Topic 2

• Difference between Local Area Network (LAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN):

  • LAN operates on a single site like a school, hotel, or business using their cabling systems
  • WAN connects networks at remote locations via leased lines
• Star network topology:

  • Computers and devices are connected to a central switch

  Advantages:

  • Fast data transfer to the hub
  • If one cable fails, other computers are not affected

  Disadvantages:

  • Requires additional hardware like the central switch and network cables
  • If the central switch fails, the whole network goes down
• Mesh network topology:

  • Nodes act as routers to relay and propagate data
  • Partial mesh networks are used, often with star topologies to create larger networks
• Routers and switches for LAN:

  • Router: Routes packets of data towards their destination
  • Switch: Connects each node in a network, sends data to the correct computer
  • NIC (Network Interface Card/Controller) in computers or devices
• Ethernet standards for wired networks:

  • Family of standard local networking protocols
  • Describes how devices format data for transmission between computers on the same network
• Concept of virtual networks:

  • Virtual networks allow multiple networks to share the same hardware infrastructure
  • They are created by partitioning a physical network into smaller, logical networks