Computer Networks
Computer Network
Computer network is defined as a group of
two or more computer systems connected
with one another for the purpose of
communicating, sharing of resources, data,
and applications.
Computer Network
▪The connection between
computers can be done via
cabling, most commonly the
Ethernet cable, or fiber optic
cable.
▪Connections can also be
wireless
Network Devices
▪The devices which are used for communication
between different hardware's in the computer network
are known as network devices.
▪In a computer network, network devices are mainly
used for transmitting and receiving the data quickly
and securely in between computers, printers, etc.
Types of Network Devices
LAN WAN (INTERNET)
•Switches •Routers
•Hub •Modem
•Network Interface •Wireless Access Points
Card (NIC)
Types of Network
Three main types of network based on
geographical location
•Local Area Network (LAN)
•Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
•Wide Area Network (WAN)
Local Area Network
▪A local area network (LAN) is a collection of devices
connected together in one physical location, such as a
building, office or home.
▪A LAN can be small or large, ranging from a home network
with one user to an enterprise network with thousands of
users and devices in an office or school.
Lesson 22 – Information Networks
Characteristics of a LAN
•LAN is a network of computers in a building or in a limited area.
•Maximum area of network should be less than 1 square kilometre.
•It is a private network
•Data is transferred at an extremely faster rate in a LAN.
•LAN provides higher security.
•A LAN may be set up using wired or wireless connections. A LAN that is
completely wireless is called Wireless LAN or WLAN.
Local Area Network
Metropolitan Area Network
A metropolitan area network is a network
that covers a larger geographic area by
interconnecting different LANs to form a
larger network.
Characteristics of a MAN
•It mostly covers towns and cities in a maximum 50 km
range
•A MAN consist of a computer network across an entire city,
college campus, or a small region
•This type of network is larger than a LAN, which is mostly
limited to a single building or site.
•It offers fast communication using high-speed carriers, like
fiber optic cables.
Metropolitan Area Network
Wide Area Network (WAN)
•WAN is spread over a country or many countries.
•WAN is typically a network of many LANs, MANs and
WANs.
•The most common example of WAN is the Internet, a
global network of billions of computers and other
electronic devices.
Characteristics of a WAN
▪There is no distance limitation in WAN. Examples
are Internet or network of a multi-national
company.
▪Network is set up using wired or wireless
connection such as fiber optic cables
and satellites.
Lesson 22 – Information Networks
Wide Area Network (WAN)
Importance of Computer Network to an Organization
Resource Sharing
▪Sharing of resources such as hard disk drives, DVD drives and
Printers are made easy in Local Area Network.
Software Sharing
▪A single computer with the licensed software can be shared
among other users in the network. There is no need to purchase
individual license for each and every computer in the network.
Importance of Computer Network to an Organization
Improved Data Security
▪Since data is stored on the server computer, it will be easy to manage data at
only one place and the data will be more secured. The host has the capability to
deny or allow users in a particular network so that additional security
measurements can be imposed.
Centralised Backup
▪Central backing store can be provided in one place (the dedicated file server) so
all work is saved together. An individual user can load his or her work on any
computer on the network.
Importance of Computer Network to an Organization
Improved Communication
▪Data and messages can easily be shared with other people connected to the
network. This saves lots of time and ensures that messages get delivered to the
right people.
Internet Sharing
▪One single computer with an internet connection shares internet with all the
connected computers. In school labs and internet Cafes, single internet
connection is used to provide internet to all connected computers.
Importance of Computer Network to an Organization
It reduces cost/ improves cost efficiency
▪With computer networking, you can use a lot of
software products available on the market which can
just be stored or installed on a server, and can then be
used by various workstations.
Challenges of Network
•Privacy and security
•Hardware failure
•Cost of setup and maintenance
•Growth and expansion
•Slow Connectivity
Network By Communication Method
▪Client/Server
▪Peer-to-Peer
Client/Server
A client/server network consists of several devices (the clients)
connected to a central server. The server manages file storage,
application access, device access, and network traffic.
A client can be any connected device that runs or accesses
applications or the Internet.
A Server is computer which manages access to a centralized resource
or service in a network.
Client/Server
Peer-to-Peer
▪A peer-to-peer network doesn't have a central server and
cannot handle heavy workloads like a client/server network.
▪They are typically smaller.
▪On a peer-to-peer network, each device shares equally in the
functioning of the network.
▪Most home networks are peer-to-peer.
Peer-to-Peer
Other types of network
Intranet and Extranet
▪An intranet is a private network used by employees to communicate and
collaborate. They can also use the company intranet to create content,
complete their work, and engage in the company culture.
▪An extranet is a private network, too. It works similarly to a company
intranet; however an extranet allows access to authorized users from
outside the company. These external users may include suppliers and
partners.
Wi-Fi
"Wi-Fi is a short name for Wireless Fidelity"
Wireless connectivity, often known as Wi-Fi, is the
technology that allows a PC, laptop, mobile phone, or
tablet device to connect at high speed to the internet
without the need for a physical wired connection.
The Internet
Lesson 24 – The Internet
The Internet
Internet is a global network of
interconnected networks.
Internet is open for everyone. Any body can
use internet.
It was started by US Military.
Internet has a huge amount of information
about everything of the world.
Internet is provided via Internet Service
Provider (ISP).
World Wide Web (www)
The World Wide Web—usually called the Web for
short—is a collection of different websites you can
access through the Internet.
Website
▪A website is a collection of web pages and related content that
share a single domain name and published on at least one web
server.
▪A website is made up of related text, images, and other
resources.
▪Notable examples are [Link], [Link],
and [Link].
Webpage
▪Web page is a single file on the World Wide Web,
providing text, graphical images, etc. it may have
hypertext linked with other Web pages on a website.
▪These documents are written in HTML (hypertext
markup language) and are translated by a Web
browser.
Web Browser
▪A web browser is a software that allows you to find
and view websites on the Internet.
▪There are many different web browsers, but some
of the most common ones include Google
Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari, Microsoft Edge,
Opera and Mozilla Firefox.
Web Server
A computer that hosts a website on the Internet.
Things you can do on the Internet
1. Electronic mail 7. Education and self-
improvement
2. Research
8. Friendship and dating
3. Downloading files
9. Electronic newspapers and
4. Discussion groups magazines
5. Interactive games [Link]-hunting.
6. Manage Bank Accounts 11. Shopping
12. Pay Bills
Lesson 24 – The Internet
Search Engines
▪Search engines are websites which are
used to search any information on the
Internet.
▪Within the search engine you enter a word
or phrase and it will retrieve documents
and information about that word or phrase
from the Internet.
▪Google, Bing, Yahoo, Baidu, Yandex, Ask
are examples of Search Engines.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
A URL is basically what you would call the website
address.
A URL is the location of a specific website, page, or
file on the Internet.
When you type a URL into the browser's address bar
and press Enter on your keyboard, the browser will
load the page associated with that URL.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
Whiles browsing the web, you can
always see the URL of the
currently opened page in the
browser's address bar
Example if you type
[Link] into your web
browser’s address bar the URL will
send you to the google website
Basic URL Structure
There are three basic elements
of a website URL:
[Link] protocol – HTTP or HTTPS.
[Link] domain name
[Link] path leading to a specific
web page.
The Protocol
The protocol declares how your web browser should
communicate with a web server when sending or receiving a
web page or document.
Currently, HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is the
most common protocol. It tells your web browser to encrypt
any information you enter onto the page, like your passwords
or credit card information, so cybercriminals can’t access it.
Another common protocol is HTTP (Hypertext Transfer
Protocol) which is unsecured.
The Protocol
Domain Name
A domain name is a unique reference that
identifies a web site on the internet. A domain
name is an identifier for a specific site, which will
generally bring you straight to the home page if
nothing else is added to the end of it. e.g.
[Link]
The part of the domain after the dot is called TLD
(or Top Level Domain).
Top Level Domain (TLD)
It is the website’s domain extension. Every domain name has a suffix
that indicates which top level domain (TLD) it belongs to.
There are only a limited number of such domains. For example:
a) .gov - Government agencies
b) .edu - Educational institutions
c) .com - Commercial business
d) .net - Networking organizations
e) .org - Organization (mostly non-profit or charity)
f) .int - International
The Path
The part after the TLD is known as the ‘path’. This
is because it directs the browser to a specific page
on the website. The path is preceded by a slash,
and there’s a slash between every directory and
subdirectory e.g. /directory/[Link].
Upload
An upload is when you send data (a video, a
picture, a text message) from your devices to the
rest of the internet.
In the context of the web, upload = send.
You can think of it like loading the data "upward"
to the cloud/internet.
Download
A download is when you receive data (in form of a
photo, a music file, a document, or any other file type)
over the internet.
In the context of the web, download = save. You're
taking data from elsewhere and putting it onto your
device, essentially bringing it "down" from the internet.
Email
Short for electronic mail, email is a way to send and receive
messages from specific user or users across the Internet. Almost
everyone who uses the Internet has their own email account,
usually called an email address.
Email address - The way a specific user is identified so that they
may receive E-mail.
An e-mail address can be identified by the “@” sign. E.g.,
info@[Link]
Hyperlink
Generally referred to as a link, a hyperlink is an icon, graphic, or
text that links to another file or object.
Hyperlinks allow web pages to connect to other web pages.
Links are used to navigate the Web. When you click a link, it will
usually take you to a different webpage. You may also notice
that your cursor changes into a hand icon whenever you hover
over a link.