Lesson 06 - Networking Basics

• In the broadest sense, a network is an interconnected group of people or things capable of sharing meaningful information with one another. In a technology context, the network is usually short for "computer network" or "data network" and implies that computers are the things sharing meaningful information. At a conceptual level, all data networks consist of nodes, which refers to any computer or digital device using the network and links, the physical connections (either wired or wireless) that carry messages between nodes.

Networks also vary considerably in terms of the roles and responsibilities of the computers on that network and the relationships that tie those machines together. A computer totally disconnected from other devices is typically referred to as a standalone machine.

There are three primary classifications of a Network :

Peer-to-Peer Network - When several computers are interconnected, but no computer occupies a privileged position, the network is usually referred to as a peer-to-peer network. In this type of network, every computer can communicate with all the other machines on the network, but in general, each one stores its own files and runs its own applications.

Client-Server Network - With a client-server network, one or more servers will perform critical functions on behalf of the other machines (the clients) on the network. These functions might include user authentication, data storage, and the running of large, shared, resource-intensive applications such as databases and client relationship management (CRM) software. Typically, both peer-to-peer and client-server networks rely on a shared Internet connection for access to external resources of these basic network structures.

Cloud Network - In this model, an organization pays a third-party vendor to host data, applications and other resources on servers and manages those resources via a web browser. A cloud-dependent network can be simpler, cheaper, and greener than a client-server network since you aren't buying, maintaining and powering your own servers.

Standards and Protocols

Protocols, also known as standards, are consensus-based documents that describe guidelines for vendors, manufacturers, and other stakeholders in order to ensure quality and interoperability in a diverse, competitive marketplace. Most networking protocols are fairly complex and we only need to worry about them if something goes wrong. However, a few standards are so widely adopted that every decision-maker and accidental techie needs to know their names and basic functions.

Read more about Networks here.