Course Overview and Introduction to

Computer Networks

Computer Communications
and Networks
(lecture 1)
Aadil Zia Khan
Agenda
 Course Overview & Teaching
Style.
 Introduction to and Applications of
Computer Networks.
Teaching Style
 Interactive.
 Application of concepts.
 Quizzes in almost every class.
 Assignments to test concepts.
 In class practice questions.
Description & Objective
 Introduce you to computer networks
and communications concepts.
 See how they give strategic
advantage in businesses.
 Enable you to study new
technologies in information and
communication technologies on your
own.
Text Book
 Primary
 Data Communications and
Computer Networks – A Business
User’s Approach, 5th Ed., Cengage
Learning, 2009.
 Reference
 Handouts and Case Studies may be
provided.
Course Group
 http://groups.google.com/group/co
mputernetworksbnu
Grade Distribution
 Quizzes & Assignments – 30%
 Mid Term Exam – 30%
 Final Exam – 40%
 May vary if need be
Agenda
 Introduction to computer and
communication networks concepts.
 Definitions.
 Real life uses and applications of
networks.
The Language of
Computer Networks
 Computer network – an
interconnection of computers and
computing equipment using either
electrical wires, radio waves or
optical fibers over small or large
geographic areas.
The Language of
Computer Networks
 Local area network – networks that
are small in geographic size
spanning a room, floor, building, or
campus.
 For example
 Network within a university.
 Network within a software house.

 Computer Gaming in LAN Parties.

The Language of
Computer Networks
 Wide area network (WAN)???
The Language of
Computer Networks
 Wide area network – a large
network that encompasses parts of
states, multiple states, countries,
and the world.
 The internet.
The Language of
Computer Networks
 Metropolitan area network –
networks that span a typical city.
 For example
 Different offices of the same
company (mobilink service centers)
might be connected together using a
high speed link.
 Different universities of Lahore can

be connected by a dedicated link.

The Language of
Computer Networks
 Personal area network – a network
of a few meters, between wireless
devices such as PDAs, laptops, and
similar devices.
 For example synchronizing your
phone’s address book with your
computer’s address book.
The Language of
Computer Networks
 Voice network – a network that
transmits only voice signals.
 Almost extinct.
 For example

 Walkie Talkies.
 Rescue 1122 communication

network.
The Language of
Computer Networks
 Data network – a network that
transmits voice and computer data.
 Convergence- previously disjoint,
voice and data traffic is serviced by
the same network.
 For example

 Cell phone transmits voice.

 Cell phone can be used to browse

the internet.
 Cell phone can be used take

pictures and forward them to friends.

The Language of
Computer Networks
 Data communications – the actual
transfer/transmission of voice or
data over some network.
The Language of
Computer Networks
 Telecommunications – the study of
telephones and the systems that
transmit telephone signals.
 Gradually becoming simply data
communications since telecom
service providers provide data
communication services (like SMS,
MMS and email) as well.
The Language of
Computer Networks
 Network management – the design,
installation, and support of a
network, including its hardware and
software.
The Language of
Computer Networks
 Network measurement–the
measurement of bandwidth and
latency of the links in a network.
 Latency - total time taken for
data/voice to reach the destination.
 Bandwidth - amount of data that can

be carried from one point to another

in a given time period.
 Useful for fault diagnoses and

optimization.
Anatomy of Networks
 Workstations
 Computers, tablets, PDA.
 End users of the network.
Anatomy of Networks
 Servers
 Provide service to the end users.
 Webpages.

 Instant messaging.
 Email.

 Share files.
 Movies and mp3s.
Anatomy of Networks
 Network hubs
 Connect work stations and servers.
 Any data packet coming from one

port is sent to all other ports.

 Port is where a work station
connects to the network.
 Port is an interface.

 Receiving computer decides if the

packet is for it.
Anatomy of Networks
 Network hubs
 Problem
 Since every packet is sent out to
every computer on the network,
there is a lot of wasted transmission.
 Wasted transmission causes

inefficiency due to collisions.

 Typically used on small networks.
Anatomy of Networks
 Network bridges
 A bridge goes one step up on a hub
in that it looks at the destination of
the packet before sending.
 It maintains list of destinations

available at a port. If the destination

address is not on a port it will not
transmit the data on that port.
 Typically used to separate parts of a

network that do not communicate

regularly.
Anatomy of Networks
 Routers
 Connect LAN to WAN and WAN to
WAN.
 Responsible for finding the shortest

paths (sort of) between source and

destination.
Anatomy of Networks
 Switches
 Generic term for machines which
forward data packets intelligently.
 Router is layer 3 switch.

 Bridge is layer 2 switch.

 More on this and on layering in later

lectures.
Anatomy of Networks
 Protocol
 Special set of rules that end points
in a telecommunication connection
use to establish connection and
communicate.
Networks all around us
 Why should you be studying
computer and communications
networks.
 Networks are all around us.
 They make life easier.

 They give strategic advantage in

businesses.
Networks all around us
 Enterprise Resource Planning
Systems
 An integrated information system
that serves all departments within an
enterprise. HR, Finance, Sales etc.
 Impossible without data

communication between these

departments.
 Impossible without data

communication between workstation

and ERP System.
Networks all around us
 Distributed Teams
 Virtual workspace
 Taking example of a software

industry, one team member may in

USA while the other would be in
Pakistan.
Networks all around us
 “Business at the speed of thought”
 Book written by Bill Gates on how
business and technology are
integrated, and how digital
infrastructures and information
networks can help getting an edge
on the competition.
Networks all around us
 “Business at the speed of thought”
 Due to technology, the speed of
business is accelerating at an ever-
increasing rate, and to survive, it
must develop an infrastructure--a
"digital nervous system"--that allows
for the unfettered movement of
information inside a company.
Networks all around us
 “Business at the speed of thought”
 Gates writes that "The most
meaningful way to differentiate your
company from your competition ... is
to do an outstanding job with
information. How you gather,
manage, and use information will
determine whether you win or lose.“
Networks all around us
 Teradata-Coca Cola Japan
 Teradata is a company which
provides tools for data warehousing
and data mining.
 managing massive amount of data
and gathering important information
and patterns from this data.
 Coca Cola Japan used Teradata as
backend for its vending machines.
On stock depletion, the information
was quickly communicated.
Networks all around us
 Viral Marketing
 These days many companies use
sites like youtube to upload videos
which advertise their products. This
saves money since Television Ads
are expensive.
Networks all around us
 Sensor Networks
 These are networks in which
sensors take reading of the
environment and share the
information.
 Can be used to monitor crops.

 Can be used in safety critical

environments.
 Other situations???
Networks all around us
 RFID Networks
 Radio Frequency Identification
 Object of interest, such as cargo, is

assigned an RFID.
 RFID Tags transmit information used

to monitor the location.

 Can also be used to monitor quality.

For example vegetable cargo can be

damaged if the warehouse
temperature increases.
 Motorway toll plazas use RFID tags.
Networks all around us
 Vehicular Networks
 A network is maintained between
the moving vehicles.
 Can be used for predicting and

avoiding traffic jams, collisions etc.

Networks all around us
 Emergency Services
 Have been cases where patient
stuck in a remote area carried out
surgery on themselves, while being
guided online by a surgeon miles
apart.
Networks all around us
 Distance Learning
 People having access to the internet
can study at a foreign university
from the comfort of their homes.
 Population in remote and rural areas

can get quick access to education.

 Virtual University Pakistan.
Networks all around us
 Ubiquitous Computing
 The time is near when computers
would be ubiquitous.
 You will manage your microwave

oven, bath tub etc. from your office

desktop.
 You will switch on and off your

electrical appliances using SMS etc.

Networks all around us
 Military
 Future battles will be fought from a
single room.
 Drones are a preview of what is to

come.
 In the near future, drones,

unmanned surveillance ground

vehicles tanks, and just maybe
human fighters, would be
communicating in real time to fight
battles.
Networks all around us
 E-Services
 Buy tickets, reserve airline seats.
 24-hour banking.

 Pay bills.

 Do shopping (Ebay,Amazon).
Networks all around us
 Staying Connected
 Social Networking (Orkut, LinkedIn)
 Email

 Much faster than the traditional snail

mail approach.
 Cheaper telephones
 There was a time a call to USA cost
hundreds of rupees per minute.
 Voice over IP (VoIP) has made it

free/almost free.
 Skype, GoogleTalk etc.
Networks all around us
 File Sharing
 Share important data with ease.
 Future is paperless offices.
Networks all around us
 Leisure
 Internet Browsing.
 Watch videos online.

 Listen to online radios.

 IPTV.
References
 Course book slides.
 Wiki.