Saeed Darvish Pazoki – MCSE, CCNA

Abstracted From: •Sybex – Network+ Study Guide

Network Fundamentals

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Network FundamentalsElements and Concepts:

Type of Networks:LAN / WLAN / WAN / MAN / CAN

Server /Workstation / Client / HostPeer-to-Peer and Client/Server ArchitecturePhysical Topologies

Bus / Star / Ring / MeshSimplex / Half-Duplex / Full-DuplexSymmetric / Asymmetric CommunicationUnicast / Multicats /Broadcast

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Network FundamentalsLocal Area Network (LAN)

A LAN connects network devices over a relatively short distance.

A networked office building, school, or home usually contains a single LAN, though sometimes one building will contain a few small LANs (perhaps one per room), and occasionally a LAN will span a group of nearby buildings.

LANs are also typically owned, controlled, and managed by a single person or organization. They also tend to use certain connectivity technologies, primarily Ethernet and Token Ring.

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Network FundamentalsWireless LAN(WLAN)

A LAN based on WiFi wireless network technologyWide Area Network (WAN)

A WAN spans a large physical distance. The Internet is the largest WAN, spanning the Earth.

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)A network spanning a physical area larger than a

LAN but smaller than a WAN, such as a city. A MAN is typically owned an operated by a single entity such as a government body or large corporation.

Campus Area Network (CAN)A network spanning multiple LANs but smaller

than a MAN, such as on a university or local business campus. 4

Network FundamentalsServer

A server does exactly what the name implies: It provides resources to the clients on the network.

Servers are typically powerful computers that run the software that controls and maintains the network.

Examples of servers:File ServerPrint ServerWeb ServerMail ServerRemote Access ServerProxy Server5

Network FundamentalsWorkstation / Client

The term workstation normally refers to any computer that is connected to the network and used by an individual to do work.

A client is any network entity that can request resources from the network; a workstation is a computer that can request resources.

Workstations can be clients, but not all clients are workstations.

HostIn fact, a host, in TCP/IP terms, is any network

device that has an IP address.

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Network Fundamentals

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Network FundamentalsPeer-to-Peer Network

In peer-to-peer networks, the connected computers have no centralized authority.

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Network FundamentalsClient/Server Network

A client/server network uses a network operating system designed to manage the entire network from a centralized point, which is the server. Clients make requests of the server, and the server responds with the information or access to a resource.

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Network FundamentalsPhysical Topologies

A topology is basically a map of a network. The physical topology of a network describes

the layout of the cables and workstations and the location of all network components.

Often, physical topologies are compared to logical topologies, which define how the information or data flows within the network.

Most Common Topologies:BusStarRingmesh

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Network FundamentalsBus Topology

In a bus topology, all computers are attached to a single continuous cable that is terminated at both ends, which is the simplest way to create a physical network.

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Network FundamentalsBus Topology

The following characteristics describe the pro side of a bus topology:Is simple to installIs relatively inexpensiveUses less cable than other topologies

The following characteristics describe the con side of a bus topology:Is difficult to move and changeHas little fault tolerance (a single fault can bring

down the entire network)Is difficult to troubleshoot

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Network FundamentalsStar Topology

Each computer in a star topology is connected to a central point by a separate cable or wireless connection.

The central point is a device known by such names as hub, MAU, concentrator, switch, and access point, depending on the underlying technology.

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Network FundamentalsStar Topology

A Star topology is mainly due to the large number of advantages, which include the following:New stations can be added easily and quickly.A single cable failure won’t bring down the entire

network.It is relatively easy to troubleshoot.

The disadvantages of a star topology include the following:Total installation cost can be higher because of the

larger number of cables, but prices are constantly becoming more and more competitive.

It has a single point of failure (the hub, or other central device).14

Network FundamentalsRing Topology

In the ring topology, each computer is connected directly to two other computers in the network. Data moves down a one-way path from one computer to another

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Network FundamentalsRing Topology

On the pro side:The ring topology is relatively easy to troubleshoot. A station will know when a cable fault has occurred

because it will stop receiving data from its upstream neighbor.

On the con side, a ring topology has the following characteristics:Expensive, because multiple cables are needed for

each workstation.Difficult to reconfigure.Not fault tolerant. A single cable fault can bring

down the entire network.

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Network FundamentalsMesh Topology

In a mesh topology, a path exists from each station to every other station in the network, resulting in the most physical connections per node of any topology.

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Network FundamentalsMesh Topology

A mesh topology can become quite complex as wiring and connections increase exponentially.

For every n stations, you will have n(n–1)/2 connections. For example, in a network of 4 computers, you will have 4(4–1)/2 connections, or 6 connections.

If your network grows to only 10 computers, you will have 45 connections to manage!

Today, the mesh topology is rarely used, and then only in a WAN environment and only because the mesh topology is fault tolerant.18

Network FundamentalsSimplex / Half-Duplex / Full-DuplexUnicast / Multicats /Broadcast Symmetric / Asymmetric Communication

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