The Basics of Computer Networking

David Phenix
Computing in the Modern World
1st Period
 The Computer Network

Arguably, the greatest advancement in technology and

communication over the past 20 years has been the development
and advancement of the computer network. From emailing a
friend to on-line bill paying to downloading data off the Internet to
e-commerce, networking has made our world much smaller and
changed the way we communicate forever.
 The Computer Network

What is a Computer Network

net·work: [net-wurk] – noun, a system containing any

combination of computers, computer terminals, printers,
audio or visual display devices, or telephones
interconnected by telecommunication equipment or
cables: used to transmit or receive information.
 Navigation Links
Network Diagram – Basic Layout and map of a traditional computer network.
Network Types – Computer networks vary in shape and size depending on usage.
- WAN
- LAN
- Peer to Peer
Fiber Optic Cable – One of the Latest innovations in network cabling.
Switches and Hubs – The central device within a network that transmit data.
Servers – The central storage device for the names and locations of various data.
- IP Addresses
Topologies – The layouts of various network designs.
- Star
- Bus
- Ring
Firewalls – The network software that keeps destructive forces from a network.
Routers – The device that let messages flow between networks .
Wireless Networks - Allows computers to be moved without wires or cables.
The Internet – The world’s largest network.
References
 The Network Diagram
(Click on the Words Below and Learn More About Each Component)

The Internet
Wired Network PC Firewall

Fiber Optic Network Cable

Router
Switch

Server Other LANS

Wireless Network
 The Three Types of Networks
Navigation
Network Diagram
Network Types
- WAN
- LAN
- Peer to Peer
Fiber Optic Cable
Switches and Hubs
Servers
- IP Addresses WIDE AREA LOCAL AREA
Topologies
- Star
- Bus
- Ring
Firewalls
Routers
Wireless Networks
The Internet
References
PEER TO PEER
 Wide Area Network
Navigation
Network Diagram
Network Types
- WAN
- LAN
- Peer to Peer
Fiber Optic Cable
Switches and Hubs
Servers
- IP Addresses
Topologies
- Star • A Wide Area Network exist over a large area
- Bus
- Ring • Data travels through telephone or cable lines
Firewalls • Usually requires a Modem
Routers
Wireless Networks • The world’s largest Wide Area Network in the
The Internet Internet
References
 Local Area Network
Navigation
Network Diagram
Network Types
- WAN
- LAN
- Peer to Peer
Fiber Optic Cable
Switches and Hubs
Servers
- IP Addresses
Topologies • A Local Area Network spans a relatively small
- Star area
- Bus
- Ring • LAN are usually confined to one building or a
Firewalls group of buildings
Routers
Wireless Networks • Data travel between network devices via
The Internet network cables.
References
• The most common type of Local Area Network
is called Ethernet
 Peer to Peer Network
Navigation
Network Diagram
Network Types
- WAN
- LAN
- Peer to Peer
Fiber Optic Cable
Switches and Hubs
Servers
- IP Addresses
Topologies • Usually very small networks
- Star
- Bus • Each workstation has equivalent capabilities
- Ring and responsibilities
Firewalls
Routers
• Does not require a switch or a hub.
Wireless Networks • These types of networks do not perform well
The Internet
under heavy data loads.
References
 Fiber Optic Cable
Navigation
Network Diagram
Network Types
- WAN
- LAN
- Peer to Peer
Fiber Optic Cable Standard
Switches and Hubs Network
Servers Copper Cable
- IP Addresses
Topologies • Reduces interference in the network
- Star • Transmit data faster than copper network cable
- Bus
- Ring • Allows for more bandwidth
Firewalls
Routers • Smaller and more fragile than copper cable
Wireless Networks
The Internet
References
 Switches and Hubs
Navigation
Network Diagram
Network Types
- WAN
- LAN
- Peer to Peer
Fiber Optic Cable
Switches and Hubs
Servers
- IP Addresses
Topologies Network Switches Network Hubs
- Star
- Bus • Data travels faster through switches because data is not
- Ring sequenced as it is in a hub
Firewalls
Routers • The information is more secure when it passes through
Wireless Networks a switch as opposed to a hub.
The Internet • Information travels more efficiently through a switch
References because travels directly to it’s destination as opposed to
being broadcast to all PC’s on the network hub.
 Servers
Users are connected to
Navigation certain servers which
Network Diagram will fulfill the required
Network Types request.
- WAN
- LAN There are 3 Principle
- Peer to Peer Types of Servers
Fiber Optic Cable Print Servers
Switches and Hubs Contains the name and
Servers location of all printers
- IP Addresses that are on the
Topologies Network
- Star
- Bus File Servers
- Ring Contain the location and
Firewalls names of the various
Routers drives, files, and
Wireless Networks folders on a Network
Rack of Servers
The Internet Web Servers
References Contain the Programs,
Files, and Internet
Web Sites
 Web Servers
Navigation IP Addresses
Network Diagram
Network Types
“IP” stands for Internet Protocol. IP Addresses serve as
- WAN
the location of websites on the Internet as well as the
- LAN
workstations that are connected to the web. IP addresses
- Peer to Peer
are made up of four sets of numbers called “Octets”.
Fiber Optic Cable
There are two types of IP Addresses: Static and
Switches and Hubs
Temporary. Below is a description of both.
Servers
- IP Addresses Static IP Addresses Temporary IP Addresses
Topologies
Static IP addresses are Temporary IP addresses
- Star
found only on servers and are found only on PC’s are
- Bus
remain the same. constantly changing each
- Ring
Firewalls time it is logged on.
A Domain Name Server
Routers assigns a “human Temporary IP addresses
Wireless Networks readable” web address to are assigned by an ISP
The Internet each static IP address to (Internet Service Provider)
References make it more user friendly. each time it is logged on to
the Internet.
 Network Topologies
Navigation Network Topology refers to the shape of a
Network Diagram network, or the network's layout. How different
Network Types nodes in a network are connected to each other
- WAN and how they communicate are determined by
- LAN the network's topology.
- Peer to Peer
Fiber Optic Cable There are three basic topologies:
Switches and Hubs
Servers
- IP Addresses
Topologies
- Star
- Bus
- Ring
Firewalls Star Ring
Routers
Wireless Networks
The Internet
References
Bus
 Star Topology
Navigation
Network Diagram
Network Types
- WAN
- LAN
- Peer to Peer
Fiber Optic Cable
Switches and Hubs
Servers
- IP Addresses
Topologies
- Star
- Bus
• All devices are connected to a central hub.
- Ring • Nodes communicate across the network by
Firewalls
passing data through the hub or switch.
Routers
Wireless Networks
The Internet
References
 Ring Topology
Navigation
Network Diagram
Network Types
- WAN
- LAN
- Peer to Peer
Fiber Optic Cable
Switches and Hubs
Servers
- IP Addresses
Topologies
- Star • All devices are connected to one another in
- Bus the shape of a closed loop.
- Ring
• Each device is connected directly to two
Firewalls
Routers other devices, one on either side of it.
Wireless Networks
The Internet
References
 Bus Topology
Navigation
Network Diagram
Network Types
- WAN
- LAN T T
- Peer to Peer
Fiber Optic Cable
Switches and Hubs
Servers
- IP Addresses
Topologies • All devices are connected to a central
- Star cable, called the bus or backbone.
- Bus
- Ring • There are terminators at each end of the bus
Firewalls that stops the signal and keeps it from
Routers traveling backwards.
Wireless Networks
The Internet
References
 Firewalls
Navigation
Network Diagram
Network Types
- WAN
- LAN
- Peer to Peer
Fiber Optic Cable
Switches and Hubs
Servers
- IP Addresses
Topologies • A firewall is a software that can be loaded on to
- Star a network that can serve as a barrier that keeps
- Bus destructive forces away from a network of
- Ring computers.
Firewalls
Routers • Packets of data are analyzed against a set of
Wireless Networks
criteria or standards called filters.
The Internet
References
• Filters block certain designated IP addresses.
 Routers
Navigation
Network Diagram
Network Types
- WAN
- LAN
- Peer to Peer
Fiber Optic Cable Standard Router Wireless Router
Switches and Hubs
Servers Whether a Router is traditional or wireless, its
- IP Addresses purposes remain the same.
Topologies
- Star Routers are specialized computers that send
- Bus your messages and those of every other
- Ring Internet user speeding to their destinations
Firewalls along thousands of pathways.
Routers
Wireless Networks Routers are crucial devices that let messages
The Internet flow between networks, rather than within
References networks.
 Wireless Networks
Navigation
Network Diagram Allows for
Network Types
computers to be
- WAN
- LAN
moved easily
- Peer to Peer without having to
Fiber Optic Cable worry about wires
Switches and Hubs or cables
Servers
- IP Addresses
Topologies Walkie-Talkie Network
- Star • You would equip each computer with basically,
- Bus a walkie-talkie.
- Ring
Firewalls
• You would give each computer a way to set
Routers
Wireless Networks whether it wants to transmit or receive.
The Internet
• A wireless network converts binary signal (0’s
and 1’s) into a radio signal (series of beeps).
 The Internet
Navigation
Network Diagram
Network Types
- WAN
- LAN
- Peer to Peer
Fiber Optic Cable
Switches and Hubs
Servers
- IP Addresses
Topologies
- Star
The simplest definition of the Internet
- Bus is that it's a network of computer
- Ring
Firewalls
networks
Routers
Wireless Networks
The Internet
References
 The Internet
Navigation How Information Travel Through the Internet
Network Diagram
Network Types A page on the Internet—whether it's full of words, images
- WAN or both—doesn't come to you in one shipment. It's
- LAN translated into digital information, chopped into 1500
- Peer to Peer byte pieces called PACKETS, and sent to you like a
Fiber Optic Cable puzzle that needs to be reassembled. Each part of the
Switches and Hubs packet has a specific function:
Servers
Sequence ID
- IP Addresses ID’s where the information
Topologies Header belongs in relation to the
Provides the rest of the information
- Star complete
- Bus destination
- Ring address for the
packet End of Message
Firewalls ID’s the end of the
Routers packet

Wireless Networks
Data Block
The Internet The portion of the overall
References information carried by the packet
 The Internet
Navigation How Information Travel Through the Internet
Network Diagram
Network Types When you connect to a Web site through an ISP and start
- WAN exchanging information, there isn't a fixed connection
- LAN between your computer and the Web server computer
- Peer to Peer hosting the Web site. Instead, information is exchanged
Fiber Optic Cable using the best possible path at that particular time.
Switches and Hubs Special computers called routers determine these paths,
Servers avoiding slow links and favoring fast ones.
- IP Addresses
Topologies
- Star
- Bus
- Ring
Firewalls
Routers
Wireless Networks
The Internet Your ISP Web
Computer Routers Servers
References
 References
Intel Corporation, (2004). www.intel.com. Retrieved May 11, 2007,
from .The Journey Inside: The Internet. website:
http://www97.intel.com/discover/JourneyInside/TJI_Internet/default.asp
x

Webdopedia (2007). http://www.webopedia.com/. Retrieved May 11,

2007, online dictionary and search engine you need for computer and
Internet technology definitions. http://www.webopedia.com/.