INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER

Chapter 7
Computer Networks
Revised by: Ansar Javed
Govt. Graduate College Garhmaharaja, Jhang.
Slides Copyrights © PM Series (Original Authors)
Computer Networks
Chapter 7 – Computer Networks
 Computer Networks
• A collection of computers and other devices connected together via
communication devices and communication channels for sharing information
and resources is called a computer network
• Resources may include printers, scanners, and storage devices (such as hard
disks)
• In a computer network, computers or devices are connected together via
communication devices and transmission media
• Examples of transmission media are cables and wirelessly or WiFi
• Connected computers/devices in the network can be in the same room,
building, or at different locations
• A computer network can be simple or very large
• In a large computer network, usually many computer networks are connected
together
• This type of network is called a network of networks
• Internet is the most well-known example of a network of networks
 Uses of Computer Network
• People around the world use computer networks every day in business, at offices,
and homes, etc.
• Uses or benefits of a computer network
Communication
• People can communicate with each other around the world through computer
networks
• They can talk and share information with each other using different network
services such as email, social networking, video conferencing, groupware, blogs,
wikis, and SMS service
Data Sharing
• Different users connected to the computer network can share data among them
• For example, on the Internet, a large number of users can access the same database
Software Sharing
• In a computer network, usually, application software and other software are
installed on the central computer (i.e. server computer)
• These software can be shared over a network instead of purchasing a separate copy
of the software for each user
 Uses of Computer Network
Hardware Sharing
• In a computer network, hardware devices such as printers, scanners, CD-ROM
drives, and hard disks can be shared among different users
• For example, many users can share a single printer connected to a network
• An organization can save a lot of money by sharing different devices over a network
• Without the facility of network, these devices have to be arranged separately for
each user
• It becomes very costly for an organization
Internet Sharing
• In a computer network (i.e. LAN), many users can access the Internet through a
single Internet connection and can use its different services
Centralized Software Management
• All of the software are installed or updated on one computer (server computer)
• This saves time for installing/updating on individual computers in the network
• Users connected to a network can access these software/programs
Uses of Computer Network
Data Security and Management
• Computer network provides centralized data storage
• It means that all data is stored on the central computer
• In a business environment, an administrator manages the company's critical data in a
better way
• Everyone can find the data easily
• Administrator has full control and he/she can read or change critical information
• He/she can take the backup of data very easily
• Similarly, security features can also be implemented on the data very easily
Saving Disk Space
• In a computer network, all computers use the same copy of application programs and data
files
• These are only stored on the hard disk(s) of the server computer
• There is no need to store application programs and data files on individual computers on
the network
• In this way, disk space on each computer is saved
Uses of Computer Network
Performance Enhancement
• A network can be used to improve (enhance) the performance of different
applications by using distributed computing
• In distributed computing, a computation task is divided on various computers
on the network
• In this way, the performance of the application is increased
Entertainment
• Computer network provides many sources of entertainment to the people
• For example, we can play different types of games, see movies, and listen to
music. We can also make new friends on the Internet.
Remote Access
• A network also provides the facility to access data remotely
• A user can access and update data by connecting to the network from
anywhere in the world
Types of Network
Chapter 7 – Computer Networks
Types of Network
• Computer networks are divided into the following types based on the size
and physical area or distance covered by the network:
• Local Area Network
• Wide Area Network
• Metropolitan Area Network
• Personal Area Network (PAN)
Local Area Network (LAN)
• Local Area Network (LAN) is a type of computer network that covers a small area
• It is generally limited to a building or group of adjacent buildings
• It consists of a limited number of computers
• LAN is designed to share different resources (such as printers, scanners, storage devices,
and application programs) between computers
• Network of computers in the computer laboratory of a college and network of computers
in an office building are examples of LANs
• In LAN, nodes (computers and other devices such as printers and scanners) are connected
to each other using cables or wireless transmission medium
• Network Interface Card (NIC) is used in each computer to
connect it to a LAN
• Network card enables computer to share information with
other computers connected to the LAN
• Data transmission rate through LAN is very fast
• It is from 10 Mbps to 1 Gbps
Local Area Network (LAN)
+Resource Sharing
+For example, many users on network can use a single printer
+Similarly, storage media and software located in the central server can be shared
between all users on the network
+Inexpensive
+Small businesses, firms, and educational institutes can afford and easily install the LAN
+Communication
+Users can easily communicate with each other
+They can also share data among them
+Centralized Data
+All data is stored and updated on the central server through nodes
+So it becomes very easy to take a backup of the database at regular intervals
Local Area Network (LAN)
+Internet Access Sharing
+Multiple users can access the Internet using a single Internet connection
+Internet connection is established at the central server
+In this way, all users can access the Internet
+Data Security
+Data security can be implemented very easily because users are granted data access
rights
+Authorized users can connect to the server and can access a specific portion of the
data
+Speed
+Data transmission in a LAN is very fast
+Reliability
+It is a very reliable network
+Communication errors are very rare
Local Area Network (LAN)
- If the central server is infected by a virus, then important data and software
stored on the server may be corrupted and entire network may also be
affected
- All nodes depend on central device (or Hub), if it fails, then entire network
will stop working
- A trained and competent network manager is required to run LAN, so a
handsome salary has to be paid to him. Therefore, it becomes very expensive
to run the LAN
- Mostly in a LAN, one or two printers are shared among several users. In this
situation, lengthy print queues are created. So the users have to wait for a
long period of time to take print on the printer.
Wide Area Network (WAN)
• A Wide Area Network (WAN) is a type of computer network that covers a large area such
as different cities of the country or different countries and continents of the world
• Typically, a WAN consists of many LANs connected together across a wide geographical
area
• Suppose an organization has a LAN at each site. The LANs of all sites are connected
together to form a WAN
• Internet is the world’s largest WAN
• It connects many thousands of computers and LANs around the world and making it a web
• WAN is expensive than LAN but its transmission rate is slower than LAN
• In WAN, computers and other devices are often connected through telephone lines
• However, they can also be connected through leased lines, microwave, or satellite systems
• A modem is used in computers to establish communication between computers over a
long distance
• WANs are used in large organizations
• For example, in Pakistan, large organizations like PIA, WAPDA, ARMY, NADRA, and BANKS
use the WAN
Wide Area Network (WAN)
+ Covers Large Area
+ WAN covers a large geographical area so long-distance businesses can connect on the network
+ Users can access the network from any location of the country or world
+ Sharing and Communicating Messages
+ Messages can be shared and communicated all over the world
+ These messages can have text, pictures, and sounds
+ For example, users can communicate and share messages through video conference
+ Centralized Data
+ Data of an organization is stored in a single location even if the organization is spread all over
the world (or different cities of the country)
+ Everyone on the network can use the same data
+ This avoids problems where some users may have older information than others
+ Entertainment
+ WAN provides many sources of entertainment to users
+ For example, users can play different types of games, see movies, and listen to music over
Internet
Wide Area Network (WAN)
- Hardware and Software Costs
- WAN becomes expensive to install
- Devices and software that are required for installing WAN are very costly.
- Management and Staff Training Costs
- Once WAN is setup, maintaining a network is a full-time job
- Managing WAN is complicated
- Trained and competent network managers/supervisors and technicians are required to
run the WAN
- So handsome salaries have to be paid to them
- Therefore, it becomes very expensive to run the WAN
- Training for users to use the WAN is also required
- Training is required at all levels, including network managers/administrators
- Organization has to pay a lot of amount on the training of staff to run the network
Wide Area Network (WAN)
- Slow for Data Transmission
- Its data transmission rate is from 56 Kbps to 50 Mbps
- Usually, database applications perform their functions very slowly over WAN
- Security Issue
- Security is a real issue when many different people have the ability to use information
from other computers
- Protection against hackers and viruses adds more complexity
- It needs a good firewall to restrict outsiders from entering and disrupting the network
- Firewall is a security system consisting of hardware and/or software to prevent unauthorized access
of a network or computer
- Viruses can also spread very quickly and easily through WAN
- Failure of Server and Communication Line
- If a server fails, entire network is affected
- Similarly, a failure in communication line may also stop the working of WAN
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
• A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) is a network system that covers the area of a
city or town
• Usually, MAN consists of two or more LANs in a city or town which are connected
together
• For example, a company may design a MAN by connecting all the LANs in all its
office throughout the city
• The cable television companies, telephone companies, and Internet Service
Providers use MAN
• Mobile phones (cellular) systems often use a MAN
• MAN is larger than LAN and smaller than WAN
• It covers an area of between 5 to 50 km diameter
• A MAN uses different transmission media (wired or wireless) and devices for
communication
• In most of MANs, fiber optic cables are used as transmission media
• So it is a very high-speed network
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
+It covers a larger area than LAN
+It requires fewer resources as compared to WAN. This saves implementation cost
+It provides high-speed communication
+Resources can be shared among different users all over the city
+Its installation and maintenance is less expensive than WAN
+It provides higher security as compared to WAN
+Like LAN and MAN, it also provides centralized data management
- It is more expensive than LAN
- It becomes difficult to manage if the network becomes large
- It is difficult to make the system secure from hackers and industrial spying
- Network installation requires skilled technicians and network administrators. This
increases the overall installation and management costs
Personal Area Network (PAN)
• A personal area network (PAN) is a network that connects personal
computers and devices using wired and wireless technology
• Computers/devices are typically located within a range of about 30 feet
• Devices may include smartphones, digital cameras, printers, telephones,
tablets, and PDAs
• A PAN may connect devices through a router using network cables or directly
using special USB cables
• PANs also may use Bluetooth or Wi-Fi technology
 LAN WAN
• It covers a small geographical area • It covers a large geographical area
• Computers are directly connected through • Computers are connected through a
physical cable or wireless connection telephone line or microwave system
• In LAN, connection is permanent using • In WAN, connection is not permanent
cables
• A network card is used in each computer • Modem or router is used in each computer
for data transmission between computers for data transmission between computers
• Its data transmission speed is faster than • Its data transmission speed is slower than
WAN LAN
• Its installation and configuration cost is less • Its installation and configuration cost is
than WAN greater than LAN
• It has less possibility of data transmission • It has a higher possibility of data
errors
transmission errors
• In LAN, normally problems occur due to
cable disturbance • In WAN, normally problems occur due to
• In LAN, computers can be connected in a telephone lines, or other wireless media
limited area • In WAN, computers can be connected
anywhere in the world
Network Architectures
Chapter 7 – Computer Networks
Network Architectures
• Network architecture is the design or layout of computers, devices, and
media in a computer network
• Computer network can be designed using different ways
• Most popular network architectures are:
• Client-server network
• Peer-to-peer (P2P) network
• Hybrid network
Client-Server Network
• A network architecture in which one or more computers act as servers and
other computers act as clients is called a client-server network
• In this network, servers are not used as clients and clients never act as servers
• Both wired and wireless networks can be configured as a client-server
network
• The server is a powerful computer
• It is also called a host computer
• It controls the whole network and provides services to the clients
• It also provides a centralized storage area for data & software and centralized
security to ensure that resources are not accessed by unauthorized users
Client-Server Network
• A client-server network may consist of two or more servers
• Each server performs only one specific task
• A server that performs only a specific task in the network is called a
dedicated server
• File Server Stores and manages files
• Print Server Manages printers and print jobs
• Database Server Stores and manages databases. It also provides access to databases
• Application Server Stores and distributes application software on the network
• Network Server Manages network activity (or network traffic)
• Web Server Stores web pages. It also receives requests from clients, processes the
requests, and sends the results of requests to clients
• Email Server Stores and handles incoming and outgoing email messages
• Authentication Server It keeps track of the users who log on the network. It also
keeps track of different services available to each user on the network.
Client-Server Network
• All computers and mobile devices other than the server(s) in the client-server
network are called clients
• They can be PCs and laptops or other mobile computers or devices
• Users run applications on the clients
• For example, users send requests to the server through clients
• Server receives requests from clients and takes proper actions on these
requests
• The results of the requests are sent to the clients
• Clients depend on the server for different resources like centralized storage,
printing, and data processing, etc.
Client-Server Network
+It reduces the volume of data traffic on the network
+It provides faster responses to the clients
+It allows using less expensive computers as clients because most of the work
is done by the server
+It provides centralized security/management
+It provides the facility to easy backup of data
- More powerful computer is required to install as server
- So it becomes very costly
- The entire network may be affected if there is any problem on the server
Peer-to-Peer Network
• A network architecture in which all computers on the network have equal status and no
one has control over others is called a peer-to-peer network (or simply P2P network)
• In this network architecture, each computer or mobile device is called a peer
• Each peer can act as both a server and client at the same time
• Both wired and wireless networks can be configured as a peer-to-peer network
• In peer-to-peer network architecture, there is no central computer to control other
computers on the network
• Each computer can share data and devices (or resources) of other computers in the
network
• For example, a printer attached to any computer can be used by all computers connected to the
network
• Each computer stores its data and program files because P2P does not have a common file
server
• Peer-to-peer network is a simple and low-cost network
• It normally consists of less than 10 computers
• This type of network architecture is ideal for small businesses and home users
• Some operating systems include a P2P networking tool that can be used to set up a peer-
to-peer network
Peer-to-Peer Network
+It is useful in small offices
+It is easy to design and to maintain
+It does not require any powerful computer
- It becomes slow under heavy use
- There is no central place for storing data and software
- In this network, data is not stored on a central computer
- So it provides less security
Hybrid Network
• Hybrid network has combined features of both client-server and peer-to-peer
networks
• It also has one or more servers
• Users can share data and software
• Similarly, each node can store its own data files and programs and has its own
peripheral devices
• Users can also share each other’s data and devices
 Client – Server Network Peer – to – Peer Network
• Each computer is called either a server • Each computer is called a peer
or a client • No computer act as a server
• One or more computers act as servers • There is no dedicated server or central
• There is one or more dedicated servers computer to control other computers
that control the other computers on on the network
the network • It consists of less than ten computers
• It may consist of many computers • Each computer stores its data and
• Mostly data and program files are program files
stored on the dedicated server • Data cannot be managed easily because
• Data can be managed very easily data is stored on different computers
because all data is stored on a • It is useful in small offices/businesses
dedicated server
• Data is not stored on a central
• It is used in large organizations computer. So it does not provide
• Data is stored on a central computer. proper data security
So it provides the best security
For more details, refers to

PM Series

Introduction to Computer

by
CM Aslam, Aqsa Aslam, Mussadiq Fida, & Mudassir
Ahmad

Publisher: Majeed Sons