6.

0 COMPUTER NETWORK
(PART I)

School of Education
Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
 6.1
NETWORKING DEVICES
 Network Devices

• Network devices are physical devices that are

required for communication and interaction
between hardware on a computer network.
• The network devices work as a group and have a
single purpose which securely transfers data as
fast as possible.
• To meet this goal there are several network
devices like repeater, bridge, hub, switch, router
etc.
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Network Devices

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 Gateway

• A gateway is a network node used in telecommunications

that connects two networks with different transmission
protocols together.

• Gateways serve as an entry and exit point for a network as

all data must pass through or communicate with the
gateway prior to being routed.

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 Gateway

• However, depending upon the functionality, a gateway can

operate at any of the seven layers of OSI model.

• It acts as the entry – exit point for a network since all

traffic that flows across the networks should pass through
the gateway.

• Only the internal traffic between the nodes of a LAN does

not pass through the gateway.

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 Gateway
• Gateways usually work at the Transport layer and Session
layer of the OSI model.
• It connects two networks that may work upon different
networking models.
• Gateway takes data from one system, interpret it, and
transfer it to another system.
• It also is known as protocol converters and can operate at
any network layer.

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 Gateway

• Gateways are generally more complex than switch or

router.
• Gateway deals with numerous protocols and standards from
different vendors.
• It performs all of the functions of routers. A router with
added translation functionality is a gateway.

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Gateway

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 Gateway

• An internet gateway is a router in a computer network, a key

stopping point for data on its way to or from other networks.

• Thanks to gateways, we are able to communicate and send

data back and forth.

• To do this, an internet gateway requires an internet

connection.

• If the gateway is not connecting, the issue could be due to

the router, modem or an internet connection failure.

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• In a workplace, the gateway is the computer that routes
traffic from a workstation to the outside network that is
serving up web pages.

• For home internet connections, the gateway is the internet

service provider that gives you access to the entire internet.

• If you have a wireless network at home that gives your

family access to the internet, your gateway is the modem (or
modem-router combo) your internet service provider gives
you so you can connect to their network.

• Routers are gateways because a router can control the path

through which information is sent in and out.
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 Hub
• Hub is a multiport repeater.
• It has multiple ports that accept Ethernet connections from
different network devices.
• It is considered as the least intelligent device as it neither
filters the data, nor it knows where the data is supposed to
be sent.
• When a data packet arrives at one of the ports, it is copied
to all of the other ports connected to it.
• As a result, all the devices receive the data packet, even if it
is not for them.

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 Hub
• There are two types of hubs – active and passive.
• An active hub is a multi-point repeater which can
regenerate signals.
• A passive hub is a connector which connects wires coming
from other systems.

Hub Switch Router

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 Switch

• A switch is smarter than a hub.

• Similar to the hub, it is a connection point for all the devices
in the network.
• However, it is more efficient at passing a data packet across
the network.
• It records the MAC addresses of the computers connected to
it in a tabular format.

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Switch

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 Switch

• When the data packet arrives, it reads the destination

address and sends it to the appropriate system rather than
sending it to all connected devices.
• If the destination address is not available, the switch sends
the data packet to all the devices across the network.

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MAC address

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 Router

• It is the most intelligent of the three networking

devices.
• It is designed to understand, manipulate, and
direct data packets based on their IP addresses.
• It connects a local area network (LANs) and wide
area network (WANs) and features a dynamically
updating routing table based on which they make
decisions on routing data packets.

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Router

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 Router

• When a data packet is received, it inspects the IP

address and determines if the packet was meant
for its network or not.
• If yes, then it receives the data packet, and if not
then it sends it off to another network.

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 Router
How to Connect a Router to the Internet?
• A router typically connects physically, using a
network cable, to the modem via the internet or
WAN port and then physically, again through a
network cable, to the network interface card in
whatever wired network devices you have.
• A wireless router can connect using various
wireless standards to devices that also support the
particular standard used

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 Bridge
• A network bridge is a device that divides a network
into segments.
• Each segment represent a separate collision
domain, so the number of collisions on the network
is reduced.
• Each collision domain has its own separate
bandwidth, so a bridge also improves the network
performance.

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 Bridge
• A bridge works at the Data link layer (Layer 2)
of the OSI model.
• It inspects incoming traffic and decide whether
to forward it or filter it.
• Each incoming Ethernet frame is inspected for
destination MAC address.
• If the bridge determines that the destination
host is on another segment of the network, it
forwards the frame to that segment.

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 Bridge

• Example, in the picture above we have a network of four

computers.
• The network is divided into segments by a bridge.
• Each segment is a separate collision domain with its own
bandwidth.
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 Bridge

• Let’s say that Host A wants to communicate with Host C.

• Host A will send the frame with the Host C’s destination
MAC address to the bridge.
• The bridge will inspect the frame and forward it to the
segment of the network Host C is on.

• Network bridges offer substantial improvements over

network hubs, but they are not widely used anymore in
modern LANs.
• Switches are commonly used instead.

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Repeater

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 Repeater
• Repeaters are network devices operating at physical
layer of the OSI model that amplify or regenerate an
incoming signal before retransmitting it.
• They are incorporated in networks to expand its
coverage area.
• They are also known as signal boosters.

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 Repeater

• Why are Repeaters needed?

• When an electrical signal is transmitted via a
channel, it gets attenuated depending upon the
nature of the channel or the technology.
• This poses a limitation upon the length of the
LAN or coverage area of cellular networks.
• This problem is alleviated by installing repeaters
at certain intervals.

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 Repeater
• Repeaters amplifies the
attenuated signal and then
retransmits it.
• Digital repeaters can even
reconstruct signals distorted by
transmission loss.
• So, repeaters are popularly
incorporated to connect between
two LANs thus forming a large
single LAN.
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 Networking Hardware
Gateway: an interface providing a compatibility between networks by
converting transmission speeds, protocols, codes, or security
measures.
Router: a networking device that forwards data packets between computer
networks. A data packet is typically forwarded from one router to
another through the networks until it reaches its destination node (OSI
layer 3).
Switch: a device that connects devices together on a computer network, by
using packet switching to receive, process and forward data to the
destination device. (OSI layer 2)
Hub: a device that broadcasting the same data out of each of its ports (OSI
layer 1).
Bridge: a device that connects multiple network segments (OSI layers 1 and 2).
Repeater: an electronic device that receives a signal and retransmits it at a
higher level or higher power, so that the signal can cover longer
distances. 37
Networking Hardware

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 6.2
NETWORK TOPOLOGY
 Network Topology

• Computer network topology is the way various

components of a network (like nodes, links,
peripherals, etc) are arranged.
• Network topologies define the layout, virtual
shape or structure of network, not only physically
but also logically.
• The way in which different systems and nodes are
connected and communicate with each other is
determined by topology of the network.
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 Network Topology

• Physical Topology is the physical layout of nodes,

workstations and cables in the network.
• Logical topology is the way information flows
between different components.

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 Types of Network Topology

• Bus Topology
• Star Topology
• Ring Topology
• Mesh Topology
• Tree Topology
• Hybrid Topology

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 Bus/ Linear Topology

• Computers are connected through a common

communication media.
• A special type of central wire called Bus is used as
communication media.
• The computer are attached through the bus the
ends of the bus are closed with the terminator.
• The terminators are used to absorb signals.

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Bus Topology

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 Bus Topology

Advantages Disadvantages
● Easy to install and ● Performance decreases
configure ● Weak signals
● Inexpensive ● Difficult troubleshooting
● Easily extended ● Bad connection to the
cable can bring down the
entire network

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 Star Topology

• Uses a separate cable for each work station.

• The cable connects the work station to a central
device typically a HUB.
• The configuration provides a more reliable
network that is easily expended.
• If there is a problem with the cable only the
station connected to that cable is affected.
• To add more work stations simply connect
another HUB.
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Star Topology

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 Star Topology

Advantages Disadvantages
● Easily expended and ● If hub fails then entire
modified network will fail
● Easy to troubleshoot ● Require more cables
● Multiple cable types ● May require a device to
supported by hub rebroadcast signals
across the network

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 Ring Topology
• The messages flow around the ring in one
direction.
• A short message called token (memory area) is
passed around a ring until a computer wishes to
send information to other computers.
• That computer modifies token, adds an electronic
address and data and send it around the ring.
• Each computer in sequence receives the token
until the data is received or return to its origin.
• The receiving computer returns a message to the
sender indicating that message has been received.49
Ring Topology

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 Ring Topology

Advantages Disadvantages
● It provides an orderly ● Failure of one computer
network in which every can affect the whole
device has access to the network.
token and can transmit. ● Difficult to troubleshoot.
● It performs well under a ● Change mode with adding
heavy load. or removing a device
affect the entire network.

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Dual Ring Topology

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 Mesh Topology
• Uses separate cable to connect each device to
every other device on the network, providing a
straight communication path.
• For sending messages, if the cable connected into
two devices, a message is send directly from
sender to receiver because each one has
individual and separate connection.

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Mesh Topology

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Mesh Topology

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 Mesh Topology

Advantages Disadvantages
● Enhance for error ● Difficult to install and
tolerance provided by maintain.
redundant links. ● Expensive.
● Easy to troubleshoot.

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 Tree Topology
• A special type of structure in which many
connected elements are arranged like the
branches of a tree.
• It incorporates elements of both a bus topology
and a star topology.
• The Tree Topology follows a hierarchical pattern
where each level is connected to the next higher
level in a symmetrical pattern.

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Tree Topology

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 Tree Topology

Advantages
● Secondary nodes allow more ● Maintenance of the
devices to be connected to a
central node.
● Point to point connection of
devices.
● Having different levels of the
network makes it more
manageable hence easier
fault identification and
isolation.
Disadvantages
network may be an issue
when the network spans a
great area.
● Since it is a variation of bus
topology, if the backbone
fails, the entire network is
crippled.
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Hybrid Topology

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