Chapter 5

Network

Yuet Wah College

Network
A network is created when two or more
computers are connected together.
Using a network, a computer can
communicate with others and share
resources, such as hardware, software
and data.
Requirements For Connecting to Networks
In order to connect to a network,
computers need to fulfill certain
requirements so that they all operate
using standard protocols.
Protocols: rules that allow the exchange
and transmission of data between
devices.
Network Operating Systems
A network operating system allows a
computer to communicate on a network.
It provides additional functionality to a
stand-alone operating system including:
Network Operating Systems
 passing usernames and passwords to a
server for checking when a user logs in.
 separating user accounts and ensuring
that users cannot access each other’s
files
 providing access to network storage and
shared resources such as networked
printers.
How devices are identified on a network
There are three methods used to identify
devices on a network:
• Internet Protocol (IP)
• MAC address
• device name.
Internet Protocol (IP)
An IP address is a unique address that
networked devices use to send data to
each other.
Each piece of data that is sent across a
network carries the IP address of the
destination, so that each device in the
network know where to send it.
Internet Protocol (IP)
IP addresses are made up groups of numbers.
There are two main versions of IP in use.
IPv4 uses four groups of up to three numbers
separated by full stops. (e.g. 192.168.1.1)
IPv6 uses eight groups of four hexadecimal
numbers separated by colons. (e.g.
2001:0db8:0000:0042:0000:8a2e:0370:7334)
Internet Protocol (IP)
IP addresses can either be assigned by a
network administrator or allocated
dynamically by a user running Dynamic
Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).
DHCP server: a networked computer that
automatically assigns an IP address to
other computers when they join the
network.
Internet Protocol (IP)
MAC Address
Unlike IP addresses, which can be
dynamically allocated by users or server,
media access control (MAC) addresses are
universally unique identifiers given to the
network interface card (NIC).
MAC Address
MAC addresses are used in devices
connected to local area networks (LANs)
using Ethernet, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
MAC addresses are assigned by the NIC
manufacturer and are generally
considered to be fixed addresses.
MAC Address
A MAC address is usually made up of six
pairs of characters. The first three pairs
identify the manufacturer and the
remaining pairs are assigned by the
manufacturer to unique identify the
device.
MAC Address
00 16 01 AF 12 F6

Manufacture’s unique NIC specific address

identifier
 Uses of MAC Address
USE EXAMPLE
Restricting or allowing MAC address filtering checks the MAC address of devices attempting
access to a network to gain access to a network and only grants access to devices with
specified MAC addresses
Identifying a device on Some Wi-Fi hotspots only provide free access for a certain length of
a network time, and they identify a device using the MAC address in order to
work out whether it is trying to access the hotspot for longer than the
permitted time
Tracking a device Some companies and organisations track devices ( and therefore their
users) by checking with wireless access points have been accessed by
specific MAC address
Assigning ‘static’ or Each time a device connects to a network, it is identified by a DHCP
‘fixed’ IP addresses server (usually using its MAC) and given the same IP address as
before.
Device Name
A device name is a descriptive name that
helps users to identify computers on a
network.
Device names are not used by computers
to communicate with each other as they
are not always unique. This means that
they could cause conflicts if data was sent
to more than one device with the same
name for processing.
Components of Wired and Wireless Systems
Wired and wireless systems can be made
up of a variety of components.
Components of Wired and Wireless Systems
Cables are used to connect devices in a
wired network.
In homes and small business, Cat5e
cables are used for Ethernet connections.
These cables are able to transfer data to
10 Mbit/s, 100 Mbit/s or 1 Gmbit/s.
Components of Wired and Wireless Systems
Cat5e cable connects devices through
their NICs. The device’s NIC allows the
computer to exchange data with other
networked through their NICs. The
device’s NIC allows the computer to
exchange data with other networked
computers.
Components of Wired and Wireless Systems
Cat6 cables can be used to transfer data
at 10 Gbit/s. These are more expensive
than Cat5e cables and are usually only
used by business.
Components of Wired and Wireless Systems
Fibre optic cables are flexible fibres. Each
firbre optic cable contains a glass thread
that bounces light signals between two
devices faster and further than is possible
with wire cables.
Components of Wired and Wireless Systems
Fibre optic cables can now carry data at
40 Gbit/s over many kilometres without
affecting signal quality.
Components of Wired and Wireless Systems
Fibre optic cables are expensive. This
means that they are used by
telecommunications companies and by
organisations that need very fast data
transfer speeds, such as science and
engineering laboratories, hospitals, banks,
school and universities.
Components of Wired and Wireless Systems
A wireless access point allows devices
with Wi-Fi connectivity to connect to a
wired network.
They are often built into other hardware,
such as routers, but they are also
available as stand-alone devices that
connect to a wired network using
Ethernet cables.
Components of Wired and Wireless Systems
Components of Wired and Wireless Systems
A switch connects devices on a network.
It has ports, each of which can be
connected to device using a cable.
Components of Wired and Wireless Systems
Connecting a wireless access point to a
switch via a cable gives wireless devices
access to the wired network.
The switch makes sure that data sent
from any device gets to the correct device
to the network.
Components of Wired and Wireless Systems

A switch allows multiple devices to send data to each other

Components of Wired and Wireless Systems
A gateway connects two different types of
network.
For example, a LAN connected to a WAN
using a gateway.
Components of Wired and Wireless Systems
A router stores the addresses of all
devices that are connected to is so that it
can forward network traffic to its
destination using the quickest route.
Components of Wired and Wireless Systems
Most routers used in home include a
switch and a wireless access point.
They also act as gateways, connecting the
LAN to the internet, which is a type of
WAN.
Components of Wired and Wireless Systems
A booster is used amplify the signal in a
network so that its range can be
extended.
Components of Wired and Wireless Systems
A server is a computer that shared its
resources with connected devices.
Computers connected to a server are
known as clients.
Resources that can be shared by one or
more servers include printers, storage and
applications.
Components of Wired and Wireless Systems
An authentication server checks
usernames and passwords.
When a user successfully logs in, the
client receives and electronic certificate
that it can then use to access various
resources, including applications and
storage.
Components of Wired and Wireless Systems
A printer server manages multiple
printers at a time, dealing with print
requests from client computers and
adding jobs to queue so that individual
printers are not overloaded with
requests.
Components of Wired and Wireless Systems
File server allow uses to access shared
and private storage.
Application server provide clients with
access to applications that can be run
directly form the server.
Components of Wired and Wireless Systems
Web servers process requests for data
made via Hypertext Transfer Protocol
(HTTP).
Together, all of the content stored on all
web servers is known as the World Wide
Web (www). Client computers often
access web serers from outside the LAN to
which the server is connected.
Connecting to and using the Internet
In order to access the online services
provided by servers and data centres,
users must have a connection to the
internet. Users also need software that
allows them to use and work with the
services effectively and safely.
Connecting to and using the Internet
To connect to the internet, users need to
subscribe to an ISP (Internet Service
Provider).
Connecting to and using the Internet
Connecting to and using the Internet
ISPs provide access via mobile telephone
networks and landline telephone
networks.
Commercial ISPs charge subscription fees
for access to the Internet. Some ISPs
provide free access as part of the
community schemes.
Connecting to and using the Internet
Connecting to and using the Internet
A web browser is a type of software
application used to request and display
information stored on web servers.
E.g. Mozilla, Firefox, Google Chrome,
Internet Explorer, Edge, Opera and Safari.
Connecting to and using the Internet
A search engine provides users with a way
to find information in web pages stored
on web browsers.
Connecting to and using the Internet
Users enter keywords that describe the
information they want to find. The search
engine then compares the keywords with
those in its database of web pages and
returns the results that are the closet
match to the given keywords.
Connecting to and using the Internet
Filter software prevents users from
accessing inappropriate information.
Connecting to and using the Internet
When a user tries to access a webpage, URL: (Uniform resource
locator): a website
the address (URL) and/or the contents of addresses
the web page are compared against two
lists of URLs and keywords stored it the
software’s database.
The two lists are the blacklist and the
whitelist.
Connecting to and using the Internet
If the results match anything in the blacklist, the
user will be prevented from viewing the web
page.
If the result matches anything in the whitelist,
then the user will be alloed to view the web
page.
If the result does not match anything in either
the blacklist or the whitelist, the user will be
allowed to view the information.
Connecting to and using the Internet
Administrators can add URLs to the
blacklist and whitelist. The blacklist an be
updated during software updates.
Filter software can help schools and
parents to protect children from accessing
disturbing or age-inappropriate content.
Local Area Networks
A LAN is a network contained to a small
area, such as a home or office network.
Computers in a network can be
connected using one of two different
models:
 Peer-to-peer
 Client-server
Local Area Networks
Computers in a peer-to-peer network
share their resources with other
computers in the network, but they do
not access servers.
Local Area Networks
Some networks use servers. A network
that uses servers and clients is called a
client-server network.
Benefits of Using LAN
 access to shared peripherals
 access to shared storage and data
 flexible access (i.e. being able to access peripherals,
storage and data from any connected device)
 media streaming (including movies music and
gaming)
 communication (i.e. being able to send messages
and files to others on the network)
 shared access to the internet.
Benefits of Using Client-Server Networks
There are several benefits of using client-
server networks that are not available
when using a peer-to-peer network.
 Control of user access rights: Users, or
groups of users, can be given access to
some resources (such as storage or
printers) and restricted from accessing
others.
Benefits of Using Client-Server Networks
 Centralised administration: Resources
and user accounts can be managed by
an individual, or individual group of
servers and administrators. This ensures
that support can be provided by people
who have an overview of the network
and avoids inexperienced users creating
problem for themselves or others.
Benefits of Using Client-Server Networks
 Centralised backup: User data is
protected from loss because backups ca
be automated for all users. This makes
it more likely that backups will happen
than if individual users were asked to
complete backups themselves.
Benefits of Using Client-Server Networks
 Shared software: Application servers
can provide access to shared software.
Some servers can provide access to
operating systems.
Benefits of Using Client-Server Networks
 Shared storage and file access: The
amount of storage available to users
can be managed centrally. Sharing
storage means that users can make files
available to others. File permissions
can be set for individual files, folders or
drives, allowing users to enter read
only or read and write to different files.
Benefits of Using Client-Server Networks
 Roaming profiles: This is the ability to
log into any computer in an office and
see your settings and files. This allows
users to access data, applications, mail
and printers from any client, enabling
them to work from anywhere there is a
client.
Securing Data on Networks
Security prevents unauthorized users
from accessing network resources and
data.
Logins and Passwords
Users log in to computers on a network to
access cenrally managed resources.
Withut the correct login details, users
cannot access the network or its
resources.
Passwords are used to authenticate a user
to the network.
Firewalls
A firewall is used at the gateway to a
network. It controls the network traffic to
and from a network, particularity the
traffic from the internet.
Firewall prevent unauthorized users from
accessing network devices and resources,
such as storage.
Encryption
Encryption is the process of encoding,
scrambling or jumbling data so that
unauthorized users are prevented from
being able to understand it.
Encryption
One method used to encrypt text is called
Caesar cipher. This method shifts each
letter to the left by a set number of
places. The number of places by which
the letters have been shifted is known as
the key.
Encryption
A Caesar cipher is quite easy to crack, but
most modern encryption is much more
secure. There are two types of
encryption:
 symmetric key encryption
 public key encryption
Symmetric Key Encryption
Symmetric key encryption uses the same
key at both ends of the process, meaning
that the same key is used to encrypt and
decrypt the data.
Public Key Encryption
Public key encryption used two
mathematically related keys called a key
pair. One key is used to encrypted the
data and a different key is used to decrypt
it.
Public Key Encryption
A computer shares a public key with other
computers that want to send it encrypted
data. This public key is mathematically
related to a private key, which is not
shared.
Wireless Encryption Protocol (WEP)
It is easier to intercept data in a wireless
network than in a wired network.
Wireless Encryption Protocol (WEP) is
used to secure the wireless transfer of
data.
Wireless Encryption Protocol (WEP)
It is the least secure wireless data
encryption method. This is because every
device on the wireless network uses the
same key for every transfer. This means that
an eavesdropper studies enough packets,
they can identify the key, and this provides
them with unlimited access to all data from
every device on the wireless network.
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) is a security
protocol designed to provide better
encryption than WEP. WPA generates a
new key for each device on the wireless
network. New keys are also provided for
each packet of data that is sent.
Virtual Private Network
A VPN provides access to a private LAN
from a remote location. The connection
to the LAN created using the
infrastructure of a public network like the
internet.
Data sent using a VPN is encrypted so that
it is secure if it is intercepted.
Virtual Private Network
Virtual Private Network
An individual might uses VPN to:
 Access their employer’s network when working
from home
 Access computers in a different geographical
location, perhaps to avoid the local restrictions
on acess to web content
 Make secure payments
 Prevent surveillance of and access to their web
activity.
File Access Rights
File access rights are also know as file
permissions. They can be set for
individual files, folders or drivers, and
they ensure that users are either allowed
to read only or allowed to read and write
to the file, folder or drive.
Transaction Logs
All network activity can be recorded in a
log file. Although this does not directly
secure network data, a transaction log
can help to identify which computers and
network devices have been accessed.
This can allow administrators to identify
any unusual activity that might be a
threat to data security.
Backups
A backup is copy of one or more files.
The backup or backups are usually stored
on a different storage device to the
original file.