Basic Computer Networking

Briefing Paper—Part 2 of 5
Network Types and Equipment
1 2 3 4 5
Connecting Network types Email Global and Network server
computers and equipment networking private IP hardware
addresses

Contents What is a WAN?

What is a simple network? .................................. 1 A Wide Area Network (WAN) spans a relatively large
What is a LAN?.................................................. 1 geographical area. A WAN consists of two or more LANs
which are often connected by public networks. They can
What is a WAN?................................................. 1 also be connected by leased line or satellite.
Types of LAN .................................................... 1
What devices form a network? ............................ 2
Hubs ................................................................ 2
Routers ............................................................ 2
Servers ............................................................ 2
What’s a peer-to-peer network? .......................... 3
What’s a client-server network? .......................... 3
Glossary ........................................................... 3

What is a simple network?

As described in Part 1 of this series, a simple network is
formed when two or more computers are connected to
each other. The digital information in the first PC is
translated via a Network Interface Card (NIC) into a
network language. The information then travels via the
connection (such as cable or wireless). The NIC of the
second PC receives the data and translates the
information into a digital language that the receiving PC
can understand. Wide Area Network (WAN)

Networks are usually designed for many users, so they

consist of many computers and different computer
What’s different about LANs, WANs and the internet?
devices. An important feature of a computer network is its
physical configuration. In this paper we look at how LANs and WANs are closed networks, for authorised users.
networks are arranged. WANs allow users to safely exchange data with computers
in remote locations in the same way as a LAN.
What is a LAN? Unlike the controlled access of the LAN and WAN, the
internet is an open network, where everyone and anyone
A Local Area Network (LAN) is a system of communication
can participate.
between two or more computers, covering a local area.
For example, a LAN could be set up in a home, office or
small group of buildings, such as a college.

Types of LAN
A LAN is made up of cables and nodes. Nodes are the Bus: Nodes are Ring: Nodes are connected
devices connected in the network (such as a computer or connected by branches in a ring configuration. Also
a printer). There are three common types of LAN: star, to a backbone. known as Token Ring.
bus and ring.

Star: Nodes are

connected in a
radial pattern with a
central connection
point.

Three types of Local Area Network (LAN)

1
What devices form a network? Routers
Networks deploy many different hardware components, A router is a network device to connect different network
known as devices. They are connected as resources for domains, for example LAN to LAN. Like the switching hub,
network users. You are already familiar with PCs, printers it determines the route for sending data via the network to
and other office equipment. Other equipment that you the target location. In addition, it can send data to an
may not be familiar with are hubs, routers and servers. external network. A router may be connected to switching
These devices perform core network functions. hubs, but not to repeater hubs.
The picture below shows the two types of hubs and a
router in a typical network domain.

Common network devices or nodes

Hubs and routers in a typical network domain

Hubs
Hubs are junction devices. They provide convenient What is a domain?
connection points for several cables on a network. There
are two types of hub—repeater and switching. The word 'domain' is used in several ways:
1. In general, a domain is an area of knowledge
identified by a name. Typically, the
knowledge is a collection of facts about
program entities or network points or
addresses.
2. In Windows NT and Windows 2000, a domain
is a set of network resources (for example,
applications and printers) for a group of
users. The user logs in to the domain to
access the resources, which may be located
Repeater hub Switching hub
on several different servers in the network.
A repeater hub is a simple connection point used in star 3. In a network, a collision domain refers to a
topology LANs (refer to the "Star" diagram on page 1). small group of computers, connected by a
Data from one node is distributed to all nodes connected repeater hub. The computers all use the same
to the hub, in a straight line transfer. It is suitable for method of CSMA/CD to correct data collisions
small networks. on the domain.
Repeater hubs cannot transmit and receive data at the 4. On the internet, a domain is a set of network
same time. They attempt to prevent signal collisions by addresses, organised in levels. The top level
using a method known as Carrier Sense Multiple Access identifies location or purpose (for example,
with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD). With CSMA/CD, a .au or .com). The second level identifies the
node checks that there is a break in the traffic before internet (IP) address.
sending a signal. However, even with CSMA/CD, when
multiple nodes try to send signals, collisions may occur.
A switching hub is more efficient when the network
traffic increases. Data from one node is distributed only to Servers
the destination node, not to all nodes.
Switching hubs overcome the problem of data collisions, The network server is a special or dual-use computer that
with an internal structure like a highway interchange. provides network services to the other computers on the
They also take advantage of the features of Unshielded network. For example, a mail server provides email
Twisted Pair (UTP) cable. Multiple nodes can send and reception and distribution services, while a printer server
receive signals simultaneously, without collision. provides printing device services to clients. The software
installed on the server indicates the type of services it
The improved service offered by switching hubs and their offers.
decreasing price tag, means they are now used widely in
all types of networks. It is common for many repeater The relationships between devices and servers in a
hubs to be linked by a switching hub, to create a network network is an important way to distinguish the two main
domain. network types—peer-to-peer and client-server networks.

2
What is a peer-to-peer network? Glossary
A peer-to-peer network is where computers are all Client
connected to the network in the same way. Each
computer can act as a client or a server to any user on A computer that can request information or processing
the network. from a server. Clients and servers can be connected to
each other on a LAN, a WAN or via a remote connection.
IP address
Internet Protocol address.
Also known as ‘internet address’. A unique number for a
computer or device, such as a printer, connected to the
internet, identifying its location. Usually written as four
numbers or sequences of numbers separated by periods—
for example, 114.151.8.3.
LAN
Local Area Network.
All PCs can share resources such as printers A group of computers and associated devices—such as
printers—that share a common communications line, and
The software settings on each computer are very simple usually share the resources of a single server within a
to manage, but if a computer is not turned on, it is small geographic area—for example, an office building.
impossible to use the resources provided by that
computer. Also, when someone is accessing the resources NIC
of another computer, the perfomance of the computer
providing the resource declines. Network Interface Card.

A peer-to-peer network is generally used for small-scale A board inserted inside a computer or peripheral device so
LANS with five to ten devices. For bigger networks, the that it can be connected to a network. Also called a
client-server network is used. Network Interface Board (NIB).
Node

What is a client-server network? A generic word for any entity that can access a network.
Also known as a device.
A client-server network consists of at least one network Server
server connected to other network devices, which act as
clients. A computer on a LAN that manages network resources.
Servers are usually dedicated, meaning they do not
perform any other tasks besides their server tasks.
Token Ring
Computers are connected in the shape of a closed ring, so
that each device is connected directly to two other devices,
one on either side of it. Only one computer may send data
at any one time, which prevents data collision on the
network. If one computer continued sending data, it would
occupy the LAN to the exclusion of all others. To prevent
this problem, data is limited to a length of a few kilobytes.
These small units of data are referred to as ‘packets’ or
‘frames’.
Client-server network
Ring topologies are relatively expensive and difficult to
There are many advantages of a client-server network, install, but they offer high bandwidth and can span large
compared with a peer-to-peer network. By installing a distances.
server that specialises in storage and transfer of data, for
example, it is no longer necessary to rely on individual WAN
computers to share resources. This also eliminates the
Wide Area Network.
decline in performance caused by one computer accessing
the resources of another computer. A group of computers and associated devices—such as
printers—that share a common communications line,
Nevertheless, if you choose a client-server network you
extending over distances greater than one kilometre.
must be prepared to employ a specialist to maintain the
A WAN usually consists of two or more LANs. Devices are
server and administer the network. The cost usually
connected to a WAN by public networks, such as the Public
means that it is used in medium to large-scale LANs. More
Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), or by leased line, or
recently, single-function low-priced servers have reached
satellite.
the market and are starting to be used in smaller and
medium-sized networks.

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Version 0.003, October 2005