Download Networks

INF550/NZDB550
Questions
 What does networking mean to you?
 What types of networks do you know about?
 What does PAN, MAN, LAN, WLAN, WAN mean?
In a Nutshell
 System that uses communication media
 To connect computers and other devices
 So that data and information can be transmitted
between them
Terminology
 Nodes
 Any device connected to a network
 Client
 A node which requests and uses resources available from
other nodes
 Fat Client – operates as independent computer
 Thin Client – no local storage and limited processing power
 Server
 A node that shares resources with other nodes
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Directory Server - Manages users
Web Server – provides the web pages
Print Server – manages printing
File Server – managers files, software and network operations
 Host
 Large centralised computer
 Switch
 Central node for other nodes
 Allows nodes to communicate with multiple other
nodes
 NIC
 Network Interface Card
 Connects the computer to a network
 Allows each node to be identified (MAC address)
Ethernet Local Area Network
LAN and WLAN
 Local Area Network and Wireless LAN
 Limited geographical area
 Often within a building
 Used for home networking
 Every device can communicate with every other device
 NMIT has a number of LANS for different reasons
 Campus wide
 Student WiFi
 Staff WiFi
 TALOS for IT students and tutors
WAN
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Wide Area Network
Cover large geographical areas
Typically connect multiple LANS
The Internet is an example of a WAN
Contains routers to route messages
 Between a LAN and the Internet
 Between several connected LANs
 Across a WAN eg the Internet
 Enterprise Networks
 Multiple LANs and/or WANs
MAN
 Metropolitan Area Network
 Regional networks
 Cover cities
 Eg Wellington
 Talk about one in Nelson
PAN
 Personal Area Network
 Small personal network
 Around 1 person
 Bluetooth
Different Types
Star
 Each device is connected
to a switch
 Devices communicate
with each other through
the switch
 Most widely used
network topography
Tree or Hierarchical
 Each device connected to
central node either
directly or through a
subordinate node
 Useful in centralised
organisations
Mesh
 Each node can be
connected to more than
one other node
 Often used in wireless
networks
 If physically wired, each
node has to have a
separate NIC for each
connection
Hybrid
 Combination of different
topologies
 Useful in large
organisations which have
a complex network of
smaller networks
 Eg NMIT network is
made up of wired and
wireless networks
Activity
 Networking Hands on Activity
Client/Server
 Links 2 or more
computers together
 Servers provide
computing services to
user PCs
 User PCs may be thin or
thick clients
 Eg server may be a web
server providing web
resources to the client
(user)
Peer-to-Peer Network
 2 computers are linked
so they can access all of
the files on the other
computer
 Type of Client/Server
 Accessing unused
processing power
 Eg SETI@home
 File sharing
 Eg BitTorrent
Terminal Server Network
 Processing power in one
centralised computer
 Often the terminals are
thin clients (dumb
terminals)
 Remote Desktop
Services
 Used by cloud services
where the terminal
server hosted on the
Internet