DESIGNING A COMPUTER NETWORK

(MODELING)
IT-114
SHANE IVAN FALLAR | EMMAN SALUDES | JOHN GRAY BAUTISTA | MART SALAZAR | LEMUEL ASPE |
BIANCA BACURIN

Challenge
Each student will demonstrate an understanding of a simple computer network by using a graphical
diagramming program or pencil and paper to graphically show the arrangement of simple network
components. Basic network diagrams must show the primary pieces of your network and how those
pieces are connected. When choosing a network type (topology) four things should be considered: Cost,
expandability, location of PC’s, and speed.

In choosing a topology to design, we chose the STAR Topology. In terms of advantages, this
style of topology is among the most common and simple ones. Looking at it’s characteristic, it is
decidedly less expensive as there is only the need for one central hub rather than a complicated
set of servers and equipment. In addition, this topology is also readily expandable as well as able
to remove devices without much disruption. Further, by merit of having only one central point of
connection, it is also fairly easy to troubleshoot. The speed of this style of connection will most
likely depend on the quality of the hub you are using.

EVALUATION
Answer the following:

1 You have two or more computers. How do you connect them to share files and
printers?

Since the question posits that 2 or more computers are to be connected to a printer
and each other, the logical approach would be to use a central hub to facilitate this
connection. One great example of this would be through a star topology which is a
network topology in which each network component is physically connected to a
central node such as a router, hub or switch. Below is a diagram of one;
There are several things to consider when deciding what topology to use for a
network’s design namely Cost, expandability, location of PC’s, and speed. Using a
star topology like this has several distinct advantages, first is it’s simple and involves
only two main parts, the nodes and the hub meaning it is cheaper and easier to
diagnose in case of failure it is also expandable, though this depends more on the
capacity of the hub.
In terms of a real-world model the network/system should be laid out something like
this:

As seen in the model/diagram to the side each node is connected to the central hub
which in turn is the one that facilitates the connection in between each node.

For the sake of the illustration, we chose to show the connections via the red wires but
preferably connections like this would be wireless.
2 What is the most popular network type for both home and business?

Local area networks, or LANs, are the most typical and well-liked network
architectures found in most households and companies. It is a network that links
gadgets in a constrained geographic area. The fact that a LAN connects devices that
are situated inside a single, constrained space, such a building or a house, is its only
distinguishing feature. A LAN is not constrained by its size or number of devices,
though. It can be big, like a business network with tens of thousands of connected
devices, or tiny, like a home network with only a few. A WAN can therefore be
thought of as a collection of LANs or other communication networks. The Internet is
the biggest and most prevalent example of a WAN. A WAN requires more hardware
components than a LAN does. A wide area network needs a variety of gear, including
WAN switches, access servers, modems, and routers. Wide Area Network is referred
to as WAN. A huge computer network known as a wide area network connects
collections of computers or communication devices over considerable distances. It is
not bound to a specific location, unlike a LAN. Businesses typically utilize WANs to
connect their office networks that are spread across numerous locations. Typically,
each office has its own LAN, which is connected to other offices via a WAN.

3 Ethernet can operate at 10Mbps or 100Mbps, True or False?

True, because A standard Ethernet network can transmit data at a rate up to 10

Megabits per second (10 Mbps). This is faster than many broadband connections and
more than enough for many people's local network use.

4 What is Bandwidth?

Bandwidth is the volume of information that can be sent over a connection in a

measured amount of time – calculated in megabits per second (Mbps). It is a
measurement that indicates the maximum capacity of wired or wireless
communications link to transmit data over a network connection in a given amount of
time. There are multiple factors that are needed to take account, one of this is the
number of users and the other is the activity conducted by the user.

Example:
• //The modem has a bandwidth of 56 kilobits per second. - Merriam-Webster
In addition, it is the volume of information per unit of time that a transmission
medium (like an internet connection) can handle. Larger bandwidth can move a set
amount of data (say, a video file) much faster than an internet connection with a
lower bandwidth.

5 What is MAC address?

An individual identification code called a MAC address, often referred to as a media

access control address, is given to a network interface controller (NIC) so that it can
be used as a network address in communications inside a network segment and
connect wirelessly to the internet. So that data is transmitted to your computer and not
your roommate's smart phone, MAC addresses are used to distinguish which device is
which on your local network. Every two digits of a MAC address are separated by a
colon or hyphen, making it a 12-digit hexadecimal number. The MAC address is
therefore 2c549188c9e3. This unique 12-character alphanumeric attribute is used to
identify individual electronic devices on a network. Its primary use is to ensure the
physical address of a given device/ computer and operates on the data link layer.