Chapter 3

Networks, Internet and Internet Protocols

A basic understanding of networking is important for anyone managing a server.

Not only is it essential for getting your services online and running smoothly, it also gives
you the insight to diagnose problems. This lesson will provide a basic overview of some
common networking concepts.

One of the most important things you need to know about the internet is that it is a self-
publishing medium, which means that no one is in charge of the content found on it.
Anyone can publish anything on the internet, whether the information is true or not.

Learning Outcome:
 Define Computer network.
 Purpose of network
 Advantages and disadvantages of networking
 Networking devices
 Terms related to the Internet
 Concepts of internet technologies
 World Wide Web
 Internet Etiquette
 Principles of Internet services
 Uploading and+ Downloading files from internet

What is network?

- Group of computers and devices connected via communications devices and

transmission media and used to share information and resources.

What is a Network for?

Quite simply, a network task is to:

Reduce time and effort to

Perform business task;
Capture information and
Centralize control over it, and then
Disseminate this information rapidly, all in effort to
Cut costs, as part of this effort, a network should
Grow incrementally as the company grows and either
Centralize or decentralize computer systems to
Support organizational goals, all of which join together to give
Chapter 3

Advantages of Network:
Internet covers almost every aspect of life; one can think of. Here, we will discuss some
of the advantages of network.

1. Unlimited Communication – the internet has made easy for people to communicate
with others, because it is cheap and convenient.

The only cost is those paid to the internet service provider

2. Abundant Information and Resources – the internet swamped with information

about anything and everything. There are multiple search engines that have made
it easier for internet users to find information.

3. Online Services and E-commerce – it is possible to carry out financial transactions

online.

Example: you can send or transfer funds pay taxes and utility bills or book movie
tickets over the internet in the comfort of your office or home.

4. Entertainment – it is one of the major reasons why many people enjoy surfing the
internet you can watch movies, listen to music, read news columns and play games
over the internet.

Disadvantages of Network:

1. Spam Mail -spamming is the sending of unwanted and useless emails to random
people.
They are illegal and make it hard for people to access their email accounts.

2. Virus – these are malicious programs that plague the internet. They attack a
computer with the intent of causing harm.
They can make the computer malfunction and this can be very costly especially
if you lose important data.

Networking devices

Hardware devices that are used to connect computers, printers, fax machines and
other electronic devices to a network are called network devices.

These devices transfer data in a fast, secure and correct way over same or different
networks. Network devices may be inter-network or intra-network. Some devices are
installed on the device, like NIC card or RJ45 connector, whereas some are part of
the network, like router, switch, etc.

Let us explore some of these devices in greater detail.

Chapter 3

1. Modem is a device that enables a computer to send or receive data over telephone
or cable lines. The data stored on the computer is digital whereas a telephone line
or cable wire can transmit only analog data.
The main function of the modem is to convert digital signal into analog and vice
versa. Modem is a combination of two devices − modulator and demodulator.
The modulator converts digital data into analog data when the data is being sent
by the computer. The demodulator converts analog data signals into digital data
when it is being received by the computer.

Types of Modem

Modem can be categorized in several ways like direction in which it can transmit data,
type of connection to the transmission line, transmission mode, etc.
Depending on direction of data transmission, modem can be of these types −
 Simplex − A simplex modem can transfer data in only one direction, from digital
device to network (modulator) or network to digital device (demodulator).
 Half duplex − A half-duplex modem has the capacity to transfer data in both the
directions but only one at a time.
 Full duplex − A full duplex modem can transmit data in both the directions
simultaneously.
2. RJ45 is the acronym for Registered Jack 45. RJ45
connector is an 8-pin jack used by devices to physically
connect to Ethernet based local area networks
(LANs). Ethernet is a technology that defines protocols
for establishing a LAN. The cable used for Ethernet LANs
are twisted pair ones and have RJ45 connector pins at
both ends. These pins go into the corresponding socket
on devices and connect the device to the network.
3. Ethernet card, also known as network interface card
(NIC), is a hardware component used by computers to
connect to Ethernet LAN and communicate with other
devices on the LAN. The earliest Ethernet cards were
external to the system and needed to be installed
manually. In modern computer systems, it is an internal
hardware component. The NIC has RJ45 socket where
network cable is physically plugged in.

4. A router is a network layer hardware device that transmits data from one LAN to
another if both networks support the same set of protocols. So a router is typically
connected to at least two LANs and the internet service provider (ISP). It receives its
data in the form of packets, which are data frames with their destination
address added. Router also strengthens the signals before transmitting them. That is
why it is also called repeater.
Chapter 3

5. Switch is a network device that connects other devices to Ethernet networks

through twisted pair cables. It uses packet switching technique to receive,
store and forward data packets on the network. The switch maintains a list of network
addresses of all the devices connected to it.
On receiving a packet, it checks the destination
address and transmits the packet to the correct port.
Before forwarding, the packets are checked for
collision and other network errors. The data is
transmitted in full duplex mode
Data transmission speed in switches can be double
that of other network devices like hubs used for
networking. This is because switch shares its maximum
speed with all the devices connected to it. This helps in maintaining network speed even
during high traffic. In fact, higher data speeds are achieved on networks through use of
multiple switches.

6. Gateway is a network device used to connect

two or more dissimilar networks. In networking
parlance, networks that use different protocols
are dissimilar networks. A gateway usually is a
computer with multiple NICs connected to
different networks. A gateway can also be
configured completely using software. As
networks connect to a different network through
gateways, these gateways are

Gateway uses packet switching technique to transmit data from one network
to another. In this way it is similar to a router, the only difference being router
can transmit data only over networks that use same protocols.

A Wi-Fi card is used to add capabilities

like teleconferencing, downloading digital camera
images, video chat, etc. to old devices. Modern devices
come with their in-built wireless network adapter.
Chapter 3

Wi-Fi is the acronym for wireless fidelity. Wi-Fi technology is used to achieve wireless
connection to any network. Wi-Fi card is a card used to connect any device to the
local network wirelessly. The physical area of the network which provides internet
access through Wi-Fi is called Wi-Fi hotspot. Hotspots can be set up at home, office
or any public space. Hotspots themselves are connected to the network through
wires.

Thinking Box
Why do people want to get connected to Internet?

Terms related to the Internet

1. Web page – is an electronic document written

in a computer language called HTML
(Hyper Text Markup Language)
- Web pages are also known as HTML documents.
2. Website - is a set of related (linked through hypertext links) web pages, published by
an organization or individual.
- The quality, detail, and style of websites vary enormously, depending on how it is
designed.
3. Home page – is the starting point or a doorway to the website.
- Is also known as the index or index page.
- Like the table of contents of a book, the home page usually provides an overview
of what could be found at the website.
- If there is not much information, the home page may be the only page of the
website.
4. Web Browser – is a computer program that accesses web pages and displays them
on the computer screen.
- It is the basic software that is needed to find, retrieve, view, and send information
over the internet.

Two types of browsers

Graphical browsers
- allow retrieval of text, images, audio and video.
- Navigation is accomplished by pointing and clicking with a mouse on
highlighted words and graphics.
Text browsers
- provide access to the web in text-only mode.
- Navigation is accomplished by highlighting emphasized words on the screen
with the arrow up and down keys and then pressing the Enter key to follow the
link.
5. Uniform Resource Locator (URL) – each web page has a unique address, called a
URL that identifies its location on the internet.
Chapter 3

Example: Structure of the URL:

http://www.abc.com/tutor/start/ main.htm
Protocol http://
WWW www
Domain abc
Name
Domain Com
Type
Path tutor/start/
Protocol: File main.htm
name
access method
http hypertext transfer protocol
ftp file transfer protocol
news news server
mailto mail server

www: optional, since a web page can reside on the part of the internet.
Domain Name: unique and case sensitive human-readable for a host on the internet

The following represents the types of organization or country to which the host
belongs.

com Commercial organizations

edu Educational providers
gov Federal government agencies
mil US military sites
net Internal infrastructure and service providers
org Miscellaneous and non-profit organizations
uk United Kingdom
de Germany
au Australia
in india
Path Name and File Name - Path names specify the hierarchic locations of the said file
on the computer.

Example:
http://www.abc.com/tutor/start/ main.htm, the file main.htm is located in start, which is
a subdirectory of tutor.

Hypertext – refers to the text or image that connects to other documents

- These texts or images are known as hypertext link, hyperlink, hotlink or simply links.

Internet Service Provider – an ISP is a company that provides access to the

internet to individuals or companies.
Chapter 3

- For a monthly fee, the ISP provides user software package, username, password,
and access phone number(s).
- Equipped with a modem, the user can log on to the internet and browse the
web.

Web Server – a web server is a computer that answers requests from user’s
computers.
- It serves images and static content, such as web pages, to fill client’s requests.

COMPUTER NETWORKING TERMINOLOGY

WAN It stands for Wide Area Network and covers a wide area such as a city.
LAN It stands for Local Area Network and covers a small area such as a small office or
home. It physically connects all the computers located in the premises.
MAN – connects LAN’s in city or town

Internet It is a computer network system that connects the computers of the world. It is
normally connecting through WAN and LAN.
Intranet It is a close room computer network system, as it covers a small area and only
authorized people can access it.
Extranet It is also a sort of Internet access to which is granted only to a few.
World Wide Web (WWW) It is the service that is used on Internet to view and search
contents (in the form of web-pages).
Instant messaging (IM) It is an online facility that facilitates us to chat or talk. Such service
is provided by Skype, Google Talk, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, etc.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) It is a Protocol, which is used especially for voice
transfer over IP network. Likewise, it facilitates users to make phone-calls by using internet.
Really Simple Syndication (RSS) It is a technique, which is used for the dissemination of
information, articles, etc. Users normally subscribe to the RSS channel in order to receive
news. After subscription, users do not need to visit the respective website rather they
receive emails regarding the same.
Web log It is a sort of online inventory (normally on a specialized topics) that consists of a
series of entries. These entries are arranged in opposite chronological order. The person
who maintains the weblog regularly update it with a new information.
Podcast It is a digital file that normally contains audio or video record and is available
on the Internet as well.
Social networking websites It refers to the
websites that facilitate users with a
common platform where they can share
their message (in text, audio, or even
video form), images, videos, etc. For
example, Facebook, Google+, Twitter,
LinkedIn, MySpace, etc.
Chat Rooms It is a dedicated area on
the Internet that facilitates users to
communicate.
Chapter 3

Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) It is a technical expression for public

telephone system.
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) It is a set of communication standards that
transmits voice, video, data, and other network services simultaneously.
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) It is a sort of digital subscriber line (DSL)
technology that facilitates faster data transmission.
Download It is a process that saves data from Internet onto a personal computer.
Upload It is a process that transfers the saved data from a personal computer to
Internet server.
Dial-up It is a technique in which a phone line is used in order to connect to the
Internet.
Broadband It is a wide bandwidth data transmission that transports multiple signals and
traffic types swiftly.

World Wide Web

WWW stands for World Wide Web. A technical definition of the World Wide Web is − All
the resources and users on the Internet that are using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol
(HTTP).
It is also commonly known as “The Web”.

One can easily surf the web by jumping from one document to another using the links
int those documents.
These documents can be in many formats such as:
1. Text
2. Graphics
3. Animation
4. Sound and;
5. Latest video
They me also be combination of all these.

All the information on internet are presented to the user as a document or more
popularly known as “Web Page”. The web page are link to each other or even to
section within a Web Page and these links are known as “Hyper Links”.
A Search Engine is a website that searches the World Wide Web for specific keywords,
which you enter into a search field.

A Subject Directory is a listing of a website organized by topic.

Chapter 3

There are three ways to begin to surf the web.

1. Enter the URL of a website you want to visit
2. Use a Search Engine
3. Find your topic in a subject directory

Internet Etiquette

Netiquette is a term used for Network Etiquette, or Internet Etiquette.

As the online social presence continues to grow, so does the need for rules of
conduct to reinforce respect, kindness, and understanding in this growing platform of
communication.

Many are aware with some of the basic Netiquette rules such as:

1.Be kind - Avoid posting comments or opinions

that you would not feel comfortable speaking
to someone directly and keep comments and
subject matter appropriates.
The Internet is a very public forum.

2. Don’t troll - Through forums, comments and other feedback

options, it is considered bad form to hijack conversation threads
for personal gain, steer conversation towards off-topic subjects,
or post inflammatory controversial rants or personal attacks
towards another user in effort to provoke and spur emotional
responses.

3.Privacy sensitivity - Always limit your audience to a

need-to-know basis – don’t assume Reply to All is a
useful tactic – and never disrupt chain of command.
While these things seem obvious, they happen
frequently.
Chapter 3

4.Limiting the spread of spam - Spam is the equivalent of

junk mail that clogs email inboxes and offers little
professional or personal value while potentially opening up
the users to hacking.

5.Be mindful of copyrights -

Just as copying someone’s
writing is considered plagiarizing, so is the act of using
someone else’s photo, comic, joke, or quote without giving
proper credit to its creator or author.

Avoid typing in 6.ALL CAPS Typing in bold, all caps, or other formatting style conveys
emphasis and emotion. All Caps is considered shouting. Use with caution.

Principles of Internet services

1. Internet mail is (e-mail or electronic mail), much faster as compared to normal

post mail.

2. Long distance computing was an original inspiration for development of

APRANET and does still provide a very useful service on internet.

3. Programmers can maintain accounts on distant, powerful computers, execute

programs.

4. File transfer service allows internet users to access remote machine and retrieve
programs, data or text

5. Sending a software and a certain form of compressed digital image as an

attachment

6. News groups or discussion groups facilitate internet user to join for various kinds of
debate, discussion and new sharing.

DOWNLOADING AND UPLOADING

Chapter 3

While exploring the Internet, you’ve probably encountered the

terms downloading and uploading. Downloading means receiving data or a file from
the Internet on your computer. Uploading means sending data or a file from your
computer to somewhere on the Internet.

These terms describe activities you may have already learned how to do. If you've ever
opened an example document in one of our tutorials, you've downloaded that file. If
you’ve ever shared a photo you took on Facebook or another social media site, you've
uploaded that photo.

Downloading

Usually, when you download a file you will start the download by clicking a link to that
file. Many of our tutorials contain links to files, like this:

Download our practice document.

If you click the link, your browser should prompt you to select one of two methods for
downloading the file.

 Open with will download the file and load it immediately in the specified
program.
 Save File will download it and save it to your hard drive.
Chapter 3

Either way, once you click OK, the

download begins. Your browser will
indicate the progress and time
remaining on the download.

Once the download is complete, either the file will be saved to your computer or it will
open in the program you selected. If you have trouble finding the file after you’ve
downloaded it, check out our Finding Your Downloads lesson.

Some browsers don’t always start this download process when you click the link to a file.
In these cases, you can right-click the link, then click Save Link As, then select a
location to download the file.

Uploading

If a site allows uploads, it will have an upload utility to help perform the file transfer.
Each site handles this process differently, but we’ll give some common examples.
Usually, the site will have help pages to walk you through the upload process.

Many sites have an upload button that opens a dialog box. For example, Facebook
has a camera icon that begins the upload process.
Chapter 3

A dialog box will appear, prompting you to select a file. Browse to the location where
your file is stored, select it, then click the Open button. Afterward, a progress bar
tracking the upload process will appear on the page.

Some sites support a drag-and-

drop interface. For example,
when logged in to Dropbox you
can drag the files from a folder on
your computer and drop them
into the browser window.

Many other upload utilities have

similar features. A more detailed
example of uploading a file is
available in our Google Drive
tutorial.

References:
https://fcit.usf.edu/network/chap1/chap1.htm
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/communication_technologies/communication_technol
ogies_network_devices.htm
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/web_developers_guide/web_how_it_works.htm
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/internet_technologies/pdf/internet_quick_guide.pdf
Jerwin Taguinod (2013). Network Management, pg 3-4 module.