Computer Networks

5/1/22

Bus topology:
 Referred as linear bus
 All the devices on a bus topology are connected by single cable
 When the number of nodes is high, the number of collisions is high
Star topology:

 Mostly used in Ethernet LANs

 Resembles spokes in bicycle wheel
 Larger network uses the extended the star topology also called
tree topology

 Reduces the traffic on wires by sending packets only to the wires

of the destination host, when used with network devices that filter
frames or packets (like bridges, switches and routers).
Ring topology:
 A frame travels around the ring, stopping at each node
 If a node wants to transmit data, it adds the data as well as the
destination address to the frame
  The frame then continues around the ring until it finds the
destination node which takes the data out of the frame.

 Types:
1. Single ring-All the devices on the network share a single
cable
2. Dual cable-It allows data to be sent in both direction
 Collision free network
->Even though the failure of particular node or link, the communication is
still possible
Mesh topology:
 Connects all devices to each other for redundancy and fault
tolerance
 It is used in WANs to interconnect LANs and for mission critical
networks like those used by banks and financial institutions
 Implementing the mesh topology is expensive and difficult.
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Network Components:
 Physical Medial
 Interconnecting devices
 Computers
 Networking Software
 Applications
Networking Media:
By which signals(data) are sent from one computer to another(either by
cable or wireless means)

Networking Devices:
1. HUB
2. Switches
3. Routers
4. Wireless access…..
Computers:
Clients and Servers
 In a client/server network arrangement, network services are
located in a dedicated computer whose only function is to respond
to the requests to clients
 The server contains the file, print. application, security and other
services in a central ………….
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Networks
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Network criteria:
 Performance
 Depends on network elements
 Measured in terms of delay and throughput
 Reliability
 Failure rate of network components
 Measured in terms of availability/robustness
 Security
 Data protection against corruption/loss of data due to
 Errors
 Malicious users
Type of connection:
 point to point
 Eg: ring topology, mesh topology

 multipoint
 Eg: bus topology

Physical topology:
 Connection of devices
 Types of connection
 Unicast: one to one communication
 Multicast: one sender, multiple receiver
 Broad cast: sends signals to all the users in the network
(can be achieved by multicast by sending signal to all the
users in the network)
Categories of network:
 Local area network (provide network to local interconnectivity)
 Wide area network (provides network to large areas)
 Metropolitan Area network
Internet
 Organisation of internet
 Internet Service providers(ISPs)

Protocols:
 It is a set of rules that govern all aspects of data communication
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
 Speed of data transfer
 A protocol defines what, how, when it communicated
 The key elements of a protocol are syntax, semantics and timing
 Protocols are to computers what language is to humans. Since this
article is in English to understand it must be able to read English.
Similarly, for two devices on a network to successfully
communicate, they must both understand the same protocols.