 Resource Sharing: Data, Hardware resources (Modem, Hard Disk, DVD Drive, Scanner

COMPUTER NETWORKING etc.) and Software resources (Application Software, Anti-Virus tools etc.) can be easily
shared on computer networks by connecting these devices to one computer(server).
CHAPTER 1  Cost saving: Sharing of resources in computer networking leads to cost saving.
 Improved Communication: A computer network enables fast, reliable and easy
communication among its users. We can easily communicate with anyone through
email, video conferencing or chatting through networking.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
 Time saving: It takes negligible time to send and receive messages, audio, video and
After learning this chapter, the students will be able to: images on a computer network. We can easily watch live videos and can talk live to
anyone sitting in some other corner of the world on the computer network. This leads to
 Define what a Computer Network is
time saving.
 List the benefits of networking
 List different wired and wireless media for communication  Increased storage: On a computer network, same data is replicated on multiple
 Identify different network devices computers to ensure the availability of data in case of some computer getting faulty.
 Identify different types of Network Topologies Mostly the data is kept on servers and is shared with legitimate users. This ensures data
security and reliability.
 Identify the type of network on the basis of area covered
 Describe various terms associated with computer networks.
 List various network security concepts and security threats to computer networks
 List the preventive and corrective measures against these threats Networking Hardware
 Understand various internet applications
Transmission/Communication Media- A transmission medium is a medium of data
 Understand wireless/mobile communication
transfer over a network. It can be wired or wireless.

INTRODUCTION
A computer network is a collection of interconnected computers and other devices which are
able to communicate with each other and share hardware and software resources.

Wired Media- It includes various types of cables which are used to transfer data over
Advantages: computer networks.
1.Twisted Pair Cable – This is one of the common forms of wiring in networks, especially in i. It is a low-cost cable available for setting up small networks.
LANs and it consists of four pairs of two insulated wires arranged in a regular spiral pattern ii. It is a thin (External diameter app. 0.43cm) and flexible cable and therefore it
(double helix). These pairs are colour coded. An RJ-45 connecter is used to connect this cable to offers ease of installation.
a computer. iii. It can carry data upto a length of 100m at a stretch.

STP (Shielded Twisted pair): It is the same cable as the UTP, but with each pair shielded
individually. An outer shield then covers all the pairs like in UTP. STP data connectors are
used to connect STP cable to the computer. RJ-45 connectors can also be used to
connect this cable to a computer.

Advantages:
(i) It is easy to install and maintain.
(ii) It is very inexpensive
(iii) It is an adequate and least expensive medium for low speed (up to 10 mbps)
applications where the distance between the nodes is relatively small.

Disadvantages:
(i) It is incapable to carry a signal over long distances without the use of repeaters. Characteristics of STP cable:
(ii) Due to low bandwidth, these are unsuitable for broadband applications. i. As compared to UTP, STP offers better immunity against internal and external
electromagnetic interferences.
Twisted pair cable is of two types: ii. It is expensive than UTP cable.
iii. As compared to UTP cable, STP cable is difficult to install.
UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair): As the name suggests in UTP cables individual pairs are
not shielded. UTP has become the most closely identified cable for Ethernet, and is therefore
called Ethernet cable. Ethernet cables are used to attach the computer to the modem to 2. Co-axial cable (or coax)- It is the most commonly used transmission media for LANs.
set up the internet connection at home or office. It is widely used for television signals and also by large corporations in building
security systems. Multi-channel television signals can be transmitted around
metropolitan areas at considerably less cost.

Characteristics of UTP cable:

 Disadvantages-
(i)Especially skilled people are required to install optical fiber cables.
(ii)Till date it is the most expensive and at the same time the most efficient cable
available for computer networks.

Wireless Media

1. Radio Waves - They are widely used for communication, both indoors and outdoors.
Advantages- Cordless phones, AM and FM radio broadcast, Garage door openers etc. are
examples of radio wave transmission.
(i) It can carry data for a larger distance (185m - 500m) at a stretch.
(ii) Less susceptible to electromagnetic fields.
(iii) It offers high bandwidth (up to 400 mbps).

Disadvantages-
(i)Bulkier and less flexible than twisted pair.
(ii)Due to its thickness (1cm diameter) and less flexibility, it is difficult to install as
compared to twisted pair cable.

3. Optical Fiber cable – Optical fibers offer a very high bandwidth and this makes it ADVANTAGES
capable of multichannel communication.
(i)It offers ease of communication over difficult terrain.
(ii)These waves are omni-directional, so the transmitting and receiving antennas
need not be aligned.
DISADVANTAGES
(i)The transmission can be interfered by motors or other electrical equipment
(ii)Permission from concerned authorities is required for use of radio wave
transmission.
(iii)Less secure mode of transmission
(iv)Radio wave propagation is susceptible to weather effects like rains, thunder
storms etc.

2. Micro Waves: Microwaves travel in straight lines and cannot penetrate any solid
Advantages- object. Therefore, for long distance microwave communication, high towers are built
and microwave antennas are put on their top.
(i)It can carry data for a very large distance at a stretch.
(ii)Not susceptible to electromagnetic fields
 4. Bluetooth- This technology is used for short range communication (approx. 10m).
Baby monitors, door openers, and cell phones are some of the devices that utilize
Bluetooth communication.

In the big cities where land is very costly and a lot of formalities have to be
completed to get permission to dig land for cabling, microwave antennas can be put
on top of high rise buildings and communication can be started in a short time.

ADVANTAGES
ADVANTAGES
(i)Free from land acquisition rights (i)Line of sight between communicating devices is not required.
(ii)Offers ease of communication over difficult terrain (ii)Bluetooth can connect up to eight devices simultaneously.
DISADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
(i)The transmission is in straight lines so the transmitting and receiving antennas (i)Slow data transfer rate (upto 1Mbps).
need to be properly aligned. (line of sight transmission)

3. Infrared Waves: These waves are used for short range communication (approx. 5m). 5. Satellite Link: Satellite links are used for very long distance wireless communication
Home-entertainment remote-control devices, Cordless mouse, and Intrusion which may range from intercity to intercontinental. The satellite system is very
detectors are some of the devices that utilize infrared communication. expensive but its area coverage and fringe benefits compensate for the expenses.

ADVANTAGES
(i)It is a line of sight transmission; therefore, information passed to one device is not
leaked to another device. ADVANTAGES
(ii)No government license is required for their use (i)Satellites cover large area of earth
(ii)Since communication over very long distances is possible, this becomes a
commercially attractive option.
DISADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
(i)It is a line of sight transmission, therefore at a time only two devices can
(i)This system is expensive
communicate.
(ii)Requires legal permissions
(ii)Performance drops with longer distances
Network Devices

Other than the transmission media many other devices are required to form computer
networks. Some of these devices are:

1. NIC(Network Interface Card):An NIC (Network Interface Card) is a device that enables a
computer to connect to a network and communicate. Any computer which has to be a
part of a computer network must have an NIC installed in it.

4. SWITCH: A Switch is an intelligent device that connects several nodes to form a network
and redirects the received information only to the intended node(s).

2. MODEM: A modem (Modulator - Demodulator) is a peripheral device that enables a

computer to transmit data over, telephone or cable lines. It converts the digital data
from the sender computer into analog form to be able to send it over telephone lines.
At the receiving end modem converts the data from analog form to digital form and
stores into receiving computer. The difference between the two is that Hub broadcasts the received information to all
the nodes. Switch does not broadcast instead sends the information selectively only to
those computers for which it is intended. This makes a switch more efficient than a
hub.

3. HUB: A Hub is an electronic device that connects several nodes to form a network and
redirects the received information to all the connected nodes in broadcast mode. The 5. Repeater: A Repeater is a device that is used to regenerate a signal which is on its way
computer(s) for which the information is intended receive(s) this information and through a communication channel. A repeater regenerates the received signal and re-
accept(s) it. Other computers on the network simply reject this information. transmits it to its destination.
 (ii)Fault diagnosis is difficult.
(iii)At a time only one node can transmit data.

2. Star Topology: In star topology, each node is directly connected to a hub/switch.

6. Gateway: A Gateway is a device, which is used to connect different types of networks.

Network Topologies
A Topology is an arrangement of physical connections among nodes in a network. There
exist different network topologies:

ADVANTAGES
1. Bus Topology: In bus topology, all the nodes are connected to a main cable called
(i)It is easy to install.
Backbone.
(ii)It is easy to diagnose the fault in Star topology.
(iii)It is easy to expand depending on the specifications of central hub/switch.

DISADVANTAGES
(i)Failure of hub/switch leads to failure of entire network.
(ii)It requires more cable length as compared to bus topology.

3. Tree Topology: Tree topology is a combination of bus and star topologies. It is used to
combine multiple star topology networks.

ADVANTAGES
(i)It offers easy way of network expansion.
(ii)Even if one network (star) fails, the other networks remain connected and working.

ADVANTAGES Network Protocols

(i)It is easy to install. A network protocol is a set of rules for communication among networked devices. These
(ii)It requires less cable length and hence it is cost effective. Protocols are HTTP, TCP/IP, PPP.

DISADVANTAGES 1. HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol): HTTP is used to transfer all files and other data
(i)In case of cable (backbone) or terminator fault, the entire network breaks down. (collectively called resources) from one computer to another on the world wide web.
 many continents are examples of WANs. The best-known example of a WAN is the
1. TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol): Communication between internet.
two computers on internet is done using TCP/IP protocol. TCP/IP is a two-layer protocol.
When data is to be sent from one computer to another over internet, it is first broken
into smaller packets which are actually sent. When these packets are received by the Identification of computers and users over a network
receiver computer, they are assembled into the original message. This job of dividing
the original message into packets and re-assembling the received packets into the 1. MAC (Media Access Control) address- A machine with an NIC can be identified uniquely
original message is done following TCP protocol. Internet protocol is followed to ensure through its NIC’s (Network Interface Card) MAC address. MAC address of an NIC is
that each of these packets gets to the right destination. Different packets from the same permanent and does never change. For example, in the following MAC address,
message may be routed differently, but they reach the same destination and are
reassembled there. 00:A0:C9 : 14:C8:35

2. PPP (Point to Point Protocol): It is a protocol for direct communication between two The prefix 00:A0:C9 indicates ID number of the adapter manufacturer. The second half
computers, typically a personal computer connected by phone line to a server. PPP is (14:C8:35) of a MAC address represents the serial number assigned to the adapter (NIC)
used over many types of physical networks including cellular telephone, serial cable, by its manufacturer.
phone line, trunk line, specialized radio links, and fiber optic links.
2. IP Address- Every machine in a network has another unique identifying number, called
its IP Address. An IP address is a group of four bytes (or 32 bits) each of which can be a
3. TEAM VIEWER: Team Viewer is a computer software package for remote
number from 0 to 255. A typical IP address looks like this:
control, desktop sharing, online meetings, web conferencing and file transfer between
computers. People can use Team viewer for presentations, watching videos, work on
59.177.134.72
presentations, etc. Up to 25 members can be added at a time.
On a network, IP address of a machine is used to identify it. MAC address is used only
Types of Networks: On the basis of area covered computer networks are classified as: when a specific machine is to be targeted. For example, suppose we want to block a
specific PC to access some network resource. If we use the PCs IP address, then the PC is
1. PAN - Personal Area Network- A PAN is a network of communicating devices not blocked permanently as its IP address may change when it connects to the network
(Computer, Phone, MP3/MP4 Player, Camera etc.) in the proximity of an individual. It next time. Instead, we use the PCs MAC address for this purpose.
spans an area of around 10 m radius. A PAN can be set up using guided media (USB
cable) or unguided media (Bluetooth, Infrared). IP Address Vs MAC Address

2. LAN - Local Area Network- A LAN is a network of computing/Communicating devices in (i)The IP address is assigned by the network administrator or the internet service
a room, building, or campus. It can cover an area of a few meters to a few kilometers provider while the MAC address is assigned by the manufacturer.
radius. Sometimes it spans a group of nearby buildings. (ii)If a computer is transferred from one network to another, its IP address gets changed
where as the MAC address remains the same.
3. MAN - Metropolitan Area Network- A MAN is a network of computing/communicating
devices within a city. It can cover an area of a few kilometers to a few hundred
kilometers radius. A network of schools, banks or Government offices etc. within a city, 3. Domain Name: In context of internet, a Domain Name is a name assigned to a server
are examples of MANs. A good example of a MAN is the interconnected offices of a through Domain Name System (DNS). Examples of some domain names are cbse.nic.in,
state government. sikkimipr.org, indianrailway.gov.in etc. Domain names are used in URLs to identify
particular Web servers. For example, in the URL http://www.cbse.nic.in/welcome.htm,
4. WAN -Wide Area Network- A WAN is a network of computing/communicating devices the domain name is www.cbse.nic.in
crossing the limits of a city, country, or continent. It can cover an area of over hundreds
of kilometer radius. A network of ATMs, BANKs, National Government Offices,
International Organizations' Offices etc., spread over a country, continent, or covering
 A domain name usually has more than one part: top level domain name or primary domain
name and sub-domain name(s). Top level domains are divided into two categories: Generic FIREWALL: A firewall is hardware or software based network security system. It
Domain Names and Country-Specific Domain Names. For example: prevents unauthorized access (hackers, viruses, worms etc.) to or from a network.
Firewalls are used to prevent unauthorized internet users to access private networks
Generic Domain Names: connected to the internet. All data entering or leaving the Intranet pass through the
·com - commercial business firewall, which examines each packet and blocks those that do not meet the specified
security criteria.
·edu - Educational institutions
·gov - Government agencies COOKIES: When the user browses a website, the web server sends a text file to the web
browser. This small text file is a cookie. Generally, a cookie contains the name of the
·mil - Military website from which it has come from and a unique ID tag. They are usually used to track
the pages that you visit so that information can be customized for you for that visit.
·net - Network organizations
·org - Organizations (nonprofit) HACKERS: A hacker accesses the computer without the intention of destroying data or
maliciously harming the computer. A computer enthusiast, who uses his computer
Country Specific Domain Names: programming skills to intentionally access a computer without authorization is known as
.in - India a hacker.

·au - Australia CRACKERS: A person who gains unauthorized access to a computer with the intention of
causing damage is known as a cracker.
·ca - Canada
.ch - China
Network Security Threats
.nz - New Zealand
.pk - Pakistan Some kinds of attacks on network security are as:

.jp - Japan 1. Denial of Service (DoS) attack is an attempt to make one or more network resources
unavailable to their legitimate users. Examples of such attacks are:
.us - United States of America
Domain Name Resolution is the process of getting corresponding IP address from a domain a) Denial of Access to Information: Corrupting, Encrypting, or changing the status of
name. information so that it is not accessible to its legitimate user.
Suppose you mention a URL in the web-browser to visit a website. The browser first b) Denial of Access to Application: Forced shutting of an application as soon as the user
checks your computer to find if the IP address of the server corresponding to the Domain opens it.
Name (embedded in the URL) is present. If this address is present then with the help of c) Denial of Access to Resources: Blocking a resource, may be a printer or scanner or
this address, the corresponding server is contacted and then the website opens in your USB port, of a computer from proper working.
browser. Otherwise the browser sends this domain name to some specific servers (called
d) Denial of Access to a Website: Continuously sending bulk requests to a website so
domain name servers) to find the corresponding IP address. Once the IP address is known,
that it is not available to any other user.
the server is contacted and then the website opens in your browser.

Network Security Concepts 2. Intrusion problem is an attempt to mischievously steal some information from someone's
computer. Examples of Intrusion are:
CYBER LAW: Cyber law is an attempt to integrate the challenges presented by human a)Snooping refers to gaining unauthorized access to another person's or organization's
activity on the internet with legal system of laws applicable to the physical world. data. This may be done in a number of ways:
  By getting someone's login information by casually watching what he/she CHAT: Online textual talk in real time, is called Chatting. A chat program is software
is typing. which is required for chatting over the internet. AOL Instant Messenger, Campfire,
 Reading the files on someone's computer in an unauthorized manner. Internet Messenger, MSN Messenger are some commonly used chat programs.
 Using some software which keeps track of the activities and data being
sent or received on someone's computer.
VIDEO CONFRENCING: It is a two way videophone conversation among multiple
b) Eavesdropping refers to unauthorized access to another person's or organization's participants is called video conferencing.
data while the data is on its way on the network. This may be done in a number of ways:
 By setting up parallel telephone lines.
 By installing some software (spyware) in the target computer. Wireless/mobile communication
 By installing some receiver which captures the data while on its way.
1.GSM(Global System for Mobile communication): GSM (Global System for Mobile
Communications) is a second-generation digital mobile telephone standard using a
Protecting a network from security attacks variation of Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA). It is the most widely used of the
three digital wireless telephone technologies - CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access),
GSM and TDMA. It provides its subscribers with roaming facility, so that they can use
1. Login-Password: By assigning login names and strong passwords to the users of a their mobile phone all over the world. It provides customers with better voice and low
system, it can be ensured that only authorized people access a computer. cost alternative to making calls such as short message service(SMS). The main feature of
2.Firewall: A firewall is a hardware device or a software that is installed to monitor the GSM is the Subscriber Identity Module(SIM) called as SIM card. It is a detachable smart
data entering the computer/Network or leaving it. card that contains subscriber’s information along with phone book. It which allows eight
3.Anti Virus Software: Anti-virus software work against not only the virus but also simultaneous calls on the same radio frequency.
against almost all kinds of malware. Therefore, by installing a full version legal (not the
pirated one or freeware) anti-virus software network security can be increased.
4.File Permissions: Different rights (privileges) can be given to different users of a 2. CDMA(Code Division Multiple Access): Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) is a
computer to perform one or more of these tasks. For eg. 'Read', 'Write', and 'Modify' sort of multiplexing that facilitates various signals to occupy a single transmission
rights can be given. By giving appropriate rights to respective users, computer security channel. It optimizes the use of available bandwidth. It is a digital cellular technology
as well as network security can be increased. that uses spread- spectrum techniques. CDMA does not assign a specific frequency to
each user. Instead, every channel uses the full available spectrum. The user has access
INTERNET APPLICATIONS to the whole bandwidth for the entire duration. The basic principle is that different
CDMA codes are used to distinguish among the different users.

SMS(Short Message Service): SMS is the transmission of short text messages to and
from a mobile pone, fax machine and or IP address.

VOICE MAIL: It is an electronic communication system in which spoken messages are

recorded or digitized and stored for later playback to the intended recipient. Voicemail
systems are designed to convey a caller's recorded audio message to a recipient.

ELECTRONIC MAIL( Email): Email is sending and receiving messages by computer.

Difference between GSM and CDMA

GSM CDMA
It's a "time division" system. It's a "code division" system.
Calls take turns. Your voice is transformed Every call's data is encoded with a unique
into digital data, which is given a channel key, then the calls are all transmitted at
and a time slot, so three calls on one once; if you have calls 1, 2, and 3 in a
channel look like this: 123123123123. On channel, the channel would just say
the other end, the receiver listens only to 66666666. The receivers each have the
the assigned time slot and pieces the call unique key to "divide" the combined signal
back together. into its individual calls.
GSM also has the advantage of easily With CDMA phones, however, the SIM card
swappable SIM cards. GSM phones use the does not store such information. Your identity
SIM card to store your (the subscriber's) is tied to the CDMA network and not the
information like your phone number and other phone.
data that proves you are in fact a subscriber to
that carrier.
all GSM networks support making phone calls Such capability is not supported on most
while using data. This means you can be out CDMA networks.
and about on a phone call but still use your
navigation map or browse the internet.

4. WLL(Wireless in Local Loop) : WLL is a system that connects subscribers to the public
switched telephone network using radio signals as a substitute for other connecting
media.
5. 3G/4G:
1G => Voice
2G => Voice + Data
3G => Voice + Data + Video (Broadband)+ multimedia
4G =>wireless, Faster than 3G, anytime/anywhere feature

3G: The 3G technology adds multimedia facilities to 2G phones by allowing

video, audio, live chat, fast downloading, video conferencing, faster web services
etc. over mobile phones.

4G: It is a wireless access technology. 4G will provide internet access, high

quality streaming video and "anytime, anywhere" voice and data transmission at
a much faster speed than 3G. The "anytime, anywhere" feature of 4G is also
referred to as "MAGIC" (Mobile multimedia; Anytime/anywhere; Global mobility
support; Integrated wireless solution; Customized personal services).