Basics of Network

                     Basics of Network

Let’s start with an introduction we have entered in the era of communication technology. The dynamic world today needs fast communication channels to move data frequently from one place to another. To move data quickly from one place to another, the concept of networking has been introduced. In networking, the computers in different parts of the world are connected to each other to share data.

Data communication and networking are changing the way we do business and the way we live. Business decisions have to be made ever more quickly, and the decision makers require immediate access to accurate information. The development of the personal computer brought about tremendous changes for business, industry, science and education. A similar revolution is occurring in data communications and networking. Technological advances are making it possible for communications links to carry more and faster signals. As a result, services are evolving to allow use of this expanded capacity.

This blog is mainly focused on the computer networks.

      What is Computer Network?

First of all question arises what is computer network.

Computer network is an interconnection of various computers to share software, hardware and data through a communication medium between them. There is no limit to the distance between two computers in a network. Technically defining, a computer network is an interconnected collection of autonomous computers. Two computers are said to be interconnected if they are able to exchange information through transmission media like coaxial cables, fiber optic, copper wire, microwaves, satellites etc.

     The term”autonomous” means that no one computer can forcibly start or stop the other computer.
Any type of data i.e. text, picture, audio and video can be transmitted by using network.

                 Need of Networking
A common question comes in the mind, what is the need of a computer network? Due to limited resources, we always want to share the resources with others. Also, everyone wants to communicate with his/her friends, relatives etc in a efficient way. Therefore, we need the computer network due to the following reasons.

1. To share computer files: Networks enable users 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, the entire department can use this file.

2. To share computer equipment: Laser printers and large hard-disk drives can be expensive. Networks enable users to share such equipment by networking microcomputers or workstations together.

3. To enable unlike computer equipment to Communicate: A company having computers which have the different operating systems such as MS DOS, UNIX , WINDOWS 95 and Apple DOS cannot transfer files from one computer to another unless they are networked using a Networking operating system such as a Net ware 4.1 or Windows NT 4.0.

4. To improve communication speed and accuracy: Sending messages through networks are virtually instantaneous, and there is also less chance of a message being lost.

5. To reduce cost of data transfer: The cost of transfer of documents using computers connected on networks is cheaper than other conventional means like telegrams.

6. Group Working: The time taken to transmit the messages is very small. Hence different computers on a network can be connected together and the users can work together as a group. Software packages have been developed for group working in Data Base Management systems (DBMS) and graphic works.

7. Verify Data Transfer: Fluctuations of prices in foreign exchange and shares/equities can be communicated instantaneously using the medium of computer communications. The transfer can be accelerated and verified at any instant of time.

8. To increase Productivity: Computers can have fax systems integrated with networking. The correspondents working for a particular news paper agency can send their messages in ready to print condition to the central office from where they are further edited and compiled for final print in the newspaper. A newspapers correspondent can even send pictures along with the text.

9. High reliability: All files could be replicated (copied) on two or three machines, so if one of them is unavailable (due to hardware failure), the other copies could be used.