Network Types

CHAPTER 3
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 3.1.Network Type
How many kinds of Networks?
❑ Depending on one’s perspective, we can classify networks in
different ways
❖ Based on transmission media: Wired (UTP, coaxial cables, fiber-
optic cables) and Wireless
❖ Based on network size: LAN and WAN (and MAN)
❖ Based on management(access) method: Peer-to-peer and
Client/Server
❖ Based on topology (connectivity): Bus, Star, Ring …
❖ Switching techniques: packet and circuit switching network
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 Based on Types of Media
Wired network
 A network type which connect the devices using either of
twisted, coaxial or fiber optic cable
 Includes Ethernet…
Wireless network
 A network type which connect the devices using radio,
microwave, IR etc.
 There are infrastructure based wireless network and
infrastructure less wireless network.
 Includes wireless Ethernet, cellular network, satellite network…

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 Local Area Network (LAN)
❑ Small network, short distance
▪ A room, a floor, a building
▪ Limited by no. of computers and distance
covered
▪ Privately owned by organization
▪ Serve a department within an organization
▪ A LAN network is limited to between 100-1000
meters coverage.
▪ Includes Ethernet,
❑ Examples:
▪ Network inside the Student Computer lab
▪ Network inside a small office
▪ Network inside your home

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Metropolitan area network

▪ is a network with a size between a LAN and a WAN.

▪ It normally covers the area inside a town or a city.
▪ it may be a single network or interconnected LANs
▪ typically use wireless infrastructure or optical fiber connections to
link their sites.
▪ A Metropolitan Area Network is a class of network which serves a large
geographical area between 5 to 50 kilometers in range.

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 WIDE AREA NETWORK (WAN)
▪ covering large geographic area; may utilize public, organization, or private
▪ A network that uses long-range telecommunication links to connect 2 or more
LANs/computers housed in different places far apart.
▪ Towns, states, countries, even world
▪ A LAN interconnects hosts; a WAN interconnects connecting devices such as
switches, routers, or modems.
▪ A LAN is normally privately owned by the organization that uses it; a WAN is
normally created and run by communication companies
Your home

❑ Examples:
▪ Internet USA
WAN
IT Centre

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 INTERNETWORK
❑ When two or more networks are connected, they make an internetwork, or
internet.
❑ Now the company has an internetwork, or a private internet (with lowercase i).

❑ To make the communication between employees at different offices possible, the

management leases a point-to-point dedicated WAN from a service provider

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3.2. Peer-to-Peer Networks
▪ Peer-to-peer network is also called workgroup
▪ No hierarchy among computers  all are equal
▪ No administrator responsible for the network
▪ Each station responsible for their resources
▪ Each station can be : provider and consumer

Peer-to-peer

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❑ Advantages of peer-to-peer networks:
▪ Low cost
▪ Simple to configure
▪ No need of special software needed

❑ Disadvantages of peer-to-peer networks:

▪ no central storage or authentication of users (Difficult to uphold security policy)
▪ Not scalable

❑ Where peer-to-peer network is appropriate:

▪ 10 or less users
▪ Security is not an issue

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 3.2 Clients and Servers
❑ Station can either be provider(server) or consumer(client)
❑ Network Clients (Workstation)
▪ Computers that request network resources or services
❑ Network Servers
▪ Computers that manage and provide network resources
and services to clients
o Usually have more processing power, memory and hard disk
space than clients
o Run Network Operating System that can manage not only
data, but also users, groups, security, and applications on the
network
o Servers often have a more stringent requirement on its
performance and reliability
o Can be email server, file server, printer server, web server,
proxy server etc..
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❑ Advantages of client/server networks
▪ Facilitate resource sharing – centrally administrate and control
▪ Facilitate system backup and improve fault tolerance
▪ Enhance security – only administrator can have access to Server
▪ Support more users – difficult to achieve with peer-to-peer
networks

❑ Disadvantages of client/server networks

▪ High cost for Servers
▪ Need expert to configure the network
▪ Introduce a single point of failure to the system

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Peer-to-Peer Networks Client/Server Networks
<=10 computer tens of thousands of workstations in the network.
All computers have the same status, hence the term 'peer',
is not centralized; Centralized Security .
each computer is responsible to check access rights for All user accounts are stored in the same database
its resources. on the server.
is a network where the each computers act as both there exist dedicated servers and the other are
client and servers. clients
Each user is responsible for local backup. Backup is centralized and is done by a person
responsible for the job (backup operator).
No specialized operating system is required Server operating system is req.
each of the devices usually runs similar software Window 2000 window server etc
Each machine can have resources that are shared with Only server provide resources to share
any other machine. The client send request
Per to per network Client /server network
There is no assigned role for any particular device Server ---provide service
Client ----send req
Any device can and will send requests to any other. Server ---provide service
Client ----send req
Easy to set up More difficult to set up 12
3.3. Topology ― 4 basic types
▪ The way in which a network is laid out physically
Bus Topology Ring Topology Mesh
topology

• Star Topology

Hub

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❑ Bus Topology
▪ Simple and low-cost
▪ A single cable called a trunk (backbone, segment)
▪ Only one computer can send messages at a time
▪ Passive topology - computer only listen for, not regenerate data
▪ a fault in the bus cable stops all transmission

❑Star Topology
▪ Each computer has a cable connected to a single point
▪ More cabling, hence higher cost
▪ All signals transmission through the hub; if down, entire network down
▪ Depending on the intelligence of hub, two or more computers may send
message at the same time ❑ 14
 RING TOPOLOGY
❑ Every computer serves as a repeater to
boost signals Ack T T
❑ Typical way to send data: T

▪ Token passing T dat T dat

a a
▪ only the computer who gets the token
can send data T
T
❑ Disadvantages T Ack
T Ack
dat
▪ Difficult to add computers a
T
▪ More expensive
T Ack
▪ If one computer fails, whole network fails

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▪Mesh
❑ every device has a dedicated point-to-point link to every other device
❑ every device must have n-1 I/O ports, where n is the number of devices connected
❑ advantages
➢ no traffic problem (no congestion)
➢ robust; a failure of a link has no effect on others
➢ fault identification and isolation are easy
➢ privacy or security (provided there is no wire tapping)
❑ disadvantages
➢ amount of cabling and I/O ports needed (expensive)

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ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF NETWORK TOPOLOGIES

Topology Advantages Disadvantages

Bus Cheap. Easy to install. Difficult to reconfigure.

Break in bus disables
entire network.

Star Cheap. Easy to install. More expensive than bus.

Easy to reconfigure.
Fault tolerant.

Ring Efficient. Easy to install. Reconfiguration difficult.

Very expensive.

Mesh Simplest. Most fault tolerant. Reconfiguration extremely difficult.

Extremely expensive.
Very complex.

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SWITCHING NETWORKS
 Long distance transmission is typically done over a network of
switched nodes
 Nodes not concerned with content of data

 End devices are stations

 Computer, terminal, phone, etc.
 A collection of nodes and connections is a communications network
 Data routed by being switched from node to node
NODES
 Nodes may connect to other nodes only, or to stations and other
nodes
 Node to node links usually multiplexed

 Network is usually partially connected

 Some redundant connections are desirable for reliability
 Two different switching technologies
 Circuit switching
 Packet switching
SIMPLE SWITCHED NETWORK
CIRCUIT SWITCHING
 Dedicated communication path between two stations
 Three phases
 Establish
 Transfer
 Disconnect

 Must have switching capacity and channel capacity to establish

connection
 Must have intelligence to work out routing
CIRCUIT SWITCHING - APPLICATIONS
 Inefficient
 Channel capacity dedicated for duration of connection
 If no data, capacity wasted

 Set up (connection) takes time

 Once connected, transfer is transparent

 Developed for voice traffic (phone)

PRINCIPLES
 Circuit switching designed for voice
 Resources dedicated to a particular call
 Much of the time a data connection is idle
 Data rate is fixed
 Both ends must operate at the same rate
PACKET SWITCHING
 Data transmitted in small packets
 Typically 1000 octets
 Longer messages split into series of packets
 Each packet contains a portion of user data plus some control info

 Control info
 Routing (addressing) info
 Packets are received, stored briefly (buffered) and past on to the
next node
 Store and forward
ADVANTAGES
 Line efficiency
 Single node to node link can be shared by many packets over time
 Packets queued and transmitted as fast as possible

 Data rate conversion

 Each station connects to the local node at its own speed
 Nodes buffer data if required to equalize rates

 Packets are accepted even when network is busy

 Delivery may slow down
 Priorities can be used
Thank You !!!
 QUIZ (10 %)
1. What is the difference between infrastructure based wireless
network and infrastructure less wireless network with examples?
2. Explain the difference between peer to peer and client /server
networks ?
3. Explain network based on topology?
4. What is the difference between Circuit switching vs Packet
Switching with mentioning Examples?
5. Explain LAN and WAN in terms of ownership and size?

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