Chapter 5 Part 2 Computer Network

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NETWORKING

A system of interconnected computers and computerized peripherals such as printers is


called computer network. This interconnection among computers facilitates information
sharing among them. Computers may connect to each other by either wired or wireless
media.
A computer network is a set of devices connected through links. A node can be
computer, printer, or any other device capable of sending or receiving the data. The links
connecting the nodes are known as communication channels.

Computer Network uses distributed processing in which task is divided among several
computers. Instead, a single computer handles an entire task, each separate computer
handles a subset.

Need for Computer Networking

• Communication between one PC to another PC.


• Exchange of data between various users of the same platform.
• Exchange of expensive software and database.
• Sharing of information over WAN.
• Used for sharing of hardware devices as well as software such as Printers,
modems, hubs etc.

Classification of Computer Networks


Computer networks are classified based on various factors.They includes:

• Geographical span
• Inter-connectivity
• Administration
• Architecture

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Features of Computer network
A list Of Computer network features is given below.

• Communication speed
• File sharing
• Back up and Roll back is easy
• Software and Hardware sharing
• Security
• Scalability
• Reliability

Computer Network Types

A computer network is a group of computers linked to each other that enables the
computer to communicate with another computer and share their resources, data, and

applications.

A computer network can be categorized by their size. A computer network is mainly of


four types:

Figure 1: Types of Computer Network

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LAN (Local Area Network)
Local Area Network is a group of computers connected to each other in a small area such
as building, office.

LAN is used for connecting two or more personal computers through a communication
medium such as twisted pair, coaxial cable, etc.

It is less costly as it is built with inexpensive hardware such as hubs, network adapters,
and ethernet cables.

The data is transferred at an extremely faster rate in Local Area Network.

Local Area Network provides higher security.

PAN (Personal Area Network)


Personal Area Network is a network arranged within an individual person, typically within
a range of 10 meters.

Personal Area Network is used for connecting the computer devices of personal use is
known as Personal Area Network.

Thomas Zimmerman was the first research scientist to bring the idea of the Personal Area
Network.

Personal Area Network covers an area of 30 feet.

Personal computer devices that are used to develop the personal area network are the
laptop, mobile phones, media player and play stations.

MAN (Metropolitan Area Network)


A metropolitan area network is a network that covers a larger geographic area by
interconnecting a different LAN to form a larger network.

Government agencies use MAN to connect to the citizens and private industries.

In MAN, various LANs are connected to each other through a telephone exchange line.

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The most widely used protocols in MAN are RS-232, Frame Relay, ATM, ISDN, OC-3,
ADSL, etc.

It has a higher range than Local Area Network(LAN).

Uses of Metropolitan Area Network:


• MAN is used in communication between the banks in a city.
• It can be used in an Airline Reservation.
• It can be used in a college within a city.
• It can also be used for communication in the military.

WAN (Wide Area Network)


o A Wide Area Network is a network that extends over a large geographical area such
as states or countries.
o A Wide Area Network is quite bigger network than the LAN.
o A Wide Area Network is not limited to a single location, but it spans over a large
geographical area through a telephone line, fibre optic cable or satellite links.
o The internet is one of the biggest WAN in the world.
o A Wide Area Network is widely used in the field of Business, government, and
education.

Examples of Wide Area Network:


• Mobile Broadband: A 4G network is widely used across a region or country.
• Last mile: A telecom company is used to provide the internet services to the
customers in hundreds of cities by connecting their home with fiber.
• Private network: A bank provides a private network that connects the 44 offices.
This network is made by using the telephone leased line provided by the telecom
company.

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Types of Network Topology

Network Topology is the schematic description of a network arrangement, connecting


various nodes (sender and receiver) through lines of connection.

A Network Topology is the arrangement with which computer systems or network devices
are connected to each other. Topologies may define both physical and logical aspect of
the network. Both logical and physical topologies could be same or different in a same
network.

Topology defines the structure of the network of how all the components are
interconnected to each other. There are two types of topology: physical and logical
topology.

Physical topology is the geometric representation of all the nodes in a network.

BUS Topology

Bus topology is a network type in which every computer and network device is connected
to single cable. When it has exactly two endpoints, then it is called Linear Bus topology.

Figure 2: Bus Topology

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Features of Bus Topology
• It transmits data only in one direction.
• Every device is connected to a single cable

Advantages of Bus Topology


• It is cost effective.
• Cable required is least compared to other network topology.
• Used in small networks.
• It is easy to understand.
• Easy to expand joining two cables together.

Disadvantages of Bus Topology


• Cables fails then whole network fails.
• If network traffic is heavy or nodes are more the performance of the network
decreases.
• Cable has a limited length.
• It is slower than the ring topology.

RING Topology
It is called ring topology because it forms a ring as each computer is connected to another
computer, with the last one connected to the first. Exactly two neighbours for each device.

Figure 3: Ring Topology

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Advantages of Ring Topology
• Transmitting network is not affected by high traffic or by adding more nodes, as
only the nodes having tokens can transmit data.
• Cheap to install and expand

Disadvantages of Ring Topology


• Troubleshooting is difficult in ring topology.
• Adding or deleting the computers disturbs the network activity.
• Failure of one computer disturbs the whole network.

STAR Topology
In this type of topology all the computers are connected to a single hub through a cable.
This hub is the central node and all others nodes are connected to the central node.

Features of Star Topology


• Every node has its own dedicated connection to the hub.
• Hub acts as a repeater for data flow.
• Can be used with twisted pair, Optical Fibre or coaxial cable.

Figure 4: Star Topology

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Advantages of Star Topology
• Fast performance with few nodes and low network traffic.
• Hub can be upgraded easily.
• Easy to troubleshoot.
• Easy to setup and modify.
• Only that node is affected which has failed, rest of the nodes can work smoothly.

Disadvantages of Star Topology


• Cost of installation is high.
• Expensive to use.
• If the hub fails then the whole network is stopped because all the nodes depend
on the hub.
• Performance is based on the hub that is it depends on its capacity

MESH Topology
It is a point-to-point connection to other nodes or devices. All the network nodes are
connected to each other. Mesh has n(n-1)/2 physical channels to link n devices.

There are two techniques to transmit data over the Mesh topology, they are :

• Routing
• Flooding

MESH Topology: Routing


In routing, the nodes have a routing logic, as per the network requirements. Like routing
logic to direct the data to reach the destination using the shortest distance. Or, routing
logic which has information about the broken links, and it avoids those node etc. We can
even have routing logic, to re-configure the failed nodes.

MESH Topology: Flooding


In flooding, the same data is transmitted to all the network nodes, hence no routing logic
is required. The network is robust, and the its very unlikely to lose the data. But it leads
to unwanted load over the network.

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Figure 5: Mesh Topology

Types of Mesh Topology


Partial Mesh Topology: In this topology some of the systems are connected in the
same fashion as mesh topology but some devices are only connected to two or three
devices.

Full Mesh Topology: Each and every nodes or devices are connected to each other.

Features of Mesh Topology


• Fully connected.
• Robust.
• Not flexible.

Advantages of Mesh Topology


• Each connection can carry its own data load.
• It is robust.
• Fault is diagnosed easily.
• Provides security and privacy.

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Disadvantages of Mesh Topology
• Installation and configuration is difficult.
• Cabling cost is more.
• Bulk wiring is required.

TREE Topology
It has a root node and all other nodes are connected to it forming a hierarchy. It is also
called hierarchical topology. It should at least have three levels to the hierarchy.

Figure 6: Tree Topology

Features of Tree Topology


• Ideal if workstations are located in groups.
• Used in Wide Area Network.

Advantages of Tree Topology


• Extension of bus and star topologies.
• Expansion of nodes is possible and easy.
• Easily managed and maintained.
• Error detection is easily done.

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Disadvantages of Tree Topology
• Heavily cabled.
• Costly.
• If more nodes are added maintenance is difficult.
• Central hub fails, network fails.

HYBRID Topology
It is two different types of topologies which is a mixture of two or more topologies. For
example if in an office in one department ring topology is used and in another star
topology is used, connecting these topologies will result in Hybrid Topology (ring topology
and star topology).

Figure 7: Hybrid Topology

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Features of Hybrid Topology
• It is a combination of two or topologies
• Inherits the advantages and disadvantages of the topologies included

Advantages of Hybrid Topology


• Reliable as Error detecting and trouble shooting is easy.
• Effective.
• Scalable as size can be increased easily.
• Flexible.

Disadvantages of Hybrid Topology


• Complex in design.
• Costly.

Transmission Modes in Computer Networks

Transmission mode refers to the mechanism of transferring of data between two devices
connected over a network. It is also called Communication Mode. These modes direct the
direction of flow of information. There are three types of transmission modes. They are:

Figure 8: Transmission Mode

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SIMPLEX Mode
In this type of transmission mode, data can be sent only in one direction i.e.
communication is unidirectional. We cannot send a message back to the sender.
Unidirectional communication is done in Simplex Systems where we just need to send a
command/signal, and do not expect any response back.

Examples of simplex Mode are Speakers, television broadcasting, television and remote,
keyboard and monitor etc.

Figure 9: Simplex Mode

HALF DUPLEX Mode


Half-duplex data transmission means that data can be transmitted in both directions on a
signal carrier, but not at the same time.

For example, on a local area network using a technology that has half-duplex
transmission, one workstation can send data on the line and then immediately receive
data on the line from the same direction in which data was just transmitted. Hence half-
duplex transmission implies a bidirectional line (one that can carry data in both directions)
but data can be sent in only one direction at a time.

Example of half duplex is a Walkie - talkie in which message is sent one at a time but
messages are sent in both the directions.

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.

Figure 10: Half Duplex Mode

FULL DUPLEX Mode


In full duplex system we can send data in both the directions as it is bidirectional at the
same time in other words, data can be sent in both directions simultaneously.

Example of Full Duplex is a Telephone Network in which there is communication between


two persons by a telephone line, using which both can talk and listen at the same time.

Figure 11: Full Duplex Mode

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Transmission Mediums in Computer Networks

Transmission media is the medium through which we will exchange data in the form of
voice/message/video between the source and destination point.

The first layer of the OSI layer i.e. the physical layer plays an important role of providing
the transmission media to send data from the sender to receiver or exchange data from
one point to another. We will further study this in detail about it.

Depending upon the factors like the type of network, cost & ease of installation,
environmental conditions, the need of the business and the distances between sender &
receiver, we will decide which transmission medium will be suitable for an exchange of
data.

Figure 12: Transmission Media

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Factors to be considered while selecting a Transmission Medium
• Transmission Rate
• Cost and Ease of Installation
• Resistance to Environmental Conditions
• Distances

Twisted Pair Cable


This cable is the most commonly used and is cheaper than others. It is lightweight, cheap,
can be installed easily, and they support many different types of network. Some important
points:

• Its frequency range is 0 to 3.5 kHz.


• Typical attenuation is 0.2 dB/Km @ 1kHz.
• Typical delay is 50 µs/km.
• Repeater spacing is 2km.

A twisted pair consists of two conductors (normally copper), each with its own plastic
insulation, twisted together. One of these wires is used to carry signals to the receiver,
and the other is used only as ground reference. The receiver uses the difference between
the two. In addition to the signal sent by the sender on one of the wires, interference
(noise) and crosstalk may affect both wires and create unwanted signals. If the two wires
are parallel, the effect of these unwanted signals is not the same in both wires because
they are at different locations relative to the noise or crosstalk sources. This results in a
difference at the receiver.

Twisted Pair is of two types:

• Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP)


• Shielded Twisted Pair (STP)

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Unshielded Twisted Pair Cable
It is the most common type of telecommunication when compared with Shielded Twisted
Pair Cable which consists of two conductors usually copper, each with its own colour
plastic insulator. Identification is the reason behind coloured plastic insulation.

UTP cables consist of 2 or 4 pairs of twisted cable. Cable with 2 pair use RJ-11 connector
and 4 pair cable use RJ-45 connector.

Figure 13: Unshielded Twisted Pair Cable

Advantages of Unshielded Twisted Pair Cable


• Installation is easy
• Flexible
• Cheap
• It has high speed capacity,
• 100 meter limit
• Higher grades of UTP are used in LAN technologies like Ethernet.
• It consists of two insulating copper wires (1mm thick). The wires are twisted
together in a helical form to reduce electrical interference from similar pair.

Disadvantages of Unshielded Twisted Pair Cable


• Bandwidth is low when compared with Coaxial Cable
• Provides less protection from interference.

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Shielded Twisted Pair Cable
This cable has a metal foil or braided-mesh covering which encases each pair of insulated
conductors. Electromagnetic noise penetration is prevented by metal casing. Shielding
also eliminates crosstalk (explained in KEY TERMS Chapter).

It has same attenuation as unshielded twisted pair. It is faster the unshielded and coaxial
cable. It is more expensive than coaxial and unshielded twisted pair.

Figure 14: Shielded Twisted Pair Cable

Advantages of Shielded Twisted Pair Cable


• Easy to install
• Performance is adequate
• Can be used for Analog or Digital transmission
• Increases the signalling rate
• Higher capacity than unshielded twisted pair
• Eliminates crosstalk

Disadvantages of Shielded Twisted Pair Cable


• Difficult to manufacture
• Heavy

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Coaxial Cable:
Coaxial is called by this name because it contains two conductors that are parallel to each
other. Copper is used in this as centre conductor which can be a solid wire or a standard
one. It is surrounded by PVC installation, a sheath which is encased in an outer conductor
of metal foil, barid or both.

Outer metallic wrapping is used as a shield against noise and as the second conductor
which completes the circuit. The outer conductor is also encased in an insulating sheath.
The outermost part is the plastic cover which protects the whole cable.

Here the most common coaxial standards.

• 50-Ohm RG-7 or RG-11 : used with thick Ethernet.


• 50-Ohm RG-58 : used with thin Ethernet
• 75-Ohm RG-59 : used with cable television
• 93-Ohm RG-62 : used with ARCNET.

Figure 15: Coaxial Cable

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Advantages of Coaxial Cable
• Bandwidth is high
• Used in long distance telephone lines.
• Transmits digital signals at a very high rate of 10Mbps.
• Much higher noise immunity
• Data transmission without distortion.
• The can span to longer distance at higher speeds as they have better shielding
when compared to twisted pair cable

Disadvantages of Coaxial Cable


• Single cable failure can fail the entire network.
• Difficult to install and expensive when compared with twisted pair.
• If the shield is imperfect, it can lead to grounded loop.

Fiber Optic Cable


A fibre-optic cable is made of glass or plastic and transmits signals in the form of light.

For better understanding we first need to explore several aspects of the nature of light.

Light travels in a straight line as long as it is mobbing through a single uniform substance.
If ray of light travelling through one substance suddenly enters another substance (of a
different density), the ray changes direction.

Advantages of Fibre Optic Cable


Fibre optic has several advantages over metallic cable:

• Higher bandwidth
• Less signal attenuation
• Immunity to electromagnetic interference
• Resistance to corrosive materials
• Light weight
• Greater immunity to tapping

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Disadvantages of Fibre Optic Cable
There are some disadvantages in the use of optical fibre:

• Installation and maintenance


• Unidirectional light propagation
• High Cost
• Performance of Fibre Optic Cable
• Attenuation is flatter than in the case of twisted-pair cable and coaxial cable. The
performance is such that we need fewer(actually one tenth as many) repeaters
when we use the fibre-optic cable.

Applications of Fibre Optic Cable


• Often found in backbone networks because its wide bandwidth is cost-effective.
• Some cable TV companies use a combination of optical fibre and coaxial cable
thus creating a hybrid network.
• Local-area Networks such as 100Base-FX network and 1000Base-X also use
fibre-optic cable.

UnBounded or UnGuided Transmission Media


Unguided medium transport electromagnetic waves without using a physical conductor.
This type of communication is often referred to as wireless communication. Signals are
normally broadcast through free space and thus are available to anyone who has a device
capable of receiving them.

The below figure shows the part of the electromagnetic spectrum, ranging from 3 kHz to
900 THz, used for wireless communication.

We can divide wireless transmission into three broad groups:

• Radio waves
• Micro waves
• Infrared waves

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Radio Waves
Electromagnetic waves ranging in frequencies between 3 KHz and 1 GHz are normally
called radio waves.

Radio waves are omnidirectional. When an antenna transmits radio waves, they are
propagated in all directions. This means that the sending and receiving antennas do not
have to be aligned. A sending antenna send waves that can be received by any receiving
antenna. The omnidirectional property has disadvantage, too. The radio waves
transmitted by one antenna are susceptible to interference by another antenna that may
send signal suing the same frequency or band.

Applications of Radio Waves


• The omnidirectional characteristics of radio waves make them useful for
multicasting in which there is one sender but many receivers.
• AM and FM radio, television, maritime radio, cordless phones, and paging are
examples of multicasting.

Micro Waves
Electromagnetic waves having frequencies between 1 and 300 GHz are called micro
waves. Micro waves are unidirectional. When an antenna transmits microwaves, they can
be narrowly focused. This means that the sending and receiving antennas need to be
aligned. The unidirectional property has an obvious advantage. A pair of antennas can
be aligned without interfering with another pair of aligned antennas.

The following describes some characteristics of microwaves propagation:

• Microwave propagation is line-of-sight. Since the towers with the mounted


antennas need to be in direct sight of each other, towers that are far apart need to
be very tall.
• Very high-frequency microwaves cannot penetrate walls. This characteristic can
be a disadvantage if receivers are inside the buildings.
• The microwave band is relatively wide, almost 299 GHz. Therefore, wider sub-
bands can be assigned and a high date rate is possible.

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• Use of certain portions of the band requires permission from authorities.

Applications of Micro Waves


Microwaves, due to their unidirectional properties, are very useful when unicast(one-to-
one) communication is needed between the sender and the receiver. They are used in
cellular phones, satellite networks and wireless LANs.

Advantages of Microwave Transmission


• Used for long distance telephone communication
• Carries 1000's of voice channels at the same time

Disadvantages of Microwave Transmission


• It is very costly

Infrared Waves
Infrared waves, with frequencies from 300 GHz to 400 THz, can be used for short-range
communication. Infrared waves, having high frequencies, cannot penetrate walls. This
advantageous characteristic prevents interference between one system and another, a
short-range communication system in on room cannot be affected by another system in
the next room.

When we use infrared remote control, we do not interfere with the use of the remote by
our neighbours.

Applications of Infrared Waves


• The infrared band, almost 400 THz, has an excellent potential for data
transmission. Such a wide bandwidth can be used to transmit digital data with a
very high data rate.
• The Infrared Data Association(IrDA), an association for sponsoring the use of
infrared waves, has established standards for using these signals for
communication between devices such as keyboards, mouse, PCs and printers.
• Infrared signals can be used for short-range communication in a closed area using
line-of-sight propagation.

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Computer - Internet and Intranet

Internet
The Internet is a global network that uses TCP / IP protocols to connect millions of
computers worldwide. It can include different networks, such as private, public,
organizational, academic, government, etc. It allows users to communicate with each
other and share massive amounts of data in various formats. Internet is available in both
modes, wired and wireless. In wired mode, the data travels through fiber optic cables,
whereas in wireless mode, the data travels through radio waves.

Applications of the Internet:


• File sharing
• Downloading media files and software
• Sending and receiving emails
• Browsing any information
• Using social media platforms, forums, and communities
• E-Commerce, bill payments, online purchasing of food and medicines
• Voice Calls, Video Conferencing, and Chatting with friends, family members, and
colleagues

How does the Internet work?


The internet is a network created by connecting a large number of computers or computer
networks. It is a type of network that cannot be owned by an entity. It is formed using
networks of networks configured using complex standards and rules (such as protocols).
The Internet works through a packet routing network following the protocols, where the
packet routing is the technique of routing data packets from source computer to a
destination computer.

However, there are several protocols; the transmission and internet protocols are the
primary impelling agents that help build the Internet network. The other common protocols
used by the connected networks are HTTP, FTP, and SMTP. Besides, the protocols and

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applications like Telnet, Gopher, WWW, Usenet News, Internet Relay Chat, etc. are also
used throughout the working of the Internet.

Advantages of Internet
Few advantages of the Internet are listed below:

• The Internet establishes a network of devices from different locations all around
the world.
• It allows people to communicate easily from any location worldwide.
• The Internet is helping people to get information easily on different topics.
• It keeps the people updated on what's happening worldwide with the latest news
and technologies.
• It connects people through communities, forums, social networking sites and helps
them work together digitally.
• The Internet has made selling and purchasing of products and services easier.
• The Internet is the best platform for people to show their talent, such as singing,
dancing, drawing, etc.

What is Intranet?
An Intranet is a part of the Internet and is owned and used privately by an organization.
It is mainly used to connect all the computers and establish a private network of an
organization to provide employees the ability to collaborate on projects, manage or
update information, share calendars, and to-do list, etc. Organizations prefer using
Intranet to keep their data inaccessible from outsiders, making their suspicious data and
project information secure. Intranet includes a firewall to prevent unauthorized users from
accessing the network.

The websites created over Intranet look almost similar and act like any other website on
the Internet. However, these websites are much more task-oriented than promotional
design websites on the Internet. Like the Internet, the intranet's websites can also provide
the interface to form communication in the shape of chatting, image sharing, audio-video
conferencing, etc. All these activities can only be used by authorized users who have
permission to access the Intranet network.

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Applications of the Intranet:
• Sharing the updates regarding the company's rules and regulations
• Accessing employees details
• Onboarding of employees and customer details
• Sharing project details
• Submission of projects and reports
• Submitting feedback or complaints
• Corporate telephone directories

How does Intranet work?


Intranet usually runs in a client/server environment where the computers are connected
using local area networks. Each computer is identified by the MAC address or an IP
address, which remains unique for every computer. As an Internet, the Intranet also uses
the client-server model based on the TCP / IP protocol suite. Because web browsers do
not depend on the platform, they are also used on Intranet to access and retrieve
information from the server within the organization. Besides, there is no need to install
any special kind of software on the systems on the Intranet. But most companies use
customized software designed purposely for company-specific tasks.

In addition to the protocols, Intranet uses a firewall to filter unwanted elements to the
network and protects it from external intruders. It also includes network connectivity and
the public telecommunication system, which help access and share the company's data,
projects, and operations securely with the staff.

Advantages of Intranet
Few advantages of the Intranet are listed below:

• The intranet is helping organizations to access internal and external information


securely.
• The intranet is fast, easy-to-use, and low-cost to implement.
• It enables employees to connect with other systems throughout the organization.
• The intranet is based on open standards.

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• It has added improved communication and enhanced productivity to the
operational business processes.
• It encourages collaboration and reduces the error rate.
• It helps cut down the administration and the processing time.

World Wide Web


World Wide Web, which is also known as a Web, is a collection of websites or web pages
stored in web servers and connected to local computers through the internet. These
websites contain text pages, digital images, audios, videos, etc. Users can access the
content of these sites from any part of the world over the internet using their devices such
as computers, laptops, cell phones, etc. The WWW, along with internet, enables the
retrieval and display of text and media to your device.

The building blocks of the Web are web pages which are formatted in HTML and
connected by links called "hypertext" or hyperlinks and accessed by HTTP. These links
are electronic connections that link related pieces of information so that users can access
the desired information quickly. Hypertext offers the advantage to select a word or phrase
from text and thus to access other pages that provide additional information related to
that word or phrase.

A web page is given an online address called a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). A
particular collection of web pages that belong to a specific URL is called a website, e.g.,
www.facebook.com, www.google.com, etc. So, the World Wide Web is like a huge
electronic book whose pages are stored on multiple servers across the world.

Small websites store all of their WebPages on a single server, but big websites or
organizations place their WebPages on different servers in different countries so that
when users of a country search their site they could get the information quickly from the
nearest server.

So, the web provides a communication platform for users to retrieve and exchange
information over the internet. Unlike a book, where we move from one page to another in
a sequence, on World Wide Web we follow a web of hypertext links to visit a web page

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and from that web page to move to other web pages. You need a browser, which is
installed on your computer, to access the Web.

Webpage
A web page is a single hypertext document available on World Wide Web (WWW). It is
composed of HTML elements and displayed on the user's browser such as Mozilla,
Firefox, Chrome, etc. It is also referred to as "Page."

A webpage may contain text, links for other pages, graphics, videos, etc. Moreover, it is
mainly used to provide information to the user in text, images, etc.

Website:
A website is a collection of several web pages. These pages are linked together with
hyperlinks. A website has a unique domain name, and we can access it by entering that
domain name in the URL.

Web Browser
web Browser is an application software that allows us to view and explore information on
the web. User can request for any web page by just entering a URL into address bar.

Web browsers can show text, audio, video, animation and more. It is the responsibility of
a web browser to interpret text and commands contained in the web page.

Main Task of Browser:

• It connects to a web server on the internet and requests a page that the user wants
to view; once it finds that page, it displays it on its device.
• It can interpret the set of HTML tags within a page to display the page in the correct
format.

Most common web browsers: Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera,
Safari, Brave, etc.

The web browser sends an HTTP request and gets an HTTP response.

The web browser is installed on the client’s computer.

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Web Server
Web server is a program which processes the network requests of the users and serves
them with files that create web pages. This exchange takes place using Hypertext
Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

Web servers are mostly used for:

• sending and receiving mails on Internet by using SMTP (Simple Mail transfer
Protocol);
• fetching requests for File Transfer Protocol (FTP) files; and
• designing, developing, and publishing websites.

Though there are various web servers found in today's market, but the commonly used
one are as follows: Apache HTTP Server, Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS)

Introduction to Open-Source
The term Open-source is closely related to Open-source software (OSS). Open-source
software is a type of computer software that is released under a license, but the source
code is made available to all the users.

Some famous examples of Open-source products are:

• Operating systems –
Android, Ubuntu, Linux
• Internet browsers –
Mozilla Firefox, Chromium, brave
• Integrated Development Environment (IDEs) –
Vs code (Visual Studio Code), Android Studio, PyCharm, Xcode, codeblocks

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