Network: A collection of independent computers that
communicate with one another over a shared network
medium.
Node: A computer attached to a network.
Server: A computer that facilitates sharing of data, software
and hardware resources on the network.
Circuit switching: A technique in which a dedicated and
complete physical connection is established between two
nodes for communication.
Packet switching: A switching technique in which packets are
routed between nodes over data links shared with other
traffic.
Channel: A medium that is used in the transmission of a
message from one point to another.
Bandwidth: The range of frequencies available for
transmission of data.
Personal Area Network (PAN): A computer network organized
around an individual person.
Local Area Network (LAN): A network in which the devices are
connected over a relatively short distance.
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN): A network which spans a
physical area ( in the range of 5 and 50 km diameter) that is
larger than a LAN but smaller than a WAN.
Wide Area Network (WAN): A network which spans a large
geographical area, often a country or a continent.
Internet: It is a network of networks spread across the globe,
all of which are connected to each other.
Interspace: A client/server software program that allows
multiple users to communicate online with real time audio,
video and text chat in dynamic 3D environments.
Network Interface Unit (NIU): A device that helps to establish
communication between the server and workstations.
Star Topology – All devices are connected to a central hub or
switch, ensuring easy management.
Tree Topology – A hierarchical structure with multiple star
networks connected to a main backbone.
Bus Topology – All devices share a single central cable
(backbone) for communication.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Network Topologies
1. Star Topology
Advantages:
1. If one device fails, it does not affect the rest of the network.
2. Easy to add or remove devices without disrupting the
network.
Disadvantages:
1. If the central hub/switch fails, the entire network goes down.
2. Requires more cables, making it costly compared to bus
topology.
2. Bus Topology
Advantages:
1. Easy and inexpensive to set up with minimal cabling.
2. Suitable for small networks with low traffic.
Disadvantages:
1. A single cable failure can bring down the entire network.
2. Performance decreases as more devices are added due to
data collisions.
3. Tree/Hybrid Topology
Advantages:
1. Scalable and supports large networks by combining multiple
topologies.
2. Efficient data transmission with multiple paths to reduce
bottlenecks.
Disadvantages:
1. Expensive due to high cabling and maintenance costs.
2. If the central backbone cable fails, the entire network may
be affected.
A transmission medium (plural media) is one which carries a
signal from one computer to another.
It is also known as communication channel. Transmission
medium can be wired or wireless. We also name them as
Guided and Unguided Media respectively
Any physical link that can carry data in the form of signals
belongs to the category of wired transmission media/guided
media.
2) Coaxial cables
Wireless technologies allow communication between two or
more devices in short to long distance without requiring any
physical media.
Modem – Converts digital signals to analog and vice versa for
internet access over telephone lines.
Switch – Connects multiple devices in a LAN and
intelligently forwards data to the correct destination.
Repeater – Amplifies and regenerates weak network signals
to extend communication range.
Gateway – Connects two networks with different protocols
and acts as a translator.
Hub – Broadcasts data to all connected devices in a network
without filtering.
RJ45 – A connector used for Ethernet cables to connect
network devices.
Ethernet – A standard for wired networking that enables
devices to communicate in a LAN.
Router – Directs data between different networks (LAN to
WAN) and connects to the internet.
WiFi Card – A hardware component that enables a device to
connect to wireless networks (Wi-Fi).
WWW (World Wide Web) – A system of interlinked web pages
accessible via the Internet.
HTML (HyperText Markup Language) – The standard language
for creating web pages.
XML (Extensible Markup Language) – A flexible markup
language used for storing and transporting data.
Domain Names – Human-readable addresses (e.g.,
google.com) that map to IP addresses.
Each computer server hosting a website or web resource is
given a name against its IP address. These names are called
the Domain names or hostnames.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator) – The complete web
address used to access a specific resource on the Internet.
Website – A collection of related web pages hosted on a web
server.
Web Browser Web browser is software program to navigate the
web pages on the internet (e.g., Chrome, Firefox
Web Server – A Web server is a computer or a group of
computers that stores web pages on the internet.
Web Hosting – Web hosting is the process of uploading/saving
the web content on a web server to make it available on WWW.
The Internet is the global network of computing devices.
• Sir Tim Berners-Lee — a British computer scientist invented
the revolutionary World Wide Web in 1990.
HTTP – The HyperText Transfer Protocol is a set of rules which
is used to retrieve linked web pages across the web. The more
secure and advanced version is HTTPS.
Conversion of the domain name of each web server to its
corresponding IP address is called domain name resolution. It
is done through a server called DNS server.
Server A computer that facilitates sharing of data, software and
hardware resources on the network is known as the server. A
network can have more than one server
a protocol is the special set of rules that two or more
machines on a network follow to communicate with each
other. They are the standards that allow computers to
communicate
Here’s a brief explanation of each protocol and its use:
1. HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol)
o Use: It is used for transferring web pages from a web
server to a browser. It allows users to access
websites over the internet.
2. FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
o Use: It is used for transferring files between a client
and a server over a network. It allows uploading and
downloading files from remote servers.
3. PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol)
o Use: It is used to establish a direct connection
between two network nodes, commonly used for
dial-up and leased line internet connections.
4. SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)
o Use: It is used for sending emails between email
servers. It ensures email transmission from the
sender’s mail client to the recipient’s mail server.
5. TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)
o Use: It is a set of protocols that define how data is
transmitted over the internet, ensuring reliable
communication between devices.
6. POP3 (Post Office Protocol version 3)
o Use: It is used for retrieving emails from a mail
server to a local device. It downloads emails and
usually removes them from the server after
retrieval.
7. HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure)
o Use: It is a secure version of HTTP that encrypts data
using SSL(secure socket layer)/TLS (Transport Layer
Security))to protect information transmitted
between the browser and the web server.
8. TELNET (Telecommunication Network Protocol)
o Use: It is used for remote login to another computer
over a network, allowing users to access and
manage a system remotely.
9. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
o Use: It is used for making voice calls over the
internet instead of traditional telephone networks,
enabling services like Skype and WhatsApp calls.
Types of Networks (PAN, LAN, MAN, WAN)
Computer networks are categorized based on their size
and geographical coverage.
1. PAN (Personal Area Network)
A small network used for personal devices like
smartphones, laptops, and wearables.
• Example: Bluetooth connections, hotspot connections.
2. LAN (Local Area Network)
A network covering a small geographical area like a home,
school, or office.
• Example: Wi-Fi networks in offices and homes, Ethernet
networks in schools.
3. MAN (Metropolitan Area Network)
A network spanning a city or a large campus. It is larger
than LAN but smaller than WAN.
• Example: City-wide Wi-Fi, cable TV networks, metro rail
networks.
4. WAN (Wide Area Network)
A network covering large geographical areas, such as
countries or continents.
• Example: The Internet, banking networks, and global
business networks.
Relation Between Transmission Media and Network
Types
• PAN and LAN: Mostly use wired transmission (Ethernet
cables, fiber optics) and wireless transmission (Wi-Fi,
Bluetooth).
• MAN and WAN: Mostly use wireless transmission
(microwaves, radio waves, satellite communication) and
optical fiber cables for high-speed data transmission.
