NETWORK

Computer network
A computer network is a group of computer systems and other
computing hardware devices that are linked together through
communication channels to facilitate communication and
resource-sharing among a wide range of users. Networks are
commonly categorized based on their characteristics.

History
A computer network, or simply a network, is a collection of computers
and other hardware components interconnected by communication
channels that allow sharing of resources and information. Today,
computer networks are the core of modern communication. All modern
aspects of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) are computercontrolled. Telephony increasingly runs over the Internet Protocol,
although not necessarily the public Internet. The scope of
communication has increased significantly in the past decade. This
boom in communications would not have been possible without the
progressively advancing computer network. Computer networks, and
the technologies that make communication between networked
computers possible, continue to drive computer hardware, software,
and peripherals industries.

Types of network
There

are several different types of computer networks. Computer

networks can be characterized by their size as well as their purpose. The
size of a network can be expressed by the geographic area they occupy
and the number of computers that are part of the network. Networks
can cover anything from a handful of devices within a single room to
millions of devices spread across the entire globe.

Some of the different networks based on size are:

Personal area network, or PAN
Local area network, or LAN
Metropolitan area network, or MAN
Wide area network, or WAN

Personal Area Network

A Personal Area Network or simply PAN, is smallest network which is
very personal to a user. This may include Bluetooth enabled devices or
infra-red enabled devices. PAN has connectivity range up to 10 meters.
PAN may include wireless computer keyboard and mouse, Bluetooth
enabled headphones, wireless printers and TV remotes for example.

Local Area Network

A

computer network spanned inside a building and operated under single

administrative system is generally termed as Local Area Network. Usually,
Local Area Network covers an organizations offices, schools,
college/universities etc. Number of systems may vary from as least as two to as
much as 16 million

LAN provides a useful way of sharing resources between end users. Resources
like Printers, File Servers, Scanners and internet is easy sharable among
computers.

 Local

Area Networks are composed of inexpensive networking and routing

equipment. It may contains local servers serving file storage and other locally
shared applications. It mostly operates on private IP addresses and generally do
not involve heavy routing. LAN works under its own local domain and controlled
centrally. LAN uses either Ethernet or Token-ring technology. Ethernet is most
widely employed LAN technology and uses Star topology while Token-ring is
rarely seen. LAN can be wired or wireless or in both forms at once.

Metropolitan Area Network

MAN,

generally expands throughout a city such as cable

TV network. It can be in form of Ethernet, Token-ring, ATM
or FDDI.

Metro

Ethernet is a service which is provided by ISPs. This

service enables its users to expand their Local Area
Networks. For example, MAN can help an organization to
connect all of its offices in a City.

 Backbone

of MAN is high-capacity and high-speed fiber

optics. MAN is works in between Local Area Network and
Wide Area Network. MAN provides uplink for LANs to WANs
or Internet.

Wide Area Network

As

name suggests, this network covers a wide area which may span across
provinces and even a whole country. Generally, telecommunication networks
are Wide Area Network. These networks provides connectivity to MANs and
LANs. Equipped with very high speed backbone, WAN uses very expensive
network equipment.

To cover

a great distance WANs may transmit data over leased high-speed

phone lines or wireless links such as Satellite.

 WAN may use advanced technologies like Asynchronous Transfer Mode

(ATM), Frame Relay and SONET. WAN may be managed under by
more than one administration.

BENEFITS OF NETWORK
benefits of networking
There are lots of advantages from build up a network, but the
three big facts are:-

File Sharing .
From sharing files you can view, modify, and copy files stored
on a different computer on the network just as easily as if
they were stored on your computer.

BENEFITS OF NETWORK
Resource Sharing
Resources such as printers, fax machines, Storage Devices
(HDD, FDD and CD Drives), Webcam, Scanners, Modem and
many more devices can be shared.

Program Sharing
Just as you can share files on a network, you can often also
share program on a network. For example, if you have the
right type of software license, you can have a shared copy of
Microsoft Office, or some other program, and keep it on the

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