Computer Communication Network
NETWORKS
A network is the interconnection of a set of devices capable of communication. a device can be
a host (or an end system as it is sometimes called) such as a large computer, desktop, laptop,
workstation, cellular phone, or security system.
Network Criteria
A network must be able to meet a certain number of criteria. The most important of these are
performance, reliability, and security.
Performance- Performance can be measured in many ways, including transit time and response
time. Transit time is the amount of time required for a message to travel from one device to
another. Response time is the elapsed time between an inquiry and a response.
The performance of a network depends on a number of factors, including the number of users,
the type of transmission medium, the capabilities of the connected hardware, and the efficiency
of the software
Performance is often evaluated by two networking metrics: throughput and delay.
Reliability- network reliability is measured by the frequency of failure, the time it takes a link to
recover from a failure, and the network’s robustness in a catastrophe.
Security- security issues include protecting data from unauthorized access, protecting data from
damage and development, and implementing policies and procedures for recovery from
breaches and data losses.
JSSATE, ECE Page 1
NETWORK TYPES
Different types of networks
Local Area Network (LAN) -
fig: An isolated LAN in the past and today
A local area network (LAN) is usually privately owned and connects some hosts in a single office,
building, or campus. Depending on the needs of an organization,
A LAN can be as simple as two PCs and a printer in someone’s home office, or it can extend
throughout a company and include audio and video devices.
Each host in a LAN has an identifier, an address, that uniquely defines the host in the LAN. A
packet sent by a host to another host carries both the source host’s and the destination host’s
addresses.
In the past, all hosts in a network were connected through a common cable, which meant that a
packet sent from one host to another was received by all hosts. The intended recipient kept the
packet; the others dropped the packet.
JSSATE, ECE Page 2
Computer Communication Network
Today, most LANs use a smart connecting switch, which is able to recognize the destination
address of the packet and guide the packet to its destination without sending it to all other
hosts. The switch alleviates the traffic in the LAN and allows more than one pair to
communicate with each other at the same time if there is no common source and destination
among them.
Wide Area Network
A wide area network (WAN) is also an interconnection of devices capable of communication.
However, it. We see two distinct examples of WANs today: point-to-point WANs and switched
WANs.
Point-to-Point WAN
A point-to-point WAN is a network that connects two communicating devices through a
transmission media (cable or air).
fig: Point-to-Point WAN
Switched WAN
A switched WAN is a network with more than two ends. A switched WAN, is used in the
backbone of global communication today. We can say that a switched WAN is a combination of
several point -to-point WANs that are connected by switches.
JSSATE, ECE Page 3
Computer Communication Network
fig: A switched WAN
LAN VS WAN
1. A LAN is normally limited in size, 1. A WAN has a wider geographical span,
spanning an office, a building, or a campus. spanning a town, a state, a country, or even
the world
2. A LAN interconnects hosts
2. WAN interconnects connecting devices
3. A LAN is normally privately owned by such as switches, routers, or modems
the organization that uses it
3. a WAN is normally created and run by
communication companies and leased by an
organization that uses it.
JSSATE, ECE Page 4
fig: OSI model
THE OSI MODEL
An ISO standard that covers all
aspects of network communications
is the Open Systems
Interconnection (OSI) model. It was
first introduced in the late 1970s. An open system is a set of protocols that allows any two
different systems to communicate regardless of their underlying architecture.
The purpose of the OSI model is to show how to facilitate communication between different
systems without requiring changes to the logic of the underlying hardware and software. The
OSI model is not a protocol; it is a model for understanding and designing a network
architecture that is flexible, robust, and interoperable. The OSI model was intended to be the
basis for the creation of the protocols in the OSI stack. The OSI model is a layered framework for
the design of network systems that allows communication between all types of computer
systems.
It consists of seven separate but related layers, each of which defines a part of the process of
moving information across a network
OSI versus TCP/IP
When we compare the two models, we find that two layers, session and presentation, are
missing from the TCP/IP protocol suite. These two layers were not added to the TCP/IP protocol
suite after the publication of the OSI model. The application layer in the suite is usually
considered to be the combination of three layers in the OSI model, as shown in Figure .
Two reasons were mentioned for this decision. First, TCP/IP has more than one transport-layer
protocol. Some of the functionalities of the session layer are available in some of the
transportlayer protocols.
JSSATE, ECE Page 5
Computer Communication Network
Computer Communication Network
Second, the application layer is not only one piece of software. Many applications can be
developed at this layer. If some of the functionalities mentioned in the session and presentation
layers are needed for a particular application, they can be included in the development of that
piece of software.
JSSATE, ECE Page 6
Computer Communication Network
fig:TCP/IP and OSI model
JSSATE, ECE Page 7
