Chapter 4

Data Communication and Networks

Today computer is available in many offices and homes and therefore there is a need to share data and programs among various computers. With the advancement of data communication facilities the communication between computers has increased and thus it has extended the power of computer beyond the computer room. Now a user sitting at one place can communicate with computers of any remote site through communication channel. The aim of this lesson is to introduce you the various aspects of computer network. We all are familiar with some sorts of communication in our day to day life. For communication of information and messages we use telephone and postal communication systems. Similarly data and information from one computer system can be transmitted to other systems across geographical areas. Thus data transmission is the movement of information using some standard methods. These methods include electrical signals carried along a conductor, optical signals along an optical fibers and electromagnetic areas. Suppose a manager has to write several letters to various clients. First he has to use his PC and Word Processing package to prepare the letter, if the PC is connected to the entire client's PC through networking, he can send the letters to all the clients within minutes. Thus irrespective of geographical areas, if PCs are connected through communication channel, the data and information, computer files and any other programs can be transmitted to other computer systems within seconds. The modern form of communication like e-mail and Internet is possible only because of computer networking. The following are the basic requirements for working of a communication system. 1. The sender (source) who creates the message to be transmitted 2. A medium that carries the message 3. The receiver (sink) who receives the message

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What is a Network?
A network consists of two or more computers that are linked in order to share resources (such as printers and CDs), exchange files, or allow electronic communications. The computers on a network may be linked through cables, telephone lines, radio waves, satellites, or infrared light beams.

Computer Network
A computer network is interconnection of various computer systems located at different places. In computer network two or more computers are linked together with a medium and data communication devices for the purpose of communication data and sharing resources. The computer that provides resources to other computers on a network is known as server. In the network the individual computers, which access shared network resources, are known as nodes.

Types of Networks
The very common types of networks include: Local Area Network Wide Area Network Metropolitan Area Network Local-Area Networks (LANs) A Local Area Network (LAN) is a network that is confined to a relatively small area. It is generally limited to a geographic area such as computer lab, school, office or building. The computers are geographically close together (that is, in the same building). A LAN is a group of computer and associated devices that share a common communication line or wireless link. Wide Area Networks (WANs) A Wide Area Networks (WANs) connect networks in larger geographic areas, such as Florida, the United States, or the world. Dedicated transoceanic cabling or satellite uplinks may be used to connect this type of global network. Using a WAN, schools in Florida can communicate with places like Tokyo in a matter of seconds, without paying enormous phone bills. Two users a half-world apart with workstations equipped with microphones and a webcams might teleconference in real time.
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A WAN is complicated. It uses multiplexers, bridges, and routers to connect local and metropolitan networks to global communications networks like the Internet. To users, however, a WAN will not appear to be much different than a LAN. The computers are farther apart and are connected by telephone lines or radio waves. Metropolitan area network (MANs) A metropolitan area network is a computer network that usually spans a city or a large campus. A MAN usually interconnects a number of local area networks (LANs) using a highcapacity backbone technology, such as fiber-optical links, and provides up-link services to wide area networks (or WAN) and the Internet.

Topology
In computer networking, topology refers to the layout of connected devices. Common topologies include bus, star, and ring communication four basic terms are frequently used. They are:-

Bus Topology
Bus networks (not to be confused with the system bus of a computer) use a common backbone to connect all devices. A single cable the backbone functions as a shared communication medium that devices attach or tap into with an interface connector. A device wanting to communicate with another device on the network sends a broadcast message onto the wire that all other devices see, but only the intended recipient actually accepts and processes the message.

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Ring Topology
In a ring network, every device has exactly two neighbors for communication purposes. All messages travel through a ring in the same direction (either "clockwise" or "counterclockwise"). A failure in any cable or device breaks the loop and can take down the entire network.

Star Topology
Many home networks use the star topology. A star network features a central connection point called a "hub node" that may be a network hub, switch or outer. Devices typically connect to the hub with Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) Ethernet. In computer networking, a hub is a small, simple, inexpensive device that joins multiple computers together. A network switch is a small hardware device that joins multiple computers together within one local area network (LAN). Routers are small physical devices that join multiple networks together.

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Compared to the bus topology, a star network generally requires more cable, but a failure in any star network cable will only take down one computer's network access and not the entire LAN. (If the hub fails, however, the entire network also fails.)

Mesh Topology
Mesh topologies involve the concept of routes. Unlike each of the previous topologies, messages sent on a mesh network can take any of several possible paths from source to destination. (Recall that even in a ring, although two cable paths exist, messages can only travel in one direction.) Some WANs, most notably the Internet, employ mesh routing. A mesh network in which every device connects to every other is called a full mesh. As shown in the illustration below, partial mesh networks also exist in which some devices connect only indirectly to others.

Hybrid topology
A hybrid is a combination of two or more basic network topologies, such as a star-bus, starring, or tiered topology. In a hybrid topology, central and distributed topologies are combined to meet the needs of an organization.

Network cables and devices

Networking cables are used to connect one network device to other network devices or to connect two or more computers to share printer, scanner etc. Different types of network
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cables like Coaxial cable, Optical fiber cable, Twisted Pair cables are used depending on the network's topology, protocol and size. The devices can be separated by a few meters (e.g. via Ethernet) or nearly unlimited distances (e.g. via the interconnections of the Internet).

Twisted pair
Twisted pair cabling is a form of wiring in which two conductors (the forward and return conductors of a single circuit) are twisted together for the purposes of canceling out electromagnetic interference (EMI) from external sources. This type of cable is used for home and corporate Ethernet networks. Twisted pair cables consist of two insulated copper wires. There are three types of twisted pair cables: Shielded, Unshielded and Foiled.

Optical fiber cable

An optical fiber cable consists of a center glass core surrounded by several layers of protective material. The outer insulating jacket is made of Teflon or PVC. The center core is made of glass or plastic fiber. The fiber optic cable transmits light rather than electronic signals. Therefore its eliminating the problems of electrical interference. This cable supports greater length, so it's difficult to install. It is expensive but has higher bandwidth and transmits data over longer distances.

Coaxial cable
Coaxial lines confine the electromagnetic wave to the area inside the cable, between the center conductor and the shield. The transmission of energy in the line occurs totally through the dielectric inside the cable between the conductors. Coaxial lines can therefore be bent and twisted (subject to limits) without negative effects, and they can be strapped to conductive supports without inducing unwanted currents in them and though.

Network devices
Network devices are components used to connect computers or other electronic devices together so that they can share files or resources like printers or fax machines. Devices used to setup a Local Area Network (LAN) are the most common type of network devices used by the public. A LAN requires a hub, router, cabling or radio technology, network cards, and if online access is desired, a high-speed modem.

Network card
In the vast world of computers and technology, the Internet acts as a lifeline. The World Wide Web connects everyone together, allowing users to chat with each other, to buy things instantly through websites, and to find almost any information. If the Internet is the spinal cord of the technological world, network cards are the vertebrae, allowing computers to communicate with each other.

Modem
Modem, short for modulator-demodulator is an electronic device that converts a computers digital signals into specific frequencies to travel over
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telephone or cable television lines. At the destination, the receiving modem demodulates the frequencies back into digital data. Computers use modems to communicate with one another over a network.

Computer virus
A computer virus is a computer program that can replicate itself and spread from one computer to another. A computer virus is an executable program. Depend on the nature of a virus, it may cause damage of your hard disk contents, and/or interfere normal operation of your computer.

Chapter 5 Internet
The Internet, sometimes called simply "the Net," is a worldwide system of computer networks - a network of networks in which users at any one computer can, if they have permission, get information from any other computer (and sometimes talk directly to users at other computers). Today, the Internet is a public, cooperative, and self-sustaining facility accessible to hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Physically, the Internet uses a portion of the total resources of the currently existing public telecommunication networks.

What is the WWW?

WWW stands for the World Wide Web The World Wide Web is most often called the Web The Web is a network of computers all over the world All the computers in the Web can communicate with each other All the computers use a communication standard called HTTP

How Does the WWW Work?

Information is stored in documents called Web pages Web pages are files stored on computers called Web servers Computers reading the Web pages are called Web clients Web clients view the pages with a program called a Web browser Popular browsers are Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Firefox

How Does the Browser Fetch the Pages?

A browser fetches a Web page from a server by a request A request is a standard HTTP request containing a page address A page address looks like: http://www.someone.com/page.html

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File transfer protocol

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a standard network protocol used to transfer files from one host or to another host over a TCP-based network, such as the Internet. File Transfer Protocol--or FTP--is a language and methodology behind the transmission of information between computers. FTP is an intrinsic part of the Internet Protocol Suite-TCP/IP--that defines the current structure of the Internet. The Internet Protocol Suite is composed of four layers: the link layer, the Internet layer, the transport layer and the application layer. FTP is part of the application layer. As the name suggests, it is a method of transferring files from one computer to another and anyone who downloads files from the internet is using FTP. Any website that has downloadable files uses an FTP connection, and has an FTP address connected to the visible website "http" address.

Zipping unzipping and scanning

ZIP file is a common type of file that can be found on many computers. It is basically a way for files to be compressed. This simply means that the file is shrunk to a more manageable size. To turn a regular file into a ZIP file. One common use of the zip file would be to compress data and use this archive. This is an easy way to store a large amount of data in a small amount of disk space. Files can be archived, zipped and then saved on an external hard drive, CDs, or in cloud storage. Multiple files can also be easily packaged and sent out with a ZIP program. Instead of sending multiple files through email, all of the files can be compressed and sent out in one ZIP folder. This process is used quite extensively in the business world when multiple large files need to be shared among people. When it comes to opening any file from email, it is important that the sender be trusted. If the ZIP program does not have a scanner, the computer or email program should always scan any email attachments before opening or unzipping them. Viruses are quickly and easily spread through email attachments.

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What is Computer Virus?

A computer virus is an executable program. Depend on the nature of a virus, it may cause damage of your hard disk contents, and/or interfere normal operation of your computer. By definition, a virus program is able to replicate itself. This means that the virus multiplies on a computer by making copies of itself. This replication is intentional; it is part of the virus program. In most cases, if a file that contains virus is executed or copied onto another computer, then that computer will also be "infected" by the same virus. A virus can be introduced to a computer system along with any software program. For Internet users, this threat can come from downloading files through FTP (file transfer protocol), or referencing email attachments. When a virus is introduced to a computer system, it can attach itself to, or sometimes even replace, an existing program. Thus, when the user runs the program in question, the virus is also executed. This usually happens without the user being aware of it. A virus program contains instructions to initiate some sort of "event" that affects the infected computer. Each virus has a unique event associated with it. These events and their effects can range from harmless to devastating. For examples:

An annoying message appearing on the computer screen. Reduced memory or disk space. Modification of data. Files overwritten or damaged. Hard drive erased.

What are computer viruses and what kind of damage can they do to a computer? Computer virus is a programme that is not orientated towards the computer user and its actions do not serve the interests of computer user. The virus is meant to disrupt the work of the computer, corrupt the data stored on the hard disk, create access rights for other users/hackers, collect passwords and forward them, etc. The computer viruses can also slow a computer network down to a standstill by creating excess network traffic. The viruses that spread by e-mail send virus-infected e-mails to a random e-mail address from a random sender. The so-called printer viruses have also started to spread. These viruses search for a nonpassword-protected printers in a computer network and try to use up all the paper in a printer. Many viruses activate on a specific date or under specific conditions and can do irreparable damage by corrupting the computer's BIOS ROM and/or all the information on the hard disk.

How do computer viruses spread? Unlike flu, the computer viruses spread in any time of the year. They spread with files on
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floppy disks and CD-s, also via computer networks by e-mail and shared resources, using the so-called security holes. Many computer users have discovered at one moment that their files have been corrupted and the data cannot be restored, or that the computer is acting weirdly and does not allow carrying on with the normal daily work. Very often these situations are caused by computer viruses. The primary indicators that a computer has been infected by a virus are the following: Some programmes work slower. The file sizes rise (especially for editable files). The appearance of suspicious files that did not exist before. A significant decrease in available system memory compared to the normal work situation. The appearance of unexpected video and/or sound effects. In case you detect any of the abovementioned symptoms or other suspicious occurrences (unreliable working conditions, frequent spontaneous reboots etc.) while using your computer, we advise you to immediately check your computer for viruses. What should be done to avoid computer viruses? Check that your windows or other operating system has installed the latest security patches or updates.
When using Win95, 98, ME, and XP go to the Windows Update website, the most important updates being the ones labeled Critical updates. Administrators of NT and Win2k systems should definitely check that the latest service pack has been installed on the computer. In the case of NT 4, the cumulative hot-fix pack and IIS updates should also be installed.

Configure your Windows so that you can see the file name extensions. As a rule, these are 3letter abbreviations, based on which Windows understands whether it is dealing with a Word document (.doc) or a programme (.com, .exe, .bat, .vbs, .pif). If you are sent anything resembling a programme file, do not open it. To allow the displaying of file name extensions, open any folder, My Documents for example and select Tools/ Folder Options, then View and remove the check from the Hide extensions for known file types checkbox. Now you can always see if you have received a Word document or a malicious virus. Treat e-mail attachments with caution even if the sender is someone you know. The attachment may have been sent by a virus in his/her computer without the owner's knowledge. If the message in the e-mail does not explicitly state why the e-mail contains an attachment and that it is indeed the wish of the sender to open this attachment, please phone the sender and confirm the intentions. When you are attaching a file to an e-mail yourself, you should add a description of what files are in the attachment and why - the recipient will feel safer opening it. The files spread in internet newsgroups and chat rooms should be treated with an even greater degree of caution.

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Use a personal firewall to protect your computer from hackers and internet worms looking for security holes, but also in order to block the viruses that have already infected your computer from communicating with the outside world.

Antivirus software
In order to secure your files and for the sensible use of your working time you should use antivirus software in your computer. Although these do not offer a 100% guarantee that your computer will not be harmed by viruses, they do help to detect and remove the majority of computer viruses that are spreading at the moment. Antivirus software is useless, if it does not update its virus definitions at least once a day, because the newest viruses spread in a day's time. For example, the Nimda virus infected 2,2 million computers in one day. It only took two to three hours for the manufacturers of antivirus software to make the necessary adjustments to their software.

Computer Virus and Antivirus Technologies A computer virus is a self-replicating program that spreads by inserting copies of itself into other executable code or documents. The term virus is often extended to refer to computer worms and other sorts of malware. The most common are:

Viruses - A virus is a small piece of software that piggybacks on other programs or files. Each time the program runs or file opens, the virus runs, too. It can reproduce itself by attaching to other programs or files or wreak havoc. An e-mail virus - an e-mail virus move around in e-mail messages, and usually replicates itself by automatically mailing itself to dozens of people in the victim's email address book. Pharmers send e-mails contains a virus that installs small software programs on users' computers. When a user tries to go to the bank's real Web site, the program redirects the browser to the pharmer's fake site. It then asks a user to update information such as logons, PIN codes or other sensitive information. Worms - A worm is a small piece of software that uses computer networks and security holes to replicate itself. A copy of the worm scans the network for another machine that has a specific security hole. It copies itself to the new machine using the security hole, and then starts replicating from there, as well. Trojan horses - A Trojan horse is simply a computer program, which claims to do one thing but instead does damage such as erase your hard disk when you run it. Trojan horses have no way to replicate automatically.

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