Computer Networking - Definitions and Basics

Suppose two persons that have data stored onanther floor by means of the network. The same
some media, say hard drives. If the two personsis true for CD-ROM. This must be configured on
need to share this data with each other, what willboth computers by the operating system. This
they do?benefit of networking makes it helpful for people
This question is the basis on which the networkingto use remote devices on their office. Also it
principle is built. The two persons can send thereduced the cost because on printer or one
data to each other by copying it to movable driveCD-ROM is used for all members of the network.
say flash memory and giving it to each other.Mainly the network will be composed of a set of
This can be well if it will not be happeningcomputers and a printer. This set of computers
continuously. But what if the two persons need towill be responsible for sending the data to each
send data every day or even every hour? It willother. One computer also may use the printer to
be difficult to send it to each other especially ifprint documents. If the network looked like this, it
they remote from each other.will be called peer to peer. In this scheme, all
The idea of networking has been arisen fromcomputers are the same and have equal
such cases. Instead of sending data between twoprocessing power. The information is also
or more people on movable devices such asdistributed across them equally. There is no device
floppy disks, they can easily connect theirthat has more data in its hard drive.
computers to each other. Every person whoOn the other hand, if there is at least one
wants to transfer the data to his friend can easilycomputer in the network that has more stored
transfer it through the network.data and more processing power and speed, then
So how will the data be transferred across thethe scheme will be called server-based networking.
network? Simply by connecting computers ofThe computer that has the more data storage
different persons to each other by means ofand the higher processing power will be called the
cables the data can be easily transmitted. Thusserver. This scheme can be defined also as a
the media will be cables rather than movableclient-server based model because the other
devices although it can be also wireless device.computers in the network that have normal
The wireless device will send the data in air byprocessing power will b treated as clients that will
electromagnetic waves. It will be electrical pulses ifrequest data from the server. The internet is build
the data are transmitted on cables.over this scheme where the home computers
In fact networks can be used not only to shareare the clients and the computers that serve
data but also to share devices such as printersthem are called servers. The most popular server
and CD-ROM. One user on a floor can use atype is the web server which forwards page to
printer that is connected to another computer onthe clients in the home or offices.