NETWORK HARDWARE

IGCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE

NETWORK HARDWARE SYLLABUS OVERVIEW
 NETWORK INTERFACE
CARD (NIC)
• A Network Interface Card (NIC) is needed to allow a
device to connect to a network (such as the Internet)
• The network interface card is given a MAC Address at
the point of manufacture.
WIRELESS NETWORK • They convert electrical signals into digital signal vice
INTERFACE CARD (NIC) versa
• The Wireless Network Interface Card (WNIC) provides the NIC
function in a Wi-Fi LAN. The wireless network interface card is
given a MAC Address at the point of manufacture.
• They use wireless connectivity utilising an antenna to
communicate with networks via microwaves
• Converting microwaves into digital signal vice versa
• They come in different shape and sizes
 Media Access Control (MAC) Address
• The MAC address identifies the device connected
to the network.
• The MAC address is the hardware identification
number that uniquely identifies each device on a
network.
• It is manufactured into every network card and
cannot be altered.
• Randomised MAC address? What are they?
• Media Access Control (MAC) Address
• The MAC address identifies the device connected to the
network.
• The MAC address is the hardware identification number that
uniquely identifies each device on a network.
• It is manufactured into every network card and cannot be
altered.
• The MAC address refers to the Network Interface Card (NIC)
which is part of the device.
• The MAC address never changes so that a particular device
can always be identified no matter where it is.
• The MAC address is the hardware or physical address.
• Media Access Control (MAC) Address
• A MAC address is usually made up of 48-bits which are shown
as 12 hex digits:
NN – NN – NN – DD – DD – DD
or
NN:NN:NN:DD:DD:DD

• The first half (NN – NN – NN) is the identity number of the

manufacturer of the device and the second half (DD – DD –
DD) is the serial number of the device.
• For example: 00 – 1C – B3 – 4F – 25 – FE is the MAC address of
a device produced by the Apple Corporation (code: 001CB3)
with a serial number of 4F25FE.
 Features of a MAC Address
• It is a unique address assigned by the manufacturer.
• It can be used to identify a device.
• It contains the manufacturer ID and the serial
number.
• It is written in hexadecimal.
• It has 48 bits written as 6 pairs of hexadecimal digits.
• Does not change.
 Internet Protocol (IP) Address
• Each device on the Internet is given a unique address
known as the Internet Protocol (IP) Address.
• The IP address is used to identify a device on the
Internet.
• The IP address is associated to the NIC
• The IP address is allocated by the network.
• The IP address can be a static or dynamic value.
• Static means it does not change and Dynamic means
it can change
 Private IP Address

• When a device connects to a private network, a router

assigns a private IP address to it.
• IP addresses assigned to Laptops, phones and
computers within a network are private.
• Private IP addresses are unique on a network, but
might be the same as private IP addresses on separate
networks.
WHEN A DEVICE CONNECTS TO A PRIVATE NETWORK, A ROUTER ASSIGNS A PRIVATE
IP ADDRESS TO IT. THAT IP ADDRESS IS UNIQUE ON THAT NETWORK, BUT MIGHT BE
THE SAME AS AN IP ADDRESS ON A SEPARATE NETWORK.

P r ivate IP a d d re ss a ssign e d
[Link] to d e vice b y ro u te r

P r ivate IP ad d re ss assign e d P r ivate IP a d d re ss a ssign e d

to d evice b y ro u te r to d e vice b y ro u te r

[Link] [Link]

[Link] Ptou brolicu IPte rabdyd [Link] ed

It is
u n iq ue glo b ally
SUPPLIED BY ISP
 Public IP Address
• When a router connects to the internet, it is given a
unique public IP address.
• This is usually supplied by the Internet Service Provider
(ISP).
• No other device on the internet has the same public IP
address globally.
• All the devices connected to that router will use the
same public IP address as the router but each has their
own different private IP addresses on that network.
 Static IP Address
• The IP address can be static, meaning it doesn’t change each time a device is
connected to the Internet.
• A static IP address is a fixed, manually assigned address that never changes.
• Perfect for servers, printers, CCTV systems, and remote access
• Easier for DNS and external access
• The webserver must have a static IP address that remains unchanged. For
example:
[Link]
• would take you straight to the server corresponding to this address. It can be used in
place of a URL.
• Static IP addresses are usually assigned to:
• Remote servers which are hosting a website
• File Transfer Protocol (FTP) servers. FTP servers are used when files need to be
transferred to various computers throughout the network.
 Dynamic IP Address
• IP address can be dynamic, meaning that it can change each time a
device is connected to the Internet.
• A home computer is given an IP address when it connects to the
Internet.
• This is automatically assigned by the Dynamic Host Configuration
Protocol (DHCP) e.g router, and is unique for that particular internet
session.
• Dynamic IP addresses are assigned by the DHCP each time a device
logs onto the internet.
• This reduces admin work
• Ideal for everyday devices (phones, laptops, TVs)
 TYPES OF INTERNET PROTOCOL ADDRESSES - IPv4
• IPv4 is based on 32 bits and the address is written as four groups of eight
bits.
• IP addresses can be IPv4 in the form of [Link]
• This is a 32-bit number which is usually written in the form:[Link]
• IPv4 is 4 bytes long—that is 32 bits.
• It is represented in denary in 4 groups of numbers separated by full stops (.)
• The value in each group is 0–255.
• Because the use of only 32 bits considerably reduces the potential number
of devices and routers used on the internet at any one time, a newer version
called IPv6 is now used.
 TYPES OF INTERNET PROTOCOL ADDRESSES – IPv6
• IP addresses can be IPv6 in the form of:
A8FB:7A88:FFF0:0FFF:3D21:2085:66FB:F0FA.
• This is a 128-bit number.
• IPv6 is represented in hexadecimal in the form of 8 groups of numbers—that
is 32 numbers separated by colons (:).
• The value in each group is 0–FFFF.
• IPv6 is 16 bytes long—that is 128 bits.
• Consecutive groups of 0000 can be replaced with (::).
• Note the use of colons (:) and hexadecimal numbering.
• IPv6 has been designed to allow the internet to grow in terms of the number
of hosts and the potential increase in data traffic.
 Advantages of IPv6 Compared to IPv4

• Removes the risk of IP address collisions.

• Has built-in authentication checks.
• Allows for more efficient packet routes.
 ROUTERS
• Routers enable data packets to be routed between
different networks, for example, to join a LAN to a WAN.
• A router can connect a local network to the internet.
• A router sends data to a specific destination on a
network.
• A router can assign IP Addresses.
• The router’s main function is to transmit internet and
transmission protocols between two networks and also
allow private networks to be connected together.
ROUTERS
 ROUTERS
• The router’s main function is to transmit internet and transmission
protocols between two networks and also allow private networks to
be connected together.
• Routers inspect the data packet sent to it from any computer on
any of the networks connected to it.
• Since every computer on the same network has the same part of an
Internet Protocol (IP) address, the router is able to send the data
packet to the appropriate switch, and the data will then be
delivered to the correct device using the MAC destination address.
• Routers can be wired or wireless devices.
 PACKET SWITCHING
• In packet switching, data is broken down into packets.
• Each packet could take a different route.
• A router controls the route a packet takes.
• Packets may arrive out of order. Once the last packet has arrived, packets
are reordered.
 • THE END
USE THE INFORMATION ON THE NEXT SLIDES TO
HELP YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF NETWORK DEVICES
INTERNET PROTOCOL (IP) ADDRESS
WHEN A ROUTER CONNECTS TO THE INTERNET IT IS GIVEN A
UNIQUE PUBLIC IP ADDRESS

[Link]

[Link]

[Link]
WHEN A DEVICE CONNECTS TO A PRIVATE NETWORK, A ROUTER ASSIGNS A PRIVATE
IP ADDRESS TO IT. THAT IP ADDRESS IS UNIQUE ON THAT NETWORK, BUT MIGHT BE
THE SAME AS AN IP ADDRESS ON A SEPARATE NETWORK.

[Link]

[Link] [Link]

[Link]
SUPPLIED BY ISP
ALL THE DEVICES CONNECTED TO THAT ROUTER HAVE THE SAME PUBLIC IP ADDRESS AS THE ROUTER BUT EACH HAVE
THEIR OWN DIFFERENT PRIVATE IP ADDRESSES ON THAT NETWORK.

ON MY MAC

ON MY IPHONE
CONNECTED TO THE SAME WIFI
 IP ADDRESS FORMAT - IPV4

[Link]
• EACH DIGIT RANGE FROM 0-255
• EACH DIGIT = 8 BITS
• EACH DIGIT IS SEPARATED BY DOT
• 4.3 BILLIONS COMBINATION

EG
[Link]
CAN BE REPRESENTED IN HEXA TOO..
 IP ADDRESS FORMAT - IPV6

HHHH:HHHH:HHHH:HHHH:HHHH:HHHH:HHHH:HHHH
• EACH DIGIT RANGE FROM 0-65536 / 0000 - FFFF (HEXA)
• EACH DIGIT = 16 BITS
• EACH DIGIT IS SEPARATED BY COLON
• COMBINATIONS? 65535 POWER OF 8 (DON'T COUNT)

EG

A8FB:7A88:FFF0:0FFF:3D21:2085:66FB:F0FA
WHY IS IPV6 NEEDED?
SOME POSSIBLE ANSWERS
• REMOVES THE RISK OF IP ADDRESS COLLISIONS
• HAS BUILT-IN AUTHENTICATION CHECKS
(STORES ADDITIONAL VALUE IN THE HEADER
USING THE PAYLOAD)
• IPV6 HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO ALLOW THE
INTERNET TOEGGROW IN TERMS OF THE
NUMBER OF HOSTS AND POTENTIAL INCREASE
IN THE AMOUNT OF DATA TRAFFIC
 Static IP Address Dynamic IP Address

STATIC IP ADDRESSES ARE PERMANENTLY ASSIGNED TO

A DEVICE BY THE INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER (ISP); DYNAMIC IP ADDRESSES ARE ASSIGNED BY THE ISP
THEY DON’T CHANGE EACH TIME A DEVICE LOGS ONTO EACH TIME A DEVICE LOGS ONTO THE INTERNET.
THE INTERNET.

Static vs Dynamic
USED BY DYNAMIC HOST CONFIGURATION PROTOCOL
[Link] SERVERS WHICH ARE HOSTING A IP Address (DHCP) I USED BY THE ISP TO AUTOMATICALLY
WEBSITE ASSIGN AN IP ADDRESS TO A DEVICE
2. AN ONLINE DATABASE

ADVANTAGE: ADVANTAGE:
ALLOW FOR FASTER UPLOAD AND GREATER PRIVACY SINCE THEY CHANGE
DOWNLOAD SPEEDS EACH TIME
A USER LOGS ON
THEN, HOW TO UNIQUELY IDENTIFY A DEVICE
ON A LAN?
Media Access Control (MAC) Address
Function
Uniquely identify a computer on a Local Area Network
(LAN)

Format
NN - NN - NN - DD - DD - DD
Manufacturer Code Serial Number

Each digit is represented in Hexadecimal

If the NIC card is replaced, the MAC address will also change

Eg. 00 - 1C - B3 - 4F - 25 - FF
 Universally Administered Locally Administered
MAC Address (UAA) MAC Address (LAA)

• Most common type of • Useful when a user or

MAC address organisation wishes to
• Set by manufacturer at Types of change their MAC address
the factory MAC address • Cause big problem if
changed address isn't unique
• Rare for a user to
• Useful when certain software
change this address
used on mainframe systems
need all the MAC addresses
of devices to fall into a strict
format.
ROUTER FUNCTION 1: ENABLE DATA PACKETS TO BE ROUTED
BETWEEN DIFFERENT NETWORKS

[Link]

[Link]

[Link]
ROUTER FUNCTION 2: TAKES DATA TRANSMITTED IN ONE FORMAT FROM A
NETWORK (WHICH IS USING A PARTICULAR PROTOCOL) AND
CONVERTS THE DATA TO A PROTOCOL AND FORMAT UNDERSTOOD BY
ANOTHER NETWORK, THEREBY ALLOWING THEM TO COMMUNICATE.

[Link]

[Link]
ROUTER SINCE EVERY COMPUTER ON THE SAME NETWORK HAS THE SAME PART OF AN
INTERNET PROTOCOL (IP) ADDRESS, THE ROUTER IS ABLE TO SEND THE DATA
PACKET TO THE APPROPRIATE SWITCH, AND THE DATA WILL THEN BE
DELIVERED TO THE CORRECT DEVICE USING THE
MAC DESTINATION ADDRESS

00 - 1C - B3 - 4F - 25 - FF
DESTINATION:
[Link]

00 - 1C - B3 - 4F - 26 - FF

[Link]
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