What is Computer Networking - Definition and Characteristics
Computer networking is the branch of computer science that deals with the ideation, architecture, creation, maintenance, and security of computer networks1. A computer network is a system that connects two or more computing devices for transmitting and sharing information2. Computing devices include everything from a mobile phone to a server. These devices are connected using physical wires such as fiber optics, but they can also be wireless.
Objectives of Computer Networking
The main objectives of computer networking are:
- Resource sharing: Computer networking allows users to share resources such as hardware, software, data, and services among different devices. For example, a printer can be shared by multiple computers in a network, or a file can be accessed by different users from different locations.
- Communication: Computer networking enables communication among users through various applications such as email, chat, video conferencing, social media, etc. For example, a user can send an email to another user in a different network, or a group of users can collaborate on a project using a video conferencing tool.
- Performance: Computer networking improves the performance of computing systems by distributing the workload among multiple devices. For example, a large computation task can be divided into smaller subtasks and assigned to different computers in a network, or a web server can handle more requests by using multiple servers in a network.
- Reliability: Computer networking enhances the reliability of computing systems by providing backup and redundancy mechanisms. For example, if one device fails in a network, another device can take over its function, or if one network link is broken, another link can be used to route the traffic.
- Security: Computer networking protects the information and resources from unauthorized access and malicious attacks by using various techniques such as encryption, authentication, firewall, etc. For example, a user can encrypt their data before sending it over a network, or a firewall can block unwanted traffic from entering or leaving a network.
Characteristics of Computer Networking
The main characteristics of computer networking are:
- Topology: The topology of a computer network refers to the physical or logical arrangement of the devices and links in a network. The physical topology describes how the devices are actually connected by wires or wireless signals, while the logical topology describes how the devices communicate with each other using protocols. Some common types of network topologies are star, bus, ring, mesh, tree, etc3.
- Scale: The scale of a computer network refers to the size and scope of the network. The scale can vary from nanoscale networks that connect nanodevices within a small area, to global area networks that span across the world. Some common types of network scales are personal area network (PAN), local area network (LAN), home area network (HAN), storage area network (SAN), campus area network (CAN), backbone network (BN), metropolitan area network (MAN), wide area network (WAN), enterprise private network (EPN), virtual private network (VPN), etc4.
- Protocol: The protocol of a computer network refers to the set of rules and conventions that govern the communication among the devices in a network. The protocol defines how the devices identify each other, how they exchange information, how they handle errors and congestion, how they ensure security and reliability, etc. Some common types of network protocols are Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP), IEEE 802 (Ethernet and Wireless LAN), SONET/SDH (Synchronous Optical Network/Synchronous Digital Hierarchy), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), cellular standards (GSM, CDMA, LTE), etc.
- Architecture: The architecture of a computer network refers to the design and structure of the network components and layers. The architecture defines how the devices are organized into nodes and subnetworks, how the links are categorized into types and classes, how the protocols are layered into models and stacks, how the services are provided by functions and interfaces, etc. Some common types of network architectures are software-defined (SDN), intent-based (IBN), virtualized (VNET), controller-based (CBN), etc.
- Performance: The performance of a computer network refers to the quality and efficiency of the network communication. The performance can be measured by various metrics such as bandwidth, delay, jitter, packet loss, throughput, availability, reliability, etc. The performance can be affected by various factors such as traffic load, link capacity, routing algorithm, congestion control mechanism, error control mechanism, security mechanism, etc.
Conclusion
Computer networking is an essential and dynamic field that enables various applications and benefits for users and organizations. Computer networking involves various concepts and techniques that define how computing devices communicate and share information with each other. By understanding the definition and characteristics of computer networking, one can appreciate its importance and potential in the modern world.
1: What Is a Computer Network? Definition, Objectives … - Spiceworks 2: What Is Computer Networking? - Cisco 3: Network topology - Wikipedia 4: Computer network - Wikipedia : Communication protocol - Wikipedia : Network architecture - Wikipedia : Network performance - Wikipedia
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