Computer Networking

Fundamentals

COMPUTER NETWORK IS
THE INTERCONNECTION
OF COMPUTERS AND
PERIPHERAL DEVICES
 Basic Definitions

• A computer network is an interconnection of various

computer systems and peripheral devices located at
different places
• Two or more computers are linked together with a
medium and data communication devices for the
purpose of communicating data and sharing resources
• The computer that provides resources to other computers
on a network is known as server.
• Individual computers in the network, which access shared
network resources, are known as nodes.
Devices Other than Computers

 Printers
 Scanners
 IP Phones
 Photostat Machine
 Hospital Equipments
 Voice Over IP (VOIP)

 In earlier, voice network and data networks kept

separately. So, it need separate provider for
different office network interconnection.
 Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), also called IP
telephony, is a method and group of technologies
for the delivery of voice communications and
multimedia sessions over Internet Protocol (IP)
networks, such as the Internet.
 IP Phone

 An IP phone, also called a VoIP phone, is

a phone that uses internet protocol, rather than the

circuit-switched PSTN. An IP phone connects
through an Ethernet cable, rather than a phone jack,
to the internet, where is connects to the IP address
of either the VoIP provider or the hosted PBX
provider.
IP Phone
Basic VOIP System
 Why Computer Networks?
 File sharing: Have you ever needed to access a file stored on
another computer? A network makes it easy for everyone to
access the same file and prevents people from accidentally
creating different versions.
 Printer sharing: If you use a computer, chances are you also
use a printer. With a network, several computers can share the
same printer. Although you might need a more expensive printer
to handle the added workload, it’s still cheaper to use a network
printer than to connect a separate printer to every computer in
your office.
 Communication and collaboration: It’s hard for people to work
together if no one knows what anyone else is doing. A network
allows employees to share files, view other people’s work, and
exchange ideas more efficiently. In a larger office, you can use
e-mail and instant messaging tools to communicate quickly and
to store messages for future reference.
 Why Computer Networks?

 Organization: A variety of scheduling software is available

that makes it possible to arrange meetings without constantly
checking everyone’s schedules. This software usually
includes other helpful features, such as shared address books
and to-do lists.
 Remote access: Having your own network allows greater
mobility while maintaining the same level of productivity. With
remote access in place, users are able to access the same
files, data, and messages even when they’re not in the office.
This access can even be given to mobile handheld devices.
 Data protection: You should know by now that it’s vital to
back up your computer data regularly. A network makes it
easier to back up all of your company’s data on an offsite
server, a set of tapes, CDs, or other backup systems.
 Resource Sharing

Resources

Software Hardware
Eg: Printer, Scanner,
CD Drive etc.
Data Application
Eg: Antivirus Network Edn.

File Sharing Database

 Communication

 Email
• Using Public Mail Servers
• Using Dedicated Mail Servers

 VOIP
 Conferencing
 Mail Servers

 MS Exchange Server
 Lotus Domino Server
 SendMail
 Q-Mail
 Postfix Server
 Mail Clients

 Outlook Express
(Now re-designed to Windows Mail)
 Lotus Notes
 Thunderbird
 Topology

 Physical Topology
Physical topology defines the physical layout of the network. It
indicates how can connect computers and peripheral devices
using media and connecting devices
 Logical Topology
Logical Topology defines how devices communicates over
physical topology
 Categorization of Networks
(w.r.t. Physical Topology)

 PAN (Personal Area Network)

 LAN (Local Area Network)
 CAN (Campus Area Network)
 MAN (Metropolitan Area Network)
 WAN (Wide Area Network)
 PAN (Personal Area Network)

 A personal area network, or PAN, is a computer network

that enables communication between computer devices
near a person.
 A PAN provides data transmission among devices such as
computers, smartphones, tablets and personal digital
assistants.
 PANs can be used for communication among the
personal devices themselves, or for connecting to a
higher level network and the Internet where one master
device takes up the role as gateway.
 A PAN may be wireless or carried over wired interfaces
such as USB.
PAN (Personal Area Network)
 LAN (Local Area Network)

 A local area network (LAN) is a computer network

that interconnects computers within a limited area
such as a residence, school, laboratory, university
campus or office building.
 A local area network may serve as few as two or three
users in a home-office or several hundred users in a
corporation’s central office.
 LAN networking requires cables, switches, routers
and other components that let users connect to
internal servers, websites and other LANs
LAN (Local Area Network)
 CAN (Campus Area Network)

 A campus area network (CAN) is a network of

multiple interconnected local area networks (LAN)
in a limited geographical area.
 A CAN is smaller than a wide area network (WAN) or
metropolitan area network (MAN).
 A CAN is also known as a corporate area network
(CAN).
 CAN operate similar to LANs, in that users with
access to the network (wired or wireless) can
communicate directly with other systems within the
network.
 Benefits of CAN

 Security
• Unlike a wide area network (WAN), a CAN is managed and
maintained by a single entity, such as the campus IT team.
• The network administrators can monitor, allow, and limit access to
the network. Firewalls are typically placed between the CAN and
the Internet to protect the network from unauthorized access.
• A firewall or proxy server may also be used to limit the websites
or Internet ports users can access.
 Speed
• Since communication within a CAN takes place over a local
network, data transfer speeds between systems within the network
are often higher than typical Internet speeds.
• This makes it easy to share large files with other users on the
network. For example, it may take several hours to upload a long
video to a colleague over the Internet, but the transfer may only take
a few minutes over a CAN.