3.1.

5: Data
Transmission

Specification:

LANs and
WANs

What is a network?
Collection of two or more computers connected together
to share resources

Network Types
LAN

WAN

Local Area Network

Wide Area Network

Over a small geographical

area

Computers are remote

Within a building (25 km)

e.g. a school

Each computer has its own

peripherals typically
Communication via third
party telephone lines or
satellites

Characteristics of LANs
and WANs
LANs

WANs

Distance

Over short distances

Over geographically
remote distances

Communicati
on

Hardwired
Short wireless range

Third part
communication links

Security

More secure

Subject to attack

Hardware

No extra communication Requires a modem

device needed
Each PC has own device
Devices shared

Software & Hardware for a LAN

What are they and how are they used?
Cabling or
Wireless Access
Points

Network
Operating
System

Drivers for
Hardware
Server, Hub or
Switch
Network
Interface Cards

Hardware for a WAN

Router
Acts as gateway to WAN

Communication link (fibre optic, broadband connection,

telephone line etc.)
Provided by 3rd party, rented from provider

Firewall
Stops hacking, communications restricted to authorised
users

Proxy server
Allows all computers to access WAN as though it were one
computer

Why not Anti-virus software?

Routers
Allows links between networks gateway to WANs

Routers
Explained

Firewalls
Monitors where data has come from and is going to
determines if its allowed
Checks a list of pre-defined rules
More advanced firewalls analyses each packet of data

Proxies
Your PC

Server

Can
Knows
your
external IP (e.g. your location)
block
cookies
IP
isnt cookies
disclosed
(proxy
to server)
Knows
you
haveconnects
on PC
Can
block
malicious
websites
Knows
browser
and plugins
you use
Can also save bandwidth
Your PC

Proxy
server

Server

Data
Transmission
SERIAL, PARALLEL
SIMPLEX, HALF-DUPLEX AND DUPLEX

Specification:

Serial and Parallel

Transmission
How the data is sent (transmitted)

Serial: Individual data bits sent

One bit at a time
Often along a single wire
Down a single wire
As a single stream
Transmissio

Parallel: multiple/all bits

at once
simultaneously
Down more than one wire
Usually through 8 wires
bits
As many streams

Applications of Parallel
Transmission
Sending data from hard drive/games console to
processor
Video streaming
Use of graphics card
Where speed is critical
Data volume is great
Data is time sensitive

Simplex Communication
Data can only be transferred in one direction
Does not suffer collisions
Poor for mutual communications
E.g. Cable television
Pager

Half-Duplex
Communication
Data can be transferred in both directions
But not at the same time
I.e. Data can only be sent from one device at a time
Most likely to cause collisions
Data collides and is corrupted
Similar to phones being busy
E.g. walkie talkie

Full-Duplex
Communication
Data can be transferred in both directions
simultaneously
Virtually no collisions take place
E.g. smart phones, video calling etc.

Data Transmission:
Bit/Baud rate
More wires connecting two devices more data that
can be transferred in a period of time
Rate at which data is transferred (not speed)
How many bits are transferred within a certain time e.g.
Per second
Measured in baud

Bit rate and Time

Sensitivity
Different bit rates are suitable for different types of
applications
Influenced by
time sensitivity of information
File use not type

Compare the following...

Streaming video
Saving a word processed document

Bit Rate and Time

Sensitivity
Word processed documents tend to have less data to
transmit
Smaller than video files
Word processed documents not needed immediately
Therefore bit rate unimportant time for data to
download even at a slow rate
Video file larger used immediately
Therefore data transmitted is time sensitive
Requires a high bit rate otherwise data would be
useless

Data
Transmission
TRANSMISSION ERRORS
PARITY, CHECKSUM AND ECHO CHECKS

Specification:

Purpose of Checks
Ensures data retains its integrity
Checks data transmitted is same as when it is received
No corruption
Completed through various ways:
Parity
Check sum
Echoing

Parity Checks
Data is sent in fixed byte sizes (normally 8 bits)
Data contained in first 7 bits
8th bit is parity bit

8th bit used to make number of 1s sent either odd or even

Data is either odd or even parity (determined by number of 1s present
including 8th bit)
Even number of 1s Parity bit: 0
Odd number of 1s Parity bit: 1

System set to expect either all bytes to have odd or even number of 1s
If an error request sent for re-transmission

Parity Check Example

Which byte is corrupted?

Why?

Parity Check Example

a) 01101101 = 5 (odd) bits
b) 10111010 = 5 (odd) bits
c) 10101010 = 4 (even) bits
d) 10100010 = 3 (odd) bits
c) must be corrupted only byte with even parity

Parity Check Question

One error checking method is to use parity. One of the
following bytes has been corrupted in transmission.
00010010
01011101
10101001
11000011
State which the corrupt byte is and explain why it is
corrupt (3)

Parity Check Question

One error checking method is to use parity. One of the following
bytes has been corrupted in transmission.
00010010
01011101
10101001
11000011
State which the corrupt byte is and explain why it is corrupt

(3)

01011101
Has an odd number of ones
All the other bytes have an even number an even parity

Check Sum Checks

Data consists of binary numbers
These numbers are added together to create a value
checksum
If there is any carryover (overflow) this is ignored
Checksum value sent with data
If sent value matches destination value no error

Check Sum Check

Example

Check Sum Check

Example
Bytes are added togetherand carry over (overflow)
ignored
0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1
1 0 0 0 0 0 0

+ 1 0 0 0 1 0 0

0 1 1 1 0 1 1

(1)

Sent with data

Same sum done at receivers end results compared

Echo Checks
Block of data sent from device A to device B
Data at device B is sent back to device A
This data is then compared
If data matches no error
If different original block of data sent again