Computer Networking

A system for communication between computers. Networks, and the technologies needed to connect and communicate through and between them, continue to drive computer hardware, software, and peripherals industries. This expansion is mirrored by growth in the numbers and types of users of networks from researchers and businesses to families and individuals in everyday use.

There are different categorizations of networks and networking.

By service area: Local area network (LAN), Metropolitan area network (MAN), Wide area network (WAN), Personal area network (PAN).

By functional relationship: client-server, peer-to-peer or Workgroup.

By network topology: bus network, star network, ring network, mesh network, star-bus network

By specialized function: storage area networks (SAN), server farms, process control networks, value added network, SOHO network, wireless community network, XML appliance

Computer networks may be implemented using a variety of protocol stack architectures, computer buses or combinations of media and protocol layers, incorporating one or more of: ARCNET, AppleTalk, ATM, Bluetooth, DECnet, Ethernet, FDDI, Frame relay, HIPPI, IEEE 1394 aka FireWire, iLink, IEEE 802.11, IEEE-488, IP, IPX, Myrinet, QsNet, RS-232, SPX, System Network Architecture, Token Ring, TCP, USB, UDP, X.25 and more.

Networks are divided into layers as follows:

OSI model: application layer, presentation layer, session layer, transport layer, network layer (routing), data link layer (switching) and physical layer

TCP/IP model: application layer, transport layer, Internet layer and network access layer

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