COMPUTER

NETWORK
COMPUTER SYSTEMS SERVICING NC-II
A computer network is a system in which multiple computers are
connected to each other to share information and resources.
Characteristics of a Computer Network
• Share resources from one computer to another.
• Create files and store them in one computer, access those files from the other
computer(s) connected over the network.
• Connect a printer, scanner, or a fax machine to one computer within the
network and let other computers of the network use the machines available
over the network.

Following is the list of hardware's required to set up a computer network.

• Network Cables
• Distributors
• Routers
Network cables are used to connect computers.

Twisted pair cabling is a type of wiring in which two conductors of a single

circuit are twisted together for the purposes of improving electromagnetic
compatibility.
Coaxial cable is a type of copper cable specially built with a metal
shield and other components engineered to block signal
interference. It is primarily used by cable TV companies to connect
their satellite antenna facilities to customer homes and businesses. It is also sometimes used by
telephone companies to connect central offices to telephone poles near customers. Some
homes and offices use coaxial cable, too, but its widespread use as an Ethernet connectivity
medium in enterprises and data centers has been supplanted by the deployment of twisted pair
cabling.
Fiber optics, or optical fiber, refers to the medium and the technology associated with the
transmission of information as light pulses along a
glass or plastic strand or fiber. A fiber optic cable can contain a
varying number of these glass fibers -- from a few up to a couple hundred. Surrounding the
glass fiber core is another glass layer called cladding. A layer known as a buffer tube protects
the cladding, and a jacket layer acts as the final protective layer for the individual strand.
Distributors
A computer can be connected to another one via a serial port but if we need to connect
many computers to produce a network, this serial connection will not work. The solution is to
use a central body to which other computers, printers, scanners, etc. can be connected and then
this body will manage or distribute network traffic.

• A hub is a networking device that allows one to connect multiple PCs to a single network.
Hubs may be based on Ethernet, Firewire, or USB connections.
• A switch is a control unit that turns the flow of electricity on or off in a circuit. It may also
be used to route information patterns in streaming electronic data sent over networks. In
the context of a network, a switch is a computer networking device that connects network
segments.
Switching Hub
Router

A router is a networking device that forwards data packets between computer networks.

Routers perform the traffic directing functions on the Internet. Data sent through the
internet, such as a web page or email, is in the form of data packets. A packet is
typically forwarded from one router to another router through the networks that constitute
an internetwork until it reaches its destination node.
A Local Area Network (LAN) is a network that is restricted to
smaller physical areas e.g. a local office, school, or house. 
A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) is a network that connects two or
more computers, communicating devices or networks in a single network
that has geographic area larger than that covered by even a large ‘Local Area
Network’ but smaller than the region covered by a ‘Wide Area Network’. 
Wide Area Network (WAN) is a computer network that covers relatively
larger geographical area such as a state, province or country. It provides a
solution to companies or organizations operating from distant geographical
locations who want to communicate with each other for sharing and
managing central data or for general communication.
AND I, THANK YOU! 