DATA COMMUNICATION
& NETWORKS
Data Communication
Exchange of data between two or more
devices using some transmission
medium.
Another explanation could be:
Electronic transmission of information
that has been encoded digitally (as
for storage and processing by
computers)
Components of Data
Communication System
Message (text, image, numbers, audio,
video)
Sender(computer, workstation, telephone,
camera etc.)
Receiver
Transmission Medium(twisted-pair, optical
fiber, coaxial cable, radio waves)
Protocol(set of rules that govern
data communication)
Characteristics of Data
Comm.
Delivery
Accuracy
Timeliness
Mode of Data
Communications
Simplex (unidirectional)
Half-Duplex (bidirectional)
Full-Duplex(bidirectional)
Applications of
Networks
Resource Sharing
Hardware (Computing Resources, Disks, Printers, etc.)
Software (Application Software)
Information Sharing
Easy accessibility from anywhere (Files, Databases,
etc.)
Search Capability (WWW)
Communication
Email
Message Broadcasting
Network Criteria
Performance:
Transmit Time, Response
Time, Throughput
Reliability:
Frequency of failure, Time
to recover
Security:
Unauthorized Access,
Protecting Data
Data Transmission
Parallel transmission
Serial Transmission
Physical Topology
It refers to the way how the
network is laid out physically.
Geometric representation of the
relationship of all the links and
linking devices
Advantage and
Disadvantages
Increased speed, Reduced cost, Improved
security, centralized software management,
Electronic mail
High cost of installation, requires time for
administration, failure of server, cable faults
Types of Physical
Topologies
Mesh Topology
Star Topology
Bus Topology
Ring Topology
Tree topology
Mesh topology
In mesh topology every device has a
dedicated point-to-point link to every other
device.
The term dedicated means that the link
carries traffic only between two devices it
connects.
Mesh Topology
Advantages
The use of dedicated links guarantees that
each connection can carry its own data
Failure of single computer does not bring
down the entire network
Security and privacy over the dedicated link
Easy diagnosis
Disadvantages
Installation and configuration is difficult
Cabling cost is more
The hardware required to connect each link
Star topology
All the cables connects from the computer
to the central location called HUB.
Broadcast star network
Resends message to all the connected
computers
Switched star network
Sends data to a destination computer
Star Topology
Advantages
Easy to install and wire.
No disruptions to the network when connecting
or removing devices.
Easy to detect faults and to remove parts.
Disadvantages
If the central hub fails , the whole network fails
to operate.
The cabling cost is more.
Bus Topology
Signal travels along the backbone.
In this topology, at any instant, only
one computer acts as master and it is
allowed to transmit(broadcast). Other
devices are supposed to listen
Bus Topology
Advantages
It works well when you have a small
network.
It's the easiest network topology for
connecting computers or peripherals in a
linear fashion.
It requires less cable length than a star
topology.
Disadvantages
It can be difficult to identify the problems if
the whole network goes down.
It can be hard to troubleshoot individual
device issues.
Bus topology is not great for large networks.
Terminators are required for both ends of
the main cable.
Ring Topology
Ring Topology
In ring topology each node connects exactly
two other nodes
Advantages
1 It is relatively less expensive than a star topology
network.
2. In a Ring topology, every computer has an equal
access to the network.
3. Performs better than a bus topology under heavy
network load
Disadvantages
1 Failure of one computer in the ring can affect the
whole network.
2. It is difficult to find faults in a ring network
topology.
3. Adding or removing computers will also affect the
whole network since every computer is connected
with previous and next computer.
Categories of Networks
Network Category depends on its size
Two primary categories
LAN: Covers area < 2miles
WAN: Can be worldwide
MAN: Between LAN & WAN, span 30-100 miles
Local Area Network (LAN)
Privately owned
Linksdevices in the same office,
building, or campus
Simple
LAN: 2 PCs & 1 printer in
home or office
Size is limited to a few kilometers
Allow
resources to be shared
(hardware, software, or data)
Local Area Network (LAN)
An isolated LAN connecting 12 computers to a hub in a closet
Local Area Network (LAN)
LAN is distinguished by:
Size (# users of OS, or licensing
restrictions)
Transmission medium (only one type)
Topology (bus, ring, star)
Data Rates (speed):
Early: 4 to 16 Mbps
Today: 100 to 1000 Mbps
LAN
Wide Area Networks
(WAN)
Provides
long-distance
transmission of data over large
geographic areas (country,
continent, world)
Wide Area Networks
(WAN)
Switched WAN
Backbone of the Internet
Dialup line point-to-point WAN
Leased line from a telephone company
Wide Area Networks
(WAN)
WAN
Metropolitan Area
Networks (MAN)
Size between LAN and WAN
Inside a town or a city
Example: the part of the
telephone company network that
can provide a high-speed DSL to
the customer or cable TV network
Metropolitan Area
Network(MAN)
Designed to extend over the entire city.
It may be a single network as a cable
TV network OR
It may be means of connecting a number
of LANs into a larger network
The main reason for distinguishing MANs as
a special category is that a standard has
been adopted for them. It is
DQDB(Distributed Queue Dual Bus) or IEEE
802.6.
Network coverage
Local Area Networks:
Used for small networks (school, home, office)
Examples and configurations:
Wireless LAN or Switched LAN
ATM LAN, Frame Ethernet LAN
Peer-2-PEER: connecting several computers together (<10)
Client/Server: The serves shares its resources between different
clients
Metropolitan Area Network
Backbone network connecting all LANs
Can cover a city or the entire country
Wide Area Network
Typically between cities and countries
Technology:
Circuit Switch, Packet Switch, Frame Relay, ATM
Examples:
Internet P2P: Networks with the same network software can be
connected together (Napster)
