Data Communications and Networking are changing the way we do business and the way we live. Business decision have to be made ever more quickly, and the decision maker requires immediate access to accurate information. The development of the personal computer through about tremendous changes for business, industry, science and education.
A same revolution is occurring in computer data communications and networking. Technological advances or up level are making it possible for communications links to carry more and speedly signals. As a result, services are evolving to allowed use of this expanded capacity.
This article is mainly focused on the Computer Network, Advantage of Computer Networks, Types of Computer Networks with Examples and Network Topologies.
What is Computer Network
Computer network is an interconnection between different computers through a communication medium involving software, hardware and data.
There is no limit to the distance between two computers or super computers in a network.
Technically Definition- A computer network is an interconnected if they are able to exchange information through transmission media like coaxial cables, fibre optic, copper wire, microwaves, satellites etc.
The terms "autonomous" means that no one computer can forcibly start or stop the other computer.
Any type of data i.e. text, pictures, audios and videos can be the transmitted by using computer networks.
Table of Contents:
What is the need of Computer Network
A common question comes in the mind, What is the need of computer network ? Due to limited resources, we always want to share the resources with others. Also, everyone want to communicate with his/her friends, relative etc in a efficiant way.
Therefore, we need the computer network due to following reasons.
- To share computer files: Networks enable user to share files with others. For example, in an organization one file is to be shared by different departments. Once we place this file on network system, all the department can use this file.
- To share computer equipment: Laser printer and big hard disk drive can be expensive equipment. Networks enable requireters to share such equipment by networking microcomputers or workstations together.
- Group working: The time taken to transmit the message is very small. Hence different computers on a network can be connected together and the users can works together as a group. Software packages have been developed for group working in Data Base Management System and graphic works.
- Verify Data Transfer: Fluctuations of prices in foreign exchange and share/equities can be communicated instantaneously using the medium of computer communications. The transfer of data can be accelerated and verified at any instant or actual of time.
Advantage of Computer Network for Companies
The computer network are usually to the organisation in the following ways:
1.Resource Sharing:
Sharing of hardware, software and data is a major benifits of computer networks. Although printers are much cheaper than they were a few years ago, it is still too expensive to provide every worker with his own printer. When several workers can share a printer on a network, printing becomes less expensive and easier to manage.
2.Simultaneous Access:
Computer network allows many users to access programs and data at the same time. At any given moment in any business, several workers may need to use the same data at the same time. A good example is a company quarterly sales report, which needs to be viewed and updates by several manager.
We can store the data on a network server, which is a central computer with a large storage device and other resources that all users can share.
3.Communication Medium:
A computer networks provides a powerful or hardly communication medium among widely separated with employees. Using a Network, it is easy for two or more peoples who live far apart to write a report together.
Types of Computer Networks with examples
There are mainly three types of computer networks :
- Local Area Network (LAN)
- Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
- Wide Area Network (WAN)
1. Local Area Network (LAN)
A local area network is relatively smaller and privately owned network with the maximum span 10 km. to provide local area network or local connectivity within a building or small geographilcal area.
In private offices this type of networking is very popular and effectively used. They are widely used to connect personal computers and workstation in corporate offices and factories to share resources and exchange information.
2. Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
MAN is defined for less than 45 km. and provides regional connectivity typically within a school or universities campus or small geographical area. It is designed to extend over an entire city or town.
It may be a single network such as cable television networks, or it may be means of connecting a numbers of LAN into a large network, so that resources may be send LAN to LAN as well as machine to machine.
For example- A company can use a MAN to connect to the LAN in all of its offices through out a city. MAN might be either private sectors or public cities.
3. Wide Area Network (WAN)
WAN provides no limit of distance. A WAN provides long distance transmission of data, voice, image and videos information over large geographical area that may comprise a country, a continent or even the whole world.
In fact in WAN the data is transmitted via a satellite or through the telephone lines. All the big organizations, which want to make a central data base to be used by all the branches, use WAN.
Difference between LAN & WAN
Local Area Network (LAN)
- LAN is a networking within a geographical limit.
- LAN is under the complete control by the owner.
- Data transmission speed is high.
- Data transmission cost is low.
- Less complexity.
- More reliable.
- Commonly star, bus & ring topologies are used.
Wide Area Network (WAN)
- WAN is a networking that links separate geographical location.
- WAN needs the involvements of another authorities like the telephone, mobiles or company
- Data transmission speed is low.
- Data transmission cost is very high.
- More Complexity.
- Less reliable.
- Commonly hybrid topology is used.
what to do today:
Hello Learners We have given you complete information about computer networks, benefits of computer networks, types of computer networks and network topology with examples, mainly in this article. Hope you find this tutorial very beneficial, and do let us know by commenting.
0 Comments