Networking Basics
As companies rely on applications like electronic mail and database management for
core business operations, computer networking becomes increasingly more
important. Companies employ Networking for one or more of the following purposes:
Resource Sharing: for sharing expensive devices and software to the users of the
Network. These resources can be Printers, Internet Connection, Faxes, Expensive
Professional Software, Company Data Base etc…
Centralized Processing: centralized processing and management of data, such as
Airline reservation.
Collaboration: Network communication through collaboration tools such as e-mail,
voice and video conferencing.
Easy information access: deployment of centralized information to the users with
web-like applications, to be downloaded to each user.
Centralized Software Update: Software like Antivirus can be updated centrally
and easily deployed to the users.
Centralized Storage and Backup: users may use a centralized storage servers and
back up may take centrally to avoid loss.
According to the need, a network can be small or big. The known Network types are
listed as follows:
LANs (Local Area Networks)
A network is any collection of independent computers that communicate with one
another over a shared network medium. LANs are networks usually confined to a
geographic area, such as a single building or a college campus. LANs can be small,
linking as few as three computers, but often link hundreds of computers used by
thousands of people. The development of standard networking protocols and media
has resulted in worldwide proliferation of LANs throughout business and educational
organizations.
WANs (Wide Area Networks)
Often a network is located in multiple physical places. Wide area networking
combines multiple LANs that are geographically separate. This is accomplished by
connecting the different LANs using services such as dedicated leased phone lines,
dial-up phone lines (both synchronous and asynchronous), satellite links, and data
packet carrier services. Wide area networking can be as simple as a modem and
remote access server for employees to dial into, or it can be as complex as hundreds
of branch offices globally linked using special routing protocols and filters to minimize
the expense of sending data sent over vast distances.
Internet
The Internet is a system of linked networks that are worldwide in scope and facilitate
data communication services such as remote login, file transfer, electronic mail, the
World Wide Web and newsgroups.
With the meteoric rise in demand for connectivity, the Internet has become a
communications highway for millions of users. The Internet was initially restricted to
military and academic institutions, but now it is a full-fledged conduit for any and all
forms of information and commerce. Internet websites now provide personal,
educational, political and economic resources to every corner of the planet.
Intranet
With the advancements made in browser-based software for the Internet, many
private organizations are implementing intranets. An intranet is a private network
utilizing Internet-type tools, but available only within that organization. For large
organizations, an intranet provides an easy access mode to corporate information for
employees.
Network Implementation
During implementations the issues of SECURITY, TOPOLOGY AND NETWORK
CONNECTIVITY should be considered.
Security issues consist of implementations in User Logon, Resource Access
Privileges, Back Up, Antivirus protection etc… The purpose is to create a protected
environment and having proper disaster recovery mechanism.
Topology issues are concerned on the physical implementation of the Network
infrastructure. This has its role to have an efficient and reliable network environment.
Problem identification and solving has a closer relation to the topology we selected.
Cost issues are also have great impact on the selected topology.
Network Connectivity issues are concerned on the implementations of networks
that span a larger geographical location or networks that have a connection to
external networks such as the Internet. This is largely dependent on the selection of
the proper connectivity device.
Security Models
PEER TO PEER OR WORKGROUP: A peer-to-peer network is one in which lacks a
dedicated server (for centralized security management and other purposes) and
every computer acts as both a client and a server. This is a good networking solution
when there are 10 or fewer users/computers that are in close proximity to each
other. A peer-to-peer network can be a security nightmare, because the people
setting permissions for shared resources will be computer idiots and the right people
will never have access to the right resources. This is only recommended in situations
where security is not an issue. The level of security one can achieve with this model
is Share Level Security, which imply passwords assignment to resources on a
network, instead of distinguishing users based on their privilege.
DOMAIN-BASED: This type of network is designed to support a large Number of
users and uses dedicated server/s to accomplish this. Clients log on to the server/s in
order to run applications or obtain files (or generally for getting proper permission
levels for resource access). Security and permissions can be managed by 1 or more
administrators, which cuts down on the aforementioned computer illiterates from
meddling with things that they shouldn't be. This type of network also allows for
convenient backup services, disk quotas, universal logon, User Level Security and
reduces network traffic and provides a host of other services that come with the
network operating system (Like Windows NT and 2000).
CENTRALIZED: This is also a client/server based model that is most often seen in
UNIX environments, but the clients are "dumb terminals". This means that the client
may not have a floppy drive, hard disk or CDROM and all applications and processing
occurs on the server/s. This is similar to the Main Frame Systems that were very
common before the introduction of personal computers. As you can imagine, this
requires fast and damn expensive server/s. Security is very high on this type of
network, although a similar level of security can be achieved using an NT/2000 server
and setting appropriate permissions.
Network Topologies
BUS: This topology is old and essentially has each of the computers on the network
daisy-chained to each other. This type of network is usually peer to peer and uses
Thinnet (10base2) coaxial cabling. It is configured by connecting a "T-connector" to
the network adapter and then connecting cables to the T-connectors on the
computers on the right and left. At both ends of the chain the network must be
terminated with a 50-ohm impedance terminator.
ADVANTAGES: Cheap, simple to set up.
DISADVANTAGES: Excess network traffic, a failure may affect many users, Problems
are difficult to troubleshoot.
As you can see if computer #1 sends a packet to computer #4, it must pass through
computers #2 and #3, creating excess traffic.
STAR: The star is probably the most commonly used topology today. It uses twisted
pair (10baseT or 100baseT) cabling and requires that all devices be connected to a
hub or a switch.
ADVANTAGES: centralized monitoring, failures do not affect others unless it is the
hub, easy to modify.
DISADVANTAGES: If the hub fails then everything connected to it is down. This is like
if you were to burn down the phone company's central office, then anyone connected
to it wouldn't be able to make any phone calls.
RING: The ring topology looks the same as the star, except that it uses special hubs
and Ethernet adapters. The Ring topology is used with Token Ring networks. That is,
these topologies have a physical star but a logical ring. The token, which is used for
the media access, circulates each computer in the network in a ring fashion.
ADVANTAGES: Equal access.
DISADVANTAGES: Difficult to troubleshoot, network changes affect many users,
failure affects many users.
MIXED: Mixed topologies are combinations of the above and are common on very
large networks. For example, a star bus network has hubs connected in a row (like a
bus network) and has computers connected to each hub.
Network Connectivity Devices
REPEATERS: Boost signal in order to allow a signal to travel farther and prevent
attenuation. Attenuation is the degradation of a signal as it travels farther from its
origination. Repeaters do not filter packets and will forward broadcasts. Both
segments must use the same access method, meaning that you can't connect a
token ring segment to an Ethernet segment. Repeaters will connect different cable
types.
BRIDGES: Functions the same as a repeater, but can also divide a network in order
to reduce traffic problems, by segmenting the Network into Collision Domains. A
bridge can also connect unlike network segments (i.e. token ring and Ethernet).
Bridges create routing tables based on the source address. If the bridge can't find the
source address it will forward the packets to all segments.
ROUTERS: A router will do everything that a bridge will do and more. Routers are
used in complex networks because they do not pass broadcast traffic. A router will
determine the most efficient path for a packet to take and send packets around failed
segments. Unroutable protocols can't be forwarded.
BROUTERS: A brouter has the best features of both routers and bridges in that it can
be configured to pass the Unroutable protocols by imitating a bridge, while not
passing broadcast storms by acting as a router for other protocols.
GATEWAYS: Often used as a connection to a mainframe or the Internet. Gateways
enable communications between different protocols, data types and environments.
This is achieved via protocol conversion, whereby the gateway strips the protocol
stack off of the packet and adds the appropriate stack for the other side.
Computer as a working place-not a property
In a Network environment, any user can get same user environment, storage
location, Application and user privileges irrespective of which computer the user logs.
This idea can be achieved using the use of PROFILES, CENTRALIZED STORAGE
AND CENTRALIZED APPLICATION DEPLOYMENT. This section explains these
ideas briefly.
Profiles
Profiles represent user specific preferences such as Desktop Wallpapers, Start Menu
and Desktop shortcuts, Mapped Network Drives, My Document items etc. When
properly managed and deployed, a user will get same preferences if his/her profiles
are stored centrally on a server that managed user's security and deploy the profile
based on the user who logged on. For this purpose the Network Security model
should be a Domain Based model. In that case a central server will authenticate the
user and load the user's profile from a centralized location.
Therefore, users will have same environment regardless of the computer that user
logged from. Anyone can use anyone's computer, then work in his/her environment
and save their files to a central location using Centralized Storage management.
Centralized Storage
Having files in a centralized location will help in disaster recovery, because Back ups
can be taken regularly and efficiently. Centralized storage also helps the user to
access his/her files from whichever computer in the network he/she logs on. In case
of commonly accessed files, having them on a central storage will help the user with
the proper access privilege to get the files whenever the time and wherever the PC
he/she logs on.
These centralized storage locations are usually presented to the user in the form of
Mapped Network Drives to be accessed through the "My Computer" on the user's
desktop. Or the user uses the "Network Neighborhood" to locate the central storage.
Centralized Application Deployment
Application Software may get very expensive and acquiring a license for every
computer in an organization. Instead, the preferable solution is to acquire a license
for central deployment and let the users run the application from the central location.
Also the Centralized Application Deployment may help to run user-specific
applications, and load that application wherever computer the user logs from.