What is a network
A network is a collection of computers, servers,
mainframes, network devices, peripherals,or other devices connected to one
another allowing for data to be shared and used. A great example of a network
is the Internet, connecting millions
of people all over the world together. Below is an example image of what a home
network with multiple computers and other network devices all connected to each other and the
Internet.
A network consists of two or more computers that are
linked in order to share resources (such as printers and CDs), exchange files,
or allow electronic communications. The computers on a network may be linked
through cables, telephone lines, radio waves, satellites, or infrared light
beams. Two very common types of networks include:
A Local Area Network (LAN) is a network that is confined
to a relatively small area. It is generally limited to a geographic area such
as a writing lab, school, or building.
Wide Area Networks (WANs) connect networks in larger
geographic areas, such as Florida, the United States, or the world. Dedicated
transoceanic cabling or satellite uplinks may be used to connect this type of
global network.
Network
topologies and types of networks
A network
can be setup in dozens of different ways known as network topologies. Common configurations include the bus topology, mesh topology, ring topology, star topology, tree topology and hybrid topology.
A given network can also be characterized by the type of
data transmission technology in use on it (for example, a TCP/IP or Systems Network Architecture network); by whether it carries voice,
data, or both kinds of signals; by who can use the network (public or private);
by the usual nature of its connections (dial-up or switched, dedicated or
nonswitched, or virtual connections); and by the types of physical links (for
example, optical fiber, coaxial cable, andUnshielded Twisted Pair). Large telephone networks and
networks using their infrastructure (such as the Internet) have sharing and exchange
arrangements with other companies so that larger networks are created.
