Lesson 1

Computing Basics
 Overview
• Upon completion of this chapter, you will
be able to perform tasks related to:
– Main components of a computer
– Information Flow
– Network Interface Cards (NICs)
– Simple TCP/IP Configuration
– Number Systems (Binary, Decimal &
Hexadecimal
– Basic Networking Technology
 Computers and Internet

• Think of
– Business Applications & Users
– Home Applications & Users
• Before Internet
• Today
• Computers is an integral part of the network.
• Computers
– PCs, Enterprise Systems (Servers, Mainframes),
PDAs, Mobile Telephones, ...
 Main components of a computer

• Inside of a PC

NIC
(Network Interface Card)
 Main components of a computer

• Mainboard Picture
 Main components of a computer

• Mainboard Layout &

System Bus
 Main components of a computer

• Information Flow over System Bus

Network Interface Cards (NICs)

• NICs (Network
Interface Cards)
– Also called LAN Adapters
• Three factors to
consider when
selecting a NIC.
– Type of Network
– Type of media
– Type of system bus
Installation of a NIC
• The NIC allows
hosts to connect to
the network and is,
therefore,
considered a key
component. From
time to time, you
may need to install
a NIC.
NICs (PC vs. Laptops)
 Main components of a computer

• Related Links
– http://members.aol.com/wbox/overview.htm
 Simple TCP/IP Configuration on a
Windows 9.X System
Multiprotocol Support over Multiple Network Adapters
Simple TCP/IP Configuration on a Windows XP System

StartMy Network PlacesView network connections

Simple TCP/IP Configuration on a
Windows 2000 Professional System

• My Network Places  Properties

Getting Information about TCP/IP
Configuration for XP
 Getting Information about TCP/IP
Configuration for other Win.
• ipconfig for Windows based Systems
(Typically Windows NT but OK for
Windows 98 Second Edition)
– /all displays everything
Getting Information about TCP/IP
Configuration for linux,unix
• ifconfig for Linux/Unix Based Systems
Exercise (TCP/IP Configuration)

• Step 1 (Learning from DHCP)

– Start Run
• Type “command” and press enter
• Type “ipconfig /all” and write down the following
information
– IP address
– Netmask
– Default gateway
– DNS Server address
 Exercise (TCP/IP Configuration)
• Step 2 (TCP/IP Configuration)
– All Programs  My Network Places  Local
Area Connection Properties  TCP/IP
Properties
 Number Systems
• Decimal Number System (0..9)
• Binary Number System (0/1)
• Hexadecimal Number System (0..F)
• Conversion routines between number
systems
 Decimal Number System

• 4321 = (4 x 103) + (3 x 102) + (2 x 101) + (1 x 100)

• Dotted-Decimal Notation
– IP address, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway, etc.
Binary Number System

22
 Binary Number System

• Computers don’t think in the decimal number system, they

use binary number system.
• For example A is represented by 1000001 in a computer.
• ASCII Chart
• Other code tables
– EBCDIC
– UNICODE
• MORTEN
– M = 1011001
– O = 1111001
– R = 0100101
– ...
Binary Number System (Bits and Bytes)

• 10011 = (1 x 24) + (0 x 23) + (0 x 22) + (1 x 21) + (1 x 20) = 19

• Each digit is called a bit in the binary number system.

– IP address is 32 bits.
– MAC address is 48 bits.
– IPX address is 80 bits.
– IPV6 address is 128 bits

• IP address, binary form

192.168.0.101
– 11000000.10101000.00000000.01100101

255.255.255.0
– 11111111.11111111.11111111.00000000
Units of Information
 Conversion Routines
(Decimal to 8-Bit Binary)

• 243 / 2  Resultant = 121, Remainder = 1

• 121 / 2  60, 1
• 60 / 2  30, 0
• 30 / 2  15, 0 243 = 11110011
• 15 / 2  7, 1
• 7 / 2  3, 1
• 3 / 2  1, 1
• 1
 Conversion Routines
(8-Bit Binary to Decimal)
• Usually 8 bit operations are
made. Maximum number that
can be written by 8 bits is 255.
• 243 =
128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1
27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20
1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1
http://forums.cisco.com/CertCom/game/binary_game_page.htm
 Conversion Examples
• 224 = ?
• 193 = ?
• 75 = ?
• 11100110 = ?
• 10101011 = ?
• 00111100 = ?
• Your IP address = ? (binary form)
• 10111001.11001100.11111111.11101110 = ?
• 215.267.245.34 = ?
 Hexadecimal Number System

• 0, 1, 2, 3, ..., 9, A, B, C, D, E , F
• ABCD = (10 x 163) + (11 x 162) + (12 x 161) + (13 x 160)
= (10 x 4096) + (11 x 256) + (12 x 16) + (13 x 1) =
43981
• 1 hex digit = 4 binary digit
– D = 1101, A = 1010, 5 = 0101, etc.
• Some numbers represented in hex.
– MAC address is 48 bits.
– Represented in 12 hex digits.
• Look at your machine’s MAC address
in the output of winipcfg.exe
or ipconfig /all
 Conversion Examples

• 22 (H) = ? (D)
• 193 (D) = ? (H)
• 1024 (D) = ? (H)
• 11100110 (B) = ? (H)
• 10101011 (B) = ? (H)
• 00111100 (B) = ? (H)
• Your MAC Address (H) = ? (dotted
decimal notation)
• Your MAC address (H) = ? (B)
 Basic Networking Terminology

• Networks and
networking
– A network is an
intricately connected
system of objects or
people.
• Internetworks and
Internetworking
• Popular ones :
Internet, Intranet,
Cellular Networks,
Telephone, ...
 Evolution of Data Networks
• Step 1
– Data networks is a result of computer
applications written for business
– Standalone devices each operated on its own.
Independent from each other.

Communication ?
 Evolution of Data Networks
• Step 2
– Standalone devices
• Not efficient or cost effective
• Causes duplication of equipment and resources
• No communicaton is possible, file and printer
sharing is provided by a crude version of a network
called Sneaker Net

Sneaker Net
 Evolution of Data Networks
• Step 3
– Early 1980s a tremendous growth in networking
technologies but chaotic in many ways
• Mid-1980s a variety of different hardware and
software implementations
– Incompatible technologies that can not
communicate with each other.
Standardization ?
Interoperability ?
 Evolution of Data Networks
• Step 4
– Creation of LANs (Local Area Networks) and its
popularity speeds up standardization efforts. LANs
turn each department or company into an
electronic island.

Longer Distance Communication ?

 Evolution of Data Networks

• Step 5
– What was needed is a way to connect these
electronic islands. The creation of MANs
(Metropolitian Area Networks) andWANs
(Wide Area Networks) provided the solution.
– WANs can connect user networks over large
geopraphic areas. Business World can
communicate with each other across great
distances.
 Examples of Data Networks

• LANs and/or WANs can be linked to each other by internetworking

• Internet, BITNET, DecNET, ARPANET, ...
• ULAKNET, TTNET, TURNET, TURPAK, ...
• x-NETs
 Local Area Networks (LANs)
• LANs are designed to:
– Operate within a limited geographic area
– Allow multi-access to high-bandwidth media
– Control the network privately under local
administration
– Provide full-time connectivity to local services
– Connect physically adjacent devices
– Ethernet, FastEthernet, Gigabit Ethernet, Token Ring,
FDDI, ATM well-known technologies used in LANs
 LANs and devices

Switch 100BaseT
Hub

Small Hub
Bridge (10BaseT
Hub)
Router

LANs are designed to operate within a

limited geographic area
 Wide Area Networks (WANs)

• WANs are designed to:

– Operate over large geographical area.
– Allow access over serial interfaces operating
at lower speeds.
– Provide full-time and part-time connectivity
– Connect devices seperated over wide, even
global areas.
 WANs and devices

ATM
Router Switch

ISDN
Access Switch
Server
Modem
WAN CSU/DSU
Bandwidth
Switch TA/NT1
WANs are designed to operate over large geographical
area.
 Bandwidth

• We are trying to describe the AMOUNT of information

flow in a SPECIFIC period of time
• Bits per second is a unit of bandwidth
 Bandwidth
• In digital systems : Data speed in bits per second (bps).
– A modem that works at 56,000 bps
– A T1 line that works at 1,544 Mbps
– A E1 line that works at 2048 Kbps
– A 10 Base-T Ethernet Line that works at 10Mbps

• In analog systems : Difference between the highest-

frequency signal component and the lowest-frequency signal
component. (Frequency is measured in the number of cycles of
change per second, or Hertz)
– Typical voice signal ~ 0-3 kHz
– Analog television broadcast video signal ~ 6MHz
 Analogies

• Pipe Analogy
 Analogies

• Highway Analogy
Typical Media Bandwidth
WAN Services and bandwidth
Throughput

• Throughput refers
to actual,
measured,
bandwidth, at a
specific time of
day, using specific
internet routes,
while downloading
a specific file.
Throughput
Why is bandwidth important?
 Related Links

• Analog to Digital Conversion

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