes that are connected to the top level central 'root' node will also have one or more other nodes that are one level lower in the hierarchy (i.e., the third level) connected to it, also with a point-to-point link, the top level central 'root' node being the only node that has no other node above it in the hierarchy (The hierarchy of the tree is symmetrical.) Each node in the network having a specific fixed number, of nodes connected to it at the next lower level in the hierarchy, the number, being referred to as the 'branching factor' of the hierarchical tree. This tree has individual peripheral nodes. A network that is based upon the physical hierarchical topology must have at least three levels in the hierarchy of the tree, since a network with a central 'root' node and only one hierarchical level below it would exhibit the physical topology of a star. A network that is based upon the physical hierarchical topology and with a branching factor of 1 would be classified as a physical linear topology.

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Protocol
Protocol is an agreed-upon format for transmitting data between two devices. The protocol determines the following: i. The type of error checking to be used data compression method, ii. If any how the sending device will indicate that it has finished sending a message iii. How the receiving device will indicate that it has received a message. There are a variety of standard protocols from which programmers can choose. Each has particular advantages and disadvantages; for example, some are simpler than others, some are more reliable, and some are faster. From a user's point of view, the only interesting aspect about protocols is that your computer or device must support the right ones if you want to communicate with other computers. The protocol can be implemented either in hardware or in software.

Common types of protocols:

Internet Protocol Transmission Control Protocol Hypertext Transfer Protocol Post Office Protocol File Transfer Protocol

Importance of Protocol
The protocols in human communication are separate rules about appearance, speaking, listening and understanding. All these rules, also called protocols of conversation, represent different layers of communication. They work together to help people successfully communicate. The need for protocols also applies to network devices. Computers have no way of learning protocols, so network engineers have written rules for communication that must be strictly followed for successful host-to-host communication. These rules apply to different layers of sophistication such as which physical connections to use, how hosts listen, how to interrupt, how to say good-bye, and in short how to communicate, what language to use and many others. These rules, or protocols, that work together to ensure successful communication are grouped into what is known as a protocol suite.

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Dissertation Category
Computer network Technologies

Tools-Used
ISPS Networking Devices Various Networking Technologies Networking protocols

Platform used
Proprietary LAN server environment LAN OFC network

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Architecture
The term architecture can refer to either hardware or software, or to a combination of hardware and software. The architecture of a system always defines its broad outlines, and may define precise mechanisms as well. An open architecture allows the system to be connected easily to devices and programs made by other manufacturers. Open architectures use off-the-shelf components and conform to approved standards. A system with a closed architecture, on the other hand, is one whose design is proprietary, making it difficult to connect the system to other systems. The difference between a topology and an architecture. A topology is concerned with the physical arrangement of the network components. In contrast, an architecture addresses the components themselves and how a system is structured (cable access methods, lower level

protocols, topology, etc.). An example of an architecture is 10baseT Ethernet which typically uses the start topology.

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Wireless Networks
The term 'wireless network' refers to two or more computers communicating using standard network rules or protocols, but without the use of cabling to connect the computers together. Instead, the computers use wireless radio signals to send information from one to the other. A wireless local area network (WLAN) consists of two key components: an access point (also called a base station) and a wireless card. Information can be transmitted between these two components as long as they are fairly close together (up to 100 metres indoors or 350 metres outdoors).

Fig: Wireless Access point or Wireless Base station

Suppliers would need to visit the schools and conduct a site survey. This will determine the number of base stations you need and the best place(s) to locate them. A site survey will also enable each supplier to provide you with a detailed quote. It is important to contact a number of different suppliers as prices, equipment and opinions may vary. When the term 'wireless network' is used today, it usually refers to a wireless local area network or WLAN. A WLAN can be installed as the sole network in a school or building. However, it can also be used to extend an existing wired network to areas where wiring would be too difficult or too expensive to implement, or to areas located away from the main network or main building. Wireless networks can be configured to provide the same network functionality as wired networks, ranging from simple peer-to-peer configurations to largescale networks accommodating hundreds of users.

Fig 7b: Desktop PC Wireless LAN card Wireless LAN card

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Fig 7c: Laptop PC

Computer Networking

Bibliography
Books
Computer Networks-Andrew S. Tanenbaum-3rd Edition-PHI Data Communication & Networking Behrous A Ferozon-Tata McGraw Hill

Websites
http://www.cisco.com http://www.networkessential.com http://www.google.com

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