Transmission modes

A given transmission on a communications channel between two machines can occur in

several different ways. The transmission is characterised by:

• the direction of the exchanges

• the transmission mode: the number of bits sent simultaneously
• synchronisation between the transmitter and receiver

Simplex, half-duplex and full-duplex connections

There are 3 different transmission modes characterised according to the direction of the
exchanges:

• A simplex connection is a connection in which the data flows in only one

direction, from the transmitter to the receiver. This type of connection is useful if
the data do not need to flow in both directions (for example, from your computer
to the printer or from the mouse to your computer...).

A half-duplex connection (sometimes called an alternating connection or semi-duplex)

is a connection in which the data flows in one direction or the other, but not both at the
same time. With this type of connection, each end of the connection transmits in turn.
This type of connection makes it possible to have bidirectional communications using the
full capacity of the line.
A full-duplex connection is a connection in which the data flow in both directions
simultaneously. Each end of the line can thus transmit and receive at the same time,
which means that the bandwidth is divided in two for each direction of data transmission
if the same transmission medium is used for both directions of transmission.

TOPOLOGIES:-

A computer network topology is the physical communication scheme used by connected

devices. The physical topology of a network refers to the configuration of cables,
computers, and other peripherals. Physical topology should not be confused with logical
topology which is the method used to pass information between workstations.
 1) BUS TOPOLOGY

A bus topology consists of a main run of cable with a terminator at each end (See fig. 1).
All nodes (file server, workstations, and peripherals) are connected to the linear cable.

Fig. 1. Linear Bus topology

Advantages of a Linear Bus Topology

• Easy to connect a computer or peripheral to a linear bus.

• Requires less cable length than a star topology.

Disadvantages of a Linear Bus Topology

• Entire network shuts down if there is a break in the main cable.

• Terminators are required at both ends of the backbone cable.
• Difficult to identify the problem if the entire network shuts down.
• Not meant to be used as a stand-alone solution in a large building.

2) STAR TOPOLOGY

Star

A star topology is designed with each node (file server, workstations, and peripherals)
connected directly to a central network hub, switch, or concentrator (See fig. 2).
Data on a star network passes through the hub, switch, or concentrator before continuing
to its destination. The hub, switch, or concentrator manages and controls all functions of
the network. It also acts as a repeater for the data flow. This configuration is common
with twisted pair cable; however, it can also be used with coaxial cable or fiber optic
cable.

Advantages of a Star Topology

• Easy to install and wire.

• No disruptions to the network when connecting or removing devices.
• Easy to detect faults and to remove parts.

Disadvantages of a Star Topology

• Requires more cable length than a linear topology.

• If the hub, switch, or concentrator fails, nodes attached are disabled.
• More expensive than linear bus topologies because of the cost of the hubs, etc.

3) RING TOPOLOGY

Also known as a ring network, the ring topology is a type of computer network
configuration where each network computer and device are connected to each other
forming a large circle (or similar shape). Each packet is sent around the ring until it
reaches its final destination. Today, the ring topology is seldom used. Below is a visual
example of a simple computer setup on a network using a ring topology.

Advantages of a Ring Topology

1) The data being transmitted between two nodes passes through all the intermediate

2) nodes. A central server is not required for the management of this topology.

Disadvantages of a Star Topology

The failure of a single node of the network can cause the entire network to fail.
The movement or changes made to network nodes affects the performance of the entire
network.

CLIENT SERVER DEFINITION

Client-server computing or networking is a distributed application architecture that

partitions tasks or work loads between service providers (servers) and service requesters,
called clients. Often clients and servers operate over a computer network on separate
hardware. A server machine is a high-performance host that is running one or more
server programs which share its resources with clients. A client does not share any of its
resources, but requests a server's content or service function. Clients therefore initiate
communication sessions with servers which await (listen to) incoming requests.

FUNCTION:-

The client-server characteristic describes the relationship of cooperating programs in an

application. The server component provides a function or service to one or many clients,
which initiate requests for such services.

Functions such as email exchange, web access and database access, are built on the
client-server model. For example, a web browser is a client program running on a user's
computer that may access information stored on a web server on the Internet. Users
accessing banking services from their computer use a web browser client to send a
request to a web server at a bank. That program may in turn forward the request to its
own database client program that sends a request to a database server at another bank
computer to retrieve the account information. The balance is returned to the bank
database client, which in turn serves it back to the web browser client displaying the
results to the user.

FIGURE SHOWING THE CONCEPT OF CLIENT-SERVER SYSTEM:-

LOCAL AREA NETWORK(LAN)

A local area network (LAN) is a computer network covering a small physical area, like
a home, office, or small group of buildings, such as a school, or an airport.

Advantage of LAN
 1) Easy to share devices (printers, scanners, external drives)
2) Easy to share data (homework, pictures..)

Disadvantage of LAN

1) Power - a good LAN is required to be on all the times.

2) Security - each computer and device become another point of entry for
undesireables.
3) A lot of times a network shares one Internet connection - if all computers running
at once, can reduce speed for each.

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

A metropolitan area network (MAN) is a large computer network that usually spans a
city or a large campus. A MAN usually interconnects a number of local area networks
(LANs) using a high-capacity backbone technology, such as fiber-optical links, and
provides up-link services to wide area networks and the Internet.

Advantage of MAN

It can cover a larger distance than a LAN

Disadvantage of LAN

1) More cable required for a man connection from one place to another

2) The large the network becomes difficult to mange

3) It is difficult to make the system secure from hackers and industrial espionage