BCENT - Basic Cisco Entry Networking Technician

Chapter 1

Introducing Computer Networks

FOUNDATION TOPICS

•Defining a Network

•Networks Defined by: Geography

Topology

Resource Location

INTRODUCING COMPUTER NETWORKS

• What is the purpose of a network?

• What are some examples of network components?

• How are networks defined by geography/topology/ resource location?

EXAMPLES OF NETWORKS

• What are some examples of how you use networks every day?

File sharing

Video chat (Skype, FaceTime)

Web surfing

Instant messaging

Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Vine)

Voice over IP (VoIP)

Network Components

•Icons representing actual equipment:

Router

Switch

Hub

Client

Server

NETWORK COMPONENTS

• Connect the components together with some media and you have a network!

NETWORKS DEFINED BY GEOGRAPHY

• “Geography”, in this sense, means how close the components are to each other

PAN: Personal-area network

LAN: Local-area network

CAN: Campus-area network

MAN: Metropolitan-area network

WAN: Wide-area network

PAN: Personal-area Network

•Scale - Human

•Distance – a few meters

•Wired – USB

•Wireless – Bluetooth

•Components – PCs, headphones, keyboards, smartphones, etc.

LAN: Local-area Network

•Scale – Room or Building

•Distance – Usually 100 meters or less

•Wired – Cat6 or Fiber

•Wireless – 802.11

•Components – PCs, routers, switches, servers, printers, wireless access points, etc.

CAN: Campus-area Network

•Scale – Cluster of Buildings

•Distance – Usually a mile or less

•Wired – Fiber, coax

•Wireless – 802.11, microwave

•Components – Routers, switches, wireless bridges, etc.

MAN: Metropolitan-area Network

•Scale – City

•Distance – Usually a few miles or less

•Wired – Fiber, coax

•Wireless – Microwave

•Components – Routers, switches, wireless bridges, etc.

WAN: Wide-area Network

•Scale – State, country, global

•Distance – A few miles to thousands of miles

•Wired – Fiber

•Wireless – Microwave

•Components – Routers, switches, satellites, etc.

NETWORKS DEFINED BY TOPOLOGY

• “Topology”, in this sense, means how the components are connected to each other.

Bus

Ring

Star

Hub-and-Spoke

Full-Mesh

Partial-Mesh

BUS TOPOLOGY

RING TOPOLOGY

STAR TOPOLOGY

HUB-AND-SPOKE TOPOLOGY

FULL-MESH TOPOLOGY

PARTIAL-MESH TOPOLOGY

NETWORKS DEFINED BY RESOURCE LOCATION

Client-Servero Dedicated file server

o Shared access to files

o Networked printers

o Easier administration

Peer-to-Peero Files shared between PCs

o Directly attached printers (shared)

o Scalability issues

CLIENT-SERVER NETWORK

PEER-TO-PEER NETWORK

SUMMARY

• Various network components

Client, server

Hub, switch, router

Media, WAN link

• Different network classifications

Geography

Topology

Resource Location