Network Topologies Flashcards
What hardware do we require for a computer to be able to join a network?
Network Adapter (Network Interface Card - NIC)
Router
Client Device
Server
What is the NIC
This is the specifically designed to allow the computer to a network (Wired or Wireless)
What is the Router
Router provides the link between devices in your network and any servers or the internet.
Modern Routers also:
Receive every packet of data and routes them to the correct destination
Act as a switch(creates the connection between devices)
Act as a firewall
Acts as wireless access point
Act as modem (converting digital signals to analogue)
What is the client device
The client device is a piece of computer hardware or software that accesses a service made available by a server on a network.
AKA the device that the user is using
What is the server
A Server is the computer device or program that provides a service to client over the internet. Commonly the server is a dedicated machine that provides a sole service. Example: Web Server Mail Server File Server
Why is it good to use networks?
Connect to the internet Collaborate on documents Share software Share files Message each other
3 features of a LAN
High speed
Small geographical area
Usually owned by a single person/organisation
3 features of a WAN
Operate over larger distances
Link LANs together
Internet is an example
Collective or distributive ownership
3 features of a PAN
Organised around an individual
Often involve phones, tablets etc and use bluetooth
Typically within a range of 10 metres
Draw a star topology
Each computer is individually connected to a central point that is usually a switch
What are switches?
All of the computers on the network plug into a port on the switch using a cable
They transmit the data being sent from one node to the other
They can read destination addresses and send the only to the intended computers (They build up a table of MAC (machine access code) addresses)
Pros of a star topology
Fast connection due to dedicated communication channel to each client
Less traffic even when other users are online
Fault finding becomes easier to trace
Relatively secure as connection is not shared
New clients easily added without affecting other clients
If 1 cable fails the rest of the network is unaffected
Cons of a star topology
Expensive to set up due to cable costs (need a cable for every device
If cable does fail, the client is unable to receive data
Difficult to install as multiple cables are required. If LAN is split across buildings then this is made worse
The server can become congested as all communications must pass through it.
How does a star network work?
The switch or hub keeps a record of each node’s unique MAC address.
When requests and data are received the switch will identify where to pass the data on to.
Draw a bus network
Main server is accessed off one main cable (often called the backbone)
Each client and device is branched off from backbone.
Signals are sent and received by every device,
Terminators exist at either end to prevent signals bouncing back and forth.
How does a bus network work?
In a bus network data cannot be transmitted simultaneously in both directions.
Every station will receive all network traffic and each station has equal transmission priority.
A device will send out a broadcast message to the network but only the intended recipient will accept and process the message.
What does CSMA/CD stand for?
Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection
What is CSMA/CD
If 2 nodes try to transmit simultaneously, a carrier sensing scheme detects other signals while transmitting a frame. Both Nodes stop transmitting and wait for a random time before retrying.
Pros of bus network
Cheaper to install than a star network as only 1 main cable required
Easier to install
Easy to add new clients by branching them off the new clients
Cons of a bus network
Less secure than a star as all data is transmitted down backbone
Transmission times get slower when more users are online
If the main cable is affected, all clients are affected
Less reliable than a star network due to reliance on main cable
More difficult to find a fault when one occurs
Define Physical topology
Physical topology - is the actual connection of cables
Define Logical topology
Logical topology - the conceptual way in which data is transmitted
Features of a Peer to Peer Network (P2P)
There is no central server
Individual devices are connected to each other, Computer are equal = peers
Share files stored on the devices
Video on demand is often distributed via P2P networks as hundreds of computers can hold part of the video therefore sharing the load.
No central control (normally no administrative computer)
Each computer can be personalised to determine what data, disk space, peripherals on their computer can be shared on the network
Peer-to-peer; suitable for?
Fewer than 10 users
Located in the same areas
No security concerns (or user knowledge concerns)
Limited growth in the future
