Wolkite University College of Computing and Informatics Department of IT

Chapter Five

Local and Wide Area Network

Local Area Network (LAN): Local Area Network (LAN) is a computer network, which is
limited to a small office, single building, multiple buildings inside a campus etc. Typically a
Local Area Network (LAN) is a private network owned and maintained by a single organization.

LAN Topologies

Topology is the physical and logical arrangement of a network. The physical arrangement of
the network refers to how the workstations, servers, and other equipment are joined together with
cables and connectors. The logical arrangement of a network refers to how the workstations,
servers, and other equipment relate to each other in terms of traffic flow.

There are three primary LAN topologies: linear bus, ring, and star. Another network topology is
hierarchical in nature, which may incorporate elements of the bus, ring, and star. The appropriate
physical and logical topology for a LAN is determined by reliability and cost objectives as well
as by the connectivity requirements of users.

The major topologies of LAN are:

1. Bus Topology
2. Star Topology
3. Ring Topology

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DC&CN Chapter 5 Lecture Note Prepared by Abraham A.
Wolkite University College of Computing and Informatics Department of IT

LAN Bus Topology

 In a linear bus topology, stations are arranged along a single length of cable, which can
be extended at either end or at both ends to accommodate more nodes. The network
consists of coaxial cable, such as the RG-58 cable used with 10Base2 Ethernet LANs.
The nodes are attached to the cable with a BNC (Bayonet Nut Connector) T-connector,
the stem of which attaches to the network interface card (NIC). A BNC barrel connector
attaches cable segments and a BNC terminator connector caps the cable ends. Of course,
twisted pair wiring is most often used for Ethernet LANs, in which case RJ45 connectors
provide the connections between devices.
 The physical bus topology is the simplest and most widely used of the network designs. It
consists of one continuous length of cabling (trunk) and a terminating resistor
(terminator) at each end. The data communications message travels along the bus in both
directions until it is picked up by a workstation or server NIC.
 With the Bus topology, all workstations are connect directly to the main backbone that
carries the data. Traffic generated by any computer will travel across the backbone and be
received by all workstations. This works well in a small network of 2-5 computers, but as
the number of computers increases so will the network traffic and this can greatly
decrease the performance and available bandwidth of your network.

The linear bus topology.

All nodes in the bus topology have equal access to the trunk – no discriminating here. This is
accomplished using short drop cables or direct T-connectors.

This design is easy to install because the backbone trunk traverses the LAN as one cable
segment. This minimizes the amount of transmission media required. Also, the number of
devices and length of the trunk can be easily expanded.

Advantages of Bus Topology:

1. It uses established standards and it is relatively easy to install.

2. Requires fewer length of medium than other topologies.

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Wolkite University College of Computing and Informatics Department of IT

Disadvantages of Bus Topology:

1. The bus networks are difficult to reconfigure, especially when the acceptable number of
connections or maximum distances have been reached.
2. They are also difficult to troubleshoot because everything happens on a single medium
segment. This can have dangerous consequences because any break in the cabling brings
the network to its knees.

LAN Star Topology

 Star topology uses a central controlling hub with dedicated legs pointing in all directions
– like points of a star. Each network devices has a dedicated point-to-point link to the
central hub. This strategy prevents troublesome collisions and keeps the line of
communication open and free of traffic.
 The Star or Hub topology is one of the most common network topologies found in most
offices and home networks. It has become very popular in contrast to the bus type (which
we just spoke about), because of the cost and the ease of troubleshooting.
 Star topologies are somewhat difficult to install because each device gets its own
dedicated segment. Obviously, they require a great deal of cabling. This design provides
an excellent platform for reconfiguration and troubleshooting.
 Changes to the network are as simple as plugging another segment into the hub. In
addition, a break in the LAN is easy to isolate and doesn’t affect the rest of the network.
 A classic example of this type of topology is the UTP (10 base T), which normally has a
blue color.

Advantages of Star Topology:

1. Relatively easy to configure.

2. Easy to troubleshoot.
3. Media faults are automatically isolated to the failed segment.

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DC&CN Chapter 5 Lecture Note Prepared by Abraham A.
Wolkite University College of Computing and Informatics Department of IT

Disadvantages of Star Topology:

1. Requires more cable than bus topologies.

2. Moderately difficult to install.’

LAN Ring Topology

 In a ring topology, nodes are arranged along the transmission path so data passes through
each successive station before returning to its point of origin.
 In token-ring LANs, a small packet called a token is circulated around the ring, giving
each station in sequence a chance to put information on the network. The station seizes
the token, replacing it with an information frame. Only the addressee can claim the
message. At the completion of pass through the central node, which acts as a processing
and coordinating point for the network. This central node is generally referred to as a
hub. Information addressed to one or more specific nodes is sent through the central node
and switched to the proper receiving station(s) over a dedicated physical path.
 On a larger scale, multiple LANs can be connected to each other in a ring topology by
using Thick net coaxial or fiber-optic cable.
 The method by which the data is transmitted around the ring is called token passing.
 A token is a special series of bits that contains control information. Possession of the
token allows a network device to transmit data to the network. Each network has only one
token.

Advantages of Ring Topology:

1. They are very easy to troubleshoot because each device incorporates a repeater.
2. A special internal feature called becoming, allows the troubled workstation to identify
themselves quickly.

Disadvantages of Ring Topology:

1. It is considerably difficult to install and reconfigure ring topology.

2. Media failure on unidirectional or single loop causes complete network failure.
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DC&CN Chapter 5 Lecture Note Prepared by Abraham A.
Wolkite University College of Computing and Informatics Department of IT

LAN Technologies

Major local area network technologies are:

 Ethernet.  Fast-Ethernet
 Token Ring  FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data
 Giga-Ethernet Interface)

Let us go through various LAN technologies in brief:

Ethernet

 Ethernet is a widely deployed LAN technology. This technology was invented by Bob
Metcalfe and D.R. Boggs in the year 1970. It was standardized in IEEE 802.3 in 1980.
 Ethernet shares media. Network which uses shared media has high probability of data
collision. Ethernet uses Carrier Sense Multi Access/Collision Detection (CSMA/CD)
technology to detect collisions. On the occurrence of collision in Ethernet, all its hosts
roll back, wait for some random amount of time, and then re-transmit the data.
 Ethernet connector is, network interface card equipped with 48-bits MAC address. This
helps other Ethernet devices to identify and communicate with remote devices in
Ethernet.
 Traditional Ethernet uses 10BASE-T specifications. The number 10 depicts 10MBPS
speed, BASE stands for baseband, and T stands for Thick Ethernet. 10BASE-T Ethernet
provides transmission speed up to 10MBPS and uses coaxial cable or Cat-5 twisted pair
cable with RJ-45 connector. Ethernet follows star topology with segment length up to 100
meters. All devices are connected to a hub/switch in a star fashion.
 It is also the standard by which we base all other technologies in regards to performance,
price and delivery.

Ethernet speeds

 Originally 3Mbps
 Current standard is 10Mbps
 Fast Ethernet operates at 100Mbps

Ethernet operation

 One computer transmits at a time

 Signal is a modulated carrier which propagates from transmitter in both directions along
length of segment

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DC&CN Chapter 5 Lecture Note Prepared by Abraham A.
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Token ring

 Based on the token passing method developed by IBM. Token Ring controls the medium
by passing a control frame (token) from one device to the next. Only the computer
possessing the token may transmit.
 Many LAN technologies that use ring topology use token passing for synchronized
access to the ring.
 Ring itself is treated as a single, shared communication medium
 Bits pass from transmitter, past other computers and are copied by destination
 Hardware must be designed to pass token even if attached computer is powered down

Transmission around a token ring using the token

 When a computer wants to transmit, it waits for the token

 After transmission, computer transmits token on ring
 Next computer ready to transmit receives token and then transmits
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DC&CN Chapter 5 Lecture Note Prepared by Abraham A.
Wolkite University College of Computing and Informatics Department of IT

IBM token ring

 Very widely used

 Originally 4mbps, now 16Mbps
 Uses special connector cable between computer and ring interface

FDDI

 Fiber Distributed Data Interconnect (FDDI) is another ring technology

o Uses fiber optics between stations
o Transmits data at 100Mbps
 Uses pairs of fibers to form two concentric rings

FDDI uses the same topology as the IBM Token Ring.  But instead of one ring, FDDI uses a dual
ring topology, which comprised of two counter-rotating rings.  The traffic of these rings’ travels
in an opposite directions.

One of the two rings is a primary ring, and the other is called the secondary ring.  Primary ring is
used for data transmission while the secondary rings mostly used as a backup ring. There are two
different stations that can be attached to the FDDI ring.  A class A or single-attachment stations
(SAS) attach to only one ring (the primary ring).  A class B or dual-attachment stations (DAS)
attach to both rings. 

Each DAS has at least two ports –

 Port A: where the data from the primary ring comes in and the data from the secondary
ring exits (if secondary ring was in use), and
 Port B: where the data from the primary ring exits and the data from the secondary ring
comes in (if primary ring was in use).
Here is an example of a basic FDDI Ring:

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Wolkite University College of Computing and Informatics Department of IT

FDDI and reliability

 FDDI uses counter-rotating rings in which data flows in opposite directions

 In case of fiber or station failure, remaining stations loop back and reroute data through
spare ring
 All stations automatically configure loop back by monitoring data ring

Fast-Ethernet

 To encompass need of fast emerging software and hardware technologies, Ethernet

extends itself as Fast-Ethernet. It can run on UTP, Optical Fiber, and wirelessly too. It
can provide speed up to 100 MBPS. This standard is named as 100BASE-T in IEEE
803.2 using Cat-5 twisted pair cable. It uses CSMA/CD technique for wired media
sharing among the Ethernet hosts and CSMA/CA (CA stands for Collision Avoidance)
technique for wireless Ethernet LAN.
 Fast Ethernet on fiber is defined under 100BASE-FX standard which provides speed up
to 100 MBPS on fiber. Ethernet over fiber can be extended up to 100 meters in half-
duplex mode and can reach maximum of 2000 meters in full-duplex over multimode
fibers.

Giga-Ethernet

 After being introduced in 1995, Fast-Ethernet could enjoy its high speed status only for 3
years till Giga-Ethernet introduced. Giga-Ethernet provides speed up to 1000Mbps
IEEE802.3ab standardize Giga-Ethernet over UTP using Cat-5, Cat-5e and Cat-6 cables.
IEEE802.3ah defines Giga-Ethernet over Fiber.

Large networks and wide areas

 Wide Area Network (WAN): A Wide Area Network (WAN) spans over multiple
geographic locations, which is composed of multiple LANs. It is nearly impossible for a
small to medium organization (except Network Service Providers) to pull network cables
between their two offices in two different countries located 1000s of kilometers away.
Network Service Providers (also called as ISPs) provide the connectivity solutions for
Wide Area Networks (WAN).
 A wide area network (WAN) is a network that exists over a large-scale geographical area.
A WAN connects different smaller networks, including local area networks (LANs) and
metro area networks (MANs). This ensures that computers and users in one location can
communicate with computers and users in other locations. WAN implementation can be
done either with the help of the public transmission system or a private network.

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DC&CN Chapter 5 Lecture Note Prepared by Abraham A.
Wolkite University College of Computing and Informatics Department of IT

 A WAN works in a similar fashion to a LAN, just on a larger scale. Typically, TCP/IP is
the protocol used for a WAN in combination with devices such as routers, switches,
firewalls and modems.
 Below image shows two Local Area Networks (LANs), located at two different
geographical locations connected via Internet to create a Wide Area Network (WAN).
LAN 1 is located in Chennai, India and LAN 2 is located in Manila, Philippines. The
distance between Chennai and Manila is about 4,400 Kilometers. It is almost impossible
for a small to medium business to draw cables between Chennai and Manila. We
normally avail the services of an Internet Service Provider for connectivity between these
two offices.

WAN Technologies

 VPN (Virtual Private Network),

 MPLS, and
 Frame Relay

VPN (Virtual Private Network)

 VPN (Virtual Private Network) Definition: VPN meaning that it is a private point-to-
point connection between two machines or networks over a shared or public network
such as the internet.

 VPN (Virtual Private Network) technology, can be use in organization to extend its

safe encrypted connection over less secure internet to connect remote users, branch
offices, and partner private, internal network. VPN turn the Internet into a simulated
private WAN.
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DC&CN Chapter 5 Lecture Note Prepared by Abraham A.
Wolkite University College of Computing and Informatics Department of IT

 A VPN client uses TCP/IP protocol, that is called tunneling protocols, to make a virtual
call to VPN server.

There are three network protocols are used within VPN tunnels. This are:

 IPsec: IPsec (Internet Protocol Security) is a framework for uses cryptographic security
services developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to protect secure
exchange communications over Internet Protocol (IP).It supported encryption modes are
transport and tunnel.
 PPTP: PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol) is a network protocol that extending
the organization private networks over the public Internet via "tunnels.
 L2TP: L2TP (Layer Two Tunneling Protocol) is an extension of the Point-to-Point
Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) used by Internet service providers (ISPs) to operate Virtual
Private Networks (VPNs).

Benefits of VPN

The main benefit of a VPN is the potential for significant cost savings compared to traditional
leased lines or dial up networking. These savings come with a certain (in amount of risk,
however, particularly when using the public Internet as the delivery mechanism for VPN data.

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DC&CN Chapter 5 Lecture Note Prepared by Abraham A.
Wolkite University College of Computing and Informatics Department of IT

Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS)

 Multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) is a mechanism used within computer network

infrastructures to speed up the time it takes a data packet to flow from one node to
another. It enables computer networks to be faster and easier to manage by using short
path labels instead of long network addresses for routing network packets.
 MPLS primarily implements and uses labels for making routing decisions. MPLS
operates by assigning a unique label or identifier to each network packet. The router can
refer only to the label to make the routing decision rather than looking into the packet.
 MPLS is designed to be used on both packet-switched networks and circuit-switched
networks.

Frame Relay

o Frame Relay is a scalable wide area network solution which makes use of packet-mode
transmission.
o Frame Relay allows for a single serial interface on the router to connect multiple remote
sites with the help of virtual circuits. Although Frame Relay is popular due to its
relatively inexpensive nature, it is being replaced in many areas by other faster
technologies such as asynchronous transfer mode.
o Initially designed for transportation across an integrated services digital network
infrastructure, Frame Relay places data in a variable unit known as a frame. Configuring
user equipment in a Frame Relay network is extremely simple. The connection-oriented
link-layer service provided by Frame Relay has properties like non-duplication of frames,
preservation of the frame transfer order and small probability of frame loss.
o The features provided by Frame Relay make it one of the best choices for interconnecting
local area networks using a wide area network. However the drawback in this method is
that it becomes prohibitively expensive with growth of the network.

There are certain benefits which are associated with Frame Relay.

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DC&CN Chapter 5 Lecture Note Prepared by Abraham A.
Wolkite University College of Computing and Informatics Department of IT

 It helps in reducing the cost of internetworking, as there is considerable reduction in the

number of circuits required and the associated bandwidths.

 It helps in increasing the performance due to reduced network complexity.

 It increases the interoperability with the help of international standards.
 Frame Relay is protocol independent and can easily be used to combine traffic from other
networking protocols such as IPX, SNA and IP. The reduction of network management
and unification of hardware used for the protocols can help in cost savings due to Frame
Relay.
 Where there is unpredictable and high-volume traffic, Frame Relay is one of the best
choices. It also remains a great choice for medium- to large-sized networks, which makes
use of star or mesh connectivity.

In business scenarios, where there is a slow connection or continuous traffic flow due to
applications like multimedia, Frame Relay is not a recommended choice.

Differences between Local Area Networks (LANs) and Wide Area Network (WAN)

A LAN is a private computer network that connects computers in small physical areas.
Example: A small office, A Single building, multiple buildings inside a campus etc.
WAN is type of computer network to connect offices which are located in different
geographical locations. WAN depends mainly on Internet Service Providers (ISPs) for
connection solutions.
LAN has higher bandwidth rates. Current LANs runs on bandwidths of 100 Mbps, 1
Gbps or 10 Gbps. WAN has lower bandwidth rates compared with LAN. Current Wide
Area Networks runs on bandwidths of 4 Mbps, 8 Mbps, 20 Mbps, 50 Mbps or 100 Mbps.
LAN bandwidth rates are almost constant. LAN bandwidth rates are dependent on
characteristics of the LAN technology in use (Normally Fast Ethernet or Gigabit

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Wolkite University College of Computing and Informatics Department of IT

Ethernet). Since most of WAN connectivity solutions are dependent on Internet Service
Providers (ISPs), budget related constraints affect the quality of WAN.
Most of the current Local Area Networks (LANs) use Ethernet as the LAN Standard
(Fast Ethernet 100 Mbps, or Gigabit Ethernet 1/10 Gbps). WAN uses technologies like
VPN (Virtual Private Network) over Internet, MPLS, Frame Relay, or Leased Lines as
WAN connectivity solutions.
Since LANs are private networks, managed by dedicated local network administrators,
LANs are more reliable and secure than WANs. Since WANs involve 3rd party service
providers, WAN networks are less reliable and secure.
Initial set-up costs for LANs are low as the devices required to set up the networks are
cheap. Initial set-up costs for WANs are high, because of the devices (Routers, Firewalls
etc.), cables and manpower required.
LANs running costs are less WANs running costs are high. WANs normally have
recurring monthly cost as Service Provider access fees.
WANs are more congested than LANs.

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DC&CN Chapter 5 Lecture Note Prepared by Abraham A.