Computer Network

Case Study of Computer Network

Name: Alan Angre

Program: BCA CTIS
URN: 2020-B-25022002
Topic: Case Study of Computer Network
Semester : III
Case Study of Computer Network

1. Title: System of Sending an Email and role of Computer

Network in doing so.

2. Problem Statement: How is an email sent from sender to

receiver? How does computer network play a role and function in
doing so? What is the procedure and step being used to send an
email over a network?

3. Solution Brief:
E-mail is short for electronic mail. E-mail is part of an application layer service
in which the user can transfer or send the messages and information with
another user on the internet. E-mail is the most popular service of the internet.

E-mail is stated as the transmission of messages through a mail system on the

Internet. Its features are commonly used over communications networks that
contain text, files, images, or other attachments. Generally, it is information
that is stored on a computer which is being sent through a network to a
specified individual or group of individuals.

Email messages are transmitted through email servers; it uses various

protocols within the TCP/IP suite. For example, SMTP is a protocol, stands
for simple mail transfer protocol and utilized to send messages whereas other
protocols IMAP or POP are made to retrieve messages from a mail server. If
you need to login to your mail account, you just need to enter a valid email
address, password, and the mail servers employed to send and receive
messages.
First the sender is required to enter the email address of the recipient along
with the message utilizing an email application. This must be done at the local
computers. Once it is finished and the “Send” button is clicked, the email will
be going to the MTA (The Mail Transfer Agent). This communication is done via
the SMTP protocol.

The next step is DNS lookup. The system sends out a request to find out the
corresponding MTA of the recipient. This will be possible with the use of the
MX record. In the DNS zone, for the receiver address’ domain, there will be an
MX record (stands for Mail Exchanger record). This is a DNS resource record
which identifies the mail server of a domain. So, after the DNS lookup, a
response is given to the requested mail server with the IP address of the
recipient’s mail server. This way the ‘to’ mail server is identified.

The next step is transporting the message between the mail servers. The SMTP
protocol is used for this communication. Now our message is with the recipient
mail server (MTA).

Now, this message is transferred to the Mail Delivery Agent and then it is
transferred to the recipient’s local computer.
4. Architecture: Email Architecture
Email architecture consists of three components:
• User Agent (UA)
• Message Transfer Agent (MTA)
• Message Access Agent (MAA)

Diagram of Email Architecture

Alice (MTA) (MAA) Bob

(UA) Client Client (UA)

LAN or WAN LAN or WAN

(MTA) (MTA)
Server Server

(MTA) Internet (MTA)

Client Server

System System
5. Different Technologies used:
Emails can be sent by many different technological applications but one of the
most common and popular one is Gmail.

1. Email messages are composed using an email program (an email client).
2. The email program assembles the email by combining the message
content (the body) with the recipient, subject, date, and time (the
header).
3. Email relies on a set of protocols to arrive at the correct destination.
4. The email program (the email client) comes in two forms, a web-based
version like Gmail, where users must log in through their browser to
access their emails or a client-based version such as Outlook, where
users install software to access emails from their local computer.

6. Topology used:

Mesh network topologies are typical of the internet, and certain wide area
networks (WANs). Data may be transmitted via a routing logic, which is
determined by set criteria such as “path of shortest distance” or “avoid broken
links”. Alternatively, a technique known as flooding may be used, where the
same information stream is transmitted to all network nodes, without
prejudice.
7. Transmission medium used:

Sending emails is done through the internet which uses Wireless Transmission
Medium. It uses Satellite Microwave Communication.

The satellite accepts the signal that is transmitted from the earth station, and it
amplifies the signal. The amplified signal is retransmitted to another earth
station. Satellite communication is used in mobile and wireless communication
applications.

It is used in a wide variety of applications such as weather forecasting,

radio/TV signal broadcasting, mobile communication, etc.
8. OSI or TCP/IP protocol:
Email system uses different TCP/IP protocols:

• It sends your emails using SMTP

• It can download your emails from an email server using POP
• It can connect to an email server using IMAP

SMTP - Simple Mail Transfer Protocol

The SMTP protocol is used for the transmission of e-mails. SMTP takes care of
sending your email to another computer.

Normally your email is sent to an email server (SMTP server), and then to
another server or servers, and finally to its destination.

SMTP can only transmit pure text. It cannot transmit binary data like pictures,
sounds or movies.

SMTP uses the MIME protocol to send binary data across TCP/IP networks. The
MIME protocol converts binary data to pure text.

POP - Post Office Protocol

The POP protocol is used by email programs (like Microsoft Outlook) to

retrieve emails from an email server.
If your email program uses POP, all your emails are downloaded to your email
program (also called email client), each time it connects to your email server.

IMAP - Internet Message Access Protocol

The IMAP protocol is used by email programs (like Microsoft Outlook) just like
the POP protocol.

The main difference between the IMAP protocol and the POP protocol is that
the IMAP protocol will not automatically download all your emails each time
your email program connects to your email server.

The IMAP protocol allows you to look through your email messages at the
email server before you download them. With IMAP you can choose to
download your messages or just delete them. This way IMAP is perfect if you
need to connect to your email server from different locations, but only want to
download your messages when you are back in your office.

9. Encryption/Decryption:
Email encryption relies on a Public Key Infrastructure or PKI, in most cases, a
combination of a private key (known only by you) and a public key (known only
to those you choose to distribute it to or even made publicly available). Those
sending emails that they want to encrypt would use the public key, while the
intended recipient would use the private key to decrypt those messages into a
readable format. In the PKI model, anyone can use a public key to encrypt
email, but each encrypted message can only be decrypted by a unique private
key.
10. Speed of sending and receiving:
The exact speed of email will depend upon Internet traffic and server load at
particular times of the day. In general, however, email delivery can be
almost instantaneous under optimal conditions. With vast networks of super-
fast fibre optic cables powering the super computers that run the Internet, you
can send an email to a friend halfway around the world that they receive
within seconds of your sending it! The transmission medium uses the
frequency range of terrestrial microwave that is from 4-6 GHz to 21-23 GHz. It
supports the bandwidth from 1 to 10 Mbps.

11. Different Hardware device used:

There are many hardware devices used in sending an email such as Mobile
phone, laptop, Wi-Fi Router, Modem, etc. Laptop and Mobiles are used to
draft the mail on the screen using keyboard and mouse or touch screen to type
and software such as Gmail, Outlook either Web-based or Application Based.
Modem is a hardware component that allows a computer or another device,
such as a router or switch, to connect to the Internet. Wi-Fi Router is the
medium used to connect to the laptop and mobile to give internet access to
transmit and send the email to another person known as the receiver across
the internet.
12. References:
https://www.tutorialandexample.com/e-mail-in-computer-
network/#:~:text=E%2Dmail%20stands%20for%20electronic%20mail.%20E%2Dmail%20is%20an%20app
lication%20layer%20service%20in%20which%20a%20user%20can%20transfer%20the%20messages%20
and%20information%20with%20another%20user.%20E%2Dmail%20is%20the%20most%20popular%20s
ervice%20of%20the%20internet.

https://www.javatpoint.com/e-mail#:~:text=E%2Dmail%20is,and%20receive%20messages.

https://www.interserver.net/tips/kb/exactly-emails-works-steps-
explanation/#:~:text=First%20the%20sender,recipient%E2%80%99s%20local%20computer.

https://www.electroniclinic.com/email-architecture-gmail-two-step-verification-smtp-pop3-
imap/#:~:text=Email%20architecture%20consists,Access%20Agent%20(MAA)

https://www.namecheap.com/guru-guides/how-does-email-
work/#:~:text=Email%20messages%20are,their%20local%20computer.

https://blog.finjan.com/a-closer-look-at-network-
topology/#:~:text=Mesh%20network%20topologies,nodes%2C%20without%20prejudice.

https://www.javatpoint.com/unguided-transmission-
media#:~:text=of%20microwave%20transmission.-
,Satellite%20Microwave%20Communication,as%20weather%20forecasting%2C%20radio/TV%20signal%
20broadcasting%2C%20mobile%20communication%2C%20etc.,-Disadvantages%20Of%20Satellite

https://w3schools.sinsixx.com/tcpip/tcpip_email.asp.htm#:~:text=SMTP%20%2D%20Simple%20Mail,in
%20your%20office.

https://digitalguardian.com/blog/what-email-
encryption#:~:text=Email%20encryption%20relies,unique%20private%20key.

https://wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-fast-is-an-email-
sent#:~:text=In%20general%2C%20however,your%20sending%20it!