LECTURE 8

Topic: Communication and Networks

Lecture Preview:

After completing this lecture, you should be able to:

1. Discuss connectivity, the wireless revolution, and communication systems
2. Describe physical and wireless communications channels
3. Discuss networks and key network terminologies.
4. Describe different types of networks, including local area, metropolitan area, and wide
area networks.
5. Describe network architectures, including configurations and strategies.
6. Describe organizational uses of Internet technologies, including intranets, extranets, and
firewalls.

1. INTRODUCTION
Cell phones and other wireless technologies are allowing us to stay connected in today’s world
like never before. Increased connectivity potentially means increased productivity especially in
the business world. You will learn more about the concept of connectivity and the impact of the
wireless revolution in this chapter.

2. COMMUNICATION

The process of sharing data, programs, and information between two or more computers.

2.1. COMMUNICATIONS TODAY

• Numerous applications depend on communication

systems—E-mail, Instant messaging (IM), Internet
telephone, and Electronic commerce
• Connectivity uses computer networks to link
people and resources
• Going wireless has been the most dramatic change

Connectivity
• Connectivity is the means to connect your computer by telephone line or other
telecommunication links to other computers and information sources. OR
• Is a concept related to using computer networks to link people and resources
-Microcomputers. Minicomputers and mainframes can all be connected
Wireless revolution
• Use of mobile or wireless devices
• The revolution is the support of more than just the wireless telephone
• Many devices can and will connect to one another without any physical connection

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2.2. Communication Systems

Communication systems are

electronic systems that transmit
data from one location to
another

• Communication systems can be wired or wireless

Four Basic elements of Communication System

1. Sending and receiving devices – computer or a specialized communication device
2. Communication channel – carries the message
3. Connection devices – act as an interface between sending and receiving devices; convert
outgoing messages into packets (key term) that can travel across the communication
channel
4. Data transmission specifications – rules and procedures that coordinate the sending and
receiving devices

Communication Channels
• Channels carry data from one computer to another
• Channels are essential to a communication system

Types of Channels
1. Telephone lines
2. Coaxial cables
3. Fiber-optic cable
4. Infrared
5. Broadcast radio
6. Microwave
7. Satellite

Two categories of communication channels

– Physical connection
– Wireless connection

Fibre Optic Cable

Telephone Lines (Twisted

Pair Cable)

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 Coaxial Cable

1. Telephone lines
¶ Telephone line cables made up of copper wires called twisted pair
¶ A single twisted pair culminates in a wall jack where you plug your phone
¶ Telephone lines had been the standard communication channel for both voice
and data
¶ More technologically advanced and reliable transmission media is now replacing
it

2. Coaxial Cable
¶ Coaxial Cable is a high-frequency transmission cable that replaces the multiple
wires of telephone lines with a single solid copper core
¶ It has over 80 times the transmission capacity of twisted pair
¶ It is often used to link parts of a computer system in one building

3. Fibre-Optic cable
¶ Fibre-optic cable transmits data as pulses of light through tiny tubes of glass
¶ It has over 26,000 times the transmission capacity of twisted pair
¶ A fibre-optic tube can be half the diameter of a human hair
¶ Fibre-optic cables are immune to electronic interference and more secure and
reliable
¶ Fibre-optic cables is rapidly replacing twisted pair telephone lines

4. Wireless Connection
-Wireless connections do not use a solid substance to connect; uses the air itself

Types of wireless connections are:

• Infrared
• Light waves used over short distances
• Sometimes called line of sight communications
• Sending and receiving devices must be in clear view of one another
• Broadcast radio
• Uses towers called transceivers
• Web-enabled devices follow a standard known as Wi-FI (wireless fidelity)
• Microwave
• Uses high-frequency radio waves
• Also line of sight
• Used for short distances
• Bluetooth used for distances up to 33 feet (not line of sight)
• Satellite uses satellites orbiting about 22,000 miles above the earth as microwave
relay stations; many of these offered by Intelsat, the International
Telecommunications Satellite Consortium which is owned by 114 governments
and forms a worldwide communications system
• Satellites can be used to send and receive data; Uplink

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 • is sending data to satellite and Downlink refers to receiving data from a Satellite
• GPS (Global Positioning system) use a network of 24 satellites owned and
managed by the Defense Department which continuously sends location
information to earth

Microwave dish

Satellite

Connection Device Types and Transfer Speeds

• Types of modems
– External
– Internal
– PC Card
– Wireless

• Modem – modulator-demodulator
• Modulation (key term) is the name of the process for converting from digital to
analog
• Demodulation (key term) is the name of the process for converting from analog
to digital
• External – stands apart from the computer is typically connected with a cable
• Internal – built into the computer system unit already
• PC card – credit card-size expansion board that is inserted into portable
computers; telephone cable connects the modem to the telephone wall jack
• Wireless modem (key term) may be external, internal, or a PC card
• Does not use cables
• Signals are sent through the air
• Transfer Speed or transfer rate (key term)-measured in bits per second
(key term); the higher the speed the faster the transfer rate

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3. NETWORKS
-A computer network is a communication system that connects two or more computers so
that they can exchange information and share resources.

Computer Networks

Computer Networks
Connect Computers

• Node – any device connected to a network

• Client – a node that requests and uses resources available from other nodes
• Server – a node that shares resources with other nodes; dedicated servers specialize in
performing specific tasks—could be an application server, communication server,
database server, file server, printer server, or Web server
• Hub – the center or central node for other nodes
• Network interface cards (NIC) – connects the computer to a network
• Network operating system (NOS) – software to control and coordinate activities
between computers on a network
• Distributed processing - computing power located and shared at different locations
• Host computer – large centralized computer
• Network administrator – a computer specialist; network administrator

Network Types

• Local area networks

• Home networks
-WLAN
 Metropolitan networks
• Wide area networks

LAN

• Communications networks differ in geographical size. Three important types are:

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1) LANs
• Computers and devices linked in close proximity to each other
• Linked by cable
• Typically use a bus form of organization
• With gateways, LANs can be connected to other LANs or any other type of
network. Ethernet (key term) is one standard for connecting network nodes
together.
• Home Networks – LANs are now being commonly used by individuals in
home/apartments; allow different computers to share resources including a common
Internet connection; can be connected by various means including a wireless LAN
(WLAN) that uses radio frequencies to connect computers; all communications pass
through the network’s centrally located wireless receiver or base station
• Home networking includes the following:
• Radio frequency, telephone lines, electric wiring, cables, NIC/adapter cards

2) MANs (metropolitan area network) – also known as a regional network; (key term) span
distances up to 100 miles
• Network linking nodes and resources within the geographical bounds of a city
• Cellular phones can extend the reach of a MAN
3) WANs (wide area networks)
• Countrywide and worldwide networks
• Use microwave relays and satellites to reach users
• Internet is the widest WAN

Network Architecture

• Architecture describes how a network is arranged

• Arrangement is called topology
• Types of network topology
– Star
– Bus
– Ring
– Hierarchical

• Networks are connections of two or more computers that work together to exchange
information and share resources
• The network architecture describes how the network is arranged and how the resources
are coordinated and shared
• Network architecture also describes how a computer network is configured and what
strategies are used
• Topology – network arrangement or configuration

1. Star Network

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 • Smaller computers linked to a
central unit
• Central unit is called the
network hub
• Control is maintained by polling

Host computer – large centralized computer, usually a mainframe

Star network – nodes are connected to a single computer called a network hub
• All communications pass through the hub/host computer; each connecting device is
asked (―polled‖) whether it has a message to send and then each device is in turn
allowed to send its message
• Can be used as a time-sharing system

2. Bus Network

• Each device handles its own

communication control
• There is no host computer
• Has a common connecting cable
called a backbone

Bus network – each device handles its own communications control

• No host computer
• Common connecting cable called a bus or backbone
• Not as efficient as star, but it is low cost and widely used

3. Ring Network

• Each device is connected to two

other devices
• No central file server or computer
• Useful in a decentralized
environment

• Ring network
• Each device connected to two others forming a ring
• No central files server or computer
• Messages passed around ring until reach correct destination
• Often used to link mainframes—especially over wide geographical areas
• Useful in decentralized organization
• Makes possible distributed data processing system (key term)
• Computers can perform processing tasks on own
• Can also share programs, data, and other resources

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4. Hierarchical Network

• Several computers linked to a

central host
• Computers are hosts to other
computers
• Useful in centralized
organizations

Hierarchical Network
• Sometime called hybrid network
• Consists of several computers linked to central host computer
• All computers can server as hosts to other computers (unlike star network)
• Host at top could be mainframe; computers below could be minis; then ―down‖
to micros
• Useful in centralized organization

Principal Network Configurations

Strategies
 Strategy- ways of coordinating the sharing of information and resources in a network

Common network strategies

– Terminal
– Client/server
– Peer-to-peer

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 Client/Server

Peer to Peer

Terminal

1. Terminal network system

• Centralized host, usually a mainframe
• Nodes are usually terminals with little or no processing capabilities
• Reservation systems are usually terminal networks
2. Client/server network systems
• Powerful computer coordinates services
• This server provides access to centralized resources
• Widely used on the Internet
• Napster originally used this type of system for music sharing
3. Peer-to-peer network system -Bus topology
• Nodes have equal authority and act as both servers and clients
• A node could obtain files from another node and provide files to another node
• Gnutella is a widely used peer-to-peer network system for sharing all kinds of
files including music files

ORGANIZATIONAL INTERNETS

1. Intranets
– Private network within an organization
– Provides information to employees
Intranets use browsers, Web sites, and Web pages like the public Internet; typically include e-
mail, mailing lists, newsgroups, and FTP services

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2. Extranets
– Private network that connects organizations
– Used to allow suppliers and others access
– Purpose is to increase efficiency and reduce costs

3. Firewalls
– Security system
– Protects against external threats
Firewalls – Organizational firewalls include a proxy server (key term) that is a gatekeeper; all
communications between the outside world and an organization must pass through the proxy
server where the source and content of each communication is evaluated; end users have many
of the same concerns regarding security as organizations and can use firewalls as well

TUTORIAL QUESTIONS

1. Define and discuss connectivity, the wireless revolution, and communications.

2. Identify and describe the various physical and wireless communication channels.
3. Identify the standard Internet protocol and discuss its essential features.
4. Define and discuss the four principal network topologies.
5. Define and discuss the three most common network strategies.

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