BCS/ Bachelor of Information Technology

COPPERSTONE UNIVERSITY

DATA COMMUNICATIONS AND NETWORKING

Networking concepts
What is a network?
 Put simply, a network is a connection between at least two computers so that they can share
resources.
 Although most networks are more complex than this two-computer scenario,
o All networks are based on the concept of sharing.
o There’s actually a great deal of technology involved when one computer connects to and
communicates with another.
o In addition, there are many types of physical connections and related software to consider
 There are three types of networks:
 Local Area Networks (LANs), Wide Area Networks (WANs), and Metropolitan Area Networks
(MANs).
Local Area Network (LAN)
 A LAN is a collection of computers and other connected devices that fit within the scope of a single
physical network.
 A LAN is a collection of networked computers that reside within a small physical region, such as an
office building.
o LANs provide the building blocks for internetworks and WANs
 A locally attached device is a device that is attached directly to a single computer
 A network attached device is a device that is available only over the network and has a built-in
network interface.
 A server attached device is a device that is available only over the network and must be attached
directly to a server.
Wide Area Network (WAN)
 A WAN is a collection of interconnected networks in which a third-party communications carrier is
used to transmit communications between networks.
 A WAN can connect networks across the globe
 WAN links can be expensive because they are charged on the basis of bandwidth
o so few WAN links support the same bandwidth as that available on most LANs.

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

 A MAN is a network that makes use of WAN technologies to interconnect LANs within a specific
geo-graphical region, such as a city.

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Peer-to-peer network
 A type of network in which all connected computers can be a client and/or a server to other
computers on the network.
 Because all computers on this type of network are peers, peer-to-peer networks have no centralized
control over shared resources.
 Any individual machine can share its resources with any computer on the same network, however
and whenever it chooses to do so.
 The peer relationship also means that no one computer has higher access priority, nor heightened
responsibility to provide shared resources.
 Every user on a peer-to-peer network is also a network administrator.
o i.e., each network user controls access to the resources that reside on his other machine.
 It is possible to give all others unlimited access to local resources, or to grant only restricted (or no)
access to others.
 Likewise, each user decides whether other users can access resources simply by requesting them, or
whether the resources are password-protected.
 Due to the flexibility and individual discretion regarding network resources on a peer-to-peer
network, institutionalized chaos is the norm for peer-to-peer networks.
 For these reasons, security should be a major concern.
o You can set up a peer-to-peer network to where resources are collected into workgroups,
but without network-wide security.
 In a workgroup setting, users who know the right passwords can access resources; those who do
not, can’t.
 This setup may be workable on small networks, but it also requires that users know and remember a
different password for every shared resource on a network.
 In a peer-to-peer environment, as the number of users and resources grows, the network can
become unworkable.
o This is not because the network can’t function properly, but because users can’t cope with
the complexity involved.
 In addition, most peer-to-peer networks consist of collections of typical end-user PCs that are linked
together by a common network medium.
 These types of machines are not designed to act as network servers; therefore the network can
easily bog down as more users try to access resources on any particular machine.
 Additionally, a user whose machine is being accessed across the network has to put up with reduced
performance while that machine services network information requests.
o For example, if a user’s machine has a network-accessible printer attached to it, that
machine will slow down every time other users send a job to that printer.
 Here are some benefits of peer-to-peer networks:
o They are easy to install and configure.
o Individual machines do not depend on a dedicated server.
o Users are able to control their own shared resources.

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o This type of network is inexpensive to purchase and operate.

o You don’t need any equipment or software other than an operating system.
o It is not necessary to have an employee act as a dedicated administrator to run the network.
o This type of network is well suited for networks with 10 or fewer users.
 As with anything, peer-to-peer networks have their drawbacks as well:
o You can only apply network security to one resource at a time.
o Users might have to remember as many passwords as there are shared resources.
o You must perform individual backups on each machine to protect all shared data.
o When someone accesses shared resources, the machine where the resource resides suffers
a performance hit.
o There is no centralized organizational scheme to locate or control access to data.

Client-server network
 A computing model in which certain computers, called clients, request services and other
computers, called servers, respond to these client requests.
o Microsoft generally refers to this type of network as a server-based network
 In simple terms, a server is a machine whose only function is to respond to client requests.
o Servers are seldom operated directly by someone normally only to install, configure, or
manage its services.
o In general, a server is a combination of specialized software and hardware that provides
services on a network to other computers (workstations) or to other processes.
 Server-based networks rely on special-purpose computers called servers that provide centralized
repositories for network resources, and incorporate centralized security and access controls.
 In comparison, peer-to-peer networks have no centralized security or maintenance functions.
 There are a number of reasons to implement a server-based network, including
o centralized control over network resources through the use of network security and
o control through the server’s configuration and setup.
o From a hardware standpoint, server computers typically have faster CPUs, more memory,
larger disk drives, and extra peripherals such as tape drives and CD-ROM jukeboxes in
comparison with client machines.
o Servers are also built to handle multiple requests for shared resources quickly and
efficiently.
o Servers are usually dedicated to servicing network client requests.
o In addition, physical security -access to the machine itself is a key component of network
security.
o Therefore, it’s important for servers to be located in special, controlled-access rooms that
are separate from general-access office areas.
o Server-based networks also provide centralized verification of user accounts and passwords.
 Here are some benefits of server-based networks:

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o They provide centralized user accounts, security, and access controls, which simplifies
network administration.
o More powerful equipment means more efficient access to network resources as well.
o Users only have to remember a single password for network login, which allows them to
access all resources that they have permission to access
 Client-server have their drawbacks as well:
o A server failure can render a network unusable; at best, it results in loss of network
resources.
o Such networks require an expert staff to manage the complex, special-purpose server
software, which adds to the overall cost.
o Costs also increase due to the requirements of dedicated hardware and specialized
software.
Choosing a network technology that meets your needs
 Choosing a network depends on the circumstances.
 You should select a peer-to-peer network only when all of the following conditions apply:
o There are no more than 10 network users (preferably, no more than 5).
o All machines on the network are in close enough proximity to fit within a single LAN.
o Budget considerations require an inexpensive solution.
o You don’t need any specialized servers (for example, fax servers, communication servers, or
application servers).
 On the other hand, a server-based network makes sense when one or more of the following
conditions are true:
o More than 10 users must share network access.
o You require centralized control, security, resource management, or backup
o You require access to specialized servers, or there is a heavy demand for network resources.
o You are using an internetwork or you require WAN access.
 When a network has more than 5 but less than 10 users, budget limitations often incline
organizations toward peer-to-peer.
 But if the organization is expecting to grow, or specialized network servers sound appealing, it’s best
to begin with a server-based network.

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