Network – Definition, Concept, Types, Topology, and More

Network Definition

A network is understood to be the interconnection of a certain number of computers (or networks, in turn) through wired or wireless devices.

Electromagnetic waves, or other physical means, allow them to send and receive information in data packets, share their resources, and act as an organized whole through electrical impulses.

A network is a collection of computers, servers, mainframes, network devices, peripherals, or other devices connected to enable data exchange. An example of a network is the Internet, which connects millions of people around the world. On the right is a sample image of a home [network] with multiple computers and other network devices connected.

More Content by Concept of Network

The network has processes for sending and receiving messages and a series of codes and standards that guarantee their understanding by the computers connected to the network (and not by any other).

These communication values are known as protocols, and the most common of them today is TCP / IP.

Building a network allows you to manage internal communication, share program execution or Internet access, and even manage peripherals such as printers, scanners, etc.

This type of swarm systems currently supports many management and information processing processes nowadays, such as telecommunications networks, the Internet, or the various intranet companies or multiple organizations.

The appearance of networks revolutionized understanding computing and opened a new field within this discipline to meet the needs for improvement, security, and operability of computer communication.

What are the Types of Network?

Network classify rendering to their proportions:

LAN

Local Area Network  (in English: “Local Area Network”). They are the minimum networks, like the 1s we can connect in our section.

MAN

Metropolitan Area Network  (in English: “Metropolitan Area Network”). These are medium-sized networks, ideal for a college site or a multi-story library or business building, even for an urban share.

WAN

Wide Area Network  (in English: “Wide Area Network”). The most extensive and most far-reaching networks come in, such as global networks or the Internet.

Networks can also classify according to the physical method they use to connect, as follows:

Guided Media

A network links the machines through physical cable systems of twisted pair, coaxial, or fiber optics. It benefits from being faster, not having as much noise, but being less contented and practical.

Unguided Media Networks

Networks establish the connection through discrete and area-wide systems: radio rollers, infrared or microwave signals, satellite systems, and  Wi-Fi. They are a little gentler but much more comfortable and practical.

Topology of Network

There are three representations of topology or order of a network:

Bus Networks

Also called linear, they have a  waiter at the head of a successive line of customers, and they have a solitary communication station called a bus or backbone.

Star Networks

Each computer has a direct joining to the waiter, which is in the middle of all. Any communication between clients must first go finished the server.

In-Ring

Also called circular, they connect the clients and the waiter in a circular circuit, although the server maintains its hierarchy over the system.

Elements of a Network

Modems and routers allow communication to establish. An install a computer network, the following elements are needed:

Hardware

Devices and machines allow communication, such as network cards, modems, routers, or repeater antennas if they are wireless.

Software

Programs require to manage the hardware communications, as is the  Operating System Network (acronym NOS: Network Operating System ), and protocols of communication such as TCP / IP.

Servers and Clients

The servers process the flow of data on it, attending to the other computers’ requests on the web called clients or workstations. These allow users to access information individually, sharing the resources managed by the server.

Transmission Media

It refers to the wiring or the electromagnetic waves that, as the case may be, serve as a means of communicating the message.

What are the Tasks and Advantages of a Network?

The main job is to provide participants with a single platform for exchanging data and sharing resources. This task is so vital that many everyday life features and the modern world would be unbelievable without it.

Real-Life Example

1. In a characteristic office, every workplace has its computer. Without a computer network, it would be challenging for a team to work on a project since there would be no ordinary place to share or store digital documents and information.
2. And also, team members would not be able to part in specific applications.
3. Also, many offices only have one printer or a few printers that are shared by everyone.
4. Without a network, the IT section would have to connect every single computer to the printer, challenging to tool from a technical standpoint.
5. A [network] stylishly solves this problem because all computers connect to the printer via one dominant node.

The Main Advantages of Network are:

• Shared use of data
• Shared use of capitals
• Central control of programs and information
• Central storage and backup of data
• Shared processing power and storing capacity
• And also, easy management of approvals and responsibilities

How does a Network Work?

• In a typical client-server net, there is a central node called the server. The server connects to the other plans, which are called clients. This joining is either wireless (Wireless LAN) or wired (LAN).
• In a typical home network, the router shoulders the role of the server. It connects to the Internet and delivers the “Internet” resource for the other devices (computers, smartphones, etc.).
• In more extensive networks, such as corporate, the server is usually a central computer. This computer is used wholly for running special server software and services, not regular requests and programs.
• The server must operate unceasingly, whereas the other computers (clients) can switch off.
• The server and the client communicate as shadows in this server-based [network]: The client first sends a request to the server.
• And also, the server assesses the right and then transmits the response. In this model, the client always connects to the server, never the other way around.

Network protocols

1. Its protocols ensure smooth communication between the different components in it.
2. And also, they control data exchange and determine how communication establish and terminated and which data transmit.
3. There are usually multiple protocols that each achieves a specific subtask and hierarchically organize into layers.

Network Addresses

1. And also, it is necessary to ensure that the transmitter and receiver can correctly identify. It addresses used for this purpose.
2. Each computer typically has an IP address, like a telephone number, that uniquely classifies the laptop.
3. This internal IP address use only for the message between the participants in the local network. For contact on the Internet, external IP addresses are automatically assigned by the Internet provider.
4. And also, a distinction makes between IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. IPv4 addresses used to expect, but only a total of around 4.3 billion of these speeches could be assigned before they exhaust.
5. Due to the vast growth of the Internet, additional IP addresses urgently need.
6. Therefore, the new IPv6 standard develops, allowing up to 3.4 x 1038 (340 sextillions) addresses. It should be sufficient for the future.

Conclusion

Information technology defines connecting at least two computer systems, either by a cable or a wireless connection. And also, the most straightforward network a combination of two computers connected by a cable. This type of it calls peer-to-peer it.

There is no hierarchy in this; both participants have equal privileges. Each computer has access to the other device’s data and can share resources such as disk space, applications, or peripheral devices (printers, etc.).