A Simple Network
A simple computer network may be constructed from two computers by adding a network adapter(Network Interface Controller (NIC)) to each computer and then connecting them together with a special cable called a crossover cable. This type of network is useful for transferring information between two computers that are not normally connected to each other by a permanent network connection or for basic home networking applications
Practical Networks
Practical networks generally consist of more than two interconnected computers and generally require special devices in addition to the Network Interface Controller that each computer needs to be equipped with. Examples of some of these special devices are listed above under Basic Computer Network Building Blocks / Other devices.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Computer network
A computer network is two or more computers connected together using a telecommunication system for the purpose of communicating and sharing resources.
Experts in the field of networking debate whether two computers that are connected together using some form of communications medium constitute a network. Therefore, some sources will state that a network requires three connected computers. A computer connected to a non-computing device (e.g., networked to a printer via an Ethernet link) may also represent a computer network, although this article does not currently address this configuration. For example, states that "the term network describes two or more connected computers" while states that a computer network is "A network of data processing nodes that are interconnected for the purpose of data communication", the term "network" being defined in the same document as "An interconnection of three or more communicating entities" (author's emphasis).
This article uses the definition which requires two or more computers to be connected together to form a network. The same basic functions are generally present in this case as with larger numbers of connected computers.
Experts in the field of networking debate whether two computers that are connected together using some form of communications medium constitute a network. Therefore, some sources will state that a network requires three connected computers. A computer connected to a non-computing device (e.g., networked to a printer via an Ethernet link) may also represent a computer network, although this article does not currently address this configuration. For example, states that "the term network describes two or more connected computers" while states that a computer network is "A network of data processing nodes that are interconnected for the purpose of data communication", the term "network" being defined in the same document as "An interconnection of three or more communicating entities" (author's emphasis).
This article uses the definition which requires two or more computers to be connected together to form a network. The same basic functions are generally present in this case as with larger numbers of connected computers.
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