Introduction to Data Communication

Week-01

Communication:
Sharing of Information (Local or remote)

Telecommunications:
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over distances using
technologies like phones, radios, or the internet.

Data communications:
Data communication is the process of transferring data from one place to another or
between two locations.

A Simple Communication Model

Source: A source is the origin of data or information in a communication process. It

generates and sends the message or signal to a receiver or destination. For example, in a
phone call, the person speaking is the source.
Transmitter:
Transmitter is nothing but a mission a system that takes the originator data and
converts It’s into a form that can be transmitted over the transmission system.

(This is the source transmitter combined together they make up a source system).

Transmission system:
Whatever connects the source system to the destination system is called a
transmission system or a transmission medium.

Example: public telephone network it can be mobile network it can be weird or warless.

Destination system:
A destination system is the device or location where data or information is sent
and received.

Receiver:
A device that receives and processes signals or data.

Destination:
The endpoint where data is sent, such as a device or location.

Workstation:

A powerful computer designed for individual use, often used for tasks like graphic
design or software development.

Modem:

A device that converts digital data from a computer into analog signals for
transmission over phone lines and vice versa.

Server:

A computer or system that provides resources, data, or services to other computers

(clients) over a network.

Characteristics of a data communication system

Effectiveness of a Data Communication System:

 The effectiveness of a Data Communication System depends on the following factors:

Delivery:

When data is sent from one place to another correctly and successfully, this is called
delivery.

Accuracy:

When data is sent, it must be accurate, which means that there must be no errors.

Timeliness:

For data to be considered timely, it must be sent within a reasonable amount of time.

Jitter:

The difference in packet arrival times in a network, which affects how consistently data
is sent at regular intervals, is called jitter.

“Components of a Data Communication system”

A data communication system has five components

  Sender
 Receiver
 Transmission medium
 Protocol
 Message

Sender: The device or person that generates and sends a message.

Receiver: The device or person that receives and processes the message.
Transmission Medium: The physical path (like cables or air) through which the
message travels.

Protocol: A set of rules that defines how data is transmitted and received over a network.

Message: The information or data that is being sent from the sender to the receiver.

“Data Representation And Data Flow”

Data flow between two devices:

 Simplex
 Half-Duplex
 Full-Duplex

“Data Flow”
 Simplex:
While in simplex mode, data can only go from one device to another. The
device that receives the data cannot send it back.

Half Duplex:
Data can be sent and received in this mode, but not at the same time. It is like
talking on a walkie-talkie.

Full Duplex:
Data can flow in both directions at the same time. This is like how we talk to
each other in real life—we can both talk and listen at the same time,

Networks:

Network:
Interconnection of a set of devices capable of communication.

Host:
In computer networks, a host is any device that is connected to the network, like a
computer or printer. Each host has its own unique IP address, which lets other devices on the
network talk to each other and share data.

Connecting Device:
In networks, a connecting device is either hardware or software that lets devices talk
to each other by controlling network traffic and managing data transfers easier.
 Network Criteria:

Network Criteria:
A network must be able to meet a certain number of criteria such as:

 Performance
Throughput
Delay
 Reliability
 Security

Performance:
Throughput: the amount of data a network can transfer in a given time (higher is
better).
Delay: the time it takes for data to travel from source to destination (lower is
better).
Reliability: how consistently a network performs without failures or interruptions.
Security: protecting data and the network from unauthorized access or attacks.

Physical Structures:

Physical Network Attributes:

 Link
 Type of connection

Point-to-point

Multipoint
Link: The physical path (like cables or wireless) that connects devices in a network.

Point-to-Point:
A direct connection between two devices (e.g., one computer to another).

Multipoint:
A connection where multiple devices share the same link (e.g., multiple computers
connected to the same network).

Physical Topologies:

Physical layout of network

Link + Nodes = Topologies

Physical Topologies (Mesh, Star , Bus , Ring)

Physical Topologies:

Mesh Topology:
 A network setup where each device is connected to every other device through
individual point-to-point links.

Star Topology:

In a star network topology, every device is connected through a dedicated point-to-point link
solely to a central controller, often referred to as a hub.
 Bus Topology:

A single extended cable serves as a backbone to connect all devices within a network
in a multipoint configuration.

Ring Topology:

Every device maintains an exclusive point-to-point link with only the two neigh boring
devices on either side of it.
 Networks Types:

Network Classification:
Network can be classified in various ways based on different criteria.

 Size
 Geographical Coverage
 Ownership

Size: Networks are classified by the number of devices or scale.

Geographical Coverage: Networks can cover small areas (LAN) or large
distance (WAN).
Ownership: Determines if the network is privately owned (e.g. a company’s LAN)
or public (e.g the internet).

Local Area Networks:

Covers a small area, Like a building or office.

 Usually privately owned

 Connects some hosts in a single office, building, or campus
 Can be as simple as two PCs and a printer in someone’s home office
 Can extend throughout a company
 Host Address.
Wide Area Network:
 Wide geographical span than a LAN
 Spans a town, a state, a country, or even the world
 Interconnects connecting devices such as switches, routers, or modems
 Normally created and run by communication companies
 Point-to-point WAN
 Switched WAN
 Internet work

Point-to-point WANs:
A Point-to-Point Wide Area Network (WAN) is a type of network connection that establishes
a direct link or communication path between two specific locations or endpoints.

Switched WANs:
A switched WAN typically refers to a Wide Area Network (WAN) that utilizes
switching technology for data transmission.
Internetwork:
Is a network that connects multiple individual networks or subnetworks together, allowing
them to communicate and share information across a larger, interconnected system.
 Switching:

Switching:
 Circuit-Switched Network
 Packet-Switched Network

Switching: In networking is the process of directing data from one device to another
through a network. It determines how data is transferred between devices, using methods like
circuit-switching or packet-switching to ensure the data reaches its destination efficiently.

Circuit-Switched Network: A dedicated link, referred to as a circuit, remains

constantly established between the two end systems, while the switch can solely control its
activation or deactivation.

Packet- Switched Network: A packet-switched network is type of data communication

network in which digital data is divided into small packets for transmission.

Circuit Switched Network:

Circuit Switched Network:

A circuit-switched network is a type of telecommunication network in which a
dedicated communication path or circuit is established between two devices for the duration
of their conversation.
 Packet-Switched Network

Packet switched network:

A packet-switched network is type of data communication network that transmits
digital information in discrete packets of data.
 The Internet

 An internet (note the lowercase i ) is two or more networks that can communicate
with each other.
 The Internet (uppercase I) and is composed of thousands of interconnected networks.
 Accessing the Internet.

Internet History

Telegraph and Telephone networks, before 1960: Constant-rate communication only

ARPANET: short for Advanced Research Projects Agency Network, was one of the earliest
and most significant computer networks that laid the foundation for the development of the
modern internet.

MILNET: short for Military Network, was a computer network used by the United States
Department of Defence (DoD) in the 1980s.

CSNET: short for Computer Science Network, was a computer network that played a
significant role in the early development of the internet.

NSFNET: The National Science Foundation Network, commonly known as NSFNET, was a
pivotal computer network that played a crucial role in the development and expansion of the
internet in the United States.

TCP: TCP stands for Transmission control protocol witch is one of the main protocols used
in data communication.

IP: IP stands for internet protocol IP handles addressing and routing, ensuring that data
packets are sent to the correct destination across networks.

Internet Standards and Administration:

Internet draft: An Internet draft is a provisional document, still under development, and
lacking official status, typically having a lifespan of approximately six months.

Request for comments (RFC): Based on guidance from internet authorities, a draft could be
released as a request for comment (RFC).
Proposed Standard: A specification that is stable and well-understood but still under testing
for widespread adoption.

Draft Standard: A specification that has been successfully tested and is considered mature
enough for implementation.

Internet Standard: A specification that is well-established and widely implemented

recognized as an official internet standard.

Historic: A protocol or standard that is outdated or no longer recommended for use.

Experimental: A protocol or technology being tested or explored, not yet widely adopted.

Informational: Documents that provide guidelines or general information but do not define
new standards.

Protocol layering- Introduction

Week-02

Protocol: Rules that the sender and receiver and all intermediate devices need to follow to
able to communicate effectively.

Protocol layering:
Protocol layering organizes network communication into layers, with each
layer handling specific tasks. Data moves through these layers from the sender to the
receiver. This makes networks easier to design and manage.

Examples include the OSI model (7 layers) and TCP/IP model (4 layers).

Simple communication: Exchange of information between two or more individuals or

entities using straightforward and easily understood language or methods. Only one simple
protocol.

Complex communication: the task is divided between different layers, in the case we need a
protocol at each layer, or protocol layering.

Protocol layering –Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages:
 Modularity: Each layer is independent and can be developed or update separately.
 Separation of services & implementation: functions are separated, allowing
flexibility in how services are provided.
  Reduced Complexity& cost: simplifies design, making networks easier to
understand and troubleshoot.

Disadvantages:
 Complexity: Layering introduces multiple protocols, each responsible for a specific
function or task.
 Overhead: Each layer adds overhead in the form of headers, trailers, and additional
processing.

Protocol Layering – Principles

Two Principles:

 Bidirectional Communication  Each Layer performs two opposite tasks in

each direction.
 Two objects under each layer at both sites should be identical.

Protocol Layering - Logical Connections:

Logical connections: Logical Connections refer to the virtual links between corresponding
layers on two communicating devices. While physical data passes through the network,
logically, each layer appears to communicate directly with its counterpart (e.g., application
layer to application layer), using the services of lower layers for actual data transmission .

Protocol layering: Now Maria and Ann can imagine that there is a logical connection at each
layer through which they can send their data created from that layer.
 TCP/IP protocol Suite

The TCP/IP protocol suite is a set of communication protocols used to interconnect network
devices on the internet.it consists of four layers, each responsible for specific networking
functions.

Presented in 1973 and chosen to be the official protocol of internet in 1983.

A. Original Layers:
Application: Manages application-level protocols like HTTP, FTP, and SMTP.

Transport: Responsible for reliable data transfer using TCP or connectionless transfer with
UDP.

Internet: Handles routing and addressing using the Internet Protocol (IP).

Network Interface: Manages data transfer between devices on the same network (Ethernet,
Wi-Fi).

Hardware Devices: The physical layer involving actual hardware, cables, and wireless
signals.

B. Layers Used in This Book (Simplified TCP/IP Model):

Application: Combines all application-level protocols.

Transport: Includes protocols like TCP/UDP for reliable or connectionless communication.

Network: Deals with IP routing and addressing.

Data Link: Manages data transfer between neigh boring network devices (switches, access
points).

Physical: The hardware layer, including cables and wireless transmission methods.