Network Classifications

Introduction
• Computer Networks can be classified according to three main
strategies namely:
✓Classification by Geography
✓Classification by Resource Sharing
✓Classification by Topology
NETWORKS DEFINED BY GEOGRAPHY
• We can classify networks according to how geographically dispersed
network components are. This results to the following Network
classifications/ types of computer networks by geography.
✓Local Area network (LAN)
✓Wide Area Network (WAN)
✓Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
✓Personal Area Network (PAN)
✓Campus Area Network (CAN)
Local Area Network
• Refers to a computer network which spans a fairly small space.
• Oftentimes, the LAN is restricted to one room, building or cluster of buildings,
though, one LAN may be attached to other LANs across any distance through
phone networks and radio waves.
• Majority of LANs are connected to workstations and PCs.
• Every node (single computer) in a LAN is also capable of accessing and
implementing data anywhere across the LAN.
• It means that most users are able to share otherwise costly devices, such as
data and laser printers.
• Additionally, they might use LAN to network with each other through sending
emails or participating in chat sessions.
Sample LAN Network
Wide Area Network (WAN)
• Interconnects network components that are Geographically
separated.
• For example, a Corporate Headquarters might have multiple WAN
connections to remote office sites.
• It covers a wide geographical area comprising a region, a country, a
continent, or even the whole world.
• WAN includes the technologies to transmit multi-media information
over long distance and among different LANs and MANs.
Sample Diagrammatic Representation of WAN
The Distinguishing features of WAN are;
• WANs have a large capacity, connecting a large number of computers over a
large area, and are inherently scalable.
• They facilitate the sharing of regional resources.
• They provide uplinks for connecting LANs and MANs to the Internet.
• Communication links are provided by public carriers like telephone networks,
network providers, cable systems, satellites etc.
• Typically, they have low data transfer rate and high propagation delay, i.e.
They have low communication speed.
• They generally have a higher bit error rate.
• Examples
• The internet
Personal Area Network (PAN)
• A personal area network, also known as PAN, is created when several
computers or mobile phones network with each other wirelessly
across a short expanse, normally less than around 30-feet.
• Typically, these networks are wireless and consists of data
transmission between portable devices or to a central server being
the network that permits additional linking to the Web.
• Physical cables such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) are also used in
PAN. Advances in the field of PANs are mainly managed through the
IEEE 802.15 operations group.
Sample PAN
• The diagram below shows a sample PAN

Characteristics of a Personal Area Network

• It is mostly a personal device’s network equipped within a small area.
• It allows you to deal with information devices interconnected with a single user
environment.
• PAN includes mobile phones, tablets, and laptops.
• It is possible to connect wirelessly to the Internet called WPAN.
• Devices used for PAN: wireless mice, keyboards, and Bluetooth systems
• Short-range communication
• It requires very low power
• Low cost
Metropolitan Area Network
• A metropolitan area network (MAN) is a large computer network that
usually spans a city or a large campus.
• A MAN Network is optimized for a larger geographical area than a LAN,
ranging from several blocks of buildings to entire cities.
• MAN, Networks are formed by connecting multiple LANs.
• Thus, MAN Networks are larger than LANs but smaller than wide-area networks
(WAN).
• The purpose of MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) is to provide the link to
the internet in the long run.
• MAN Network provides Internet connectivity for LANs in a metropolitan region, and
connect them to wider area networks like the Internet. ” It can also be used in cable
television.
Characteristics of MAN
• Network size generally ranges from 5 to 50 km. It may be as large as
covering the whole city.
• In general, a MAN is either owned by a user group or by a network
provider who sells service to users, rather than a single organization
as in LAN.
• Data rates are moderate to high.
• It facilitates the sharing of regional resources.
• They provide uplinks for connecting LANs to WANs and the Internet.
Examples of areas where MAN is used
• Digital cable television
• Used in government agencies
• University campuses
• Used to connect several branches of the local school
• In hospital (for communication between doctors, research offices,
labs)
• A network of fire stations
• In airports
• Networking between community colleges within the country
Example of MAN
• Think of a manufacturing company that has its Factory in Ruiru, its office
headquarters in Westlands, and its shipping and receiving center in Embakasi.
The network of such a company that interconnects all these sites is known as
MAN.
Campus Area Network (CAN)
• It is a group of interconnected LANs within a limited geographical
area:
• like school campus, university campus, military bases, or organizational
campuses and corporate buildings etc.
• A Campus Area Network is larger than Local Area Network but smaller
than Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) and Wide Area Network
(WAN).
• Sometimes this network is also referred as Residential Network or
ResNet as it is only used by residents of specific campus only.
Cont.
• Campus Area Network covers areas of around 1 to 5 km range and it
can be both wired or wireless connectivity.
Network Classification Defined by Resource
Location

1. Client-Server Networks
2. Peer-to-peer Networks
Client-Server Architecture
• This is an architecture that has a dedicated server and clients that get
resources from the server.
• A dedicated file server provides shared resources e.g files, a
networked printer.
• Client-server networks are commonly used by businesses.
• Since resources are located on one or more servers, administration is
simpler than trying to administer network resources on multiple peer
devices.
• Clients request resources from the server and the server provides the
clients with the resources that they need.
Client-Server Architecture Cont.
• Client server diagrammatic representation
Advantages of Client Server Computing
• All the required data is concentrated in a single place i.e. the server.
So it is easy to protect the data and provide authorization and
authentication.
• The server need not be located physically close to the clients. Yet the
data can be accessed efficiently.
• It is easy to replace, upgrade or relocate the nodes in the client server
model because all the nodes are independent and request data only
from the server.
• All the nodes i.e clients and server may not be built on similar
platforms yet they can easily facilitate the transfer of data.
• Data can easily be upgraded since its located in a central location.
• It is more scalable since adding new clients is easy.
Client/Server Architecture’s Components
• A few components are necessary for any architecture to function. The
client-server architecture is also built on the three interrelated parts
that are stated below:
• Client Computers or Workstations
• Servers
• Network Devices or Middleware
Cont.
• Client Computers (Workstations): requests for resources from the
server.
• Servers: A high-performance device that can handle many requests
coming in at once from numerous workstations while maintaining a
quick processing speed, higher storage capacity, and strong memory.
• Network Devices (Middleware): It manages communication between
the client and the server. It is responsible for securing the data during
transmission.
Disadvantages of Client Server Computing
• If all the clients simultaneously request data from the server, it may
get overloaded. This may lead to congestion in the network.
• If the server fails for any reason, then none of the requests of the
clients can be fulfilled. This leads of failure of the client server
network.
• The cost of setting and maintaining a client server model are quite
high.
• The server is central point where security can be compromised
• Prone to masquerading since an unauthorized device can pretend to
be a genuine client and request resources
 Types of Servers: 1. Email Server
• An email server typically runs on “SMTP” or “Simple Mail Transfer Protocol”.
• There are other possible protocols that newer mail servers operate on, but SMTP remains the
dominant protocol.
• An email server powers mail services. These servers in themselves simply take in
emails from one client to another and forward the data to the other server.
• Data is simplified when sent through SMTP, so some information, like web formatting, is
usually lost in email transactions.
• The modern approach to email servers typically pairs them with web servers.
• This allows for users to have a “web client” that graphically shows the data on a web page.
• Some newer web applications can even mimic a home computer email client without
installing anything.
• Some ports used in E-mail servers include: Port 25 (SMTP), Port 587 (Secure
SMTP), Port 110 (Post office protocol- POP3)
2. Database Servers
• A database server typically operates in tandem with another type of server.
• This kind of server simply exists to store data in groups. There are countless
methods of keeping data that operate on different theories.
• One of the more common types is known as “SQL” or “Structured Query Language”.
• Database programmers can create databases on these servers using
scripting in the language of the database.
• Some popular Database servers include MySQL, MariaDB, Microsoft SQL,
Oracle Database etc.
• Some ports used for Database servers: Port 3306 (MySQL, MariaDB), Port
1433 (MS-SQL), Port 1521 (Oracle DB).
3. File Server
• A file server is a central server in a computer network that provides
file systems or at least parts of a file system to connected clients.
• File servers therefore offer users a central storage place for files on
internal data media, which is accessible to all authorized clients.
• Here, the server administrator defines strict rules regarding which
users have which access rights:
• For instance, the configuration or file authorizations of the respective file
system enable the admin to set which files can be seen and opened by a
certain user or user group, and whether data can only be viewed or also
added, edited, or deleted.
File Server Cont.
• With file servers connected to the internet and configured
accordingly, users cannot only access the files via the local network
but also benefit from remote access.
• This enables files to be accessed and saved on the file server even
when users are on the go.
• All modern operating systems such as Windows, Linux, or macOS can
be used on a file server, although the devices available in the network
need to be compatible with the operating system.
• File servers are not only used for file storage and management.
• They are also often used as a repository for programs that have to be
accessible to multiple network participants, and as a backup server.
4. DHCP Server
• A DHCP Server uses the Dynamic Host Communication Protocol (DHCP) to
assign dynamic IP addresses to network components in a LAN.
• Dynamic IP addresses are usually assigned in lease hold such that once the
devices connects to the network it is assigned an IP address once it
disconnects the IP address is taken back by the DHCP and assigned to another
device that connects to the network..
• They are very useful in large networks involving multiple components.
• All modern routers today have a DHCP server in them.
• That’s why when you try to connect your phone to the MUT wifi it notifies you
that it is “assigning Ip address”.
• The opposite of Dynamic IP is Static IP which refers to IP addresses that are
manually and permanently assigned to a device in a network.
• Thus even when the device disconnects from the network no any other device can be
assigned that IP address.
5. Web Servers
• Web server is a computer where the web content is stored. Basically, web
server is used to host the web sites. Web server respond to the client
request in either of the following two ways:
• Sending the file to the client associated with the requested URL.
• Generating response by invoking a script and communicating with database
Key Points
• When client sends request for a web page, the web server search for the
requested page if requested page is found then it will send it to client with
an HTTP response.
• If the requested web page is not found, web server will the send an HTTP
response: it will inform you that Error 404 Not found.
• If client has requested for some other resources then the web server will
contact the application server and data store to construct the HTTP
response.
6. Domain Naming System (DNS) Server
• The Domain Name System (DNS) is the phonebook of the Internet.
• Every website is stored in form of an IP address, however, IP
addresses are complicated for people to remember. That’s why there
exists Uniform Resource Locators (URL) that users can easily
remember.
• When users type domain names such as ‘google.com’ or ‘mut.ac.ke’
into web browsers, DNS is responsible for taking the URL and finding
the correct IP address for those sites.
• Without DNS it would be difficult for people to easily access websites
on the internet.
7. Application servers
• A server that hosts applications or software that transmits a business
application through a communication protocol is known as an
application server.
• They include:
• Glassfish server
• Apache Tomcat
• Jboss enterprise
8. Groupware server
• Groupware Servers enables users to collaborate online or over an intranet,
regardless of their physical location, in a virtual setting.
• The size and nature of the project largely determine how many clients must
be connected to this server.
9)Proxy Servers:
• A device or router known as a proxy server acts as a gateway for users to
access the internet.
• As a result, it aids in preventing online intruders from accessing a private
network. It is a server, and because it stands between end users and the
websites they visit online, it is referred to as an "intermediary."
 PEER TO PEER NETWORKS
• In peer-to-peer network two or more computers connected with each
other to share the resources and files directly without any dedicated
server.
• A peer-to-peer network contains different nodes that are of equal in a
network.
• In peer-to-peer the device seeking the resource becomes a client
while the one providing the resources becomes the server.
• Example take two phones A and B phone A send a pdf file to B at that point A
is the server while B is the client. Now B can send an Image to A and at that
time B is the server while A is the client.
• Peer-to-Peer networks are less scalable and not desirable in large
networks.
Cont.
Characteristics of the Peer-to-Peer network
• In a peer-to-peer network, fewer nodes is connected.
• All computers store their own data using individual security and also
data is shared among all computers.
• The main problem in a peer-to-peer network is security because
nodes act as a server at some point and as clients in some instance.
• Much modern operating systems like Windows and Mac OS use a
peer-to-peer network.
• peer-to-peer network can be used in a small office setup where few
devices share files and printers.
Advantages of a peer-to-peer network
• There is no need for a server because sever are more expensive.
• It is very easy to install or configure the network since all operating
systems such as windows have online manuals to configure a peer-to-
peer network.
• It is less expensive to configure since few components are required.
• Each user has to manage its own PC so there is no need for a network
manager.
• Peer-to-peer networks mostly used at home and in small offices.
Disadvantages of the peer-to-peer network
• There is a security issue because each computer in the network
shares resources and data.
• There is no centrally backup for files and folders.
• All files and folders are not logically organized
• Less scalable in terms of number of devices
• There is less traffic that can be handled compared to client-server
• Managing the data/ upgrading the data is difficult since the data is
not centralized.
The End

Thank You!