NETWORKING
(Muhammad Sajid, Lalamusa)
A computer network, or simply a
network, is a collection of computers and network hardware interconnected by
communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information.[1] When
a process in one device is able to exchange information with a process in
another device, the two devices are said to be networked. A network is a group
of devices connected to each other. Networks may be classified by the following
characteristics: the media used to transmit signals, the communications
protocols used to organize network traffic, network scale, network topology,
benefits, and organizational scope. The best known computer network is the
Internet.
Communication protocols define the rules and data formats for exchanging
information in a computer network. Well-known communications protocols include
Ethernet, a hardware and link layer standard that is widely used for local area
networks, and the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP), which defines a set of
protocols for communication between multiple networks, for host-to-host data
transfer, and for application-specific data transmission formats. Protocols
provide the basis for network programming.
Computer networking can be considered a branch of electrical engineering,
telecommunications, computer science, information technology or computer
engineering, since it relies upon the theoretical and practical application of
the related disciplines.(continued...........)