Why Network?

Some time we need to communicate or disseminate information from one location to any
other location, from one branch to any other branch or from one department to another
department within the organization, what we require is called network.

What is Communication?

Communication is simply the act of transferring information from one place to another (e.g:-
One Department to Other Department, One Branch to another Branch, One City to another
City or One Country to another country).

What is Network?

Networks are multiple computers or devices that interconnect able and capable of speaking
with each other in a general area.

Or

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 (CAT 6), telephone lines (Twisted Pair),
radio waves (wireless), satellites (wireless), or infrared light beams (wireless).

What is Networking?

Network is only infrastructure, and Networking is action of share and use of network to do
anything. Or

Action performing on Network is called networking e.g. you are browsing by using an internet
browser. There are methods of networking as there are types of network.

Types of Network

Two very common types of network include:

 Local Area Network (LAN)

 Wide Area Network (WAN)
Local Area Network (LAN)

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.

Computers connected to a network are broadly categorized as servers or workstations.

Servers are generally not used by humans directly, but rather run continuously to provide
"services" to the other computers (and their human users) on the network. Services
provided can include printing and faxing, software hosting, file storage and sharing,
messaging, data storage and retrieval, complete access control (security) for the network's
resources, and many others. Or

The computers are geographically close together (that is, in the same building).

Workstations are called such because they typically do have a human user which interacts with
the network through them. Workstations were traditionally considered a desktop, consisting of
a computer, keyboard, display, and mouse, or a laptop, with integrated keyboard, display, and
touchpad. With the advent of the tablet computer, and the touch screen devices such as iPad
and iPhone, our definition of workstation is quickly evolving to include those devices, because
of their ability to interact with the network and utilize network services.

Servers tend to be more powerful than workstations, although configurations are guided by
needs. For example, a group of servers might be located in a secure area, away from humans,
and only accessed through the network. In such cases, it would be common for the servers to
operate without a dedicated display or keyboard. However, the size and speed of the server's
processor(s), hard drive, and main memory might add dramatically to the cost of the system.
On the other hand, a workstation might not need as much storage or working memory, but
might require an expensive display to accommodate the needs of its user. Every computer on a
network should be appropriately configured for its use.

On a single LAN, computers and servers may be connected by cables or wirelessly. Wireless
access to a wired network is made possible by wireless access points (WAPs). These WAP
devices provide a bridge between computers and networks. A typical WAP might have the
theoretical capacity to connect hundreds or even thousands of wireless users to a network,
although practical capacity might be far less.

Nearly always servers will be connected by cables to the network, because the cable connections remain
the fastest. Workstations which are stationary (desktops) are also usually connected by a cable to the
network, although the cost of wireless adapters has dropped to the point that, when installing
workstations in an existing facility with inadequate wiring, it can be easier and less expensive to use
wireless for a desktop.
Wide Area Network (WAN)

Wide Area Networks (WANs) connect networks in larger geographic areas, such as country to
country, or the entire world. Dedicated cabling or satellite uplinks may be used to connect
this type of global network.

For e.g.:- Using a WAN, schools in Florida can communicate with places like Tokyo in a matter
of seconds, without paying enormous phone bills. Two users a half-world apart with
workstations equipped with microphones and a webcams might teleconference in real time.
A WAN is complicated. It uses multiplexers, bridges, and routers to connect local and
metropolitan networks to global communications networks like the Internet. To users,
however, a WAN will not appear to be much different than a LAN. Or

The computers are farther apart and are connected by telephone lines or radio waves or by
satellites.

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

A Metropolitan Area Network is a network that connects two or more Local Area Networks or
Campus Area Networks together but does not extend beyond the boundaries of the
immediate town/city. Or
A data network designed for a town or city.

LAN (Local Area Network) networks are further categorized into, called LAN Topologies.
LAN Topologies

Topology : The geometric arrangement of a computer system. Common topologies include a

bus, star, and ring.

 STAR
 RING
 BUS
 TREE

Protocol : The protocol defines a common set of rules and signals that computers on the
network use to communicate. One of the most popular protocols for LANs is called Ethernet.
Another popular LAN protocol for PCs is the IBM token-ring network .

Architecture : Networks can be broadly classified as using either a peer-to-peer or

client/server architecture.

Computers on a network are sometimes called nodes. Computers and devices that allocate
resources for a network are called servers.

Client/Server Architecture
Client-server architecture (client/server) is a network architecture in which each computer or
process on the network is either a client or a server. Servers are powerful computers or
processes dedicated to managing disk drives (file servers), printers (print servers), or
network traffic (network servers ). Clients are PCs or workstations on which users
run applications. Clients rely on servers for resources, such as files, devices, and even
processing power.
Another type of network architecture is known as a peer-to-peer architecture because
each node has equivalent responsibilities. Both client/server and architectures are widely
used, and each has unique advantages and disadvantages.
Client-server architectures are sometimes called two-tier architectures.

Peer-to-peer Architecture

Often referred to simply as peer-to-peer, or abbreviated P2P, peer-to-peer architecture is a

type of network in which each workstation has equivalent capabilities and responsibilities.
This differs from client/server architectures where some computers are dedicated to serving
the others. Peer-to-peer networks are generally simpler but they usually do not offer the
same performance under heavy loads. The P2P network itself relies on computing power at
the ends of a connection rather than from within the network itself.

P2P is often mistakenly used as as a term to describe one user linking with another user to
transfer information and files through the use of a common P2P client to download MP3s,
videos, images, games and other software. This, however, is only one type of P2P networking.
Generally, P2P networks are used for sharing files, but a P2P network can also mean Grid
Computing or Instant messaging.
Networks are multiple computers or devices that interconnect able
and capable of speaking with each other in a general area. The term
networking describes more the act or occupation of assembling, configuring and troubleshooting a
network of devices or computer so as they are able to speak with each other.

I think there are same words for example you say, I am working, or I work

Network is only infrastructure, and Networking is action of share and

use the network for do anything

Networking:

Action performing on Network is called networking e.g. you are browsing by

using an internet browser.

There are methods of networking as there are types of network.

Question: What is (Computer) Networking?
Answer: In the world of computers, networking is the practice of linking two or more
computing devices together for the purpose of sharing data. Networks are built with a mix of
computer hardware and computer software.

Area Networks

Networks can be categorized in several different ways. One approach defines the type of network
according to the geographic area it spans. Local area networks (LANs), for example, typically
span a single home, school, or small office building, whereas wide area networks (WANs), reach
across cities, states, or even across the world. The Internet is the world's largest public WAN.

→ More - Introduction to Area Networks

Network Design

Computer networks also differ in their design. The two basic forms of network design are called
client/server and peer-to-peer. Client-server networks feature centralized server computers that
store email, Web pages, files and or applications. On a peer-to-peer network, conversely, all
computers tend to support the same functions. Client-server networks are much more common in
business and peer-to-peer networks much more common in homes.

A network topology represents its layout or structure from the point of view of data flow. In so-
called bus networks, for example, all of the computers share and communicate across one
common conduit, whereas in a star network, all data flows through one centralized device.
Common types of network topologies include bus, star, ring networks and mesh networks.

→ See also - About Network Design

Network Protocols

Communication languages used by computer devices are called network protocol. Yet another
way to classify computer networks is by the set of protocols they support. Networks often
implement multiple protocols with each supporting specific applications. Popular protocols
include TCP/IP, the most common protocol found on the Internet and in home networks