Networks

Networks

1. Types of network

   • Bus
     • Advantages
       • Cheap to install
     • Disadvantages
       • High chance of catastrophic failure
       • High chance of collisions
       • Network gets slower as more computers added
   • Ring
     • Advantages
       • Cheap to install
       • No collisions
     • Disadvantages
       • High chance of catastrophic failure
       • Difficult to add new computers
   • Star
     • Advantages
       • Fast
       • Easy to add new computers
       • Low chance of catastrophic failure
     • Disadvantages
       • Expensive
       • Failure of the switch takes down the entire network

2. Types of networks

   • LAN
     • Local Area Network
       • A network contained in a single geographical location or organisation
   • WAN
     • Wide Area Network
       • A network that spans a large geographical area, often consists of multiple LANs worked together

3. IP addresses

   • An IP address is a unique number assigned to every computer to identify it
   • An IP address is made up of a 32 bit-binary value
   • Can range from 0.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.255
   • The internet is a world-wide network

4. Internet

   • Packets
     • Data is split into small chunks and called packets. Each packet is sent along an individual route with a number assigned to it with the lowest cost. The packets are re-assembled on the other side.
   • Routing
     • This is where each connection tests its nodes and assigns each of them a cost. The lower the cost, the faster the connection
   • Mesh networks
     • A topology where there are multiple different routes between nodes. This means it is impossible to break it.