COMPUTER NETWORKS

A network is a collection of two or more computers (nodes) connected together to share

hardware, software, and data. A networked computer has added hardware and software to
allow it to communicate and exchange data with at least one other computer. Networks usually
have one large computer controlling them called a File Server. The file server stores all data and
programs that everyone uses.

TERMS ASSOCIATED WITH NETWORKING

 Node: any equipment connected to the network e.g. printers, PCs etc.
 Network services: Services that are offered by the computers in a network e.g. Printing,
message services, file sharing etc
 Server: A computer which offers network services
 Client: A computer which requests for network services
 Protocol: Set of rules which define how nodes in the network communicate:
 Networks can be classified as
 Server centered: One special computer controls all the network services. Others are clients i.e.
they only request for services
 Peer to Peer: Any computer in the network can offer and also request for a service. All
computers have the same status

ADVANTAGES OF HAVING NETWORKS

• Speed, networks provide a very rapid method of sharing and transferring files.
• Cost, Networkable versions of many popular software programs are available at considerable
savings when compared to buying individual licensed copies. Besides monetary savings,
sharing a program on a network allows for easy upgrading of the program. The changes had
to made once on the file server, instead of on all the individual workstations.
• Security, Files and programs on a network can be designated as “copy inhibit” so that you do
not have to worry about illegal copying of programs. Also passwords can be established for
specific directories to authorized users.
• Centralized Software Management, One of the greatest benefits of installing a network is
the fact that all of the software can be loaded on one computer (file server).This eliminates

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 that need to spend time and energy installing updates and tracking files on independent
machines computers throughout the building.
• Hardware sharing, Sharing resources is another area in which a network exceeds standalone
computers. Most organizations cannot afford to enough laser printers, fax machines, modems,
scanners, and CD_ROM players for each computer. However similar peripherals are added to
a network, they can be shared by many users.
• Allows for communication, The presence of a network provides the hardware necessary to
install an e-mail system. Email aids in personal and professional communication for all
personnel and it facilitates the dissemination of general information to the entire staff.
Electronic mail on a LAN can enable users to communicate with others. If LAN is connected
to the internet, users can communicate with others throughout the world
• Flexible Access, Networks allow users to access their files from computers throughout. For
example, teachers can load shared files in the network for student to access through their
accounts. Students can also work cooperatively through the network.

DISADVANTAGES OF HAVING NETWORKS

• Viruses are spread easily on the network because the computers are all connected.
• There is a possibility that hackers can break into the network by guessing User IDs and
password.
• If the server goes down the network is inaccessible.
• Expensive to install: Although a network will general save money over time, the initial cost
of installation can be prohibitive. Cables, network cards, and software are expensive, and the
installation may require the services of a technician.
• Requires Administrative Time: Proper maintenance of a network requires considerable
time and expertise. Many schools installed a network, only to find that they did not budget for
the necessary administrative support.
• File Server may fail. Although a file server is no more susceptible to failure than any other
computer, when the file server “goes down” the entire network may come to a halt. When this
happens, the entire school may lose access to necessary programs and files.
• Cables may break. The topology chapter represents information about the various
configurations of cables. Some of the configurations are designed to minimize the
inconvenience of a broken cable; with other configurations one broken cable can stop the
entire network.

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 TYPES OF NETWORKS

1. Local Area Network (LAN) is network that is confined / limited to a relatively small area,
usually an office, school laboratory, school or a building. Rarely are LAN computers more
than a mile apart. In a typical LAN configuration, one computer is designated as the file
server. It stores all of the software that controls the network, as well as the software that can
be shared by the computer attached to the network. Computers connected to the file server are
called workstations. The workstations can be less powerful than the file server, and they may
have additional software on their hard drives. On most LANs, cables are used to connect the
different computers on the network.

2. Wide Area Network (WAN) is used to describe a computer network spanning a regional,
national, or global area. For example, for a large company the Headquarters might be at
Gaborone and regional branches at Francistown and SelebiPhikwe.Here the regional centres
are connected to headquarters through WAN. The distance between computers connected to
WAN is larger. Therefore the transmission medium used is normal telephone, microwave,
and satellite links. There are also ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) which facilities
high speed transmission of multimedia material including video and photographic images.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LAN AND WAN

LAN WAN
Computers span a small geographical area like a Computers are spread over a large geographical area
building
Computers connected together using physical Computers are not physically connected to each other but
transmission media like coaxial cables rather communicate with each other using telephone lines,
radio transmitters and satellite links
Example: GHSS computer lab Example: Internet
LANs have permanent connections between WAN can be connected on demand or permanently
stations connected
Few data transmission errors in LAN WAN are prone more to data transmission errors
Data transmits at high speed Speed is slower

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 Figure1: diagram showing LAN Figure 2: diagram showing WAN

NETWORK TOPOLOGIES

Network topology is the physical arrangement/ layout of nodes in a network. A node is any
network device such as a computer. There are basically three types of topology (LAN Topology)
• Linear/ line/ bus
• Ring
• Star

Linear/ Bus/ Line Topology

In a Linear bus topology, all computers are attached to a single continuous cable (backbone) that
is terminated at both ends, which is the simplest way to create a physical network. Information
can be transmitted between any computers or nodes on the network. Backbone is a cable segment
used to connect network devices.

Terminator

Main cable/ backbone

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Advantages
• Easy and inexpensive to install as it requires the least amount of cable
• Easy to add more station or nodes without disrupting the entire network
• Failure of one node does not affect the rest of the bus network.

Disadvantages
• The whole network goes down if the main cable fails at any point
• Cable failure is difficult to locate at any point
• Network performance degrades under heavy load or with more nodes
• Difficult to troubleshoot
• Terminators are required at both ends of the main/backbone cable.

Ring Topology
 In this topology, computer terminals and other components are connected together in form of a
circle.
 There is no central computer controlling the network.

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Advantages
 Transmission of messages around the ring is relatively simple.
 Each node controls transmission to and from itself. Very high transmission rates are possible
because there are no data collisions.

Disadvantages
• If a part of the ring communication line breaks, then all the devices will be affected. The
hardest topology to troubleshoot because of the difficulty of tracking down where in the
ring the failure has occurred

• Inconvenient to modify or expand because to add or remove a node you must shut down
the network temporarily. In order for the nodes to communicate with each other they
must all be switched on.

Star Topology
In a star topology, each node (computer, workstation, and file server, peripheral) is connected
directly to a central network point known as hub or concentrator. Data passes through the hub
before continuing to its destinations (nodes).The hub manages or controls all the functions of the
network.

Advantages
• If one cable fails the others are not affected
• Performance is consistent even when the network is heavily used.

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 • Variable transmission rates are possible between the server and each workstation.
• The passing of message from one node to another is more secure since it has its own
cable to the server.
• It is easy to add new nodes without disrupting the network.
• Easy to detect fault and troubleshoot.

Disadvantages
• It costly to install because of the length of cable required.
• There is only one point of failure (central point). And if this is down, the hole network
breaks down

NOTE: Star topology is most expensive whilst the ring and bus topologies are inexpensive.
Keeping the network running is easy with the star topology, as each computer has its own cable.
The bus topology is also not affected if one machine is broken, but the ring topology will not
work if any of the machines are broken.

NETWORK PROTOCOL

A network protocol is rules or standards that govern the transmission of data in a network.
E.g.

1. TCP/IP: Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol: It’s a set of rules that defines how
computers interact or communicate with each other to transfer data from one computer to another
over the internet. IP deals with format of packets after TCP has established the connection

2. FTP: File Transfer Protocol - sending files to and from one computer to another over the
internet.

3. HTTP: (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) - It is the actual communication protocol that enables
web browsing. It is commonly seen as the first part of a website address, since it is used to
connect servers on the world wide world.

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4. SMTP: (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) - It is a protocol for sending electronic mail
messages between computers. Most e-mail systems that send mail over the internet used
SMTP to send messages from one server to another.

5. POP: Post Office Protocol – retrieves e-mail from a remote server over a TCP/IP connection.

These are just to name a few examples of protocols.

TRANSMISSION MODES

SIMPLEX
Transmission of data is from sender to the receiver only. The receiver cannot communicate with
the sender. Examples of simplex transmission are data transmitted over the radio or television.

HALF-DUPLEX

Half-duplex system provides for communication from sender to receiver and back to
sender but only one direction at a time e.g. communicating using a walkie-talkie
commonly known as roja-roja. When two computers communicate using half-duplex, one
computer sends signals and the other receives; then at some point, they switch sending
and receiving roles. Typically, once a party begins receiving a signal, it must wait for the
transmitter to stop transmitting, before replying.

An example of a half-duplex system is a two-party system such as a "walkie-talkie" style two-

way radio, wherein one must use "Over" or
another previously designated command to
indicate the end of transmission, and ensure that
only one party transmits at a time, because both
parties transmit on the same frequency.

A good analogy for a half-duplex system would be a one lane road with traffic controllers at each
end. Traffic can flow in both directions, but only one direction at a time with this being regulated
by the traffic controllers.

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FULL-DUPLEX:

Full-duplex system allows communication from sender to receiver and back to sender at the same
time. Land-line telephone networks are full-duplex since they allow both callers to speak and be
heard at the same time. A good analogy for a full-duplex system would be a two-lane road with
one lane for each direction Examples: Telephone, Mobile Phone, etc. A simple illustration of a
full-duplex communication system is shown below.

Devices required connecting the computer to the network

1. Network Interface card/ Network interface controller/ network adapter:

2. Router: a network device that determines the next network point the data packet is to be
transmitted to.
3. Switch: allocates traffic from one network segment to intended destinations
4. Hub: connect different network segments together to act as a single segment. In a hub
data packet entering it is broadcasted to all the other ports resulting in data packet
collision which slows down the network considerably as the amount of data traffic rises.
5. Bridge: a device that connects multiple network segments along a data link.
6. Repeater: amplifies or regenerates digital signals received while sending them from one
part of the network to another.