Basic components of the networking - Tutorial 1

When we are creating a network, the primary purpose is to connect two or more computers to each other and make them communicate data and information among the network. To implement such a scenario, we need several components and we called them as basic components of the network. Let's see what are those components and find out more detail.

Transmission media
Connectors
NIC (Network Interface Card)
Protocols
Address
Hub\Switch
Modem
Router

We can create a network by taking some or all of these basics (including the mandatory elements). Transmission media is the most important thing to connect computers with other network devices such as routers and switches. It can be divided into two main categories.

Guided media - Cables (UTP, Coaxial, Fiber optics)
Unguided media - Wireless (WiFi, Microwave, WiMax)

Several types of different cables

10 Base 2: This is a coaxial cable aka Thinnet. This cable is capable of carrying data up to a maximum of 185m. The maximum data speed is 10Mbit/s. When connecting through a Coaxial Cable, the BNC T-connector is used to divide that cable. Coaxial cable is a half-duplex communication.

10 Base 5: This is also a type of Coaxial cable aka Thinnet. The speed of moving data on this cable is 10Mbit/s. You can transmit data over 500m through this cable.

10 Base T: This cable (10 base T, 100 base TX, 1000 Base T) is usually used for networking and it is also known as Twisted Pair Ethernet. It can be used for full-duplex communication and Half-duplex communication. 10Mbit/s is the data transmission speed of this cable.

100 Base-TX: It's called Fast Ethernet. The difference between this cable and the 10 Base T is that the data speed of this cable is 100Mbit/s.

1000 Base T: This is called Gigabit Ethernet. The data transmission speed is 1000Mbit/s (1 Gigabit per second).

Connectors: When learning about networking, you should have to know about the RJ45 connector (UTP/STP cables). An RJ45 connector has 8 pins. You better learn how to wire the connector to a cable. The RJ45 connector is wired to the UTP / STP cable (which is said to have 8 small wires inside the cable) depending on the number of devices we connect to each other on our network. There are basically two parts.

MAC devices (router, NIC)
Non-MAC devices (switch, bridge, hub)

Here, you don't need to consider what are those routers, switches, and hubs. We will discuss that device later. Now is the time to connect each of these devices and see how the UTP / STP cable connects to the RJ45 connector.

Straight cable: Use this cable to connect different types of devices such as connecting a MAC device to a Non-MAC device (connect a router to a switch). Now let's see how to do wiring the RJ45 connector with UTP cable to make a straight cable. To plug the connector to wire, you have to use a special tool called a crimp tool.

Crossover cable: We use these cables to connect the same types of devices such as a router to another router or switch to another switch.

Rollover cable: This cable is called a Null Modem Cable. We use a cable like this to connect the Router's Console port and the Serial port on our computer. It connects to the router's configuration. That means the router can be customized as we want by entering configuration codes. Setting the Rollover cable to the RJ45 connector is as follows in the diagram below.

Set the 8 small wires to each pin slot as per the diagram below and crimp them to RJ45 connector by using a crimp tool. Both ends of the cable should crimp with the correct color code order as well.

Please note no need to connect your home network routers and computers with the cables which we have mentioned earlier. The cable connecting concept is valid for high-end network devices. However, you better know the concept and fundamentals to pass Cisco certification. Hense keep this in mind.

Network Interface Card: Everyone should know about this. The component is used to connect the network cable. The NIC card installed at the back of your desktop computer. If you have a fiber optic cable, you need a suitable NIC to connect that. That means you have to select the NIC to connect your cable. Normally desktop and computers integrated with common NIC which can connect RJ45 cables. The most important fact about NIC is, it is having a unique MAC address. (Let's dig more about MAC addresses later).

Protocols: A protocol is a set of rules. You may don't get that point. To understand a protocol, let's consider a little scenario. Say data is transferring between two computers in the network. To get the information correctly which the sender has sent, the receiver and sender should obey and follow the same set of rules. There are separate protocols for each service. The devices in the network have to be configured properly to communicate with each other under an appropriate protocol. We would like to give you another example under the protocol concept very well. Let's say there are two guys meet at bus stop. One speaks British and others speak Japanese. Both know English. For better communication, both guys can speak in English. Here English language acting as the protocol.

Addresses: We use addresses to identify devices uniquely. It's like a residential address where your friends can identify your location. There are two types of addresses scheme.

MAC Addresses (Media Access Controller): NIC has a MAC address. The address is assigned to NIC by its manufacture company. therefore we cannot change this MAC address. This address is created by hexadecimal value (12ea:33aa:2876).