Network components:

• Computer networks share common devices, functions, and features including servers, clients,
transmission media, shared data, shared printers and other hardware and software resources,
network interface card(NIC), local operating system(LOS), and the network operating system
(NOS).
• Network components refer to the various physical and logical elements that make up a computer
network. Here are some examples of network components.
• Servers - These are computers that provide services to other devices on the network, such as file
sharing, email, or web hosting.
• Servers are computers that hold shared files, programs, and the network operating system. Servers
provide access to network resources to all the users of the network.
• There are many different kinds of servers, and one server can provide several functions. For
example, there are file servers, print servers, mail servers, communication servers, database
servers, fax servers and web servers.
• Sometimes it is also called host computer, servers are powerful computer that store data or
application and connect to resources that are shared by the user of a network.
CONT!!
• Clients - Clients are computers that access and use the network and shared network resources. Client
computers are basically the customers(users) of the network, as they request and receive services
from the servers.
• Transmission Media -These are the physical connections that allow devices to communicate on a
network.
• Transmission media are the facilities used to interconnect computers in a network, such as twisted-
pair wire, coaxial cable, and optical fiber cable. Transmission media are sometimes called transmission
medium channels, links or lines.
• Network Interface Card –
• These are hardware components that enable a device to connect to a network by providing an
interface between the computer and the network.
• Each computer in a network has a special expansion card called a network interface card (NIC). The
NIC prepares(formats) and sends data, receives data, and controls data flow between the computer
and the network. On the transmit side, the NIC passes frames of data on to the physical layer, which
transmits the data to the physical link. On the receiver's side, the NIC processes bits received from the
physical layer and processes the message based on its contents.
CONT!!
• Local Operating System - A local operating system allows personal computers to access files, print to a
local printer, and have and use one or more disk and CD drives that are located on the computer. Examples
are MS-DOS, Unix, Linux, Windows 2000, Windows 98, Windows XP etc.
• Network Operating System - The network operating system is a program that runs on computers and
servers that allows the computers to communicate over the network. These are software systems that
manage and control the network, including user accounts, security, and network services. Examples include
Windows Server and macOS Server.
• Hub -These are devices that connect multiple devices on a network, but they are not as intelligent as
switches and do not route data as efficiently.
• When a computer requests information from a network or a specific computer, it sends the request to the hub
through a cable. The hub will receive the request and transmit it to the entire network. Each computer in the
network should then figure out whether the broadcast data is for them or not.
• Switch - Switch is like a Hub but built in with advanced features. It uses physical device addresses in each
incoming messages so that it can deliver the message to the right destination or port.
• Unlike a hub, switch doesn't broadcast the received message to entire network, rather before sending it
checks to which system or port should the message be sent. In other words, switch connects the source and
destination directly which increases the speed of the network.
CONT!!
• Routers: These are devices that connect different networks and route data between them.
• LAN Cable A local area Network cable is also known as data cable or Ethernet cable which is a
wired cable used to connect a device to the internet or to other devices like computer, printers, etc.
Communication Medium:
• Refers to the physical channel through which data is sent and received. Data is sent in the form of voltage levels
which make up the digital signal. A digital signal consists of 0s and 1s; essentially, a 1 corresponds to a high voltage,
while a 0 corresponds to a low voltage.
• The speed of data transmission or data rate depends upon the type of medium being used in the network. There are
basically two types of networks:
• Wired network
• Wireless network
• Wired Network
• In a wired network, data is transmitted over a physical medium. There are three types of physical cables used in a
wired network.
• 1. Twisted Pair
• It consists of a pair of copper wires twisted around each other; the wires are around 1 to 2 mm thick and they are
twisted to reduce the interference from the surrounding wires.
• Invented by Alexander Graham Bell, this form of wire has been in use since the 19th century and is currently the
cheapest mediums available.
• Twisted pairs are also used in telephone wires, but they only consist of four wires or two pairs. In computer
networks, eight wires or four pairs are utilized. This is also known as the Ethernet cable
Coaxial Cable

• Offering better data rates and less signal loss, a coaxial cable consist of a central copper conductor
that is surrounded by a foil shield.
• The foil is covered by yet another shield known as a braided shield. Unlike twisted pairs, coaxial
cables only have a single copper conductor. The conductor and the foil shield are separated by a
dielectric.
• Coaxial cable has several advantages over other types of cables, including a high level of shielding
against interference, a low signal loss over long distances, and a relatively low cost .
Fiber Optic
• It is the most expensive of wired mediums and offers the highest rates of data transmission. They are
often used in long distance communications and are never affected by any electromagnetic fields.
• A fiber optic cable is a thin, flexible, transparent medium made of very fine glass or plastic fibers. It
utilizes the principle of total internal reflection. Unlike twisted pairs or coaxial cables, a fiber optic
uses light pulses generated by laser or an injection diode to transmit data. Each pulse of light
represents a single bit of data.
Wireless Network

• A wireless network is a type of computer network that allows devices to connect and communicate
without the use of physical cables. Instead, wireless networks use radio waves or infrared signals
to transmit data between devices.
• A wireless network uses radio waves as the sole medium for transmitting and receiving data.
There are no wires involved.
• They travel at the speed of light and have frequencies ranging from 3 kHz to 3 GHz. Radio
waves can easily be absorbed by most materials and can bend around objects as well.
• However, they are susceptible to nearby electromagnetic fields which can cause losses in the
data rate.
• Wireless networks are commonly used in homes, offices, and public places such as airports,
cafes, and hotels. They offer several advantages over wired networks, including greater
flexibility and mobility, easier installation and setup, and the ability to connect a large number
of devices without the need for additional cables.
• Wireless networks are typically based on one of several standards, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth.
Service provided:
• Email services are digital communication services that enable users to send and receive messages and files
electronically over the internet. Here are some common features and components of email services:

• Email address: An email address is a unique identifier that enables users to send and receive messages. An
email address typically consists of a username, followed by the "@" symbol and the name of the email service
provider (e.g., username@gmail.com).

• Inbox: An inbox is the area within an email service where new messages are received and stored. Users can
view, read, and organize messages within their inbox.

• Composing and sending messages: Users can compose and send messages using the email service's web
interface or a separate email client application. Messages can be formatted with text, images, and attachments.

• Attachments: Email services enable users to attach files, such as documents, images, and videos, to their
messages. There are typically limits on the size and type of attachments that can be sent.
CONT!!
• Spam filters: Email services use spam filters to help protect users from unwanted and potentially malicious
emails. Spam filters automatically block messages from known spam senders and can be customized by users
to filter out specific types of messages.

• Folders and labels: Users can organize their messages into folders or labels to help keep their inbox organized
and easy to navigate.

• Search: Email services typically include a search function that enables users to search for messages based on
keywords, sender, subject, and other criteria.

• Mobile access: Most email services offer mobile apps or a mobile-optimized website to enable users to access
their email on their mobile devices.

• Email services are typically free or available on a subscription basis, and can be accessed from any device with
an internet connection. Some of the most popular email services include Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and Outlook.com.
Firewall
• Firewall is a network security device, either hardware or software-based, which monitors all incoming
and outgoing traffic and based on a defined set of security rules it accepts, rejects or drops that specific
traffic .
• Accept : allow the traffic
• Reject : block the traffic but reply with an “unreachable error”
• Drop : block the traffic with no reply
• A firewall establishes a barrier between secured internal networks and outside untrusted network,
such as the Internet.
CONT!!
• Before Firewalls, network security was performed by Access Control Lists (ACLs) residing on routers.
ACLs are rules that determine whether network access should be granted or denied to specific IP
address.
• But ACLs cannot determine the nature of the packet it is blocking. Also, ACL alone does not have the
capacity to keep threats out of the network. Hence, the Firewall was introduced.
• HOW FIREWALL Works??
 Firewall match the network traffic against the rule set defined in its table.
 Once the rule is matched, associate action is applied to the network traffic.
 For example, Rules are defined as any employee from HR department cannot access the data from code
server and at the same time another rule is defined like system administrator can access the data from
both HR and technical department.
 Rules can be defined on the firewall based on the necessity and security policies of the organization
CONT!!
• Network traffic can be either outgoing or incoming. Firewall maintains a distinct set of rules for both
the cases.
• Mostly the outgoing traffic, originated from the server itself, allowed to pass.
• Incoming traffic is treated differently. Most traffic which reaches on the firewall is one of these three
major Transport Layer protocols- TCP, UDP or ICMP. All these types have a source address and
destination address.
• Types of Firewall
• Firewalls are generally of two types: Host-based and Network-based.
1. Host- based Firewalls : Host-based firewall is installed on each network node which controls each
incoming and outgoing packet. It is a software application or suite of applications, comes as a part of the
operating system. Host firewall protects each host from attacks and unauthorized access.
2. Network-based Firewalls : Network firewall function on network level. In other words, these firewalls
filter all incoming and outgoing traffic across the network. It protects the internal network by filtering the
traffic using rules defined on the firewall.