Computer Communication

& Networks

Lecture # 01
Introduction

Grading Policy
Final Exam:
Mid term Exam
Assignments
Quizzes:
Labs + Project

40%
20%
10%
10%
20%

Reading

Text book:

Data Communications and Networking, 4/e

B.A. Forouzan, McGraw-Hill, 2003,

ISBN 0-07-292354-7.
Data and Computer Communication by William
Stallings (7th Edition) Prentice Hall.

Reference books:

Computer Networking, a top-down approach

featuring the Internet (3rd edition),

J.K.Kurose, K.W.Ross,Addison-Wesley, 2005,

ISBN 0-321-26976-4.

Data Communications
The

term telecommunication
means communication at a
distance. The word data refers to
information presented in whatever
form is agreed upon by the parties
creating and using the data. Data
communications are the exchange
of data between two devices via
some form of transmission medium
such as a wire cable.

Fundamental
Characteristics
The

effectiveness of a data
communication system depend
on four fundamental
characteristics:

Delivery
Accuracy
Timelines
Jitter

Five Components of Data

Communication

1.

Message

2.

Sender

3.

Receiver

4.

Medium

5.

Protocol

Data Representation
Information

comes in different
form such as,
Text
Numbers
Images
Audio
Video

Figure 1.2

Data flow (simplex, half-duplex,

and full-duplex)
Simplex

Half Duplex

Full Duplex

12NETWORKS
A

network is a set of devices (often

referred to as nodes) connected by
communication links. A node can be a
computer, printer, or any other device
capable of sending and/or receiving data
generated by other nodes on the network.

Networks: key issues

Network

criteria
Performance

Transit time
Throughput
Delay
Reliability

Data transmitted are identical to data received.

Measured by the frequency of failure
The time it takes a link to recover from a failure
Security

Protecting data from unauthorized access

Terminology
The

throughput or bandwidth of a
channel is the number of bits it can
transfer per second
The latency or delay of a channel
is the time that elapses between
sending information and the earliest
possible reception of it

Figure 1.3 Types of connections: point-topoint and multipoint

Network topologies
Topology

defines the way hosts

are connected to the network

Network topology issues

A goal of any topology
1.

high throughput (bandwidth)

2.

low latency

Categories of Topology

Figure 1.5
(five devices)

A fully connected mesh topology

Advantages & disadvantages

of mesh topology

Advantages

- Dedicated links eliminate the traffic

problem
-Secure communication
-Ease of fault identification & fault
Isolation
-Robust
Disadvantages
-Large number I/O ports & cabling required
-Installation & reconfiguration is difficult
-Wiring can be greater than available

Figure 1.6 A star topology connecting four

stations

Advantages & disadvantages

of star topology

Advantages
-Less expensive than mesh topology
-Installation & reconfiguration are easy
-Robust
- Ease of fault identification & fault Isolation
-Required less cabling than mesh topology
Disadvantages
-Dependency of whole topology on single point
Application: High Speed LAN

Figure 1.7 A bus topology connecting three

stations

Advantages & disadvantages

of bus topology
Advantages

-Ease of installation
-Required less cabling
Disadvantages
-Difficult reconnection &fault isolation
-A fault or break stops all
transmission

Figure 1.8 A ring topology connecting six

stations

Advantages & disadvantages

of bus topology
Advantages

-Ease of installation & reconfiguration

Disadvantages

-A break in ring can disable the entire

link

A hybrid topology: a star backbone with three

bus networks

Categories of networks: LAN,

MAN, WAN
Network in small geographical Area (Room,
Building or a Campus) is called LAN (Local Area
Network)
Most common LAN topologies are bus, ring &star

Network

in a City is call MAN (Metropolitan

Area Network)

Network

spread geographically (Country or

across Globe) is called WAN (Wide Area
Network)

Figure 1.11 WANs: a switched WAN and a

point-to-point WAN

Figure 1.12 A heterogeneous network made

of four WANs and two LANs

13THEINTERNET
The Internet has revolutionized many

aspects of our daily lives. It has affected

the way we do business as well as the way
we spend our leisure time. The Internet is
a communication system that has brought
a wealth of information to our fingertips
and organized it for our use

Figure 1.13 Hierarchical organization of the Internet

1.
29

Protocol
A

protocol is a set of rules that

governs data communication
key elements of protocol are
Syntax
Semantics
Timing

Standards
Standards

are agreed upon rules,

which Provide guideline to
manufacturer, venders, governments
agencies & other service providers to
ensure the interconnectivity.
Data communication fall into two
categories
-De facto
-De Jure

Applications

E-mail
Searchable Data (Web Sites)
News Groups
Internet Telephony (VoIP)
Video Conferencing
Chat Groups
Internet Radio