AMITY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL NOIDA
Class XII ,Computer Science, HANDOUT -NETWORKING AND COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Common abbreviations
WWW- World Wide Web , Wi-Fi- Wireless Fidelity, WLL- Wireless local loop , PAN- Personal Area Network ,
LAN- Local Area Network, MAN – Metropolitan Are Network , WAN – Wide Area Network , HTTP- Hyper Text
transfer protocol , FTP- File Transfer Protocol , VoIP- Voice over Internet Protocol, PPP- Point to point protocol ,
TCP/IP- Transmission Control protocol/Internet Protocol, SMTP- Simple mail transfer protocol, IMAP – internet
mail access protocol , TELNET- Teletype Network , SLIP – serial line internet protocol , UDP - User
Datagram Packets ,POP- Post Office Protocol , RTCP- Real-Time Transport Control Protocols , IRC -
Internet Relay Chat Protocol, GSM - Global System for Mobiles, GPRS- General Packet Radio Service , WLL-
Wireless Local Loop, ARPANET (ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECT AGENCY NETWORK), NSFNET-
National Science Foundation Network, MoDem- Modulator- Demodulator, NIC- Network Interface card, NIU –
Network Interface Unit , HTML – Hyper Text Markup Language, DHTML- Dynamic Hyper Text Markup Language,
XMLExtensible Markup Language, W3C- World Wide Web Consortium, OSI- Open System Interconnection,URL-
Uniform resource locator, DNS- Domain Name System, MAC-Media Access Control, ISP- Internet
Service Provider
Computer network- The collection of interconnected computers is called
a computer network. It helps in sharing and exchanging information.
Why a CN Needed?
Resource Sharing, Reliability, Low cost due to shared resources, Means
of Communication
Resource Sharing - to make all programs, data and peripherals available to anyone on the network
irrespective of the physical location of the resources and the user.
Reliability - to keep the copy of a file on two or more different machines, so if one of them is unavailable (due
to some hardware crash or any other) them its other copy can be used.
Cost factor it greatly reduces the cost since the resources can be shared
Communication- one can send messages and whatever the changes at one end are done can be immediately
noticed at another.
Evolution of Networking
1969 - First network came into existence named as ARPANET , MID 80’S - NSFNET ,
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Internet- In 1974, the commercial use of ARPANET started in the name of TelNet. Later on, the word
internet was coined.
MAC address is a unique address that is assigned by the manufacturer of the NIC Card. It is a 6-byte address.
Each byte in MAC address is separated by a colon. In this address, first three bytes are manufacturer-id and
rest three bytes are card-no. The manufacturer-id is assigned by an International Organization IEEE.
IP Address- is a unique address that identifies a device on the internet or a local network. IP stands for
"Internet Protocol," which is the set of rules governing the format of data sent via the internet or local
network.
IP Address MAC Address
Works at Layer 3(Internet Layer) of OSI model Works at Layer 2(Data Link Layer) of OSI model
Provided to a device by ISP, each time it gets Provided by Manufacturer of NIC card of the device
connected to an internet
It is 4 bytes It is 6 bytes hexadecimal address
It is also known as logical address It is also known as physical address
Example - 192.168. 1.1 Example 00:0A:45:2E:52:28
Each byte is separated by a dot(.) Each byte is separated by a colon(:)
Network Protocols: set of rules and regulations, which govern the exchange of data between two
entities. Different types of protocols –
TCP/IP – Communication protocol used by Internet
TCP is responsible for dividing files into packets on source computer and assembling at destination
computer, IP is responsible for handling address mechanism so that each packet is routed to its proper
destination.
HTTP – A web page created using markup languages can be accessed using HTTP.
HTTPS – is the secure version of HTTP, protocol over which data is sent between your browser and
the website . It ensures that the communications between your browser and the website are encrypted.
FTP – to send files from one system to another when a user request for file transfer FTP set a TCP
connection to target system for exchange of control messages , these allow user name and password to
be transmitted and allows the user to specify the file .
TELNET – this is a utility to log on to remote computer. It enables the user at a terminal or PC to log on
to a remote computer and function as it is directly connected to computer.
PPP, SLIP , Email Protocols(POP , IMAP, SMTP)
Protocols for Chat and Video Conferencing -UDP ,RTCP,IRC, VoIP
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Wireless/mobile communication protocol – GSM - Global System for Mobiles, is a globally accepted
standard for digital cellular communications, GPRS- a packet oriented mobile data standard on the 2G and
3G cellular communication network's global system for mobile communications (GSM), WLL
Key Terms Associated with a computer network
Bandwidth – the difference between highest and lowest frequencies of continuous freq. spectrum(in
case of analog signals) Measuring unit- Hz
Maximum bits that can be transferred( in case of digital signals)- Measuring unit – bps- Bit per sec
Network speed/Date Transfer rate/ Bit Rate – number of data bits (that's 0's and 1's) actually
transmitted in one second in a communication channel.
Base band- Transmission of signals without modulation. The entire bandwidth of medium is used by
single channel. This scheme does not allow frequency division multiplexing.
Broad band-Transmission provides the ability to divide the entire bandwidth to multiple channels so that
range of frequencies can be transmitted simultaneously using FDM(Frequency division multiplexing)
Packet- A group of bits that includes data plus control information. Generally, refers to network layer
protocol data unit.
Domain Name System – To identify computer on the Internet the addressing mechanism assigns names
and numbers. The names are called domain names and numeric address is called IP address. DNS is a
distributed database system for translating names into numeric address or vice versa.
Uniform resource locator (URL) – URL provides an
addressing mechanism, which allows the browser to request
for the specific document/webpage to be located on the
Internet.
Top level domains - .com – commercial org. , .edu- educational , .gov – government , .net – network
resources, .uk UK , .in – India
World Wide Web – WWW is an Internet service, which allows server to distribute hyperlinked
documents across the internet.
WWW is a collection of millions of hyperlinked documents stored on various web servers; using HTTP
protocol document is requested and serviced by HTTP server or WEB server.
Website - A website is a collection of webpages related through hyperlinks and saved on a web server.
Web Server- A webserver serves all the contents of a website
Web browser – is a client application which requests, receives and display HTML pages.
Web Hosting - is a process of making a website online. There are hosting service provider who provides
this service either free of cost or paid hosting. Hosting refers to a space provided on a specific server to store
the website data.
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HTML XML
Displays data Stores and transports data
Has pre defined tags Has user defined tags
Does not contain structural data Contains structural data
End tags may be skipped End tags are mandatory
Types of Network -(Based on geographical area covered)
• PAN, LAN , MAN , WAN ( prepare the tabular differences)
Network Topology – Logical layout or arrangement to connect all computers in a network.The term
"logical" here signifies that the network topology is independent of the "physical" layout of the network.
Types of topologies - Bus ,Star, Tree
Bus(Linear)
A linear bus topology consists of a main run of cable with a
terminator at each end. All nodes (file server, workstations,
and peripherals) are connected to the linear cable.
Advantages of a Bus Topology
• Easy to connect a computer or peripheral to a linear bus.
• Requires less cable length than a star topology.
Disadvantages of a Bus Topology
• Entire network shuts down if there is a break in the main cable.
• Terminators are required at both ends of the backbone cable.
• Difficult to identify the problem if the entire network shuts down.
• Not meant to be used as a stand-alone solution in a large building.
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Star
A star topology is designed with each node (file server,
workstations, and peripherals) connected directly to a central
network hub or concentrator.
Advantages of a Star Topology
• Easy to install and wire.
• No disruptions to the network then connecting or removing devices.
• Easy to detect faults and to remove parts.
Disadvantages of a Star Topology
• Requires more cable length than a linear topology.
• If the hub or concentrator fails, nodes attached are disabled.
• More expensive than linear bus topologies because of the cost of the hubs/switches.
Tree
A tree topology combines characteristics of linear bus and star topologies.It consists of groups of star-
configured workstations connected to a linear bus backbone cable.
Advantages of a Tree Topology
• Point-to-point wiring for individual segments.
• Supported by several hardware and software venders.
Disadvantages of a Tree Topology
• Overall length of each segment is limited by the type of cabling used.
• If the backbone line breaks, the entire segment goes down.
• More difficult to configure and wire than other topologies.
Ring Topology (not in CBSE syllabus)
Every node is connected to two adjacent neighboring nodes.
Switching techniques -
Circuit switching - A method of communication in which a dedicated communication path is
established between two devices through one or more intermediate switching nodes. Unlike packet
switching data is sent as continuous stream of bits. e.g- telephone network.
Packet switching – A method of transmitting messages through a communication network in which
long messages are subdivided into fixed sized short packets. The packets are then transmitted
independently by communication network nodes, these intermediate nodes are used as store and forward
devices.
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Transmission Medium- GUIDED(Twisted pair , Coaxial cable , Optical fiber )
UNGUIDED/ Wireless- Radio waves, Micro waves, Satellite , Infrared
Twisted pair -
▪ two insulated copper wires arranged in a spiral fashion acts as a single communication link ,twist
length varies from 2-6 inches
▪ used in telephone networks preferably within buildings & LAN’s
▪ inexpensive compared to other media and easy to work with
▪ poor noise and interference immunity, twisted to avoid crosstalk
▪ analog signal amplifiers required every 5 to 6 km and digital signal repeaters required every 2 to
3 km
Coaxial cable
o hollow outer cylindrical conductor surrounding a single inner wire regularly spaced insulating
dielectric hold inner conductor in place jacket or shield covers the outer conductor
o television distribution: CATV, long distance telephone transmission, short run computer I/O
channels and faster LANs
o better frequency characteristics, higher data rates, and more immune to interference than
twisted pair
Optical fiber
o conducts optical ray
o core: innermost section; cladding: middle section forms a plastic coating over the core; jacket:
the outer most section covering the cladding
o data rates of 2Gbps over tens of km
o significantly low attenuation ,not susceptible to interference or crosstalk
o used for: long haul, metropolitan, and rural trunks, subscriber loops and LANs
Microwave (LINE OF SIGHT)
This type of unguided medial is used for long distance networking. It consists of the following
components: Transmitter ,Receiver, Atmosphere, The microwave has a parabolic antenna mounted on
towers to send a beam to other antennas which are tens of kilometres away. As much as the tower is high,
the range is greater. With 100 meters high tower, 100 km distance range will be achieved.
Advantages- Cheaper than cables, Land is required to fix towers only, saves the space of land to
spread the cables, It can provide easy communication over difficult terrain, It can communicate
over oceans
Disadvantages
• Insecure connection, The network can be affected by weather effects such as rains,
thunderstorms etc., Limited bandwidth, Very high-cost maintenance
Satellite
It is just a relay system of the microwave. It provides voice, fax, data, video, email, file transfer, and
WWW internet applications. It can provide emergency backup facility when cable communication network
crushed by a disaster. In satellite, dish functions as an antenna and the communication equipment to
transmit and receive data.The stationary orbits placed about 22,300 miles above the earth’s surface. These
satellite act as relay system for the communication signals.
Advantages
• Covers a large area, Best alternative of cables, It provides good option for commercial use
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Disadvantages
over-crowding at low antennas, High cost, Significant probability of failure
Radio Wave( OMNI DIRECTIONAL)
• It is using the radio frequency modulation for data transmission. It has two parts:1) Transmitter –
take data or message, encode it into sine wave and transmit into a radio wave, 2) Receiver – decodes the
data or message from sine wave it receives
• In radio wave both transmitter and receiver antennas to radiate and capture the radio signal.
• The advantages and disadvantages are similar as micro wave.
Infra Red- It uses an infrared lights send data. . It transmits data through the air and propagates within a
range. It cannot penetrate the walls. It is suitable for a short distance.
You are using these infrared at your home in your remotes like TV, set top box, AC, wireless speakers,
automotive doors etc.
Network Devices-
Modem- When signals are exchanged between various communication channels and devices, needs
to be converted into analogue and digital signals and vice. So the modem helps in this conversion and it is
connected at both ends.The modem at the sender’s side works as modulator and receiver’s side as a
demodulator.
RJ- 45 Connector
A small plastic plug that fits on RJ 45 cables. It is an eight-wire connector which is
commonly used to connect computers on the local area networks i.e., LAN.
Network Interface Cards (Ethernet Card)
A network card, network adapter or NIC (network interface card) is a computer hardware designed to
allow computers to communicate using cables or wirelessly over a computer network. It provides physical
access to a networking medium and often provided a low-level addressing system ie MAC addresses.
(WiFi Card – enables a Wi-Fi connectivity for the computers. It is known as wireless NIC.)
Repeaters- is an electronic device that receives a signal and retransmits it after regenerating and
amplifying it so that the signal can cover longer distances without degradation. In most twisted pair,
repeaters are required for cable runs longer than 90 meters.
Hub- A hub is a device which is used to connect more than one device in the network. It contains a few
ports on it to connect the cables for various device. It is placed at the central position in the network
location. It connects devices like workstations, servers etc. It is best suitable for LAN. These hubs can be
either active or passive. An active hub can extends the network signals using repeaters in the network over
geographical distance where as passive hub pass the signal from one computer to another computer
without change in short distances.
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Switch(Multi port device, works at data link layer) Switch is a device that performs switching.
Specifically, it forwards and filters data link layer datagrams between ports based on the Mac-Addresses.
It maintains a MAC address table to identify which device is on which port to direct it to the specific
destination. A switch normally has numerous ports with the intention that most or all the devices be
connected directly to a switch, or another switch
that is in turn connected to it.
Bridge(single port device, works at data link
layer)- connecting two or more network segments
to form a single network. Based on MAC address
sends data to specific destination node .
Routers- networking devices that forward data packets between networks
using headers and forwarding tables to determine the best path to forward the packets. Routers work at the network
layer. Routers also provide interconnectivity between like and unlike media. A router uses IP address to identify
device on the network.A router is connected to at least two networks, commonly two LANs or WANs or a LAN and
its ISP's network.
Gateway- a network device that connects dissimilar networks. It
established an intelligent connection between a local area network
and external networks with completely different structures.
Gateways have capability of protocol translation to connect with
devices on dissimilar network.
FireWall -A firewall is a network security system, either hardware-
or software-based, that uses rules to control incoming and outgoing network traffic. A firewall acts as a
barrier between a trusted network and an untrusted network. A firewall controls access to the resources of
a network.
Cookies:Cookies are small files which are stored on a user's computer. They are designed to hold a data
specific to user and website and can be accessed either by the web server or the client computer. Normally
used to give information tailored to the requirement of client.
Useful Links:
How CN works? https://youtu.be/3uhA8bdz8gI
Default gateway explained https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCcJFdYNam
Hub , switch , router- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z0ULvg_pW8
