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Networking Basics
Networking Basics
Networking Basics
Networking Fundamentals
Computer Litarcy 101
An Educators' Guide to School Networks
All about Networking
TYPES PHYSICAL TOPOLOGIES CABLING LOGICAL TOPOLOGIES NETWORK PROTOCOLS NETWORK HARDWARE
LAN Linear Classification Ethernet OSI model Hubs, Switches
MAN Star Coaxial Token Ring TCP/IP Repeaters, Bridges
WAN Ring Twisted Pair FDDI IPX Routers, Brouters
CAN Tree Fiber Optic ATM NetBIOS/NetBEUI Gateway
TAN Mesh
DEFINITIONS: A NETWORK consists of two or more computers that are linked in order to share resources
(such as printers and CD-ROMs), 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.
● When any one of these computers are connected to a LAN they are referred to as a
WORKSTATION. All computing devices on a network; workstations, printers, etc., are referred to as
NODES.
● When connecting a workstation, the interface hardware is referred to as an ADAPTER. Networking
adapters are also commonly referred to as NETWORK INTERFACE CARDS or NICS.
1. A hub (which acts as the traffic cop on your small information highway. The hub acts as a switch to
route information from one terminal to another through the use of cables.
2. an interface card (hardware in each computer that connects to the hub)
3. a server (the central storage computer for information).
4. special cabling
5. computers, printers, scanners, etc.
● Local Area Network (LAN): 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 a writing lab, school, or building.
Rarely are LAN computers more than a mile apart.
● Metropolitan Area Network (MAN): A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) covers larger geographic
areas, such as cities or school districts. By interconnecting smaller networks within a large
geographic area, information is easily disseminated throughout the network. Local libraries and
government agencies often use a MAN to connect to citizens and private industries.
● Wide Area Network (WAN): Wide Area Networks (WANs) connect 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 network.
● CAN: Campus Network
● TAN: Tine Area Networks are 2 - 3 computers networked at home or in a small business.
NETWORK TOPOLOGIES
There are two types of topology: physical and logical.
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● The physical topology of a network refers to the configuration of cables, computers, and other
peripherals.
● Logical topology is the method used to pass the information between workstations as can be seen
in protocols.
PHYSICAL TOPOLOGIES
1. LINEAR BUS
A linear bus topology or 10BASE2 bus topology consists of a main run of cable with a terminator at each
end. All nodes (file server, workstations, and peripherals) are connected to the linear cable. ETHERNET
AND LOCALTALK networks use a linear bus topology. Networking is simple. The network may have or hub
or not.
DISADVANTAGES
DISADANTAGES
● Requires more cable length than a linear topology. If the hub or concentrator fails, nodes attached
are disabled.
● More expensive than linear bus topologies because of the cost of the concentrators.
This configuration is common with twisted pair cable; however, it can also be used with coaxial cable or
fiber optic cable. A simple star topology is also used for 10BASE-T ETHERNET networks.
A Token ring using Unshielded twisted pair in star or modified star transfers at 4 Mbps.
A Token Ring configuration using shielded twisted pair in star or modified star configuration transfers at 4
or 16 Mbps. A local Ring Hub allows four-node connections on one MAU port cable. 64 - 72 (max.) nodes
are recommended per ring for optimal performance. A double ring may have a maximum of 12 MAU's,
each which can support 8 nodes. THe maximum distance between MAU and workstation is 45 m.; MAU to
MAU is 120 m.
In difference, FDDI (FIBER DISTRIBUTED DATA INTERFACE), pronounced fid-ee, also uses A COMPLEX
token ring topology. FDII networks run on optical fiber cables instead of copper cabling. It's similar to
Token Ring but can be connected to 2 MAUS so if one fails, the other can work. The FDDI has an added
alternate ring. If a break occurs in either ring, it automatically reroutes the data transmission to the
alternate ring. This ring supports speeds up to 100 Mbps. Has become the defacto high speed backbone.
Maximum stations are 1000. THe distance limitation is 2 miles.
DISADVANTAGES
5-4-3 RULE: A consideration in setting up a tree topology using Ethernet protocol is the 5-4-3 RULE. One
aspect of the Ethernet protocol requires that a signal sent out on the network cable reach every part of the
network within a specified length of time. Each concentrator or repeater that a signal goes through adds a
small amount of time.
● This leads to the rule that between any two nodes on the network there can only be a maximum of
5 segments
● connected through 4 repeaters/concentrators.
● In addition, only 3 of the segments may be populated (trunk) segments if they are made of
coaxial cable. A populated segment is one which has one or more nodes attached to it.
This rule does not apply to other network protocols or Ethernet networks where all fiber optic cabling is
used.
2. MESH TOPOLOGY
CABLING
XBaseX classification: 10BaseT, 100BaseT and 10Base2 are networking standards and there are others.
● The first number is an indication of the transmission speeds involved. It is listed in Mbps (Mega
Bits Per Second).
● The second portion designates Baseband or Broadband, how the data is sent across the cabling. In
Baseband one signal takes up the entire bandwith of the cable. This data is digital.
With Broadband, the total bandwith of the cabling is divided and there will be many signals
traveling through the cabling at a time. Broadband is analog. Broadband signals can travel father
then Baseband.
● The last portion is an indication of wire type and the approximate distances involved or the type of
cabling.
● Coaxial
● Twisted-Pair
● Fiber
● 802.1 Internetworking
● 802.2 Logical Link Control (LLC)
● 802.3 CSMA/CD LANs (Ethernet)
● 802.4 Token Bus LAN
● 802.5 Token Ring LAN
● 802.6 MAN
● 802.7 Broadband Technical Advisory Groups
● 802.8 Fiber Optic Technical Advisory Group
● 802.9 Integrated Voice and Data Networks
● 802.10 Network Security
● 802.11 Wireless Network, etc.
1. COAXIAL CABLE
Following the IEEE 802.3 Standard, coaxial cable is used for 10BASE2 (thin-net, CheaperNet) and
10BASE5 (thick-net) networking. No concentrator is needed. 10BASE2 is not the most reliable cabling.
10BASE2 and 10BASE5 are used in a LINEAR BUS topology.
10Base5 wire is connected not by BNC connectors but by AUI connectors. AUI
connectors are a DB15 connector, that is, a D-shaped plug with 15 pins. These look just
like RS-232 modem connectors, only about half as broad. These are common on
equipment such as routers.
AUI Connector
Vampire Connectors
STP is used in Token Ring, ARCnet and Appletalk networks. UTP is used in Star
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Unshielded Twisted Pair(UTP) is the next step up from Coaxial. TP cabling is a cable
made up of four pairs of insulated copper wires. UTP are 8 copper conductor, four pair
wires.
RJ45 connectors are fitted on each end of the cable. They resemble a normal telephone
plug (RJ11) with the exception of eight pins rather than four. The RJ45 cable connects
to a NETWORK PATCH PANEL which is connected to the hub. The RJ45 is an 8 wire (4
pair) media connector.
DIRECTIONS: If at this point you have not made any patch cables, proceed to the
crimpers, UTP cable, RJ45's and follow the directions "On Putting Together Patch
Cables".
UTP (Unshieded Twisted Pair) is most commonly used in Category Three (CAT3) or
Category Five (CAT5). The difference between the ratings is the number of twists per
inch. Higher is better. CAT5 is probably the most commonly seen and used. It is
inexpensive, reliable, easy to maintain and expand.
COATING ON CABLES: Cable through the ceilings must be plenum-rated and riser-
rated and capable of withstanding environmental and fire conditions(riser) without
giving off toxic gases(plenum) when it burns. PVC rated is the least expensive but
highly flammable.
LOGICAL TOPOLOGIES
A protocol is a set of rules that governs the communications between computers on a
network. These rules include guidelines that regulate the following characteristics of a
network: access method, allowed physical topologies, types of cabling, and speed of
data transfer. Logical topologies instruct the hardware how to packet and transmit
data across a physical topology.
1. ETHERNET
The Ethernet protocol is by far the most widely used. The Ethernet protocol allows for
linear bus, star, or tree topologies. Data can be transmitted over twisted pair, coaxial,
or fiber optic cable at speeds of 10 Mbps.
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The foundations of Ethernet is CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision
Detection). In an Ethernet network, all computers share a single network segment,
called a collision domain. When 2 computers transmit data along the segment
simutaneoulsy, collision occurs. Each computer then can transmit data only when no
other computer is transmitting.
maximum
Standard lngth of
1640 ft. trunk 500 m.
Thick 100 Backbone 50-ohm
(500 m)
Ethernet Workstations Bus 2 by use of resistor To earth
10 Mbps
(10Base5) per trunk entire transceivers (both ends)
Speed
COAXIAL network trunk
maximum
2500 m.
5-4-3 RULE
925m
(3035 ft.)
1024
Thin workstations
607 ft. 30 NICs with
Ethernet per network 50-ohm resistor
(185 m) Workstations Bus 2 built-in BNC To earth
(10Base2) (both ends)
10 Mbps per trunk transceivers
COAXIAL minimum
cable length
between
workstations
20"
1023
workstations
without
bridging
5-4-3 RULE
Unshielded 328 ft.
Central hub
(UTP) (100 m) Workstations None
Star 3 500m managed or
10Base-T 10 Mbps only 328 ft. needed
unmanaged
TWISTED Speed from
PAIR concentrator
minimum
cable legnth
between
stations 8 ft.
1023
workstations
without
bridging
5-4-3 RULE
Unshielded 328 ft.
Central hub
(UTP) (100 m) Workstations None
Star 3 500m managed or
100Base-T 100 Mbps only 328 ft. needed
unmanaged
TWISTED Speed from
PAIR concentrator
minimum
cable legnth
between
stations 8 ft.
1.2 miles
(2 km)(w/5
10Base-FL segments Fiberoptic
None
FIBER max. is 2 Star 2 4km hub or
needed
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OPTIC 500m) repeater
100 Mbps - URL: http://www.millbury.k12.ma.us/hs/techrepair/networking.html
2 Gbps
2. TOKEN RING
Uses IEEE Standard 802.5, Token Ring is very different from Ethernet. In token ring a single packet is passed around the network. Every computer waits
its turn. There are no collisons. Token Ring has the same bandwidth as Ethernet. Too many computers result in network slowness. FDDI is a faster Token
Ring configuration (as described above).
NETWORK PROTOCOLS
On top of the Logical Topologies are protocols. Protocols handle the translation of data from applications to the logical topology.
THe OSI model explain how a network should work. The lower the level the less abstract and more concrete the layer is. Each layer communicates only
with the layer above or below it while moving data.
This handy mnemonic will help you keep the layers in proper order:
7. All Application
6. People Presentation
5. Seem Session
4. To Transport
3. Need Network
1. Processing Physical
TRANSMISSION PATH
2. IP ADDRESSES: To communicate on the Internet, computers must have unique identifiers in order to differentiate one computer from another.
This is accomplished through IP addresses. IP is made up of a 32-bit address or 4 "octet" address. An IP address consists of 4 parts separated by
decimal points.
199.250.132.1
128.30.7.10
Every host has at least one unique IP address. In addition, every router has a unique IP address for every network adapter it possesses. However,
all hosts on the same physical network must have the same network prefix. (For example, Take a look at the IP addresses on the side of each
machine in the lab)
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3. DYNAMIC and STATIC NAMING: IP addresses can be assigned uniquely by the administrator or assigned dynamically by a DHCP (DOMAIN
HOST CONFIGURATION PROTOCOL) server. DHCP is a dynamic router in that it builds and updates its own routing tables. It automates what
the administrator has to do manually. Instead of dynamically naming a unique number for a network address, the server assigns a network
address to whoever goes on the network next. Thus the network address of a computer or workstation will be different each time. It can also
assign other things too, as a default gateway, DNS server, WINS server, and SUBNET MASK. See What is DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration
Protocol)?
4. IP ADDRESS CLASSES: IP addresses are grouped in different classes. Classes are allocated to organizations that request them in address
blocks. The INTERNIC assigns the addresses. Three classes are used for HOSTS.
A network is divided into subnets. A SUBNET is a network on where you are currently located. That network can be made longer by adding more
subnets. When a network packet is not addresed to its own network or subnets, it is forwarded to a DEFAULT GATEWAY (like a post office).
THE NUMBER OF HOSTS THAT MAY BE ALLOWED IN A NETWORK IS DETERMINED BY CLASS: Each class uses special numbering scheme
for Domain Names.
CLASS A
DEFAULT SUBNET MASK = 255.0.0.0
❍ Class B Addresses
128.0.0.X - 191.255.X.X.
The first two octets identify the network and the last two the node.
CLASS B
DEFAULT SUBNET MASK = 255.255.0.0
CLASS C
DEFAULT SUBNET MASK = 255.255.255.0
5. PORT NUMBERS: TCP/IP has its own protocols. Different TCP/IP Internet protocols use different port numbers to connect to web servers.
6. DOMAIN NAME: Your IP address not only comes in numbers but has a Domain Name. It is easier to remember a name than a number.
The DNS breaks addresses into groups and gives each level the responsibility for the levels under them. Each level is called a domain. A period
separates each domain name from the next one. The right most portion of the address identifies the top level domain name which references
the organization type. The following table lists commonly used domain names:
Two services that the TCP/IP protocol uses to resolve domain name to IP adresses are
■ HOST FILE : a test file that is kept on the local machine and contains aGenerated
list of otherbyhosts
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and IP numbers. The 8:05:57 AM
domain name
URL: http://www.millbury.k12.ma.us/hs/techrepair/networking.html
resolver goes to this text field first.
■ DNS Server: Every company has a DNS server that workstations may consult for a name to IP address resolution. THE DNS
server contains FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Names) to IP address matches. This database contains entries for every host
within the organization. Only one DNS server will keep the master database.
■ LMHosts - WINS: A LMHost file resolves a NetBIOS name to an IP address. The file must be installed and kept up to date on
each machine. The WINS server is a database that keeps track of IP addresses and NetBIOS names. The WINS server is
dynamic in its configuration and updates.
■ PING: The ping command is used to test connectivity to a host. It is a loop-back address. You can also Ping an address on the
other side of your router to test the default gateway.
To check if you have a path to an Internet host, enter the Ping command and the host's IP address at the command line, as in
the following example:
PING 204.32.23.67
NOTE: You can also use Ping with the DNS name of the host, such as www.wavetech.com.
■ TRACERT:This utility allows you to find the route used between you and the remote computer host. For example, say that you
are having trouble reaching a host named www.yahoo.com. Type the following command at the command prompt:
TRACERT WWW.yahoo.com
■ WINIPCFG/IPCONFIG: A good utility to use to check the TCP/IP configuration on a Windows 95 workstation is WINIPCFG. You
can quickly determine a computer's IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway using this utility. Windows NT has a
command line utility, IPCONFIG that presents similar data about the IP configuration on an NT platform.
Hubs
Hub
Stackable Hub
Modular Hub
SWITCHES
A repeater is the simplest and least expensive of the three. Repeaters are
usually small enough to fit in your hand and are used to connect two segments
of network cable. Extends the signal and distance of the LAN. The repeater
retimes and regenerates signals but does not change the data frame or packet
in any way.
Transceiver
A tranceiver connct different Ethernet nodes together in an organized fashion,
and allows multiple Ethernet segment nodes to connect to eachother to create
a segment.
Bridge
A bridge is like a smart repeater. Bridges, like repeaters, can connect two
network segments, but bridges are a little smarter about the data they
transport. Most bridges have the capacity to listen to the network and figure
out the address of each computer on both sides of the bridge. The bridge can
then inspect each message that comes from one side and broadcast it to the
other side of the bridge, if the message is intended for a computer that is on
the other side. If the paket's destination is on the same side of the bridge, it is
is discarded. This creates a more efficient scheme for data transport. The bridge
● can connect segments that use different cable media types, like
10BaseT(Twister Pair) and 10Base5(Coaxial).
● cannot connect different transport protocols - like Ethernet and Token
Ring networks.
Routers
A router is like super-intelligent bridge. They can link multiple LANs and look
deeper into the data packet to determine its destination. Routers not only know
the addresses of the computers on the network but are aware of all the other
bridges and routers on the network and can decide the most efficient path in
which to send data. The router uses a routing table of network addresses to
determine where to forward the packet.When a router receives data, it discards
the outer packet or frame or MAC address, repackages the data with network
address, and retransmits the signal. By stripping off the outer layers of data
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network is at 7/30/2009 8:05:57 AM
URL:the
reduced. The router at the receiving end then repackages http://www.millbury.k12.ma.us/hs/techrepair/networking.html
data into a packet
of frame that is appropriate for its network. There are ROUTABLE and NON-
ROUTABLE protocols.
Brouters
A brouter is like a bridge that have advanced intelligence that allows them to
take on duties that would normally require a router. These bridges are called
brouters.
Gateways
A gateway is like a super-intelligent router. Gateways are designed to connect
radically different networks. Although slower than a bridge or router, a gateway
has its own processor and memory to perform complex functions such as
interpreting between computers that speak different languages through both
protocol and bandwidth conversion. A gateway can convert a TCP/IP packet to a
NetWare IPX packet and vice versa. An example of a gateway is a messaging
gateway, which converts messages between different protocols.
Keys To Remember:
Repeaters, bridges, routers and gateways all extend and segment networks.
Because of this, they’re often confused, as they may take on similar duties. The
difference between these devices lies in the different degrees of data
discrimination and handling capability.
Bridge: Links two subnets (networks) that use the same media and protocol.
May control data traffic and speed.
● RAID Levels
● FAULT TOLERANCE
● RAID Levels
Internet Resources: