• Analyze hardware and software requirements for local area

networks.
• As computer networking has become less expensive and
easier to implement, many businesses have implemented
Local Area Networks to share resources and improve company
communications. There are a number of components that
make up a LAN, and understanding them can help reduce your
network implementation costs, whether you outsource it or
do it yourself.
• Student should be able to understand what software and
hardware need to implement a LAN.
What are the hardware components of a LAN?

• The hardware components of a LAN consist of:

 PCs/workstations and servers
 Network Interface Card (NIC)
 Cabling and connectors
• For example, coaxial cable and BNC connector, Unshielded
Twisted Pair (UTP) and RJ-45 connector
 Hub or Switch
 Network Rack
 I/O Box and Face Plate
 UTP Patch Panel
 Optical Fiber Cables
 Fiber Patch Panel
 Media converter
PCs/workstations and servers

• A server is an application or device that performs service for

connected clients as part of client server architecture.
• A workstation computer that is used to power applications
such as graphic art, 3-D design, Video Editing, or other
CPU/RAM intensive software.
Network Interface Card (NIC)

• Each networked device contains a Network Interface Card.

The NIC may be a separate board installed into a computer’s
slot, or it may be built into the motherboard.
Cabling and connectors

• Network cables connect all of the devices on your network to

a central point, typically a switch or a hub. Most networks use
Unshielded Twisted Pair wiring denoted with a category.

Coaxial cables
Cat5 cable

RJ45
BNC
Hub or Switch

• A hub is the central wiring connector on a LAN, where all of the network
cables come together. Each cable plugs into a port on the hub. The hub
accepts incoming data packets from devices on the network and transmits
them to all other computers attached to the hub. Each device NIC receives
each packet and makes its process or discard decision.

• A switch is like a hub in that it is a central point for connecting network

cables; however, a switch is able to receive a packet and transmit it to
only the destination computer. It does this by building a table of which
computer is on which of its ports. This reduces network traffic
significantly, especially on a network of more than 10 computers. It is not
unusual to find both hubs and switches on the same LAN.
Network Hub
Network Switch
Network Rack

• A Local Area Network (LAN) is comprised of multiple

networking equipment like network switches, routers, UTM
appliances, Servers, patch panels, cables, modems, etc. These
equipment are generally kept inside a network rack, which is a
closed or open enclosure that can hold them. The size
occupied by networking hardware equipment follow certain
industry standards so that they could fit in to the network
racks, which too follow those standards.
Network Rack
I/O Box and Face Plate

• Single Wall Face Plate Cat5e RJ45 Network LAN Faceplate, Fits
into most single gang buttress boxes for wall mounting.
Complete with 1 x Keystone.
UTP Patch Panel
• A patch panel is a mounted hardware unit containing an
assembly of port locations in a communications or other
electronic or electrical system. In a network, a patch panel
serves as a sort of static switchboard, using cables to
interconnect computers within the area of a local area
network (LAN) and to the outside for connection to the
Internet or other wide area network (WAN). A patch panel
uses a sort of jumper cable called a patch cord to create each
interconnection.
Optical Fiber Cables

• Fiber optic (or "optical fiber") refers to the medium and the
technology associated with the transmission of information as
light impulses along a glass or plastic wire or fiber. Fiber optic
wire carries much more information than conventional copper
wire and is far less subject to electromagnetic interference.
Most telephone company long-distance lines are now fiber
optic.
Fiber Patch Panel

• A fiber-optic patch panel is used to separate out the fibers

within a fiber-optic cable. By using one of these panels, the
fibers can be spliced to individual fibers on other cables,
allowing the cables to be crossed and connected in a variety
of ways. In addition, the panel creates a safe environment in
which to work with exposed fibers.
Media converter

• A fiber media converter is a simple networking device that

makes it possible to connect two dissimilar media types such
as twisted pair with fiber optic cabling. They were introduced
to the industry nearly two decades ago, and are important in
interconnecting fiber optic cabling-based systems with
existing copper-based, structured cabling systems. They are
also used in metropolitan area network (MAN) access and
data transport services to enterprise customers.
Network Software

• All of the network components excluding the cabling have

software that makes them work. Network software is written
to a set of standards that define the TCP/IP protocol suite. The
standard defines layers of software and how they talk with
each other. Using the same set of rules allows networking
equipment from different vendors to work together.
What are the software components of a LAN?

• The software components of a LAN can be grouped into two

categories:

 Inside PCs/workstations and servers

 NIC Drivers
 Network Operating System for servers, for example, Novell®
Netware 4.1, Microsoft Windows® NT or Windows 2008 R2
 Network Operating System for clients (PCs/workstations), for
example, Novell® Netware 4.1 client or Microsoft Windows® 7
• Networking protocol software, for example, TCP/IP, Novell® IPX
• Application software, for example, emails, Internet Web Browser
 Inside network devices (Hub/Bridge/LAN Switch/Router)

 Network Management Software, for example, Simple

Network Management Protocol (SNMP), Remote Network
Monitoring (RMC)
 Forwarding/routing & control software, for examples,
transparent bridging, spanning tree and IP routing
software
• PCs/workstations and servers
• Network Interface Card
• Coaxial cable
• BNC connector
• UTP
• RJ-45
• Hub or Switch
• Network Rack
• I/O Box and Face Plate
• UTP Patch Panel
• Optical Fiber Cables
• Fiber Patch Panel
• TCP/IP protocol
• NIC Drivers
• Novell® Netware 4.1
• Microsoft Windows® NT
• Windows 2008 R2
• Microsoft Windows® 7
• TCP/IP
• Novell® IPX
• Web Browser
• Media converter
• A LAN is made up of two basic elements:
 The hardware which is connected to form the LAN.
 The software (or programs) which is accessed through the
LAN.
Each of these elements can be divided into a number of
components. Each component represents only a part of the
whole system and a LAN will only function properly if each part
operates according to specifications.
• Briefly describe PCs/workstations and servers.

• What is the different among HUB and Switch?

• What is the advantage use Patch Panel to develop a LAN?

• Briefly describe NIC.

• Give three examples for server operating system.

• http://etidweb.tamu.edu/cdrom3/CHAPTER1.PDF