Computer Networking | Pixel Shrikzz

Computer Network

What is meant by a computer network?

Computer network, two or more computers that are connected with one another for the purpose of communicating data electronically. Two basic network types are local-area networks (LANs) and wide-area networks (WANs).

Computer networks are used to carry out a large number of tasks through the sharing of information.

Some of the things that networks are used for include:

• Communicating using email, video, instant messaging and other methods
• Sharing devices such as printers, scanners and photocopiers
• Sharing files
• Sharing software and operating programs on remote systems
• Allowing network users to easily access and maintain information

There are many different types of network, which can be used for different purposes and by different types of people and organization. Here are some of the network types that you might come across:

• Local Area Networks (LAN)
  A local area network or LAN is a network that connects computers within a limited area. This might be in a school, an office or even a home.

• Personal Area Networks (PAN)‍
  A personal area network is a network that is based on an individual's workspace. The individual's device is the center of the network, with other devices connected to it. There are also wireless personal area networks.

• Home Area Networks (HAN)
  ‍A home area network connects devices within a home environment. It might include personal computers, tablets, smartphones, printers, TVs and other devices.

• Wide Area Networks (WAN)
  ‍A wide area network is a network that covers a larger geographical area, usually with a radius of more than a kilometer.

• Campus Networks
  ‍A campus network is a LAN or set of connected LANs which is used by a government agency, university, corporation or similar organization and is typically a network across a set of buildings that are close together.

• Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN)
  ‍Metropolitan area networks are networks that stretch across a region the size of a metropolitan area. A MAN is a series of connected LANs in a city, which might also connect to a WAN.

• Enterprise Private Network’s
  ‍An enterprise private network is used by a company to connect its various sites so that the different locations can share resources.

• Internetworks
  ‍Internetworks connect different networks together to build a larger network. Internetworking is often used to describe building a large, global network.

• Backbone Networks (BBN)
  ‍A backbone is a part of a network that connects different pieces and provides a path for information to be exchanged.

• Global Area Networks (GAN)
  ‍A global area network is a worldwide network that connects networks all over the globe, such as the internet.  

Wired and Wireless Networks

Many protocols can work with both wired and wireless networks. In recent years, however, wireless technologies have grown and become much more popular. Wi-Fi and other wireless technologies have become the favorite option for building computer networks. One of the reasons for this is that wireless networks can easily support different types of wireless gadgets that have become popular over the years, such as smartphones and tablets. Mobile networking is now an important thing to consider because it's not going to go away anytime soon.

List of Advantages of Computer Networking

•  It enhances communication and availability of information.
•  It allows for more convenient resource sharing.
•  It makes file sharing easier.
•  It is highly flexible.
•  It is an inexpensive system.
•  It increases cost efficiency.
•  It boosts storage capacity.

1.      It enhances communication and availability of information.

Networking, especially with full access to the web, allows ways of communication that would simply be impossible before it was developed. Instant messaging can now allow users to talk in real time and send files to other people wherever they are in the world, which is a huge boon for businesses. Also, it allows access to a vast amount of useful information, including traditional reference materials and timely facts, such as news and current events.

Information Availability

If you were old enough to be semi-cognizant about 30-40 years ago, and you needed to get          some sort of information about the politics of, say China, you'd read the international section of a newspaper in hopes that a journalist mentioned something. Or, you'd head over to a library to find a book about the political landscape of China, hopefully, one that was recently published, no less. Nowadays, if you want to find information on China's political  landscape, up to the second information as well, all you have to do is use the search engine Google, and look for it. The amount of information, the timeliness of it, and the ease of  access to it is unprecedented, nowadays thanks to the technologies and mediums discussed in the prior section. You can read a newspaper online on the information you need, chat with a stranger online about it, or call an expert halfway across the world for it, in an instant! Of course, plenty of challenges remain. A very good example is state-control of global mass  communication, a la China's Great Firewall, which restricts access to any info information it deems unsuitable.

Access to Information and to People

A global wideband network has the potential to give individuals unprecedented access to information and information resources independently of their location. Such access will be used to provide the ability to browse through the world's libraries, dial up movies for home viewing, consult interactive encyclopedic information services  make "virtual" visits to museums and other places of interest, study in classrooms without walls participate in instantaneous polls and referenda, enjoy interactive media and undoubtedly take advantage of possibilities that we cannot now.

2.      It allows for more convenient resource sharing.

This benefit is very important, particularly for larger companies that really need to produce huge numbers of resources to be shared to all the people. Since the technology involves computer-based work, it is assured that the resources they wanted to get across would be completely shared by connecting to a computer network which their audience is also using.

Resource Sharing:

Underlying principle of resource sharing is maximum service at a minimum cost. Main objectives of resource sharing are to create a conductive environment in which libraries can offer better services to meet user needs within available limited resources. The area of resource sharing is quite wide, which broadly include all of the materials, functions, and services. Materials and functions include reading materials of all types/formats, acquisition, cataloguing, storage and preservation. Services include all the techniques employed in libraries to establish link between the reader and reading material. ILL and book exchanges also fall into this.

Common file systems and protocols

Shared file and printer access require an operating system on the client that supports access to resources on a server, an operating system on the server that supports access to its resources from a client, and an application layer (in the four or five layer TCP/IP reference model) file sharing protocol and transport layer protocol to provide that shared access. Modern operating systems for personal computers include distributed file systems that support file sharing, while hand-held computing devices sometimes require additional software for shared file access.