Chapter 1 Introduction To Networks

Computer Networks
Chapter 1
An Overview of the Computer Network
Rana M Luthfur Rahman Pir

Assistant Professor
Department of CSE
Leading University, Sylhet
What is Network?
A network is a group of connected, communicating devices such as

computers and printers. An internet (note the lowercase i) is two or
more networks that can communicate with each other. The most
notable internet is called the Internet (uppercase I ), composed of
hundreds of thousands of interconnected networks.
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ARPANET
• In the mid-1960s, mainframe computers in research organizations were
stand-alone devices. Computers from different manufacturers were unable
to communicate with one another. The Advanced Research Projects Agency
(ARPA) in the Department of Defense (DOD) was interested in finding a way
to connect computers together so that the researchers they funded could
share their findings, thereby reducing costs and eliminating duplication of
effort. In 1967, at an Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) meeting,
ARPA presented its ideas for ARPANET, a small network of connected
computers. The idea was that each host computer (not necessarily from
the same manufacturer) would be attached to a specialized computer,
called an interface message processor (IMP). The IMPs, in turn, would be
connected to each other. Each IMP had to be able to communicate with
other IMPs as well as with its own attached host.
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The Language of Computer Networks
• Computer network – an interconnection of computers and computing
equipment using either wires or radio waves over small or large
geographic areas
• Local area network – networks that are small in geographic size
spanning a room, floor, building, or campus
• Metropolitan area network – networks that serve an area of 1 to 30
miles, approximately the size of a typical city
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The Language of Computer Networks (continued)
• Wide area network – a large network that encompasses parts of

states, multiple states, countries, and the world
• Personal area network – a network of a few meters, between
wireless devices such as PDAs, laptops, and similar devices
• Campus area network – a network that spans multiple buildings
on a business or school campus
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• Voice network – a network that transmits only telephone signals

(essentially extinct)
• Data network – a network that transmits voice and computer data
(replacing voice networks)
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• Data communications – the transfer of digital or analog data using

digital or analog signals
• Telecommunications – the study of telephones and the systems
that transmit telephone signals (becoming simply data
communications)
• Network management – the design, installation, and support of a
network, including its hardware and software
• Network cloud – a network (local or remote) that contains
software, applications, and/or data
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The Big Picture of Networks
• Networks are composed of many devices, including:

– Workstations (computers, tablets, wireless phones, etc)
– Servers
– Network switches
– Routers (LAN to WAN and WAN to WAN)
– Network nodes and subnetworks
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Common Examples of Communications Networks
• The desktop computer and the Internet

• A laptop computer and a wireless connection
• Cell phone networks
• Industrial sensor-based systems
• Mainframe systems
• Satellite and microwave networks
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The Desktop Computer and the Internet
• Common throughout business, academic environments, and

homes
• Typically a medium- to high-speed connection
• Computer (device) requires a NIC (network interface card)
• NIC connects to a hub-like device (switch)
• Often considered a client/server system
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• At work or at school – connection is typically some form of

Ethernet
• At home, for some, a dial-up modem is used to connect user’s
microcomputer to an Internet service provider
• Technologies such as DSL and cable modems are replacing dial-
up modems
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A Laptop Computer and a Wireless Connection
• At work or at school – connection is typically some form of

wireless Ethernet
• Laptop wirelessly communicates with a wireless router or wireless
access point
• Wireless router is typically connected to a wired-network
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Industrial Sensor-based Systems
• Not all local area networks deal with microcomputer workstations

• Often found in industrial and laboratory environments
• Assembly lines and robotic controls depend heavily on sensor-
based local area networks
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Satellite and Microwave Networks
• Typically long distance wireless connections

• Many types of applications including long distance telephone,
television, radio, long-haul data transfers, and wireless data
services
• Typically expensive services but many companies offer
competitive services and rates
• Newer shorter-distance services such as Wi-Max
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Satellite and Microwave Networks
(continued)
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Network Architectures
• A reference model that describes the layers of hardware and

software necessary to transmit data between two points or for
multiple devices / applications to interoperate
• Reference models are necessary to increase likelihood that
different components from different manufacturers will converse
• Two models to learn: TCP/IP protocol suite and OSI model
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The TCP/IP Protocol Suite
Note: Some authors show only four layers, combining the two
bottom layers.
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The TCP/IP Protocol Suite (continued)
• Application layer
– Where the application using the network resides
– Common network applications include web browsing, e-mail, file transfers,
and remote logins
• Transport layer
– Performs a series of miscellaneous functions (at the end-points of the
connection) necessary for presenting the data package properly to the
sender or receiver
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The TCP/IP Protocol Suite (continued)
• Network (Internet or internetwork or IP) layer
– Responsible for creating, maintaining and ending network
connections
– Transfers data packet from node to node (e.g. router to router)
within network
• Network access (data link) layer
– Responsible for taking the data and transforming it into a frame
with header, control and address information, and error detection
code, then transmitting it between the workstation and the
network
• Physical layer
– Handles the transmission of bits over a communications channel
– Includes voltage levels, connectors, media choice, modulation
techniques
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The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI)
Model
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The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Model
(continued)
• Application layer
– Equivalent to TCP/IP’s application layer
• Presentation layer
– Responsible for “final presentation” of data (code conversions,
compression, encryption)
• Session layer
– Responsible for establishing “sessions” between users
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(continued)
• Transport layer
– Equivalent to TCP/IP’s transport layer
• Network layer
– Equivalent to TCP/IP’s network layer
• Data link layer
– Responsible for taking the data and transforming it into a frame
with header, control and address information, and error
detection code
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(continued)
• Physical layer
– Handles the transmission of bits over a communications channel
– Includes voltage levels, connectors, media choice, modulation techniques
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Logical and Physical Connections
• A logical connection is one that exists only in the software, while a

physical connection is one that exists in the hardware
• Note that in a network architecture, only the lowest layer contains
the physical connection, while all higher layers contain logical
connections
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Logical and Physical Connections
(continued)
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Computer Networks

Rana M Luthfur Rahman Pir

A network is a group of connected, communicating devices such as

• Wide area network – a large network that encompasses parts of

• Voice network – a network that transmits only telephone signals

• Data communications – the transfer of digital or analog data using

• Networks are composed of many devices, including:

• The desktop computer and the Internet

• Common throughout business, academic environments, and

• At work or at school – connection is typically some form of

• At work or at school – connection is typically some form of

• Not all local area networks deal with microcomputer workstations

• Typically long distance wireless connections

• A reference model that describes the layers of hardware and

• A logical connection is one that exists only in the software, while a

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