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Types of Networks

Conventional/Size/Coverage

 Personal Area Network (PAN): connects devices in a small area, such as a home or office

 Local Area Network (LAN): connects devices in a limited geographical area, such as a
building or campus

 Metropolitan Area Network (MAN): connects devices in a larger geographical area, such
as a city or town

 Wide Area Network (WAN): connects devices over a large geographical area, such as a
country or continent

Additional types of networks (Specialized)

 Software Defined Network (SDN): a network that is controlled and managed by software

 Storage Area Network (SAN): a network that connects storage devices to servers

 Enterprise Private Network (EPN): a network that connects multiple offices or locations of
an organization

 Virtual Private Network (VPN): a network that allows users to connect to a private network
over the internet

 Home Area Network (HAN): a network that connects devices in a home

 Body Area Network (BAN): a network that connects devices on or near the human body

2. Network Architecture

 Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Network: all devices are equal and can act as both clients and servers

 Client/Server Network: devices are divided into clients (requesting services) and servers
(providing services)
3. Network Topology

 Physical Topology: the physical layout of devices and connections in a network

 Logical Topology: the way data flows through a network, regardless of physical layout

Some common physical topologies include:

 Bus: a single cable connects all devices

 Star: devices connect to a central hub or switch

 Ring: devices connect in a circular configuration

 Mesh: each device connects to every other device

4. Network Protocols

 Protocol: a set of rules that govern data communication over a network

 TCP/IP: the most common protocol suite, used for internet communication

 TCP (Transmission Control Protocol): ensures reliable data transfer by

establishing connections, sequencing packets, and retransmitting lost packets

 IP (Internet Protocol): routes data packets between networks by providing logical

addresses and routing information

 Other protocols:

 HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol): used for transferring data over the web,
including web pages and files

 FTP (File Transfer Protocol): used for transferring files between hosts over a
network

 DNS (Domain Name System): translates human-readable domain names into IP

addresses
  DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol): assigns IP addresses and other
network settings to devices on a network

 SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol): used for sending and receiving email

 SSH (Secure Shell): used for secure remote access to networks and devices

These protocols work together to enable communication, data transfer, and other functions over a
network.

5. Network Devices

 Network devices: hardware components that connect, manage, and control data flow in a
network

 Types of network devices:

 Hub: a simple network device that connects multiple devices together, repeating
incoming data signals to all connected devices

 Switch: a network device that connects multiple devices together, filtering and
forwarding data packets to the intended recipient

 Router: a network device that connects multiple networks together, routing data
packets between them

 Modem: a network device that connects a network to the internet via a broadband
connection (e.g., cable, DSL, fiber)

 Gateway: a network device that connects a network to another network or the

internet, often providing additional functions like routing and firewall protection

 Bridge: a network device that connects two separate networks together, often used
to extend a network or connect two LANs

 Repeater: a network device that amplifies weak signals to extend the range of a
network
  Access Point (AP): a network device that allows wireless devices to connect to a
network

 Network Interface Card (NIC): a hardware component that connects a device to

a network

 Wireless Access Point (WAP): a network device that allows wireless devices to
connect to a network

These network devices play a crucial role in building and managing networks, enabling
communication and data transfer between devices.

6. Network Topologies

 Network topology: the physical and logical arrangement of devices and connections in a
network

 Types of network topologies:

 Physical topology: the physical layout of devices and connections in a network

 Logical topology: the way data flows through a network, regardless of physical
layout

 Common network topologies:

 Bus topology: a single cable connects all devices in a linear sequence

 Star topology: all devices connect to a central device (hub or switch)

 Ring topology: devices connect in a circular configuration, and data travels in one
direction

 Mesh topology: each device connects to every other device, providing multiple
paths for data to travel

 Tree topology: a combination of bus and star topologies, with multiple levels of
connections
  Hybrid topology: a combination of two or more different topologies

 Advantages and disadvantages of each topology: each topology has its own strengths
and weaknesses, such as scalability, reliability, and cost

Understanding network topologies is important for designing and building efficient, reliable, and
scalable networks.

Network Protocols

 Network protocol: a set of rules and standards that govern data communication over a
network

 Purpose of network protocols: to ensure devices from different manufacturers can

communicate with each other, and to manage data transmission, routing, and reception

 Types of network protocols:

 TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol): the most widely

used protocol suite, which includes TCP, IP, UDP, and others

 HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol): a protocol for transferring data over the
web

 FTP (File Transfer Protocol): a protocol for transferring files over a network

 SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol): a protocol for sending and receiving
email

 DNS (Domain Name System): a protocol for translating domain names to IP

addresses

 DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol): a protocol for assigning IP

addresses and other network settings to devices

 OSI Model (Open Systems Interconnection Model): a 7-layered framework for

understanding how network protocols work together
  Layer 1: Physical: defines the physical means of data transmission

 Layer 2: Data Link: provides error-free transfer of data frames

 Layer 3: Network: routes data between networks

 Layer 4: Transport: provides reliable data transfer between devices

 Layer 5: Session: establishes, manages, and terminates connections

 Layer 6: Presentation: converts data into a format that can be understood by the
receiving device

 Layer 7: Application: provides services and interfaces for applications to

communicate

Ethernet Technologies

 10BASE-T: 10 Mbps, twisted-pair cable, up to 100 meters

 100BASE-TX: 100 Mbps, twisted-pair cable, up to 100 meters

 1000BASE-T: 1000 Mbps, twisted-pair cable, up to 100 meters

 10GBASE-T: 10,000 Mbps, twisted-pair cable, up to 100 meters

 Fiber Optic Ethernet: uses fiber optic cables for high-speed connections

Wireless Ethernet Standards

 IEEE 802.11: a set of wireless networking standards

 802.11a: 5 GHz frequency band, up to 54 Mbps

 802.11b: 2.4 GHz frequency band, up to 11 Mbps

 802.11g: 2.4 GHz frequency band, up to 54 Mbps

 802.11n: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands, up to 600 Mbps

  802.11ac: 5 GHz frequency band, up to 1.3 Gbps

 802.11ax: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands, up to 9.6 Gbps

What is CSMA/CD?

CSMA/CD stands for Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection. It's a protocol that
helps devices share a network cable and avoid data collisions.

How does it work?

CSMA/CD has three main components:

1. Carrier Sense: This means that a device "listens" to the network cable to see if it's busy or
not. If the cable is busy, the device waits.

2. Multiple Access: This means that multiple devices can share the same network cable.

3. Collision Detection: This means that if two devices try to send data at the same time, they
detect the collision and stop sending data.

Here's how it works step-by-step:

 A device wants to send data and "listens" to the network cable to see if it's busy.

 If the cable is not busy, the device sends its data.

 If another device tries to send data at the same time, a collision occurs.

 The devices detect the collision and stop sending data.

 The devices wait for a random amount of time before trying to send data again.

 This process repeats until the data is successfully sent.