Computer Networks

For Grade: IX AKUEB

Made By: Sir Ahsan Iqbal
SLO # 5.1: Basics of Networks.
SLO # 5.1.1: Define a computer network.
(Cognitive Level: Knowledge
• A computer network is defined as the connection
between two or more than two computers or
shareable devices. A computer network could be
wired or wireless, usually a wired computer
network is formed using a device known as a hub
or a switch, an Ethernet cable is used to connect
all the computers and devices with a switch and
that forms a network. Each computer or device
connected within a network is known as a node. It
could either be a server computer, client
computer or any shareable device. Shareable
devices are termed as those devices that can be
shared or connected over a network, such as
printer etc.
SLO # 5.1.2: Describe the uses of networks.
(Cognitive Level: Understanding)
We use networks almost every minute in our daily lives, the only fact is that we haven’t realized it yet or
we have lack of knowledge about networks. After reading this you will for surely have an immense
knowledge about networks and their behavior. Let’s say you are sending a message to your friend on
WhatsApp-there is internet involved in this communication which is a network, moreover, uploading files
on internet so your friends or public can see them also involves a network. Networks play a vital role in our
lives. There are 5 essential uses of networks:
1) File Sharing: As the name suggests, file sharing means to share files over the network. Didn’t get it?
Let’s try to understand it through an example, Let’s say, you are acting as a server and you want to share
files with all the computers connected within a network, in this scenario- you’ll just upload the file on a
shared folder so it would be accessible to each node of the network. This is known as file sharing. It is also
helpful in sharing files to some specific computers over a network.

2) Software Sharing: It is somewhat similar to file sharing. Downloading a software on multiple computers
separately can be costly and time consuming. To reduce these factors we use the concept of software
sharing in a network, it means to use a single copy of a software which is shared over a network. A
software is installed only on a server computer, the clients can easily use that software accessing it
through a folder shared over the network
3) Hardware Sharing: Have you ever noticed a printer connected with multiple computers and is
always operational with each node? That is termed as hardware sharing. A single hardware
shareable device is connected over a network so that each computer can have access to it to use
that device. This helps in reducing costs and time, let’s say you want to connect printers with 10
different computers the inefficient way would be to get 10 separate printers for all computer
whereas, the most efficient way would to make a network and connect a single printer to it so that
all 10 computers can use a single printer. This is most commonly known as hardware sharing

4) Hard-disk sharing: It is the method of giving access to a single hard-disk over a network
or multiple computers. In hard-disk sharing every computer can maintain its privacy while
saving their data on a single disk, none of the other devices within a network can access
your personalized data or breach your privacy. The most common example could be of
Google drive where every person is sharing and saving their data on a single hard disk
owned and managed by Google but none of the users can access others data. Another
example is of Microsoft onedrive. .
5) Internet sharing: We all use this in our daily lives in terms of WiFi. WiFi generally means
sharing of an internet signals wirelessly and multiple devices can be connected to a single
internet device or a modem, this is known as internet sharing. Sharing of internet
connection is possible in both guided and unguided mediums which are also termed as
wired and wireless mediums respectively. It is also possible to connect more than one
computers with a single internet connection using an Ethernet port or a twisted pair
cable- you must have seen several Ethernet ports behind an internet modem, the purpose
for those is to connect multiple computers to that internet modem. We can also increase
sharing the capacity of a modem by using a device known as a router .
SLO # 5.1.3: Describe advantages of computer networks.
(Cognitive Level: Understanding)

There are several advantages and benefits of using computer networks in organizations and
companies. Let’s elaborate each one of them:
1) Increased Productivity: A computer network increase the efficiency of a company. It enables us
to communicate effectively between multiple teams and departments. Sharing resources to
several devices at a time becomes easier.
2) Saving time: A computer network can save a lot of your precious time. Let’s understand it
through an example: you want to share a file or a software to several friends, now, there are
two options available, the first option is to send that file separately to each friend which would
be time-consuming but there is also another option available which is to create a network and
share that file at once without hustling which let you save your time. This can also be done for
hardware sharing.
3) Saving cost: A network can be cost efficient. Connecting a separate printer with each device in
a single room sounds naïve, which will eventually increase your cost. There is an efficient or
smarter way of connecting a single printer to all of the computers in a single room and that is
by creating a network. Upon connecting a single printer to all of the devices in a single room
can easily be done by hardware sharing over a network and this will reduce a major chunk of
your costs.
SLO # 5.1.4: Differentiate among three data
transmission modes simplex, half-duplex and full-duplex
with examples. (Cognitive Level: Understanding)
SLO # 5.1.5: Explain the following types of network architecture,
i.e. client/ server network, peer-to-peer network, point-to-point
network. (Cognitive Level: Understanding)
Network architecture is the base of any network, it is the core structure of a network which
defines the communication or connectivity between hardware and software of a network. It is the
framework defined of a network for the specification of a networks physical components and their
functional organization and configuration. Network architecture is further divided into three types:
Let’s elaborate each one of them:
1) Client-server Network architecture: As the name suggests, this network architecture is composed
of two major components which are server and a client, before getting further into this architecture
lets understand what does it mean by a server and a client.

• A SERVER in a network is a computer or a device that has the ability

or is responsible to send and receive data, the tasks of a server also
involves managing and administrating a whole network which can
briefly be described as (Where to send, what to send, when to send).
A client server network architecture have only one server which
serves multiple clients, but a computer network may have several
servers (Which won’t function as workstations) based on their
dedicated tasks and network requirements, each server must be
responsible for its dedicated task to reduce the chances of cross-
conflicts.
• A CLIENT on the other side is only responsible for receiving data
from the dedicated server. A client/server network architecture can
have hundreds and thousands of clients based on the server’s
capability. A client is a computer or a workstation that only receives
data and information from the server and is managed by a
dedicated server
• Now, as you have got the concept of what a server and a client is,
lets deep dive into client server network architecture. A client-server
network architecture has two major components as discussed
above. A client-server is considered as more efficient as it has
centralized security and each data transmission is monitored by a
single device commonly known as a server. In a client-server
network architecture a client is only capable of receiving data from a
server and cannot send data..
2) Peer-to-Peer Network architecture: In this network
architecture, there is no dedicated client or a server
computer. Each workstation has the ability to perform as a
client or a server. Each node in this network can
communicate with another node without any restrictions.
This computer network architecture can only accommodate
less than 25 computers as there is no centralized security.
This can be used in the places where security isn’t the major
concern and we have to give the communication access to
each computer.

3) Point-to-point network architecture: You must have talked

to your friend through a phone call, did it happen that while
you were talking, the call redirected to another number? Your
answer must be NO, because this seems impossible. This is
known as the Point-to-Point network architecture. Didn’t get
it yet? Let’s deep dive into it. This network architecture only
allows the communication between a single sender and a
single receiver. The perfect example is of a phone call where
each individual in involved in communication with another
individual.
SLO # 5.2: Types of Networks.
SLO # 5.2.1: Differentiate among the
following types of networks. (Cognitive
Level: Understanding)
A)Local Area Network (LAN)
B)Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
C) Wide Area Network (WAN)
D) Personal Area Network (PAN)
E) Bluetooth network
~ Computer networks are further divided into several
types based upon their area coverage and their ability to
transmit data. Let’s discuss each of them in detail.
We’ll begin our discussion from the smallest area network
to the largest one.
1) Personal area network (PAN): This is the smallest type
of a network which ranges within a user’s immediate
area. The range of a PAN network is usually up to 10
meters. The connection between your phone and an
earpiece is considered as a PAN, similarly, the connection
between your computer to wired or wireless peripheral
devices is also considered as a PAN. A PAN is further
divided into two types which are wired and wireless PAN
or Guided and Un-Guided PAN respectively.

2) Local Area Network (LAN): A Local Area Network (LAN)

is larger than a PAN. Its range is less than a KM or within
a building. The network in nearby buildings within the
range of a KM are also considered as a Local Area
Network. A network within an office which interconnects
several departments is also considered as a Local Area
Network (LAN). As you can see in the picture, the internet
is being spread using a router and the connection
between computers and the router is known as a Local
area network as the area is small and limited.
3) Metropolitan Area Network (MAN): Have you ever
observed several branches located in multiple cities or
provinces of a single organization, that organization could
either be a bank or any large school network. The
interconnection of all the branches with each other forms a
Metropolitan Area Network. A computer network between
multiple cities, provinces, towns or two buildings at
distance from each other is known as a Metropolitan Area
Network. A MAN can also be the combination of multiple
local area networks (LANs) within a specified region. This
network is larger than a Personal Area Network (PAN) but
smaller than a Wide Area Network (WAN).
4) Bluetooth Network: A short distance wireless
communication widely used for sharing files and resources
from one device to another is known as a Bluetooth
Network. The devices connected with each other through a
Bluetooth network used a ultra-high frequency radio waves
transmit data. The range is Bluetooth communication is
usually less than 10 meters which less than 33ft ..
5) Wide Area Network (WAN): The network larger than the
Metropolitan area network yet not the largest area network is
known as a wide area network and the acronym is WAN. The
connection between multiple countries or the interconnection
of computers or electronic shareable devices across the
borders forms a wide area network. The most common
example could be of a connection between multiple airports
of multiple countries where the schedule of flights is being
displayed. Another example could be of a bank connect with
ATM’s located in multiple locations, the several branches of a
bank could either be in multiple cities or multiple countries. A
WAN can also be a connection of multiple LANS and MANS.

6) Internet: The internet comes under the category of Global

Area Network (GAN). The covering of the whole geographical
area and forming a connection is known as Global area
network. The users can get information from any computer
on the globe or can communicate directly either can access
any network if have permission is known as internet.
SLO # 5.2.2: Define a network topology.
(Cognitive Level: Knowledge)
Let’s say you live in an apartment, you friend lives in a
two-story bungalow because maybe it’s affordable for
his family or it is based on his family requirements,
more members in a family means a bigger house with a
better architecture. The area is same, “the house” is
also the same but the only difference is of the
architecture based on the consumer requirements
changes its design and name. The same scenario
applies in a computer network, different requirements
have different network designs and the physical
arrangement of computers which is known as a network
topology. As a summary, the design or physical
arrangement of computers or devices of a network is
known as a network topology. Different requirements
forms different designs of a network with different
names for their representation or identification. See
figure for reference.
SLO # 5.2.3: Explain the following network topologies
with the help of diagrams, i.e. bus topology, ring
topology,star topology and mesh topology;
As we have discussed in the previous SLO what the network
topology is now let’s discuss each of the topology in detail.
1) Bus Topology: A bus topology is the interconnection or
physical arrangement of multiple computers and devices with a
single wire that forms a computer network. The single
backbone wire is known as a bus or a line. The other main
components of a bus topology are terminators which are at the
starting and ending points of a bus topology. The purpose of
using terminator at the starting and the ending points is to
absorb the signals that are being transmitted over the network.
Terminator reduced the interference in a network. As the single
wire is used to transmit data for all the devices, the data rate is
much lesser and is around 10 MBPS.
Advantages:
1) New nodes/ computers can be added easily.
2) Maintenance is efficient and easy.
3) No high-end technical knowledge is required to implement a bus topology.
4) It is cost efficient as a single backbone wire is required to connect all the devices.
5) Structure is simple and easy to understand.

Disadvantages:
1) Adding new nodes will increase the delay in data transmission resulting in decrease
of data rate.
2) Difficult to identify bugs in bus topology.
3) If central wire breaks, the whole network will stop working.
4) Terminators are required at both ends.
5) It is not considered as an efficient topology for larger networks.
2) Ring Topology: A Ring topology is the interconnection of multiple computers and
shareable devices in a circular format or pattern with a single backbone wire that forms a
network. It is most often considered as a bus topology with both the ends connected
together. No terminator is required in ring topology as both the ends are connected to
each other. A ring topology follows a ring like architecture or design. In a ring topology,
single wire in a ring like architecture is used to connect all the devices so the data rate is
high as compared to other low-end topologies. Data is transmitted in only one direction
which forms it a unidirectional ring. Now, lets deep dive into the advantages and
disadvantages of a Ring Topology.
Advantages:
1) Each device is connected to two of the devices using a RJ-45 connector or a coaxial cable.
2) Data is sent only in one direction which reduces the chances of data collision.
3) It is inexpensive and cost-efficient to install.
4) Maintenance is easier.
5) It is extremely organized and each device has access to the token and ability to transmit data.
Disadvantages:
1) Adding new nodes will decrease the data rate and hence the data transmission delay
will get increased.
2) Adding new nodes is difficult as the ring will be affected. Is slower in performance as
compared to bus topology
3) Difficult to identify bugs and error.
4) If the central wire breaks, the whole network will stop working.
5) If a node gets down, the whole network will be affected.
3) Star Topology: Most of the students gets confused because of it’s name, it’s name is star topology
but its design or architecture is never exactly a star, its similar to that. In Star topology all of the
devices or computers are interconnected with each other using a central device most commonly known
as hub or switch. A hub or switch transmits data from one point to another and for this reason it is said
to be a network with a centralized security. A hub allows multiple computers or devices to be connected
with the star topology without hassle. In star topology, due to its point-to-point connection with a single
device and a hub, it is considered as the high-performance topology with a higher data rate. The whole
star topology is considered as a client-server network architecture, the server being the hub and the
nodes being the clients. Now, lets deep dive into the advantages and disadvantages of a star topology.
Advantages:
1)If one node stops working or one cable fails, the other nodes won’t stop working.
2) It has a central server known as hub. If any node wants to send data to another, the data will be
send to hub and the hub will further send that data to the respective node.
3) Easy to add new nodes/computers without affecting the whole network.
4) Privacy is maintained.
5) No data collisions can occur as every node has a separate pathway. 6) Easy to detect faults and
bugs.
Disadvantages:
1) If hub fails, the whole network will get down.
2) It is expensive as extensive cabling and extra switches are required
. 3) It is high maintenance.
4) If the switch fails, the node can’t send or receive data and hence won’t be able to
communicate over a network.
5) It requires technical staff for maintenance as its complex and time consuming .
4) Mesh Topology: In a mesh topology every node is connected to every other node
directly and indirectly. There are multiple pathways to send data and to communicate
with each computer/node. It is considered as the most efficient and high performance
topology among all because of its multiple pathways of data transmission and no
dependency on a single wire or hub which makes it impossible to fail. The structure if
this topology is complex and hence it requires additional networking knowledge and
technical abilities. Now, let’s deep dive into the advantages and disadvantages of a
mesh topology.
Advantages:
1) Extremely efficient and high-performance topology.
2) Several transmission pathways which makes it nearly impossible to get down.
3) Higher data rate.
4) Scalability is simple or expand this network.
5) Not dependent on a single hub or wire, it has no centralized security.
6) It can manage a high level of data traffic.
Disadvantages:
1) Difficult to setup initially and to add new devices as the network will be affected.
2) It is the most expensive topology as it requires additional set of wires and devices.
3) It requires advanced technical knowledge to setup and maintain.
4) It has complex structure.
5) It has more power consumption.
6) There is a high risk of repeating connections.
 SLO # 5.3: Communication over the Networks. (Cognitive Level:
Understanding)
SLO # 5.3.1: Describe the following types of technologies which use the telephone
networks for data communications:
A)Dial-up
B) Digital subscriber line (DSL)
C) Integrated services digital network (ISDN)
D) Code-division multiple access (CDMA)
There are several technologies that uses telephone line to transmit data and to
communicate between devices. Let’s discuss each one of them in detail.
1) Dial-up Modem: This technology uses a modem and an active telephone line to get an
internet connection. Modem is a device that modulates and demodulates the signals. Now
let’s understand what does it mean by modulation and demodulation? Modulation is said to
be the conversion of digital signals to analog signals to transmit them over a telephone line
whereas the demodulation is just the reverse process of modulation which means
conversion of analog signals to digital signals is known as demodulation. The telephone line
that is being used in Dial-up connection must be active and not in use while using an
internet connection. The phone is picked up by a modem which then dials a number to
connect it to the specified computer. 81 | P a g e 2) Digital subscriber line: You must have
used an internet connection that is.
2) Digital subscriber line: You must have used an
internet connection that is being transmitted over
telephone lines using twisted pair cables. If the
telephone line goes down the internet stops working.
This is most commonly known as a digital subscriber
line. This is only used in guided internet connection
using twisted pair cables. As in a dialup connection, you
can only use internet while the telephone line is not in
use. The case is different in digital subscriber line, both
phone and internet can be used at a time
simultaneously without affecting each other. A phone
line splitter is used to split signals into an internet
connection and a telephone line or digital and analog
signals respectively. The main aim of DSL is to maintain
high data transmission rate. It is cost-effective, has
higher speed and reliable data connection.
3) Integrated services digital network: ISDN is a circuit
switched network. A circuit switched network is usually a
guided media or a wired communication channel. It has a
single copper wire which provides multiple facilities including
internet connection for audio, video communication to analog
signals transmission over a telephone line. In ISDN, none of the
transmission either analog or digital is dependent on each
other. This uses a device ISDN Bridge to give access to a
source connect to call internet access only.

4) Coded Divison Multiple Access: As the name suggests, coded

division multiple access specifically means several transmitors are
used to send signals to multiple devices at a time simulataneuously.
This uses radio signals to transmit data over a single communication
channel or device which means it uses an unguided transmission
media. Each device or used has an assigned code through which the
access is being made more efficiently and this gives the leverage of
connecting multiple users to connect at the same time
simultaneously. The encoder is used to decode the codes which is
also known as a multiplexer. CDMA is used on specific mobile phones
or devices with dedicated signals and access from limited companies.
The user data is stored in a headset which is a more secure
communication
SLO # 5.3.2 compare the data communication lines mentioned in SLO 5.3.1 on the basis of:
a. transfer rates
b. costs per month
c. advantages
d. disadvantages.