CHAPTER: 04

NETWORKS AND THE

EFFECTS OF USING THEM
Prepared By: Motiur
ICT Teacher, AKMIS
Local Area Networks (LANs)
A typical LAN will consist of a number of computers and devices that are connected to hubs or
switches. One of the hubs or switches will usually be connected to router and modem to allow
the LAN to connect to the internet; in doing so it then becomes part of a WAN.
Advantages:
➢ The sharing of resources
➢ Communication between users
➢ A network administrator to control and monitor all aspects of the network.

Disadvantages:
➢ Easier spread of viruses throughout the whole network
➢ Printer queues developing, which can be frustrating.
➢ Slower access to external networks, such as the internet.
➢ Increased security risk when compared to stand-alone computers.
➢ If the main server breaks down, in most cases the network will no longer function.
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Wide Area Networks (WANs)
Wide area networks (WANs) are used where computers or networks are situated a long
distance from each other geographically. LANs are joined together using a router or modem,
then they can form a WAN. The most common examples of WAN include the internet and the
network of ATMs used by banks.
WANs usually make use of some public communications network but they can use dedicated
or leased communication lines which can be less expensive and more secure.

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Wireless LANs (WLANs)
Wireless LANs (WLANs) are similar to LANs but there are no wires or cables. In
other words, they provide wireless network communications over fairly short
distances using radio or infrared signals instead of cables.
Devices, known as access points (APs) or wireless nodes, are connected into
the wired network at fixed locations.
Advantages:
➢ All computers can access the same services and resources from anywhere within
range of the APs
➢ As there is no cabling there is a safety improvement and increased flexibility
➢ Adding new computers and devices is very easy and the costs are reduced since
extra cabling isn’t needed.

Disadvantages:
➢ Security can be a big issue since anyone with a WLAN-enabled laptop can access a
network if it can pick up a signal; it is therefore necessary to adopt complex data
encryption techniques.
➢ There may be problems of interface, which can affect the signal.
➢ The data transfer rate is slower than in a wired LAN.

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Network Devices: Router
Routers enable data packets to be routed between the different networks, for example to join a
LAN to a wide area network (WAN).
A router would typically have an internet cable plugged into it and several cables connecting to
computers and other devices on the LAN.
The router’s main function is to transmit internet and transmission protocols between two
networks and also allow private networks to be connected together.

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Network Devices: IP and MAC addresses
Each device on the internet is given a unique
address known as its Internet Protocol address.
This is a 32-bit number that is usually written in the
form: 109.108.158.1
This is assigned by the ISP and is unique for that
particular internet session. An IP address can be
used instead of typing in the full URL; for example
http:// 109.108.158.1
Main differences between IP addresses and MAC
addresses is that the IP address gives the location
of a device on the internet, whereas the MAC
address identifies the device connected to the
internet.

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Network Devices: Data Packets
The data is carried in the packet according to which
protocol is used. Packets of data usually contain the
following information:
➢ Some form of header to identify the data packets
➢ The sender’s IP address
➢ The receiver’s IP address
➢ How many data packets make up the whole ‘message’
➢ The identity number of each packet

This information allows the router to route a packet

across a network to its correct destination and allows
the data packets to be reassembled in their correct
order according to identity number at the receiving
station.

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Network Devices: Other Hardware
Gateway:
A gateway is a network point (or node) that acts as an entrance to another
network. It is a key point for data on its way to or from other networks. All
networks will have boundaries so that all communication within the network
is conducted using devices such as switches or routers. If a network node
needs to communicate outside its network, it needs to use a gateway.
Network Interface Card (NIC):
A network interface card is needed to allow a device to connect to a network.
It is usually part of the device hardware and frequently contains the MAC
address generated at the manufacturing stage.
Network Cables:
Even though many computer systems use Wi-Fi, network cables are still used
because they have the following advantages over Wi-Fi:
➢ Faster data transfer rates
➢ Can be more secure than wireless networks

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Network Devices: Hubs
Hubs are hardware devices that can have a
number of devices or computers connected to
them.
They are often used to connect together a
number of devices to form a LAN- for example, a
star network.
Its main task is to take any data packet received
at one of its ports and broadcast it to every
computer in the network.
This essentially means that using a hub is not a
very secure or efficient method of data
distribution.

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Network Devices: Switches
Switches are similar to hubs but are much more efficient in the way that they distribute data
packets.
As with hubs, they connect a number of devices or computers together to form a LAN.
Each device or computer on a network has a media access control (MAC) address that
uniquely identifies it. Data packets sent to switches will have a MAC address identifying each
device that should receive the data.

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Network Devices: Bridge
Bridges are devices that connect one LAN to another LAN that uses the same protocol. They
are often used to connect together different parts of a LAN so that they can function as a
single LAN.

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Network Devices: Modems
Modems means ‘modulator demodulator’ and is a device that
converts a computer’s digital signal into an analogue signal for
transmission over an existing telephone line. It also does the reverse
process, in that it converts analogue signals from a telephone line into
digital signals, to enable the computer to process the data.
Modems are essentially used to allow computers to connect to
networks over long distances using the existing telephone networks.
Dial-up modems operate at transmission speeds of about 60 kilobits
per second, which is extremely slow by today’s standards.
60 kilobits=60000 bits
Modern broadband or ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line)
modems operate at up to 100 megabits per second (12.5
megabytes/second) when using fibre-optic cables
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Network Devices: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth offer wireless communication between devices. They both use radio
frequencies as the carrier of data transmission.
Wi-Fi:
A wireless transmitter receives information from a network via its connection. This transmitter converts
the received information into radio waves and then transmits them. A device receives the radio waves
via an installed wireless adaptor which allows it to download the information from data source.
Wi-Fi is best suited to operating full-scale networks since it offers much faster data transfer rates, better
range (up to 100 m) and better security than Bluetooth.
Bluetooth:
Bluetooth sends and receives radio waves in a band of 79 different frequencies. These are all centered
on a 2.45 GHz frequency. Devices using Bluetooth automatically detect and connect to each other, but
they don’t interface with other devices since each communicating pair uses one of 79 channels at
random.
If any channel is already being used, it randomly picks another channel. This is known as spread-
spectrum frequency hopping.
Essentially Bluetooth is useful:
➢ When transferring data between two or more devices that are very close together (<30 mitres)
➢ When the speed of data transmission is not critical
➢ Follow-bandwidth application

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Network Devices: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Differences between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

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How to set up and configure a small network
➢ Setting up an IP account if internet access is required
➢ Setting up the system to allow for wireless
connectivity
➢ Configuring all the hardware and software so that
they work correctly together
➢ If internet is required, ensuring that a high-speed
broadband connection exists
➢ Putting all the common software onto a server and
also making sure that a network licence has been
acquired so that all network users can make use of the
software
➢ Setting up privileges so that each user can only access
their own area or common shared area
➢ Setting up a network-manager-level of privilege do
that they can monitor network usages, change
passwords etc.

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Network issues and communication
Should the internet be policed?
Arguments in favour of some form of control:
➢ It would help to prevent illegal material being posted on websites.
➢ People find it much easier to discover information that can have serious
consequences; although most of this information can be found in books, it
is much easier to find it using a search engine.
➢ It would help to prevent children and other vulnerable groups from being
subjected to undesirable websites.
➢ It would help to stop incorrect information being published on websites.

Arguments against some form of control:

➢ Material published on websites is already available from other sources
➢ It would be very expensive to ‘police’ all websites and users would have to
pick up the bill
➢ It would be difficult to enforce rules and regulations on a global scale
➢ It can be argued that policing would go against freedom of information
➢ Laws already exist to deal with those who post illegal material/comments
on websites.

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Inappropriate sites and the accuracy of Information
There are three main aspects to consider for using search engine.
❖Reliability of information
❖Undesirability of certain websites
❖Security issues

Reliability of information:
➢ Information on the internet is more likely to be up to date than in books
➢ It is much easier to get information from websites
➢ There is a vast amount of information on the internet that is easier to locate than using the indices
in several books.
➢ Information could also be incorrect, inaccurate or even biased, since it doesn’t go through any
checking process.
➢ This is a real risk of information overload, even if the search engines are used properly; it is possible
to get millions of hits, which may make it difficult to find the relevant information.

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Inappropriate sites and the accuracy of Information
Understandability of certain websites:
➢ There is always a risk of finding undesirable websites.
➢ There is also a risk of connecting to websites that are not genuine, which could lead to a number of problems.
➢ Security risks

Security issues: Passwords are used in many instances when accessing the internet, for example when:
➢ Accessing your email account
➢ Carrying out online banking
➢ Accessing social networking sites
Your password should also be protected by following the ways below-
➢ Run anti-spyware software to make sure that your passwords aren’t being relayed back to whoever put the
spyware on your computer
➢ Change passwords on a regular basis in case they have come into the possession of another user illegally or
accidentally
➢ Password should not be easy to guess or break. Strong password should contain:
➢ At least one capital letter
➢ At least one numerical value
➢ At least one other keyboard character
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Authentication
Authentication is used to verify that
data comes from a secure and
trusted source. It works with
encryption to strengthen internet
security. User IDs and passwords are
authentication techniques. Some
forms of authentication include:
➢ Digital certificates

➢ Biometrics

➢ Magnetic stripe cards/id

cards/passports.

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Antivirus Software
Running antivirus software in the background on a computer will constantly check for virus
attacks.
Although various types of antivirus software work in different ways, they all have the following
common features:
➢ They check software or files before they are run or loaded on a computer
➢ Antivirus software compares a possible virus against a database of known viruses
➢ They carry out heuristic checking- this is the checking of software for types of behavior that could
indicate a possible virus; this is useful if software is infected by a virus not yet on the database
➢ Any possible files or programs that are infected are put into quarantine that:
▪ Allows the virus to be automatically deleted, or
▪ Allows the user to make the decision about deletion (it is possible that the user knows that the file or program is
not infected by a virus- this is known as a false positive and is one of the disadvantages of antivirus software)
➢ Antivirus software needs to be kept up to date since new viruses are constantly being discovered
➢ Full system checks need to be carried out once a week, for example, since some viruses lie dormant and
would only be picked up by this full system scan.

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Data protection acts
DPAs are designed to protect individuals and to prevent
incorrect or inaccurate data being stored. Essentially DPAs are
set up to protect the rights of the individual about whom data is
obtained, stored and processed.
General guidelines about how to stop data being obtained
unlawfully:
➢ Don’t leave personal information lying around on a desk when
not attended
➢ Lock filing cabinets at the end of the day or when the room is
unoccupied
➢ Do not leave data on a computer monitor if it is unattended; log
off from the computer if away from your desk for any length of
time.
➢ Use passwords and user ids, which should be kept secure;
passwords should be difficult to guess/break and should be
changed frequently
➢ Make sure that anything sent in an email or fax is not of a
sensitive nature

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Network communication
Faxes and emails:
There are two basic ways of sending a fax (facsimile)
➢ A physical fax (a dedicated machine connected to a telephone line; it requires the number of the recipient
to be dialled before the document is copied and then sent electronically).
➢ Electronic faxing (this requires a network, such as the internet, for the fax to be sent).

Electronic faxing has the following advantages over the more traditional method-
➢ Costs are reduced as there is no need to buy a fax machine, ink/toner or paper
➢ Transfers using electronic methods are encrypted, improving security
➢ Transmissions are sent to an email account, which is password protected
➢ There is no issue of a ‘busy signal’ preventing the fax being sent.

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Network communication
Emails: Electronic mails are particularly useful when sending attachments. Emails can be sent to,
or sent from any device connected to the internet.

Comparison of traditional faxes and emails:

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Network communication
Video conferencing:
Video conferencing is a communication method that uses both video and sound. It
is a substitute for face to face conferences between a number of people, who may
be in a different part of the country or live overseas.
Basic hardware for video conferencing:
➢ Webcams
➢ Large monitors/television screens
➢ Microphones
➢ Speakers

There are a few items to consider when a conference is about to begin:

➢ It is essential to agree a time and date for the conference to take place
➢ The delegates in each conference room must log in to the video conference system
➢ The video conference set-up needs to be checked before the meeting goes live
➢ Webcams need to be placed in the correct position so that all the delegates in the
room are within visual contact
➢ Microphones need to be placed centrally so that all of the delegates can speak
➢ It is important for one person to be the main contact in each conference room to
make sure that each delegate is able to be heard.

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Network communication
Software used in video conferencing:

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Network communication
Potential issues with video conferencing:
➢ Potential time lag in responses/delays when talking
➢ Jerking images- usually due to poor internet/network performance or a poor bandwidth.
➢ Can be very expensive to set up in the first place
➢ There can be problems if the delegates live in different countries where the time zone differences are large.
➢ Training people to use the system correctly can be both costly and time consuming.
➢ It can be demotivating for stuff if they believe that one of the ‘perks’ of their job is international travel

Advantages:
➢ As people are in their own building, it is much easier to access important documents or bring ‘experts’ at key
parts of the conference – this would be difficult if they were a long way away from their office.
➢ It is possible to hold conferences at short notice.
➢ Not traveling physically to meetings reduces costs:
➢ Reducing travelling costs
➢ No need to pay for hotel accommodation or venue hire.
➢ It also reduces the cost of taking people away from their work for two or three days to travel
➢ It may better to use video conferencing than have delegates travel to potentially unsafe places around the
world.
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Network communication
Audio Conferencing:
Audio conferencing refers to meetings held between people using audio equipment.
The equipment used can be the telephone, a computer or an internet phone.
The procedure to be carried out:
➢ The organiser of the phone conference is given two PINs by phone company. One PIN is the personal
PIN given to the organiser and second PIN is the participants’ PIN.
➢ The organiser contacts all of the participants and informs them of their PIN and the data and time of
the phone conference.
➢ When the phone conference is about to start, the organizer dials the conference phone number and ,
once he is connected, keys in his personal PIN.
➢ The participants then call the same conference number to join in-once they get through they each
input the PIN given to them by the organizer. Without this PIN , it will be impossible to join the phone
conference.

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