Program/Course : Computer System Servicing NC II

Unit of Competency : Set-up Computer Networks

Module : Install Network Cables

Learning Outcome 01: Installing Network Cables

Assessment Criteria:

1. Cables routes are determined and planned in accordance with network design and actual
installation site.
2. Network materials necessary to complete the work are identified and obtained in
accordance with established procedures and checked against systems requirements.
3. Tools, equipment and testing devices needed to carry out the installation work are
obtained in accordance with established procedures and checked for correct operation
and safety.
4. Appropriate personal protective equipment is used and OHS policies and procedures are
followed.
5. Copper cable splicing is performed based on Electronic Industries
Alliance/Telecommunications Industry Association (EIA/TIA) standards.
6. Network cables and cable raceway are installed in accordance with established
procedures and installation requirements.
7. Installation work is performed and is checked to ensure no unnecessary damage has
occurred and complies with the requirements.
8. OHS standards and 5S principles are followed according to enterprise requirements.
9. Excess components and materials are disposed of based on WEEE directives and 3R’s
waste management program.
Resources:

Equipment and Accessories Tools Materials

LAN Card Multitester RJ 45
UPS Crimping tools UTP Cat 5 cable
Server Soldering iron
24 port-hub Wire stripper
Modem LAN Tester
 WHAT IS A COMPUTER NETWORK

Defining a Network

A network is two or more computers connected together to share resources.

Computer Network

In general term, network can refer to any interconnected group or system. In other words,
network is a method of sharing information between two systems. Computers are networked
according to certain protocols, such as TCP/IP, which are the rules or standards that allow
computers on the network to communicate with one another.

BENEFITS OF SHARING INFORMATION VIA NETWORK

Currently, the benefits of a network include the following:

■ Sharing data or access to a program loaded on the network (file sharing)
■ Sending messages back and forth (electronic mail or e-mail)
■ Sending and receiving faxes
■ Accessing a modem or accessing the Internet directly
■ Accessing a centralized database
■ Scheduling appointments
■ Providing security for the network services and resources
■ Allowing for a central location of data files so that it is easier to perform a backup of
essential files

SHARED HARDWARE COMPONENTS

 Virtually, any storage or output device can be shared over a network, but the most
common devices to be used over a network include:

⚫ Printers
⚫ Disk drives
⚫ CD-ROM and optical drives
⚫ Modems
⚫ Fax

Network Topology

The network topology defines how computers, printers, and other devices are connected. The
physical topology describes the layout of the wire and devices, as well as the paths used by
data transmissions. The logical topology is the path that signals travel from one point to
another.

Bus Topology

In the bus topology, each computer connects to a common cable. The cable connects one
computer to the next, like a bus line going through a city. The cable
has a small cap installed at the end, called a terminator. The terminator prevents signals
from bouncing back and causing network errors.

Bus Topology

Advantages:

1) Easy to use and to understand.

2) Requires least amount of cable to connect the computers together. It is therefore
less expensive than other cabling arrangements.
3) It is easy to extend a bus; two cables can be joined into 1 longer cable with a BNC,
Barrel connector making a longer cable and allowing more computers to join the
network.

Disadvantages:
 1) Heavy network traffic can slow a bus considerably as only 1 computer can send a
message at a time.
2) It is difficult to troubleshoot the bus. A cable break or loose connector causes
reflection and stops all the activity.

• STAR TOPOLOGY

The star topology has a central connection point, which normally is a device such as a hub,
switch, or router. Each host on a network has a cable segment that attaches the host directly
to the central connection point.

Star Topology

Advantages:

1) It is easy to modify and add new computers without disturbing the rest of the
network.
2) The center of the star network is a good place to diagnose the faults.
3) Single computer failure does not necessarily bring down the whole star network.

Disadvantages:

1) If the central device fails, the whole network fails to operate.

2) Star networking is expensive because all network cables must be pulled to one
central point, requires more cable than other network topologies.

• RING TOPOLOGY
In a ring topology, hosts are connected in a physical ring or circle. Because the ring topology
has no beginning or end, the cable does not need to be terminated. A specially formatted
frame, called a token, travels around the ring, stopping at each host. If a host wants to
transmit data, it adds the data and the destination address to the frame. The frame then
continues around the ring until it stops at the host with the destination address. The
destination host takes the data out of the frame.

Advantages:
1) Each node has equal access.
2) Capable of high speed data transfer.

Disadvantages:

1) Failure of one computer on the ring can affect the whole network.
2) Difficult to troubleshoot the network.

Types of networks

Below is a list of the most common types of computer networks in order of scale.

• Personal Area Network (PAN)

PERSONAL AREA NETWORK (PAN) - a computer network used for communication

among computer devices close to one person. Some examples of devices that may be used in
a PAN are printers, fax machines, telephones, PDA’s or scanners. The reach of a PAN is
typically within about 20-30 feet (approximately 6-9 meters).

Personal area networks may be wired with computer buses such as USB and FireWire.
A wireless personal area network (WPAN) can also be made possible with network
technologies such as Bluetooth.
Client/Server Vs Peer-to-Peer Networks

While every computer on a LAN is connected to every other, they do not necessarily
mean all communicate with each other. The two basic types of LAN, based on communication
patterns between the machines, called client/server networks and peer-to-peer networks.

Client/Server Networks

Every computer has a distinct role, that of either a client or a server. A server is
designed to share its resources among client computers on the network. The Client/Server is
composed of:

Servers

− These are located in secured areas, such as locked closets and data centers,
because they hold the organization's most valuable data and do not have the
accessed by operators on a continuous basis.
− The server runs a special network operating system such as: Windows NT Server,
Windows 2000 or Novell Netware.

Client

− The rest of the computers on the network functions as client. A client standard PC
that is running an operating system such as DOS or Windows.

Client
Hub

Server

Example of Client/Server

Peer-to-Peer Network

In a peer-to-peer network, every computer is equal and can communicate with other
computer on a network to which it has been granted access rights. Essentially, every
computer in this network functions as both server and client. Peer-to-peer network can be
as small as two computers as many as hundreds of units.

There is no theoretical limit to the size of a peer-to-peer network, performance drops

significantly and security becomes a major headache on peer -based network with more than
10 computers. Also, Microsoft imposes a 10-station limit on computers running Windows
2000 Professional who are sharing resources with other system. For this reason, it is better
you switch to a client/server network when your network climbs to 10 stations.

Example of Peer-to-Peer Network

CAMPUS AREA NETWORK (CAN)

A network that connects two or more LANs but that is limited to a specific and
contiguous geographical area such as a college campus, industrial complex, or a military base.
A CAN may be considered a type of MAN (metropolitan area network), but is generally limited
to an area that is smaller than a typical MAN. This term is most often used to discuss the
implementation of networks for a contiguous area. This should not be confused with a
Controller Area Network.
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

A Metropolitan Area Network is a network that connects two or more Local Area
Networks or Campus Area Networks together but does not extend beyond the boundaries of
the immediate town, city, or metropolitan area. Multiple routers, switches & hubs are
connected to create a MAN.

Metropolitan Network

Wide Area Network (WAN)

A WAN is a data communications network that covers a relatively broad geographic

area (i.e. one city to another and one country to another country) and that often uses
transmission facilities provided by common carriers, such as telephone companies. WAN
technologies generally function at the lower three layers of the OSI reference model: the
physical layer, the data link layer, and the network layer.
 Wide Area Network

Global Area Network (GAN)

Global area networks (GAN) specifications are in development by several groups, and
there is no common definition. In general, however, a GAN is a model for supporting mobile
communications across an arbitrary number of wireless LANs, satellite coverage areas, etc.
The key challenge in mobile communications is "handing off" the user communications from
one local coverage area to the next. In IEEE Project 802, this involves a succession of terrestrial
Wireless local area networks (WLAN).

Global Area Network

Internetwork

Two or more networks or network segments connected using devices that operate at
layer 3 (the 'network' layer) of the OSI Basic Reference Model, such as a router. Any
interconnection among or between public, private, commercial, industrial, or governmental
networks may also be defined as an internetwork.

In modern practice, the interconnected networks use the Internet Protocol. There are
at least three variants of internetwork, depending on who administers and who participates
in them:

• Intranet
• Extranet
• Internet

Intranets and extranets may or may not have connections to the Internet. If
connected to the Internet, the intranet or extranet is normally protected from being accessed
from the Internet without proper authorization. The Internet is not considered to be a part of
the intranet or extranet, although it may serve as a portal for access to portions of an extranet.
 Intranet

An intranet is a set of interconnected networks, using

the Internet Protocol and uses IP-based tools such as web
browsers and ftp tools that is under the control of a single
administrative entity. That administrative entity closes the
intranet to the rest of the world, and allows only specific users.
Most commonly, an intranet is the internal network of a
company or other enterprise.

Extranet

An extranet is a network or internetwork that is limited

in scope to a single organization or entity but
which also has limited connections to the networks of one
or more other usually, but not necessarily, trusted
organizations or entities (e.g. a company's customers may
be given access to some part of its intranet creating in this
way an extranet, while at the same time the customers may
not be considered 'trusted' from a security standpoint).
Technically, an extranet may also be categorized as a CAN, MAN, WAN, or other type of
network, although, by definition, an extranet cannot consist of a single LAN; it must have at
least one connection with an external network.

Internet

A specific internetwork, consisting of a worldwide interconnection of governmental,

academic, public, and private networks based upon the Advanced Research Projects Agency
Network (ARPANET) developed by ARPA of the U.S. Department of Defense – also home to
the World Wide Web (WWW) and referred to as the 'Internet' with a capital 'I' to distinguish
it from other generic internetworks.

Participants in the Internet, or their service providers, use IP Addresses obtained from
address registries that control assignments. Service providers and large enterprises also
exchange information on the reach ability of their address ranges through the Border
Gateway Protocol (BGP
I. Identify the following. Choose your answer from the grid below. Use a separate sheet of
paper in answering.

______________ 1. The World Wide Web.

______________ 2. The internal network of a company or other enterprise.

______________ 3. A network that connects two or more LANs but that is limited to a
specific and contiguous geographical area such as a college campus,

______________ 4. A data communications network that covers a relatively broad

geographic area.

______________ 5. A network that connects two or more Local Area Networks or

Campus Area Networks together.

______________ 6. It signifies the way in which intelligent devices in the network see

their logical relations to one another.

______________ 7. It is the interconnected group of computers.

______________ 8. A network covering a small geographic area, like a home.

______________ 9. All the cables run from the computers to the central location where

they are all connected by hub.

______________10. Each computer is connected to the next computer with the last one

connected to the first.

Topology Ring Topology Bus Topology

Network Star Topology GAN
LAN Extranet MAN
WAN Internet Intranet