What is a Computer Network?

A computer network is a group of computers (hosts/nodes) and a group of computer peripherals connected via a transmission media and connecting devices. In this lesson you will learn more about a computer network and what all the moving parts within a network are responsible for. Computer Types- Personal Computers (PCs)

• Desktop Computer

• Laptops

• Tablets

• Smart Mobile Phones

• Embedded Systems in Machines

  • Internet of Things (IoT)

    • Allows things/machines to exchange information between each other in order to offer a certain service required by human users

Computer Peripherals- Hardware connected to computer - the following can be directly connected to the computer network and be part of the network to act as sources and destinations of data being transferred

• Printers

• Scanners

• Storage Media

• Cloud Computing and Data Center - the following can be seen as connected through transmission media in a local network inside the center to offer a certain type of service required by the computer user

  • Servers

  • Storage Devices

  • Managing Terminals

  • Offers several types of services

Transmission Media- Wired (Cables)

• Copper

  • Coaxial Cables

  • Twisted Pair Cables - shielded [STP]/Unshielded [UTP]

• Fiber Optic - does not transmit electricity, it transmits light

  • Single Made

  • Multi-mode

• Wireless

  • Used air as Transmission Media

  • Frequency Band

  • Area of Coverage

Network Benefits and Services- Resources Sharing

• Hardware resources - one device can be shared across many users. Hardware resources saves cost and time.

  • Computer Peripherals

  • Printers/scanners

  • Storage Media

  • Processors

• Software Resources

  • File Sharing

  • Databases

  • Applications

    - Example: a game that can be used by several users over the internet
    

• Services

  • Browsing and E-mail

  • Voice Calls and Video Conferences

Basic Network Elements- End Devices

• Communicating devices with each other (Send/Receive)

• Connecting Devices

  • Switches, routers, and access points

    • Not meant to be sources or destinations of information but rather act as transferring entities for the information to help or facilitate the moving process of information across the network

• Medium

  • Distinguishes how elements are connected

    • Wireless or wired

• Messages

  • Information travelling through network

• Protocols

  • Rules governing how information is transferred