The Basics of Computer Networking

The Computer Network

Arguably, the greatest advancement in technology and

communication over the past 20 years has been the development
and advancement of the computer network. From emailing a
friend to on-line bill paying to downloading data off the Internet to
e-commerce, networking has made our world much smaller and
changed the way we communicate forever.
 The Computer Network
What is a Computer Network

network: [net-wurk] noun, a system containing any

combination of computers, computer terminals, printers,
audio or visual display devices, or telephones
interconnected by telecommunication equipment or
cables: used to transmit or receive information.
Simple Computer Network
 Navigation Links
Network Types Computer networks vary in shape and size depending on usage.
- WAN
- LAN
- Peer to Peer
Fiber Optic Cable One of the Latest innovations in network cabling.
Switches and Hubs The central device within a network that transmit data.
Servers The central storage device for the names and locations of various data.
- IP Addresses
Topologies The layouts of various network designs.
- Star
- Bus
- Ring
Firewalls The network software that keeps destructive forces from a network.
Routers The device that let messages flow between networks.
Wireless Networks - Allows computers to be moved without wires or cables.
The Internet The worlds largest network.
References
 The Four Types of Networks
Navigation
Network Types
- WAN
- LAN
- Peer to Peer
Fiber Optic Cable
Switches and Hubs
Servers
- IP Addresses
WIDE AREA LOCAL AREA
Topologies
- Star
- Bus
- Ring
Routers
Wireless Networks
The Internet

METROPOLITAN
AREA PEER TO PEER
 Peer to Peer Network
Navigation
Network Types
- WAN
- LAN
- Peer to Peer
Fiber Optic Cable
Switches and Hubs
Servers
- IP Addresses
Topologies
- Star Usually very small networks
- Bus
- Ring Each workstation has equivalent capabilities
Routers and responsibilities
Wireless Networks
The Internet
Does not require a switch or a hub.
These types of networks do not perform well
under heavy data loads.
 Local Area Network
Navigation
Network Types
- WAN
- LAN
- Peer to Peer
Fiber Optic Cable
Switches and Hubs
Servers
- IP Addresses
Topologies
- Star A Local Area Network spans a relatively small
- Bus area
- Ring
Routers LAN are usually confined to one building or a
Wireless Networks group of buildings
The Internet
Data travel between network devices via
network cables.
The most common type of Local Area Network
is called Ethernet
 Metropolitan Area Network
Navigation
Network Types
- WAN
- LAN
- Peer to Peer
Fiber Optic Cable
Switches and Hubs
Servers
- IP Addresses
Topologies
- Star
- Bus
- Ring A metropolitan area network (MAN) is a network
Routers that interconnects users with computer
Wireless Networks
resources in a geographic area or region larger
The Internet
than that covered by even a large local area
network (LAN) but smaller than the area
covered by a wide area network (WAN).
 Wide Area Network
Navigation
Network Types
- WAN
- LAN
- Peer to Peer
Fiber Optic Cable
Switches and Hubs
Servers
- IP Addresses
Topologies
- Star
- Bus A Wide Area Network exist over a large area
- Ring
Routers Data travels through telephone or cable lines
Wireless Networks Usually requires a Modem
The Internet
The worlds largest Wide Area Network in the
Internet
 Cable
Coaxial cable, or coax (pronounced /ko.ks/), is a type
of cable that has an inner conductor surrounded by a tubular
insulating layer, surrounded by a tubular conducting shield. Many
coaxial cables also have an insulating outer sheath or jacket.

RG-59 flexible coaxial

cable composed of:

A. Outer plastic sheath

B. Woven copper shield

C. Inner dielectric insulator

D. Copper core
 Cable
Unshielded twisted pair is the most common kind of copper
telephone wiring. Twisted pair is the ordinary copper wire that
connects home and many business computers to the telephone
company. To reduce crosstalk or electromagnetic induction
between pairs of wires, two insulated copper wires
are twisted around each other..
 Cable
A fiber optic cable consists of a bundle of glass threads, each of
which is capable of transmitting messages modulated onto light
waves. Fiber opticshas several advantages over traditional metal
communications lines: Fiber optic cables have a much greater
bandwidth than metal cables.
 Fiber Optic Cable
Navigation
Network Types
- WAN
- LAN
- Peer to Peer
Fiber Optic Cable
Switches and Hubs Standard
Servers Network
- IP Addresses Copper Cable
Topologies
- Star Reduces interference in the network
- Bus Transmit data faster than copper network cable
- Ring
Routers Allows for more bandwidth
Wireless Networks
The Internet Smaller and more fragile than copper cable
 Servers
Users are connected to
Navigation certain servers which
Network Types will fulfill the required
- WAN request.
- LAN
- Peer to Peer There are 3 Principle
Fiber Optic Cable Types of Servers
Switches and Hubs Print Servers
Servers Contains the name and
- IP Addresses location of all printers
Topologies that are on the
- Star Network
- Bus
- Ring File Servers
Routers Contain the location and
Wireless Networks names of the various
The Internet drives, files, and
folders on a Network
Rack of Servers
Web Servers
Contain the Programs,
Files, and Internet
Web Sites
 Web Servers
Navigation IP Addresses
Network Types
- WAN
IP stands for Internet Protocol. IP Addresses serve as
- LAN
the location of websites on the Internet as well as the
- Peer to Peer
workstations that are connected to the web. IP addresses
Fiber Optic Cable
are made up of four sets of numbers called Octets.
Switches and Hubs
There are two types of IP Addresses: Static and
Servers
Temporary. Below is a description of both.
- IP Addresses
Topologies Static IP Addresses Temporary IP Addresses
- Star
Static IP addresses are Temporary IP addresses
- Bus
found only on servers and are found only on PCs are
- Ring
remain the same. constantly changing each
Routers
Wireless Networks A Domain Name Server time it is logged on.
The Internet assigns a human Temporary IP addresses
readable web address to are assigned by an ISP
each static IP address to (Internet Service Provider)
make it more user friendly. each time it is logged on to
the Internet.
 Network Topologies
Navigation Network Topology refers to the shape of a
Network Types network, or the network's layout. How different
- WAN nodes in a network are connected to each other
- LAN and how they communicate are determined by
- Peer to Peer the network's topology.
Fiber Optic Cable
Switches and Hubs There are three basic topologies:
Servers
- IP Addresses
Topologies
- Star
- Bus
- Ring
Routers
Wireless Networks Star Ring
The Internet

Bus
 Star Topology
Navigation
Network Types
- WAN
- LAN
- Peer to Peer
Fiber Optic Cable
Switches and Hubs
Servers
- IP Addresses
Topologies
- Star
- Bus
- Ring All devices are connected to a central hub.
Routers Nodes communicate across the network by
Wireless Networks passing data through the hub or switch.
The Internet
 Ring Topology
Navigation
Network Types
- WAN
- LAN
- Peer to Peer
Fiber Optic Cable
Switches and Hubs
Servers
- IP Addresses
Topologies
- Star
- Bus All devices are connected to one another in
- Ring the shape of a closed loop.
Routers
Each device is connected directly to two
Wireless Networks
The Internet other devices, one on either side of it.
 Bus Topology
Navigation
Network Types
- WAN
- LAN
- Peer to Peer T T
Fiber Optic Cable
Switches and Hubs
Servers
- IP Addresses
Topologies
- Star All devices are connected to a central
- Bus cable, called the bus or backbone.
- Ring
Routers There are terminators at each end of the bus
Wireless Networks that stops the signal and keeps it from
The Internet traveling backwards.
 Switches and Hubs
Navigation
Network Types
- WAN
- LAN
- Peer to Peer
Fiber Optic Cable
Switches and Hubs
Servers
- IP Addresses
Topologies
- Star Network Switches Network Hubs
- Bus
- Ring Data travels faster through switches because data is not
Routers sequenced as it is in a hub
Wireless Networks
The Internet The information is more secure when it passes through
a switch as opposed to a hub.
Information travels more efficiently through a switch
because travels directly to its destination as opposed
to being broadcast to all PCs on the network hub.
 Switches and Hubs
Hubs
A hub is typically the least expensive, least intelligent, and least complicated
of the three. Its job is very simple anything that comes in one port is sent
out to the others.
Thats it.
If a message1 comes in for computer A, that message is sent out all the
other ports, regardless of which one computer A is on:
 Switches and Hubs
Switches
A switch does essentially what a hub does, but more efficiently. By paying
attention to the traffic that comes across it, it can learn where particular
addresses are.
Initially, a switch knows nothing and simply sends on incoming messages to
all ports:
 Routers
Navigation
Network Types
- WAN
- LAN
- Peer to Peer
Fiber Optic Cable
Switches and Hubs Standard Router Wireless Router
Servers
- IP Addresses Whether a Router is traditional or wireless, its
Topologies purposes remain the same.
- Star
- Bus Routers are specialized computers that send
- Ring your messages and those of every other
Routers Internet user speeding to their destinations
Wireless Network along thousands of pathways.
The Internet
Routers are crucial devices that let messages
flow between networks, rather than within
networks.
 Switches and Hubs
Routers
A router is the smartest and most complicated of the bunch. Routers come
in all shapes and sizes from the small, four-port broadband routers that
are very popular right now to the large industrial strength devices that drive
the internet itself.
 Wireless Networks
Navigation
Network Types Allows for
- WAN computers to be
- LAN
- Peer to Peer
moved easily
Fiber Optic Cable without having to
Switches and Hubs worry about wires
Servers or cables
- IP Addresses
Topologies
- Star Walkie-Talkie Network
- Bus You would equip each computer with basically,
- Ring a walkie-talkie.
Routers
Wireless Networks
The Internet
You would give each computer a way to set
whether it wants to transmit or receive.

A wireless network converts binary signal (0s

and 1s) into a radio signal (series of beeps).
 The Internet
Navigation
Network Types
- WAN
- LAN
- Peer to Peer
Fiber Optic Cable
Switches and Hubs
Servers
- IP Addresses
Topologies
- Star The simplest definition of the Internet
- Bus
- Ring is that it's a network of computer
Routers networks
Wireless Networks
The Internet
 The Internet
Navigation How Information Travel Through the Internet
Network Types
- WAN When you connect to a Web site through an ISP and start
- LAN exchanging information, there isn't a fixed connection
- Peer to Peer between your computer and the Web server computer
Fiber Optic Cable hosting the Web site. Instead, information is exchanged
Switches and Hubs using the best possible path at that particular time.
Servers Special computers called routers determine these paths,
- IP Addresses avoiding slow links and favoring fast ones.
Topologies
- Star
- Bus
- Ring
Routers
Wireless Networks
The Internet

Your ISP Web

Computer Routers Servers