Computer Network

By: Dr. Radha Raman Chandan

 Transmission Technology (Line Configuration) in Computer
Networks
The transmission means, is that sending a signal from one location to another.
The transmission technology can be categorized broadly into two types:
1.Point-to-Point connection
2.Multipoint connection

1. Point-To-Point Connection
• The point-to-point is a kind of line configuration which describes the method to connect
two communication devices in a link.
• The point-to-point connection is a unicast connection.
• There is a dedicated link between an individual pair of sender and receiver.
• The capacity of the entire channel is reserved only for the transmission of the packet
between the sender and receiver.

We can connect the two devices by means of a pair of wires or using a microwave or satellite
link. The most common example for Point-to-Point connection (PPP) is a computer
connected by telephone line.
Example: Remote control and Television for changing the channels.
BY: Dr. Radha Raman Chandan 2
2. Multipoint Connection:
• The multipoint connection is a connection established between more than two devices.
The multipoint connection is also called multidrop line configuration.
• In multipoint connection, a single link is shared by multiple devices. So, it can be said
that the channel capacity is shared temporarily by every device connecting to the link.
• If devices are using the link turn by turn, then it is said to be time shared line
configuration.
• The multipoint networks are also called “Broadcast network”.
• In a broadcast network, the packet transmitted by the sender is received and processed
by every device on the link. But, by the address field in the packet, the receiver
determines whether the packet belongs to it or not, if not, it discards the packet. If
packet belongs to the receiver then keeps the packet and respond to the sender
accordingly.

BY: Dr. Radha Raman Chandan 3

 Point-to-Point Vs. Multipoint
Basis for comparison Point-to-Point
There is dedicated link
Link
between two devices.
The channel's entire
Channel Capacity capacity is reserved for the
two connected devices.
There is a single
Transmitter and Receiver transmitter and a single
receiver.
Reliability More reliable
Error Prone More Error Prone
Security and Privacy More Security and Privacy
Frame relay, T-carrier, X.25, Frame relay, token ring,
Example
etc.
BY: Dr. Radha Raman Chandan
Multipoint
The link is shared between
more than two devices.
The channel's capacity is
shared temporarily among
the devices connected to
the link.
There is a single
transmitter and multiple
receivers.
Less reliable
Less Error Prone
Less Security and Privacy
Ethernet, ATM, etc.
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Difference Between Unicast and Multicast

In unicast, one station transfers the information to only

one receiver station.
In multicast, the sender transfers the information to a
group of interested receiver stations.

Basis for
Unicast Multicast
Comparison
One sender and one One sender and multiple
Basic
receiver. receivers.
Multiple unicasting utilizes
Multicasting utilizes bandwidth
Bandwidth more bandwidth as
efficiently.
compared to multicast.
It does not scale well for It does not scale well across large
Scale
streaming media. networks.
Mapping One-to-one. One-to-many.
Multimedia delivery, stock
Examples Web surfing, file transfer.
exchange.
BY: Dr. Radha Raman Chandan 5
 Types or Categories of Communication Networks
• The Network allows computers to connect and communicate with different computers
via any medium. LAN, MAN, and WAN are types of the network designed to operate
over the area they cover. One of the significant differences is in the geographical area
they cover
1. Local Area Network (LAN)
• It is designed for small physical areas such as an office, group of buildings or a factory.
• LANs are used widely as it is easy to design and to troubleshoot.
• Personal computers and workstations are connected to each other through LANs.
• We can use different types of topologies through LAN, these are Star, Ring, Bus, Tree
etc.
• LAN's operate at relatively high speed when compared to the typical WAN.
• It connects computers in a single building, block or campus, i.e. they work in a
restricted geographical area.
• LAN networks are also widely used to share resources like printers, shared hard-drive
etc.

BY: Dr. Radha Raman Chandan 6

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
• MAN or Metropolitan area Network covers a larger area than that of a LAN and
smaller area as compared to WAN.
• It connects two or more computers that are apart but resides in the same or different
cities.
• It covers a large geographical area and may serve as an ISP (Internet Service Provider).
• It generally covers towns and cities (50 km).
• Communication medium used for MAN are optical fibers, cables etc.
• It provides a good back bone for large network and provides greater access to WANs.
• DQDB (Distributed Queue Dual Bus): It is considered as a dual bus configuration
refers that each host in the network would be linked to the two backbone network
lines.

BY: Dr. Radha Raman Chandan 7

Wide Area Network (WAN)

• WAN or Wide Area Network is a computer network that spans over a large
geographical area. It generally covers large distances(states, countries, continents).
• A WAN could be a connection of LAN connecting to other LAN’s via telephone lines
and radio waves.
• Wide Area Network may or may not be privately owned.
• A Communication medium used for WAN is PSTN or Satellite Link which are connected
by routers..
• WAN operates on low data rates.
• Due to long-distance transmission, the noise and error tend to be more in WAN.
Propagation delay is one of the biggest problems faced here.
• It also uses the store-and-forward concept to transmit packets, where packets are
stored in a buffer on a temporary basis then forwarded to the destination by following
the predefined path.

BY: Dr. Radha Raman Chandan 8

BASIS OF
LAN MAN WAN
COMPARISON
Metropolitan Area
Expands to Local Area Network Wide Area Network
Network

It spans large locality and

A network that connects It covers relatively large
connects countries
Area Cover a group of computers in a region such as cities,
together. Example
small geographical area. towns.
Internet.

Ownership of Network Private Private or Public Private or Public

Design and maintenance Easy Difficult Difficult
Communication Medium Coaxial, Twisted Coaxial, Fiber or PSTN PSTN or Satellite Links
Propagation Delay Short Moderate Long

Speed( Data Rate) High Moderate Low

Fault Tolerance More Tolerant Less Tolerant Less Tolerant

Congestion Less More More

Used for College, School, Hospital. Small towns, City. Country/Continent.

A huge group of
Single pair of devices to Multiple computers can
Allows computers communicate
communicate. simultaneously interact.
at the same time.

BY: Dr. Radha Raman Chandan 9

 Difference Between Bandwidth and Frequency
• Bandwidth and frequency both are the measuring terms of networking.
• The basic difference between bandwidth and frequency is that bandwidth
measures the amount of data transferred per second whereas the frequency
measure the number of oscillation of the data signal per second(number of
complete cycles appearing in unit time. ).
Basis for Comparison Frequency Bandwidth
It defines the number of It defines the amount of
Basic complete cycles in unit data transmitted in unit
time. time.
Specified in terms of cycles/sec bits/sec
Denoted as f B

BY: Dr. Radha Raman Chandan 10

Difference Between Analog and Digital Signal

Basis for Comparison Analog Signal Digital Signal

An analog signal is a continuous wave that A digital signal is a discrete wave that
Basic changes over a time period. carries information in binary form.

An analog signal is represented by a sine A digital signal is represented by square

Representation wave. waves.

An analog signal is described by the A digital signal is described by bit rate

Description amplitude, period or frequency, and phase. and bit intervals.

Digital signal has a finite numbers i.e. 0

Range Analog signal has no fixed range.
and 1.
A digital signal is less prone to
Distortion An analog signal is more prone to distortion.
distortion.
An analog signal transmit data in the form of A digital signal carries data in the binary
Transmit a wave. form i.e. 0 nad 1.

The human voice is the best example of an Signals used for transmission in a
Example analog signal. computer are the digital signal.
BY: Dr. Radha Raman Chandan 11