Chapter 4

Networks
ENG. SAMAA AWAD

IGCSE
Information and Communication Technology
Chapter 4 Topics
1. Network Types

2. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

3. Common Network Devices

4. Common Network Environments

5. Cloud Computing

6. Security of Computer Networks

7. Anti Malware Software

NETWORK TYPES
Network Types
• A network is a group of devices that are connected together to share data and resources

and exchange information.

• There are several types of networks:

• Personal Area Network – PAN

• Wireless Personal Area Network - WPAN

• Local Area Network – LAN

• Wireless Local Area Network - WLAN

• Wide Area Network – WAN

PAN WPAN
Devices that belong to an individual Devices that belong to an individual
user, such as printers, speakers, user and connect wirelessly, like a
headphones, … smartwatch, wireless headphones, …

LAN WLAN
Devices that are connected in a small Devices in a LAN that connect
geographical area, such as homes, wirelessly without the need for cables.
schools, offices, …

WAN
WAN
Devices that are connected in a large
geographical area, such as buildings, LAN / WLAN

countries, …
PAN / WPAN

Internet is the most common type of WAN

WI-FI & BLUETOOTH
Wi-Fi & Bluetooth
• Devices can either be connected using cables → Ethernet Protocol

• Or connected wirelessly using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

• Wi-Fi → a wireless communication protocol that needs each device to connect to a

wireless access point to access the network.

• Bluetooth → a wireless communication protocol that allows communication over

short distances. It usually connects personal devices.

• Tethering → is the process of using a device’s phone network connectivity to give

another device a wi-fi connectivity (hotspot)

COMMON NETWORK
DEVICES
Common Network Devices
• Network devices are needed to connect devices to a network to communicate.

• Such as:

• Network Interface Card (NIC)

• Hub

• Switch

• Bridge

• Router
Network Interface Card (NIC)
• A hardware device that connects the computer to a network.

• NICs support wired and wireless connections.

• Every NIC is created with a permanent number known as Media Address Control

(MAC) Address.

• Every MAC address is unique so that data on

the network can be sent to the correct destination.

Hub
• A hardware device that all devices connect to.

• A hub is “dumb”, because when a device sends a message, the hub receives it

and sends it to all other connected devices.

• This creates a lot of needless network traffic, resulting in a slower transmission

speed.

• It allows only one device to transmit at a time.

• Hubs are rarely used today.

Switch
• Acts like a hub, but more intelligently.

• Through the MAC address, the switch sends the received message to the intended

device only.

• The switch has a table of all MAC addresses on the network.

• This cuts down unnecessary traffic, which improves the performance of the

network.

• It can send and receive messages at the same time; thus it is faster than a hub.
Bridge
• Used to connect different segments (parts) of a big

network.

• A bridge improves network security because it prevents

the spread of harmful programs or unauthorized user

access from one segment to the other.

Router
• A router allows different networks to communicate.

• WANs rely on routers to direct data to the correct network.

• A router is used at home to connect the home network to the internet.

• When a device sends data over a network, the data is broken down into smaller

pieces called packets.

• Packets are sent over the network separately and are joined up at the end.

• Data is split in order not to consume the entire bandwidth of the network.
Router
• A packet consists of three parts:

• Header → contains the addresses of source and destination, and the position of the

packet in the complete message

• Body → contains part of the complete message, known as (payload)

• Footer → informs the destination that the packet has ended. Can also be used for error

checking to make sure that the packet is intact, known as (trailer)

Router
• The router has a routing table that lists the routes to other networks on the WAN.

• If the router can not directly connect to the destination network, it has to send the

data through other networks to the destination.

• The routing table acts like a map to determine which way to forward the data.
Router
• Packets sent from computer A to computer B take different routes.

• They do not arrive in the same order but are labelled so that computer B can put them back

together in the correct order.

• Here’s how routing works:

• The source splits the data into packets and labels them with the destination IP address
• Packets are sent to the network using cables or radio waves (wi-fi)
• Routers inspect the packet and determine the most efficient route based on the destination address
• Routers balance the load across the network
• If there’s a problem in any part of the network, routers can reroute the packets to ensure their delivery
• The final router sends the packets to the correct destination
Router
• Thousands of miles in less than a second, and all put back together again.

• This is called packet switching.

• It’s an efficient method of communication because there is no need for a dedicated

communication line between the communicating devices.

• Unline landlines for example, which use circuit switching.

COMMON NETWORK
ENVIRONMENTS
Common Network Environments
• Internet → the global network of interconnected networks / It’s used to connect

people and countries worldwide / Businesses can use it to have access to a global

market / It allows access to the world wide web / It uses a set of protocols called

TCP/IP (transmission control protocol/internet protocol), this is why an IP address is

needed for every device.

• Intranet → a private network within an organization, like a school or an office / it’s

separate from the global internet and can not be access by outside users / it can be

used to publish newsletters, policies, staff trainings, info about payments and holidays, …
Common Network Environments
• Extranet → an intranet that allows limited access to external parties / like for example a

hospital network that allows doctors to access patients’ appointments or a

manufacturing company that allows access to suppliers and distributors.

• All network environments use the same protocols.

CLOUD COMPUTING
Cloud Computing
• Cloud computing is the delivery of computer services over the internet, such as

hosted applications and storage space.

• These services are housed in remote computers called servers. They are called servers

because they provide services to users.

• They are housed in huge data centers around the world.

• They consume a vast amount of energy to power and cool the devices.

• To save energy, many data centers are built in cold countries or use renewable sources

of energy like hydro power.

Cloud Computing
• Advantages for businesses:
• Organizations don’t have to buy software; they can just purchase the parts that they need to use
(SaaS → Software as a Service)
• Low maintenance cost since software doesn’t need to be installed, maintained or upgraded on local
computers
• All hosted applications are automatically upgraded
• Data is automatically backed up
• Employees can work from anywhere in the world
• Employees can collaborate on the same documents

• Disadvantages:
• Internet is required
• Servers might be attacked
• Organizations have less control over applications and storage as they rely on providers
SECURITY OF COMPUTER
NETWORKS
Security of Networks
• All networks must be kept secure so that data is not damaged or stolen.

• Hackers can use “packet sniffers” to intercept packets and steal data. This is called a

“passive attack” because no change happened to the data or the network.

• Other types of threats include:

• Virus → a program that corrupts files or devices and spreads over a network
• Spyware → a program that records a user’s activity like key presses or passwords or bank
details
• Ransomware → a program that encrypts files and asks the user for money to undo the
encryption
• Adware → a program that displays annoying ads
Security of Networks
• There are several ways to ensure that networks and data are protected:

• Encryption

• Firewalls

• Authentication
Security of Networks
• Encryption → the process of scrambling the data so that it can not be read or

understood by people with unauthorized access.

• The encrypted data must be decrypted to return back to its original form to be

understood.

• Encryption can be:

• Symmetric – where the same key is used for encryption and decryption

• Asymmetric – where different keys are used for encryption and decryption
Security of Networks
• Firewalls → it protects against unauthorized access from the internet to a network.

• It could be a hardware or a software.

• It inspects the incoming packets and rejects those that are from untrusted IP

addresses, or blocks communication to certain external IP addresses.

Security of Networks
• Authentication → the process of checking if the person who’s trying to log into a

network is indeed authorized to.

• Several methods can be used to authenticate users:

• Passwords
• Biometric methods
• Magnetic stripes
• Smart cards
• Physical tokens
• Electronic tokens
• Zero login
Passwords
• A password is a secret word that is used to authenticate the user.

• A password should be strong:

• At least 8 characters long
• Contains letters and numbers
• Contains uppercase and lowercase letters
• Contains at least one special character like $ or @

• Users should not use user-identifiable info like name, date of birth, phone number, …

• Passwords should be changed regularly

Passwords
• A password should never be reused

• A password must never be written down

• A password must not be shared with anyone

• A password should be unpredictable so that no one can guess it or figure it out by

trial and error

• Hackers can use software that randomly generate characters, numbers and

symbols, that might be successful with weak passwords.

Biometric Methods
• They use users’ physical features to authenticate them.

• They could be:

• Physiological → related to the physical aspects of a person (fingerprint, iris, …)

• Behavioral → signatures, handwriting, voice

• The biometrics should be something that everyone possesses. It should be unique to

every individual. It should also be permanent and doesn’t change as a person ages.
Biometric Methods
• Biometric systems are used for:

• Identification → identifying a person in a crowd by providing his data

• Verification → comparing data to a value that’s already stored, like fingerprint

• Screening → match a person who may be in a “watch list” for security purposes
Magnetic Stripes
• Personal and security data can be encoded on the magnetic stripe of a card and

can be swiped through a reader to allow access.

• The magnetic stripe on the back of a bank card is split into 3 tracks. The first and

second tracks contain details about the card holder account like name, card

number, CVV number, expiry date and country code. The third track contains details

like currencies used with the card.

Smart Cards
• Looks like a magnetic stripe card but has a computer chip.

• There are two types:

• Contact cards → have to be inserted into a reader and the user needs to enter a PIN

• Contactless cards → the card needs to be held near to a reader and the data is read via

radio waves.
Physical Tokens
• A physical token allows to verify the user’s identity using a physical device.

• It’s called key fob, security token, or USB token.

• Because physical tokens can be lost, multi-factor authentication is used, where an

access code is sent to a mobile phone.

• The code can be used once within a time limit.

Electronic Tokens
• Software based token, used for electronic payments.

• The credit card number is converted into a string of random characters.

• No one can decode a token.

• Paying with smartphones uses electronic tokens.

Zero Login
• Zero login is a new technology that uses artificial intelligence where a device can be

smart enough to recognize a person, not by a password or a pin but through

physical features and behavior.

ANTI MALWARE SOFTWARE
 Anti-Malware Software
• Malware is short
for malicious
software and is
designed to get
into computers
to damage or
disrupt them.
Anti-Malware Software
• Anti-malware is a software designed to combat the effects of malware.

• The anti-malware detects any malware on a computer, removes it safely, and corrects any

damage that the malware caused.

• If it’s unable to delete the infected file, it quarantines it, and places it in a folder where it can not

infect other files.

• Other security measures can be done:

• Ensure the operating system is up to date

• Install the latest security updates

• Avoid opening attachments from unknown sources

• Read all security warnings and privacy statements

 ELECTRONIC
CONFERENCING
Electronic Conferencing
• Electronic conferencing is a meeting between individuals who are not in the same

location, using communication technology.

• Audio Conferencing → people in different locations speak to each other, by dialing

into a central system that connects them.

• There is no visual communication.

• People may not tell who is actually speaking and may talk over each other.
Electronic Conferencing
• Video Conferencing → people in different locations communicate with each other, in

sound and vision.

• It is an audio / visual communication.

• Web Conferencing → a broader type of video conferencing that uses different

equipment. Its uses includes:

• Webcasts → one way, non interactive transmission. A host streams information over the internet.

• Webinars → teaching sessions that take place over the internet. Participants can see and hear

the presenter and can ask questions.

Electronic Conferencing
Electronic Conferencing
HOMEWORK
1. State the main purpose of a router

2. Discuss how routers are involved in data transmission over the internet

3. Describe the function of a hub in a LAN

4. Explain how a switch differs from a hub

5. Explain why NICs are needed

6. What is meant by cloud computing?

7. Mention 3 benefits and 3 disadvantages of cloud computing

8. Explain what is meant by user authentication

9. List 3 methods of authentication

10. List 4 characteristics of a string password

THANK YOU