Networking Notes

Week 1

 Course Talks about the critical function of networking

 Network: Group of nodes (computers and devices) interconnected by transmission media

(guided or unguided) for the purpose of sharing hardware and software resource with multiple

users locally and remotely

 Network Management:

o The process of coordinating (planning, organizing, directing and controlling) activities

relevant to supporting the interconnection of systems of nodes for the purpose sharing

resources (HW & SW) locally remotely

o Process (What & Why): Must include the balancing of cost, security and availability

Destra Corp Notes

 Network – system where two or more computers are connected to each other

 Purpose of network is to enable sharing of data between systems

 Sharing and accessing information in real time

 Can be connected via physical lines or wirelessly through WLAN connections

 Destra Corp has two main streams of business, - business services and entertainment

services 2:10 – business services include website hosting, data servers and networks to

businesses and internet domain resgistry

entertainment services include providing technology to record labels and retailers,

Networking Notes

 dial up ISP >> Fiber access >>

The processes and required to build and maintain a network

 Consideration of cost, usability and security – network needs analysis 7:54 (axiom of

three decided network composition) consult with engineers and staff

 Using in house staff , follow up and review

 Then network requirements ei, cost, goals, challenges

 Follow up, quality assurance (quality delivery of what is expected)

 Engineers and Senior managers liason to decide on network needs

Network Procedures 20:27

 Procedures taken to good worked practiced to ensure the health and security of the

network

Anti-viral procedures to enhance and sustain security of company files

Password policies

Physical security. swipe card access to servers, file sites and server sites

Disaster recovery protocol

Keeping software maintained

Network architecture

 This refers to the design and structure of the network - 8:38

 It usually determines network specifics like speed, availability and the wired, wireless

system of connections
Networking Notes

What is the benefit of a portal?

10:00 Portal access allows online members to build their own field of information within

the company, publish documentation and provide

Able to collaborate in team sites (clustered together)

Allow common users to work collaboratively on a particular goal

Promote the clearest channel of communication within the organization

Allows restricted and controlled access of the company projects to external stakeholders

How is Destra’s Network Structured?

 Mail servers , internal and external

 Planning according to network needs and demands

 At the head of the network there are routers >firewalls which restrict access > (provide

defence) >> IDs (intrusion detection) > Swtiching equipment ( > connected application

servers (processing capabilities) > storage devices>

Role Destra Plays in business support

 Support business operations by providing data in a cost effective way

 Providing high quality materials and services

 Providing security

Network Infrastructure 15:00

 Refers to the physical hardware that connects computers and users

 Includes transmission media (such as telephone lines,) cable television lines, satellite

and antennas , routers, aggregators, repeaters

 Transmission software used to send receive and manage the signal

Networking Notes

 P2p – small connection of network

 Client/server network – like a library, central server – serving users (server is used as

an intermediary)

 Lan- connections within boundries of a building

 Wan - beyond the boundaries of a building

 NIC – Connects the computer to the media network

 NOS – runs on the server and manages server

 Packets – breaking data into small chunks to allow efficient transfer of data over the

network

 Network service with the highest availability is email

 Advantages of using central server, security, standardization, less use resources, less

work for network administrator, less application use

 Remote access servers (allows external users to connect to the network) – because of

this they need extra security

Chapter 1 Summary

■A network is a group of computers and other devices (such as printers) that are
connected by some type of transmission media, such as copper or fiber-optic cable or
radio waves, in the case of wireless transmission.
■ All networks offer advantages relative to using a stand-alone computer. Networks
enable multiple users to share devices and data. Sharing resources saves time and
money. Networks also allow you to manage, or administer, resources on multiple
computers from a central location.
■ In a peer-to-peer network, every computer can communicate directly with every other
computer. By default, no computer on a peer-to-peer network has more authority
than another. However, each computer can be configured to share only some of its
resources and keep other resources inaccessible.
Networking Notes

■ Traditional
peer-to-peer networks are usually simple and inexpensive to set up.
However, they are not necessarily flexible or secure.

Client/server networks rely on a centrally administered server (or servers) to manage

shared resources for multiple clients. In this scheme, the server has greater authority
than the clients, which may be desktop or laptop workstations or mobile devices, such
as cell phones.
■ Client/server networks are more complex and expensive to install than peer-to-peer
networks. However, they are more easily managed, more scalable, and typically more
secure. They are by far the most popular type of network in use today.
■ Servers typically possess more processing power, hard disk space, and memory than
client computers. To manage access to and use of shared resources, among other
centralized functions, a server requires a network operating system.
■ A LAN (local area network) is a network of computers and other devices that is
confined to a relatively small space, such as one building or even one office.
■ LANs can be interconnected to form WANs (wide area networks), which traverse
longer distances and may use different transmission methods and media than LANs.
The Internet is the largest example of a WAN.
■ Client/server networks share some common elements, including clients, servers,
workstations, transmission media, connectivity devices, protocols, addressing, topology,
NICs, packets, network operating systems, hosts, backbones, segments, and nodes.
■ Networks provide a wide range of services, including printing, file sharing, Internet
access, remote access, communicating in multiple forms, and network management.
■ File and print services provide the foundation for networking. They enable multiple
users to share data, applications, storage areas, and printers.
■ Networks use access services to allow remote users to connect to the network or
network users to connect to machines outside the network.
■ Communications services provided by networks include e-mail, telephone, video, fax,
messaging, and voice mail.
■ Mail services (running on mail servers) allow users on a network to exchange and
store e-mail. Most mail packages also provide filtering, routing, scheduling,
notification, and connectivity with other mail systems.
■ Internet services such as Web servers and browsers, file transfer capabilities,
addressing schemes, and security filters enable organizations to connect to and use the
global Internet.
■ Network management services centrally administer and simplify complicated
management tasks on the network, such as asset management, security auditing,
hardware problem diagnosis, backup and restore services, license tracking, load
balancing, and data traffic control.
■ To prepare yourself for a networking career, master a number of broad networking
skills, such as installing and configuring client and server hardware and software.
Then pick a few areas that interest you, such as network security or voice/data
integration, and study those specialties.
■ Certification is the process of mastering material pertaining to a particular hardware
system, operating system, programming language, or other software program, then
proving your mastery by passing a series of exams. The benefits of certification can

include a better salary, more job opportunities, greater professional respect, and better
access to technical support.
■ To excel in the field of networking, hone your soft skills, such as customer
relations, oral and written communications, dependability, teamwork, and
leadership abilities.
■ Joining an association for networking professionals can connect you with likeminded
people, give you access to workshops and technical publications, allow
Networking Notes

you to receive discounted or free software, and perhaps even help you find a job
in the field.

Week 2

OSI vs TCIP Model

 OSI is a conceptual model ( 7 layers + mnemonic please don’t throw sausage pizza

away)

 TCIP – 4 layers

 Data gets broken up into segments at layer 4

Networking Notes

 The user uses layers 5,6,7

Application Layer Function

7. Application – Application, protocols and services that interface with the end user
Networking Notes

5. Presentation Layer- Data is formatted, converted, encrypted, decrypted,

compressed, and sent to the user

4. Session – Open, close, manage a session, between end user application processes

Transport Layer

Transport layer services the upper layer

 Facilitates end to end communication between multiple application ports

 Reliable and unreliable end to end data transport

 Connection oriented , connectionless communications, and data streams services (session

establishment and termination) TCP is unreliable / UDP is unreliable

Internet Layer - Network Layer

 Provides host addressing IP / Address

 Chooses the best path to the destination (routing)

 Switch packets ( forwarding)

 Maintain Quality of Service

 Connectionless end to end networking

Data Link Layer

 Consists of two sub layers

 LLC – 802.2 UPPER SUB LAYER, PROVIDES SERVICES TO UPPER LAYER

 Media access control –

 Error checking – missing data, data corrupted, will clean the frame and drop it
Networking Notes

The Physical Layer of Computer Networks

 The physical layer is the lowest level on the OSI level

 Layer that contains the networking hardware

 Provides base for building network system

 Physical layer is hardware

 Provides the communication channel for network devices

 Provides transmission and reception hardware

The purpose of the physical layer is to transport BITS (between physical machines)

Takes a stream of from one device and send them from one device to another

Types of Physical Links

 Cabled (wire for fiber optics) fiber optic cables allows for the transfer of light

 Wireless

 All physical link have to take the bits of data and encode them to analogue

signal – the decode the signal

 The most common analogue signal is the electrical magnetic waves

 Defines the communication hardware used to implement the network

 The remaining osi models can be implemented

 Without the physical layer, the network cannot function

Networking Notes
Networking Notes

Week 4

Networking Standards and the OSI Model

 Switches and bridges manage communication between two computers and allows them to

communicate without collisions

 A ring split can disrupt the entire network

 Star topology is collision free, more effective network

 Tree topology – multiple central points

 Mesh topology – each computer is connected to each other computer – network devices ,

two layers above , if one link is down, only the devices attached to that link is affected

 Access layer is closest to the user

 The distribution layer is the backbone layer that connects all of the devices together

 Multiple connections are used so that if one connections dies, you don’t lose the entire

network

 Backbone acts to interconnect devices as well as connect layer three uptop

 Internet society – mother of all ,

 Internet architecture board – board to vote on decisions to upgrade tcp or change

parameters

 Internet engineering – short term changes and goals

 IRT – Long term goals

 ICANN - keeps the numbers orgnanised to make sure there are no overlaps charged with

assigning names and numbers

 IEEE – sets standards for physical infrastructure

Networking Notes

What’s the benefit of dividing the layers involved in TCP/IP?

 It increases the efficiency of communication

 It increases the troubleshooting of the network

 Any application can talk to any application

 Logically divide the functions – any email client to talk to any email client

 Application layer is when data gets formed

 Presentation layer – is responsible for making a representation of the message

 Session layer – securely sends information between two locations – stipulates what

communications happens between the two devices

 Networking layer – consolidation (ip) addressing and routing)

 Transportation layer- transports data – segments layer label indicates what application

layer created the packet

 Packet has transport layer port number and also has ip address information

 Data link layer – it adds mac address information, in charge of the mac address and now

its called a frame

 PDU – generic name for packet or segment or frame

Week 5 – Network Security

 For the core layer a mesh topology is used – why? Because it is the most critical layer.

You need more than one connection

Networking Notes

 FOIP – protect privacy of information used on the web (two main acts ) – protects or

controls all the laws that have to do with public organizations

 Private companies are controlled with –

 There are two acts because the information collected by private and public companies are

different / separated because handling and collection of information is done separately

-Provincial act /

FOIP mainly uses policies not technology

Security Assessment

 A review of people, hardware and software in network security

 The most vulnerable component of security is people – they are corruptible

 Network security is often compromised from the inside

 .81 is the strongest wireless security


Networking Notes