Unit-1: Introduction to Network

What Is a Network?
A network is a system where multiple devices (computers, phones, printers, etc.) are
connected to share data and resources.

� LAN (Local Area Network)

• Coverage: Small area like a room, building, or campus

• Speed: High (up to 1 Gbps or more)

• Ownership: Usually private

• Examples: Office Wi-Fi, school computer lab

• Advantages:

• Fast data transfer

• Easy to set up and maintain

• Secure and cost-effective

� MAN (Metropolitan Area Network)

• Coverage: City or large campus (5–50 km)

• Speed: Moderate (often fiber-based)

• Ownership: Can be public or private

• Examples: City-wide ISP, cable TV network

• Advantages:

• Connects multiple LANs

• High-speed backbone for urban areas

• Supports large institutions like universities

� WAN (Wide Area Network)

• Coverage: Country or global scale

• Speed: Lower than LAN/MAN due to distance

• Ownership: Often public or shared

• Examples: The Internet, bank networks

• Advantages:

• Connects remote locations

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• Enables global communication

• Supports cloud services and remote access

� Quick Comparison

Feature LAN MAN WAN

� Bus Topology

Structure: All devices are connected to a single central cable (called the backbone).

• Data Flow: Data travels in both directions along the cable.

• Access Method: Uses protocols like CSMA/CD to avoid collisions.

Advantages:

• Simple and inexpensive to set up

• Requires less cable than other topologies

• Easy to extend with drop lines

Disadvantages:

• If the backbone fails, the entire network goes down

• Performance degrades with heavy traffic

• Difficult to troubleshoot

Example: Early Ethernet networks and cable TV systems

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� Ring Topology

Structure: Devices are connected in a circular loop, each with two neighbors.

• Data Flow: Typically unidirectional; can be bidirectional in dual ring setups

• Access Method: Token passing (only the device with the token can transmit)

Advantages:

• Predictable data flow with minimal collisions

• High-speed data transmission

• Easy to manage traffic

Disadvantages:

• One device failure can disrupt the entire network

• Adding/removing devices is complex

• Troubleshooting is harder

Example: Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI), Token Ring networks

� Star Topology

Structure: All devices connect to a central hub or switch.

• Data Flow: Through the central device

• Access Method: Ethernet protocols like CSMA/CD

Advantages:

• Easy to install and manage

• Failure of one device doesn’t affect others

• Fault isolation is simple

Disadvantages:

• Hub failure brings down the whole network

• Requires more cabling

• Performance depends on hub capacity

Example: Most modern LANs and Wi-Fi networks

� Mesh Topology

Structure: Every device is connected to every other device.

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• Data Flow: Multiple paths for redundancy

• Types: Full mesh (all devices connected) and partial mesh (some devices
connected)

Advantages:

• Extremely reliable and fault-tolerant

• High security and privacy

• Fast communication between nodes

Disadvantages:

• Expensive due to cabling and ports

• Complex to install and maintain

Example: Internet backbone, military communication systems

� Tree Topology

Structure: Hierarchical combination of star topologies; resembles a tree.

• Data Flow: From root to branches and vice versa

• Access Method: DHCP, SAC protocols

Advantages:

• Scalable and organized

• Easy to manage large networks

• Fault isolation is straightforward

Disadvantages:

• Backbone failure affects entire network

• Complex configuration

• High cabling cost

Example: Large enterprise networks, university campuses

� Internet

• A global network connecting millions of private, public, academic, business,

• Uses TCP/IP protocols to communicate.

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• Examples: Browsing websites, sending emails, streaming videos.

� Intranet

• A private network used within an organization.

• Accessible only to authorized users (employees, staff).

• Used for internal communication, document sharing, and collaboration.

• Example: A company’s internal portal or HR system.

� Unicast

• One-to-one communication.

• Data is sent from one sender to one specific receiver.

• Most common type of transmission.

• Example: Sending an email or file to one person.

� Broadcast

• One-to-all communication within a network.

• Data is sent from one sender to all devices in the network.

• Used for discovery protocols like ARP (Address Resolution Protocol).

• Example: DHCP request to find an IP address.

� Multicast

• One-to-many communication.

• Data is sent from one sender to a specific group of receivers.

• Efficient for group-based communication like video conferencing or live

• Example: IPTV, online webinars.

� Quick Comparison

Term Communication Type Scope Example Use Case

Internet Global network Worldwide Web browsing, email

Intranet Private network Organization Internal portals, HR systems

Unicast One-to-one Any network Email, file transfer

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Broadcast One-to-all Local network DHCP, ARP

Multicast One-to-many Group-based IPTV, video conferencing