#8. Introduction to Computer Networks: Part-2

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Today I am writing my post regarding the second part of Computer Networking. Hope it will be beneficial to my readers.

So without any further delay, let's visit the post to start learning.

1.1 Data Communication:When we communicate, we are sharing information. This sharing can
be local or remote. Between individuals, local communication usually occurs face to face, while
remote communication takes place over distance.

1.1.1 Components:
A data communications system has five components.

1. Message. The message is the information (data) to be communicated. Popular forms of
   information include text, numbers, pictures, audio, and video.

2. Sender. The sender is the device that sends the data message. It can be a computer,
   workstation, telephone handset, video camera, and so on.

3. Receiver. The receiver is the device that receives the message. It can be a computer,
   workstation, telephone handset, television, and so on.

4. Transmission medium. The transmission medium is the physical path by which a message
   travels from sender to receiver. Some examples of transmission media include twisted-pair wire,
   coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, and radio waves

5. Protocol. A protocol is a set of rules that govern data communications. It represents an
   agreement between the communicating devices. Without a protocol, two devices may be
   connected but not communicating, just as a person speaking French cannot be understood by a
   person who speaks only Japanese.

1.2 NETWORKS:

A network is a set of devices (often referred to as nodes) connected by communication links. A
node can be a computer, printer, or any other device capable of sending and/or receiving data
generated by other nodes on the network.

1.2.1 Distributed Processing
Most networks use distributed processing, in which a task is divided among multiple computers.
Instead of one single large machine being responsible for all aspects of a process, separate
computers (usually a personal computer or workstation) handle a subset.

1.2.2 Network Criteria
A network must be able to meet a certain number of criteria. The most important of these are
performance, reliability, and security.

Performance:
Performance can be measured in many ways, including transit time and response
time.Transit time is the amount of time required for a message to travel from one device to
another. Response time is the elapsed time between an inquiry and a response. The performance
of a network depends on a number of factors, including the number of users, the type of
transmission medium, the capabilities of the connected hardware, and the efficiency of the
software. Performance is often evaluated by two networking metrics: throughput and delay. We
often need more throughput and less delay. However, these two criteria are often contradictory.
If we try to send more data to the network, we may increase throughput but we increase the delay
because of traffic congestion in the network.

Reliability:
In addition to accuracy of delivery, network reliability is measured by the frequency of
failure, the time it takes a link to recover from a failure, and the network's robustness in a
catastrophe.

Security:
Network security issues include protecting data from unauthorized access, protecting data
from damage and development, and implementing policies and procedures for recovery from
breaches and data losses.

1.2.3 Physical Structures:

Type of Connection
A network is two or more devices connected through links. A link is a communications
pathway that transfers data from one device to another. For visualization purposes, it is simplest
to imagine any link as a line drawn between two points. For communication to occur, two
devices must be connected in some way to the same link at the same time. There are two possible
types of connections: point-to-point and multipoint.

Point-to-Point:
A point-to-point connection provides a dedicated link between two devices. The entire
capacity of the link is reserved for transmission between those two devices. Most point-to-point
connections use an actual length of wire or cable to connect the two ends, but other options, such
as microwave or satellite links, are also possible. When you change television channels by
infrared remote control, you are establishing a point-to-point connection between the remote
control and the television's control system.

Multipoint:
A multipoint (also called multidrop) connection is one in which more than two specific
devices share a single link. In a multipoint environment, the capacity of the channel is shared,
either spatiallyor temporally. If several devices can use the link simultaneously, it is a spatially
shared connection. If users must take turns, it is a timeshared connection.

Hope the post was helpful and you all like the information provided in the article. Any queries or opinions you want to share are heartily welcome!!
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