intro to networking

Introduction about Networking

In a networking, industry most elements that has been discuss to our subject is all about the servers, clients, intermediary devices, end devices, media, protocols, models, Ethernet, software, and hardware components. In networking components, each element plays a big role in networking because it makes the interconnection of computer faster and reliable to each user.

In our preceding lessons, we define first what is networking and as what I understand, networking is a connection of computers where users can share, save, retrieved and work together as a group even there is only a one main source of all the files is being used. In a network, data or information networks must be capable of carrying many different types of communication in order to avoid conflicts and reduce its reliability.

Servers and Clients

Servers and Clients are the two entities of a network, without these two entities there will be no network to be called. Server will act as a central storage point for files or application programs shared on network. It is also the one will manage your computer to other computer. Servers can connect all computers which people can share files peripherals such as modems, printers, tape, back up drives, and CD Rooms. While the Clients, is still a computer that connects to a server. Clients are a host that has software installed that enables them to request and display the information obtained from the server.

Server will become resources of all files that are stored and shared on the network. These files are downloaded from the server to the client in whom the client is now the hardware and software combination that people used directly. In a server, it can process multiple clients which are connected to Telnet server application or just server application. Telnet may provide a way to utilize a computer via the network, which use to access a network device like keyboard and monitor. A Telnet is also a remote login in the network.

In creating a server, a server farm may also be created by using a lot of servers connected to a LAN switch and a router. In a server farm it may consists of six servers which act as an independent on how data transfer. Example of these server farms are the DNS or Domain Name System, Telnet, Email, DHCP or Dynamic Host Confirmation Protocol, Web and FTP server.

Cabling

Cabling is one of the most vital elements in networking. It serves as a tool for communicating a computer all over a network or wide area. Cabling on a LAN area is very usefully especially if you want to link all computers inside a wide room.

Cables have a lot of variety depending to its specification needed by a computer. The first thing that we considered in choosing a cable is the speed of Bit transmission. Second is the kind of transmission, these may be a digital or baseband and analog or broadband. And the third one is the signal distance in which distance of the signal travels through cable directly affects attenuation of the signal.

Example of cable that I learned are the 10 Base 2, 10 Base 5, 10 Base T, Coaxial, STP, ScTP, and the UTP Cable. In a 10 Base 2 cable, the 10 stands for the speed, Base stands for signal Method which is a Base or Broadband while the 2 is the medium, which identify as a coaxial cable that measures 200 meter.

The most common kind of wiring cables are, the twisted pair, Coaxial, and Fiber Optic. (1.) A twisted pair cable are commonly used in today’s generation, it is now the standard installation for networking by the help of a R-J 45. The R-J stands for Registered Jack and 45 refer to specific wiring sequence. Example of this twisted pair is the (a.)UTP Category 3 wires also known as 10 Base T that used for phone lines. (b)UTP Category 5 wires also known as 10 Base 2 used for networking standards. While the (2.)Coaxial cable used for T.V. wiring, has a speed of 10 Mbps and has a maximum length of 500 meters. (3.) Fiber Optic which is the most expensive but commonly used to connect desktop workstations to the network and to link adjacent buildings.

Intermediary Devices

The Intermediary devices are the one who connects computer in a network these are mediums that generates and retransmits data signals, maintain information about what pathways exists through the network and internetwork. Intermediary devices also permit or deny the flow of data, based on security settings.

Examples of these Intermediary devices are hubs, switches, wireless access point, routers, communication servers and modems and firewalls. Hubs are simple devices that interconnect group of user. It forwards data pockets they receive over one port from one workstation including emails, word processing, documents, spreadsheets, and graphics.

Switches are smarter than hubs and offer more bandwidth. It forwards pockets only to the appropriate port for the intended recipient, based on information in each pockets header. Switches also have a temporary connection between the source and destination then terminates the connection when the conversation is done. It also uses multiple cards not like bridge that has only one card.

While the routers use more complete address to determine, which router or workstation should receive each pocket, a routers may also finds which is the best path to easily enter data, this may help the data to receive faster by the recipient.

End devices

End devices are the interface of the presentation this are specialized ports on a internetworking device where media is connected to a host or other networking device. These end devices now are the computers such as (workstations, laptops, file servers, and web servers), network printers, VoIP phones, security cameras, and mobile handled devices (such as wireless barcode scanners).

Ethernet

As what I understand about Ethernet, it is the standard local area network (LAN) access method. A reference to "LAN," "LAN connection" or "network card" automatically implies Ethernet. The Ethernet specification served as the basis for the IEEE 802.3 standard, which specifies the physical and lower software layers. Ethernet also uses the CSMA/CD access method to handle simultaneous demands ans it is one of the most widely implemented LAN standards. Theres a lot of newer version of Ethernet, but the most popular kind of Ethernet nowadays is which we called 100Base-T (or Fast Ethernet), it supports data transfer rates of 100 Mbps. And now the newest version, Gigabit Ethernet supports data rates of 1 gigabit (1,000 megabits) per second. Ethernet is used to connect computers in a company or home network as well as to connect a single computer to a cable modem or DSL modem for Internet access. It has a combination of the twisted pair version of Ethernet for connecting end systems to the network, along with the fiber optic versions for site backbones, is the most widespread wired LAN technology.

Kinds of Ethernet

Ethernet is a technology passing data network. This was created in 1970’s by the college students of Hawaii. It uses the intermediary devices such as hubs, switches, and bridges. There’s a lot of Ethernet depending to its speed and characterization. The most popular are the Fast Ethernet, Ethernet, Switched Fast Ethernet, and Switched Ethernet. The differences between these four are Fast Ethernet and Ethernet use hubs for interconnection, Ethernet has a speed of 10 Mbps only while the Fast Ethernet is 100 Mbps. Switched Fast Ethernet, and Switched Ethernet are both use switches to transfer data but there are only different in speed because Switched Ethernet use 10 Mbps while the Switched Fast Ethernet runs we the speed of 100 Mbps.

Protocols

As our discussion continues, we tackle about protocols which are set of determined rules. It is not hardware, but it is independent on hardware. Protocols provide Format or structure of the messages, process by which networking devices share information about pathways to other networks, the setting up and termination of data transfer session, and answer the how and when error and system messages are passed between devices. A protocol follows a standard form in order that products from different manufactures can work together for efficient communications.

Protocols have also divisions known as the Application, Transport, Internetwork and the Network Access Protocol. Application Protocol are the contents and formatting of the request and responses exchanged between the clients and servers. Transport protocols are the one who manage the individual conversations between web servers and web clients. While the Internetwork protocol is one of the responsible for taking the formatted segments from TCP, encapsulating them into packets, assigning the appropriate addresses, and selecting the best path to the destination host. And lastly, the Network Access Protocol that has two primary functions the data link management and the physical transmission of data on the media. Protocols are also processed form top to bottom when sending information while in process of receiving it is in decapsulation form that starts from bottom to top.

This protocol now has 3 layers to describe and these are the content layer, rule layer, and the physical layer. These layers now are classified in two basic types of networking models as TCP/IP Layer and OSI Layer.

TCP/IP and OSI Layer

The TCP/IP Layer is composed of application, transport, network, and network access. This has the same functionalities of the seven layer of OSI which are the application, presentation, session, transport, network, data link, and physical. The parallel of application in TCP/IP layer in OSI layer is the application, presentation, and session. The transport in TCP/IP layer is still Transport in OSI layer. Internet in TCP/IP layer is equivalent to network in OSI layer. While the Network Access in TCP/IP is Data link and physical layer in OSI.

Protocol Data Unit or in Each Layer

Each layer has its own PDU to process and this may carry data from a receiver to a recipient. This PDU will act as a step by step process to pass data in each layer and this layer now has its own PDU that makes them unique. The PDU for application layer is data, for Internet layer is packet, and for network access layer is frame.