Computer Network
A computer network is a collection of interconnected devices, such as computers, servers, and other hardware, that communicate with each other to share resources and information. Networks can be wired or wireless and can range from small local area networks (LANs) within a single building to global wide area networks (WANs) connecting multiple locations.
6 Key excerpts on "Computer Network"
eBook - ePubCyber Careers
The Basics of Information Technology and Deciding on a Career Path
- Pee Vululleh(Author)
- 2022(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
...Hence, Computer Networks refer to the way computer systems and computer devices are connected and communicate with each other for the purpose of sharing information. 4.2 Computer Networks Networks are basically connections between multiple hardware devices. A network enables all components within a system to connect and function as one unit. A Computer Network is a collection of two or more computers connected to share information and resources. A network can be as small as two computers or as large as millions of devices. The keyword in the definition is sharing —this is the main purpose of Computer Networking. The ability to share information efficiently is what gives Computer Networking its power and appeal. Envision a network as a project team. Through the efforts of all involved—the sharing of time, talent, and resources—a goal is accomplished or a project is completed. Personal computers are powerful tools that can quickly process and manipulate large amounts of data, but they do not allow users to share these data efficiently. Before networks, users needed to either print documents or copy files to a disk for others to edit or use them. If others made changes to the documents or files, there was no easy way to merge the changes. This is known as a stand-alone environment. However, when two computers are linked together using a cable that allows them to share data, it is known as a networked environment. Technological advances in networking hardware and software have led to greater throughput on all scales and increasingly tighter integration of networking across all computing aspects. In tandem with these advances, the idea of networking has entered the common consciousness to an extent that would have been unimaginable a few years ago. This shift in perception has led to an expansion of networking beyond the workplace, which is already beginning to shape developments in networking technology. An example of Computer Networks is the use of the Internet...
eBook - ePubMechatronics
An Introduction
- Robert H. Bishop(Author)
- 2017(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
...The most visible application was the amount of information users started sharing among themselves. The volume of information being exchanged among users has been growing exponentially over the last three decades. As users needed to exchange such a mammoth amount of information, new techniques were invented to facilitate the process. There was not only a need for users to exchange information with others in an asynchronous fashion, there was also a need for computers to exchange information among themselves. The information being exchanged in this fashion has different characteristics than the information being exchanged through the telephone systems. This need led to the interconnection of computers with each other and that is what is called Computer Networks. 17.3 Computer Networks A Computer Network is an interconnection of computers. The interconnection forms a facility that provides reliable and efficient means of communication among users and other devices. User communication in Computer Networks is assisted by computers, and the facility also provides communication among computers. Computer Networks are also referred to as computer communication networks. Interconnection among computers may be via wired or wireless transmission medium [5,6,10,13,18]. There are two broad categories of Computer Networks: FIGURE 17.3 (a) A typical wide area computer communication network. (b) A typical local/metropolitan area communication bus network. (c) A typical local/metropolitan area communication ring network. Wide area networks Local/metropolitan area networks Wide area Computer Networks, as the name suggests, span a wider geographical area and essentially have a global scope. On the other hand, local/metropolitan area networks span a limited distance. Local area networks are generally confined to an industrial building or an academic institution...
eBook - ePubCybercrime and Information Technology
Theory and Practice: The Computer Network Infostructure and Computer Security, Cybersecurity Laws, Internet of Things (IoT), and Mobile Devices
- Alex Alexandrou(Author)
- 2021(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
...In this chapter you will learn to understand each of these steps and appreciate the network devices and processes that make them possible. The term “Computer Network” refers to two or more interconnected computing devices or machines that can communicate with each other. The fundamental goal of Computer Networking is simple—to securely share information and resources. It is the execution that is not simple at all. 5.1 Introduction to Computer Networking Over the centuries, some human inventions have provided transformative changes in our lives. Inventions such as the wheel, compass, concrete, steel, gunpowder, and nails have extended the boundaries of civilization and human knowledge and have moved innovation forward. The end of the 18th century brought the age of the steam engine, 1 powered by coal. In the late 19th century, commerce changed again due to the discovery of oil and innovations in manufacturing, such as Henry Ford’s assembly line and the work of Frederick Winslow Taylor, the father of scientific management. 2 1 Deane, Phyllis M., and Phyllis M. Deane. The first industrial revolution. Cambridge University Press, 1979. 2 Kanigel, Robert. “The one best way: Frederick Winslow Taylor and the enigma of efficiency.” MIT Press Books 1 (2005). The 20th century brought us automation, information gathering and processing, the Internet, and mobile phones. 3 In the 21st century the word “connected” now describes the significant advancements in technology that has changed our world once again. 3 Morrar, Rabeh, Husam Arman, and Saeed Mousa. “The fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0): A social innovation perspective.” Technology Innovation Management Review 7, no. 11 (2017): 12–20. The Internet is an enormous global network of networks that can connect every computing device to its vast resources and to every other computer on the planet...
eBook - ePubTelecommunications
A Handbook for Educators
- Resa Azarmsa(Author)
- 2013(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...Chapter Five Networking Introduction Educational applications are increasingly based on computers and communications. However, problems are raised by distributed real-time computing. A network is a well-defined collection of communications services. It is a controllable structure that ties together systems and components. Increasingly, communications networks are used to draw together educational information services. Whether in instruction or managing the instruction, educational information is a vital resource. The terms networking and network appear in the education vocabulary with greater and greater frequency each year. The information explosion in society, and particularly in education, has both been fueled by and caused the technology explosion in the field of telecommunications. Networking can be defined as the ability to exchange information between users and share the resources involved in this process. There are many compelling reasons to consider the use of educational networks. The mission of educational institutions is the creation, storage, and dissemination of information. Communication networks are tools to be used in accomplishing these tasks more effectively, as they facilitate fast, reliable information exchange and resource sharing. Distributed Data Processing (DDP) For the past forty years, new applications for computers have been presented and utilized by users. Educators have witnessed the advent and passing of several data processing organizations. The beginning of the computer revolution brought about a phase of data compilation and processing known as Electronic Data Processing (EDP), simple record-keeping systems. All clerical automation can be classified within this group. The characteristic of this application is its programmability. When operations are automated, there is no need for human intervention. Payroll is a good example of this process...
eBook - ePub- Andy Bailey(Author)
- 2013(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...The computers on a network may be linked through cables, telephone lines, radio waves, satellites, or infrared light beams. There are many ways of categorizing networks, and one of these is by the geographical area covered by the network. In information systems (IS), the basic categories in this case include: local area network (LAN) metropolitan area network (MAN) wide area network (WAN) A LAN is generally installed within a single building or campus, whereas a WAN extends the concept to cover connections between towns, cities, and countries. A MAN is a newer term that can have two possible variations on meaning. The first is a network installed internally to an organization, where the parts of the organization remain within a municipal area. The second interpretation is a high capacity general network, offered as a service within a town or city, probably connecting to the Internet. Each of these types of network needs to consider different design aspects. In network terms, a station is considered to be a computer, whereas a node may also be a network element, such as a router or bridge. Routers, bridges, and other network elements are covered in later chapters. More recently, other network abbreviations have become popular, such as SAN, for storage area network, and CAN, for controller area network (often associated with the automobile industry). Those that are pertinent to the transfer of audio are covered in more detail in later chapters. 1.5 Why do we Need to Move Digital Audio Data Around? In order for the full benefit of digital audio to be realized, the digital domain can be extended into the consumers’ home. The signal may be broadcast, or the digital data stored on a medium and purchased in retail outlets – such as purchasing a CD. No matter how the data are moved, the receiving device must correctly interpret the digital information, otherwise the resulting ‘audio’ may not be at all desirable...
eBook - ePub- Paul Heilker, Peter Vandenberg(Authors)
- 2015(Publication Date)
- Utah State University Press(Publisher)
...Network JASON SWARTS In writing studies, the term network is commonly used in two ways: as a noun and as a verb. As a noun, “the network” is a place of interconnectedness and linked computers (Eyman 1996), but, more generally, a “network is a set of interconnected nodes” (Castells 2001b, 3). Scholars argue for seeing a network as a thing, an “environment” (Hawisher and Selfe 1991, 55) that might be a specific location comprised of conventional nodes like servers and user terminals, as in a campus Computer Network (Palmquist et al. 1995, 336). Others see networks as thing-like and place-like but comprised of nodes that are far more heterogeneous, made up of “different components accommodated by [an] open architecture” (Terranova 2004, 56) that enables the network to grow and the nodes to interrelate. As a verb, networking is often equated with the democratized sharing of content, afforded by the links that interconnect nodes. Networking is shaped by an underlying “protocol” that “refers to all the technoscientific rules and standards that govern relationships within networks” (Galloway and Thacker 2007, 28). These protocols are rooted in “economic, political, and cultural issues” (Abbate 2000, 152) thought to influence how activities occur across a network. In this manner, networking is described as a rule-governed activity, taking place in a network that is shaped by its various protocols that constitute a “cultural ecology” (Hawisher et al. 2004, 644). Underlying this action-oriented understanding of network and networking is an assumption that “the network” has become a cultural mindset, “an extension of life as it is, in all its dimensions, and with all its modalities” (Castells 2001b, 118)...
