Goals of Networks

Different goals of networks

A network is a connection between two or multiple devices to transfer data or

information with utmost security. To achieve this security, the following goals of
the network can be considered −

Enable Communication

The primary goal of a network is to establish communication between the sender

and the receiver. This communication can be in the form of audio, video, or text.
The network ensures that communication is established efficiently between the
sender and receiver.

Enable data sharing

In today’s digital world, data is like a new currency. Networking enables sharing
of data and information between different entities in an organization or outside
the organization. Networks ensure that the data is shared reliably and quickly so
that people can access the received information in real-time.

Ensure Security

With the rise in data requirements, there is a need to secure this data. Networks
provide security of data from unethical and unauthorized access. It uses various
security measures like encryption, firewalls, data access points, etc. to safeguard
the data from cyber-attacks.

Sharing resources

Networking helps in sharing resources with more than one device. Like a printer
can be shared by 4 or more computers. This makes it more economical. Below
are a few examples of resources that can be shared in a network −
File sharing − The files stored in one computer can be accessed by another
computer in the same network. This feature is mainly useful when one
spreadsheet or presentation has to be accessed by multiple employees of one
organization.

Internet sharing − Networking is highly used for sharing the Internet as it is

expensive to provide a separate Internet for each device in an organization. In
such cases, a single Internet connection can be shared by multiple users.

Application sharing − This feature of networking allows sharing of applications with

multiple users. It is mainly used in sharing applications like project management
software, CRM software, and accounting software. Here, a single licensed
application is purchased and shared with different users.

Performance

The performance of a network is very important for an organization. A properly

designed network gives high performance and increases productivity. Let’s
discuss a few ways in which networking improves performance.

Remote access

By networking, people can access and work remotely using the same applications
and information. Thus, increasing the productivity of the workforce by giving
them flexibility in their work routine.

Bandwidth Optimization

Networking manages the bandwidth effectively so that the most needed

applications receive priority in network traffic. This minimizes the congestion in a
network.

Security

Networking improves the performance of an organization by providing it with

security. It ensures that the network is protected from unauthorized access and
cyber threats.
Reliability

Networks ensure reliability so that users can depend on systems for any data loss
and critical services. Below are a few ways in which the network provides
reliability −

Backup of data

Networking helps in recovering the data lost due to system failure or any other
similar reasons. Technologies, software, and applications can be used to
automatically recover data loss.

Network monitoring

The network becomes more reliable if it is monitored. This can be achieved by

using tools that give real-time information. It helps in identifying and solving
problems quickly.

Categories of networks

Computer Network Types

A computer network is a group of computers linked to each other that enables the
computer to communicate with another computer and share their resources, data, and
applications.

A computer network can be categorized by their size. A computer network is mainly

of four types:
 o LAN (Local Area Network)
o PAN (Personal Area Network)
o MAN (Metropolitan Area Network)
o WAN (Wide Area Network)

LAN (Local Area Network)

o Local Area Network is a group of computers connected to each other in a small
area such as building, office.
o LAN is used for connecting two or more personal computers through a
communication medium such as twisted pair, coaxial cable, etc.
o It is less costly as it is built with inexpensive hardware such as hubs, network
adapters, and ethernet cables.
o The data is transferred at an extremely faster rate in Local Area Network.
o Local Area Network provides higher security.
PAN (Personal Area Network)
o Personal Area Network is a network arranged within an individual person, typically
within a range of 10 meters.
o Personal Area Network is used for connecting the computer devices of personal
use is known as Personal Area Network.
o Thomas Zimmerman was the first research scientist to bring the idea of the
Personal Area Network.
o Personal Area Network covers an area of 30 feet.
o Personal computer devices that are used to develop the personal area network are
the laptop, mobile phones, media player and play stations.
There are two types of Personal Area Network:

o Wired Personal Area Network

o Wireless Personal Area Network

Wireless Personal Area Network: Wireless Personal Area Network is developed by

simply using wireless technologies such as WiFi, Bluetooth. It is a low range network.

Wired Personal Area Network: Wired Personal Area Network is created by using the
USB.

Examples of Personal Area Network:

 o Body Area Network: Body Area Network is a network that moves with a
person. For example, a mobile network moves with a person. Suppose a person
establishes a network connection and then creates a connection with another
device to share the information.
o Offline Network: An offline network can be created inside the home, so it is also
known as a home network. A home network is designed to integrate the devices
such as printers, computer, television but they are not connected to the internet.
o Small Home Office: It is used to connect a variety of devices to the internet and
to a corporate network using a VPN

MAN (Metropolitan Area Network)

o A metropolitan area network is a network that covers a larger geographic area by
interconnecting a different LAN to form a larger network.
o Government agencies use MAN to connect to the citizens and private industries.
o In MAN, various LANs are connected to each other through a telephone exchange
line.
o It has a higher range than Local Area Network (LAN).
Uses of Metropolitan Area Network:

o MAN is used in communication between the banks in a city.

o It can be used in an Airline Reservation.
o It can be used in a college within a city.
o It can also be used for communication in the military.

WAN (Wide Area Network)

o A Wide Area Network is a network that extends over a large geographical area such
as states or countries.
o A Wide Area Network is quite bigger network than the LAN.
o A Wide Area Network is not limited to a single location, but it spans over a large
geographical area through a telephone line, fibre optic cable or satellite links.
 o The internet is one of the biggest WAN in the world.
o A Wide Area Network is widely used in the field of Business, government, and
education.

Examples of Wide Area Network:

o Mobile Broadband: A 4G network is widely used across a region or country.

o Last mile: A telecom company is used to provide the internet services to the
customers in hundreds of cities by connecting their home with fiber.
o Private network: A bank provides a private network that connects the 44 offices.
This network is made by using the telephone leased line provided by the telecom
company.

Advantages of Wide Area Network:

Following are the advantages of the Wide Area Network:
 o Geographical area: A Wide Area Network provides a large geographical area.
Suppose if the branch of our office is in a different city then we can connect with
them through WAN. The internet provides a leased line through which we can
connect with another branch.
o Centralized data: In case of WAN network, data is centralized. Therefore, we do
not need to buy the emails, files or back up servers.
o Get updated files: Software companies work on the live server. Therefore, the
programmers get the updated files within seconds.
o Exchange messages: In a WAN network, messages are transmitted fast. The web
application like Facebook, Whatsapp, Skype allows you to communicate with
friends.
o Sharing of software and resources: In WAN network, we can share the software
and other resources like a hard drive, RAM.
o Global business: We can do the business over the internet globally.
o High bandwidth: If we use the leased lines for our company then this gives the
high bandwidth. The high bandwidth increases the data transfer rate which in turn
increases the productivity of our company.

Disadvantages of Wide Area Network:

The following are the disadvantages of the Wide Area Network:

o Security issue: A WAN network has more security issues as compared to LAN and
MAN network as all the technologies are combined together that creates the
security problem.
o Needs Firewall & antivirus software: The data is transferred on the internet
which can be changed or hacked by the hackers, so the firewall needs to be used.
Some people can inject the virus in our system so antivirus is needed to protect
from such a virus.
o High Setup cost: An installation cost of the WAN network is high as it involves the
purchasing of routers, switches.
o Troubleshooting problems: It covers a large area so fixing the problem is difficult.
Internetwork
o An internetwork is defined as two or more computer network LANs or WAN or
computer network segments are connected using devices, and they are configured
by a local addressing scheme. This process is known as internetworking.
o An interconnection between public, private, commercial, industrial, or government
computer networks can also be defined as internetworking.
o An internetworking uses the internet protocol.
o The reference model used for internetworking is Open System Interconnection
(OSI).

Types of Internetwork:
1. Extranet: An extranet is a communication network based on the internet protocol such
as Transmission Control protocol and internet protocol. It is used for information
sharing. The access to the extranet is restricted to only those users who have login
credentials. An extranet is the lowest level of internetworking. It can be categorized
as MAN, WAN or other computer networks. An extranet cannot have a single LAN, at
least it must have one connection to the external network.

2. Intranet: An intranet is a private network based on the internet protocol such

as Transmission Control protocol and internet protocol. An intranet belongs to an
organization which is only accessible by the organization's employee or members. The
main aim of the intranet is to share the information and resources among the organization
employees. An intranet provides the facility to work in groups and for teleconferences.

Intranet advantages:
o Communication: It provides a cheap and easy communication. An employee of
the organization can communicate with another employee through email, chat.
o Time-saving: Information on the intranet is shared in real time, so it is time-saving.
o Collaboration: Collaboration is one of the most important advantage of the
intranet. The information is distributed among the employees of the organization
and can only be accessed by the authorized user.
o Platform independency: It is a neutral architecture as the computer can be
connected to another device with different architecture.
 o Cost effective: People can see the data and documents by using the browser and
distributes the duplicate copies over the intranet. This leads to a reduction in the
cost.

Internet
Internet is a global network that connects billions of computers across the world with
each other and to the World Wide Web. It uses standard internet protocol suite (TCP/IP)
to connect billions of computer users worldwide. It is set up by using cables such as optical
fibers and other wireless and networking technologies. At present, internet is the fastest
mean of sending or exchanging information and data between computers across the
world.

It is believed that the internet was developed by "Defense Advanced Projects Agency"
(DARPA) department of the United States. And, it was first connected in 1969.

Internet is called a network as it creates a network by connecting computers and servers

across the world using routers, switches and telephone lines, and other communication
devices and channels. So, it can be considered a global network of physical cables such
as copper telephone wires, fiber optic cables, tv cables, etc. Furthermore, even wireless
connections like 3G, 4G, or Wi-Fi make use of these cables to access the Internet.

Internet is different from the World Wide Web as the World Wide Web is a network of
computers and servers created by connecting them through the internet. So, the internet
is the backbone of the web as it provides the technical infrastructure to establish
the WWW and acts as a medium to transmit information from one computer to another
computer. It uses web browsers to display the information on the client, which it fetches
from web servers.

Internet working
The internet works with the help of clients and servers. A device such as a laptop, which
is connected to the internet is called a client, not a server as it is not directly connected
to the internet. However, it is indirectly connected to the internet through an Internet
Service Provider (ISP) and is identified by an IP address, which is a string of numbers. Just
like you have an address for your home that uniquely identifies your home, an IP address
acts as the shipping address of your device. The IP address is provided by your ISP, and
you can see what IP address your ISP has given to your system.

A server is a large computer that stores websites. It also has an IP address. A place where
a large number of servers are stored is called a data center. The server accepts requests
send by the client through a browser over a network (internet) and responds accordingly.

To access the internet, we need a domain name, which represents an IP address number,
i.e., each IP address has been assigned a domain name. For example, youtube.com,
facebook.com, paypal.com are used to represent the IP addresses. Domain names are
created as it is difficult for a person to remember a long string of numbers. However,
internet does not understand the domain name, it understands the IP address, so when
you enter the domain name in the browser search bar, the internet has to get the IP
addresses of this domain name from a huge phone book, which is known as DNS (Domain
Name Server).

For example, if you have a person's name, you can find his phone number in a phone
book by searching his name. The internet uses the DNS server in the same way to find the
IP address of the domain name. DNS servers are managed by ISPs or similar organizations.
When you turn on your computer and type a domain name in the browser search bar,
your browser sends a request to the DNS server to get the corresponding IP address. After
getting the IP address, the browser forwards the request to the respective server.

Once the server gets the request to provide information about a particular website, the
data starts flowing. The data is transferred through the optical fiber cables in digital format
or in the form of light pulses. As the servers are placed at distant places, the data may
have to travel thousands of miles through optical fiber cable to reach your computer.

The optical fiber is connected to a router, which converts the light signals into electrical
signals. These electrical signals are transmitted to your laptop using an Ethernet cable.
Thus, you receive the desired information through the internet, which is actually a cable
that connects you with the server.

Furthermore, if you are using wireless internet using wifi or mobile data, the signals from
the optical cable are first sent to a cell tower and from where it reaches to your cell phone
in the form of electromagnetic waves.

The internet is managed by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers) located in the USA. It manages IP addresses assignment, domain name
registration, etc.

Uses of the internet

Generally speaking, the Internet may be used to exchange information with people all
over the world, communicate across great distances, and locate information or answers
fast on almost any subject.

Here are some examples of specific uses for the Internet:

o Using social media and content sharing.

o Instant messaging, video conferencing, Internet Relay Chat (IRC), Internet
telephony, and email are all examples of electronic communication. These all are
used through the Internet.
o Access to online degree programs, courses, and workshops for education and self-
improvement.
 o Searching for jobs: To advertise available positions, submit job applications, and
hire candidates identified on social networking sites like LinkedIn, both employers
and applicants use the Internet.

Difference between the World Wide Web and the

Internet

The World Wide Web (also known as the Web) and the Internet are fundamentally
dissimilar from one another because the Web is a collection of information that can be
accessed using the Internet, whereas the Internet is a global network of networks that
offers access to almost all types of information. In other words, the Web is a service that
was added to the Internet's foundation.

The Web is the part of the Internet that gets the greatest traffic. One unique aspect of this
is hypertext, a rapid cross-referencing method. The majority of websites feature text that
highlights keywords or phrases by being a different color than the rest of the text. When
a user selects one of these words or phrases, they will be sent to the chosen website or
page. Buttons, graphics, and even particular areas of images are also utilized as hyperlinks.

On the Internet, there are billions of pages of information. The most popular web browsers
are Google Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer. A web browser is used to surf the
internet or do online browsing. A certain Web site's look may vary slightly depending on
the browser being used. A certain browser's later or more updated versions have the
potential to render more complicated features like music files, sound, animation, and
virtual reality.

Security and the Internet

Due to the volume of private and public information collected online, customers are at
risk for security attacks and data breaches. Crackers and hackers have access to networks
and systems, and they are able to steal personal data, such as login passwords or
information on bank and credit card accounts. Among the steps that may be taken to
protect online privacy are:
 o You can install antivirus and antimalware on your system.
o Generating complex, unique passwords that are impossible to decipher by anyone.
o A virtual private network (VPN) can be used, or at least a private browsing mode
like the Incognito window in Google Chrome.
o Only using HTTPS
o Keep private your all-social media accounts.
o Deactivate the autofill feature.
o Turn off the GPS of the device.
o Instead of just closing the tab or window, log out of accounts.
o Update cookies so that if a cookie is set, an alert is sent anytime.
o Spam emails should be avoided, and never open or download files from sources
you are not aware of.
o Need to use caution when using hotspots or public Wi-Fi.

Internet Connection Protocols

Protocols are a set of guidelines that aid in regulating the operation of any specific
organization or technology.

Three main categories of Internet Connection Protocols are discussed below:

o TCP/IP Network Model: The most popular protocols for linking networks are
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP). Any communication
is split up into a number of packets that are sent from source to destination.
o File Transfer Protocol: With the help of FTP (File Transfer Protocol), a user can
transfer documents, text files, multimedia files, program files, etc., from one device
to another.
o Hypertext Transfer Protocol: It is used to move a hypertext between two or more
computers or other devices. Links can be made using HTML tags and can take the
form of text or graphics.

History of the Internet

The forerunner of the Internet, the ARPANet, went live for the first time in 1969. The
TCP/IP, open networking protocol suite, was adopted by the ARPANet in 1983, and the
National Science Foundation Network (NSFN) developed the network to link university
computer science departments across the US in 1985.

When the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) was developed in 1989, it enabled different
computer platforms to connect to the same Internet sites, which dramatically improved
communications over the network. The Mosaic Web browser was developed in 1993.

Advantages of the Internet:

o Instant Messaging: You can send messages or communicate to anyone using
internet, such as email, voice chat, video conferencing, etc.
o Get directions: Using GPS technology, you can get directions to almost every
place in a city, country, etc. You can find restaurants, malls, or any other service
near your location.
o Online Shopping: It allows you to shop online such as you can be clothes, shoes,
book movie tickets, railway tickets, flight tickets, and more.
o Pay Bills: You can pay your bills online, such as electricity bills, gas bills, college
fees, etc.
o Online Banking: It allows you to use internet banking in which you can check your
balance, receive or transfer money, get a statement, request cheque-book, etc.
o Online Selling: You can sell your products or services online. It helps you reach
more customers and thus increases your sales and profit.
o Work from Home: In case you need to work from home, you can do it using a
system with internet access. Today, many companies allow their employees to work
from home.
o Entertainment: You can listen to online music, watch videos or movies, play online
games.
o Cloud computing: It enables you to connect your computers and internet-
enabled devices to cloud services such as cloud storage, cloud computing, etc.
o Career building: You can search for jobs online on different job portals and send
you CV through email if required.
Disadvantages of the Internet
o Time wastage: Although, Internet has a lot of advantages, it also contains some
limitations. Time wasting is one of among them. It can decrease your productivity
if you are spending too much time on the Internet using social media apps while
doing nothing. Rather than squandering time, one should use that time to do
something useful and even more productive.
o Bad impacts on health: You can get health related issues if you spend too much
time online; your body needs outside activities, exercise, and many other things. If
you look at the screen for a long time, it causes negative effects on the eyes.
o Cyber Crimes: These days, crimes including cyberbullying, spam, viruses, hacking,
and data theft are increasing day by day. Cybercriminals can quickly break into
your system, which store all of your private information.
o Effects on children: The constant watching of videos and playing games on the
Internet by young children is bad for their social and overall personality
development.
o Bullying and spreading negativity: Social media applications have provided a
free tool to all those people who regularly attempt to spread negativity with really
repulsive and humiliating comments and try to bully each other, which is wrong
and does bad impact on society.
o

Different ways to Connect to the Internet

The various methods for connecting to the Internet are briefly discussed below:

o Dial-Up: Users must connect their phone line to a computer system in such
connections in order to access the Internet connection. The user is unable to make
or receive calls using the tier home phone service while connected.
o Broadband: Today's most popular high-speed internet connection, broadband is
offered either by cable or phone companies.
o Wireless Connection: This category includes Mobile and Wi-Fi services providers.
No matter where you are, you can connect to the Internet anywhere because
 connectivity is made possible by radio waves. Several instances of wireless
connections are provided below:
o Wi-fi: Without the use of cables, wi-fi or wireless fidelity, enables high-speed
internet connectivity.
o Mobile Phones: In modern times, all smartphones include an Internet connectivity
option that can be availed using Internet packs and coupons. These don't require
a wire or external connection as well.
o Satellite: Satellites are utilized for wireless Internet connectivity in areas Where
broadband connections is not available.
o Integrated Services Digital Network: With the help of using telephone lines,
ISDN enables users to send audio or video data.

Computer Network Architecture

Computer Network Architecture is defined as the physical and logical design of the
software, hardware, protocols, and media of the transmission of data. Simply we can say
that how computers are organized and how tasks are allocated to the computer.

The two types of network architectures are used:

o Peer-To-Peer network
o Client/Server network
Peer-To-Peer network
o Peer-To-Peer network is a network in which all the computers are linked together
with equal privilege and responsibilities for processing the data.
o Peer-To-Peer network is useful for small environments, usually up to 10 computers.
o Peer-To-Peer network has no dedicated server.
o Special permissions are assigned to each computer for sharing the resources, but
this can lead to a problem if the computer with the resource is down.

Advantages of Peer-To-Peer Network:

o It is less costly as it does not contain any dedicated server.

o If one computer stops working but, other computers will not stop working.
o It is easy to set up and maintain as each computer manages itself.

Disadvantages of Peer-To-Peer Network:

o In the case of Peer-To-Peer network, it does not contain the centralized system .
Therefore, it cannot back up the data as the data is different in different locations.
o It has a security issue as the device is managed itself.
Client/Server Network
o Client/Server network is a network model designed for the end users called clients,
to access the resources such as songs, video, etc. from a central computer known
as Server.
o The central controller is known as a server while all other computers in the network
are called clients.
o A server performs all the major operations such as security and network
management.
o A server is responsible for managing all the resources such as files, directories,
printer, etc.
o All the clients communicate with each other through a server. For example, if
client1 wants to send some data to client 2, then it first sends the request to the
server for the permission. The server sends the response to the client 1 to initiate
its communication with the client 2.

Advantages of Client/Server network:

o A Client/Server network contains the centralized system. Therefore, we can back

up the data easily.
o A Client/Server network has a dedicated server that improves the overall
performance of the whole system.
 o Security is better in Client/Server network as a single server administers the shared
resources.
o It also increases the speed of the sharing resources.

Disadvantages of Client/Server network:

o Client/Server network is expensive as it requires the server with large memory.

o A server has a Network Operating System (NOS) to provide the resources to the
clients, but the cost of NOS is very high.
o It requires a dedicated network administrator to manage all the resources.

Computer Network Components

Computer network components are the major parts which are needed to install the
software. Some important network components are NIC, switch, cable, hub, router,
and modem. Depending on the type of network that we need to install, some network
components can also be removed. For example, the wireless network does not require a
cable.

Following are the major components required to install a network:

NIC
o NIC stands for network interface card.
o NIC is a hardware component used to connect a computer with another computer
onto a network
o It can support a transfer rate of 10,100 to 1000 Mb/s.
o The MAC address or physical address is encoded on the network card chip which
is assigned by the IEEE to identify a network card uniquely. The MAC address is
stored in the PROM (Programmable read-only memory).

There are two types of NIC:

 1. Wired NIC
2. Wireless NIC

Wired NIC: The Wired NIC is present inside the motherboard. Cables and connectors are
used with wired NIC to transfer data.

Wireless NIC: The wireless NIC contains the antenna to obtain the connection over the
wireless network. For example, laptop computer contains the wireless NIC.

Modem
o A modem is a hardware device that allows the computer to connect to the internet
over the existing telephone line.
o A modem is not integrated with the motherboard rather than it is installed on the
PCI slot found on the motherboard.
o It stands for Modulator/Demodulator. It converts the digital data into an analog
signal over the telephone lines.

Based on the differences in speed and transmission rate, a modem can be classified in the
following categories:

o Standard PC modem or Dial-up modem

o Cellular Modem
o Cable modem

Cables and Connectors

Cable is a transmission media used for transmitting a signal.
There are three types of cables used in transmission:

o Twisted pair cable

o Coaxial cable
o Fibre-optic cable