| In the past, when two persons were willing to | | | | LAN can occupy a room, a floor, a building such |
| share data between each other, they were | | | | as company, or at most a group of adjacent |
| relying on movable disks such as floppy disks and | | | | buildings. The MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) |
| CD-ROM. These ways of transmitting data | | | | can occupy a whole city or even a while state. On |
| between remote computers are often difficult | | | | the other hand, the WAN can occupy a whole |
| especially if the files will be transmitted very | | | | country, group of countries, or even the whole |
| often. | | | | world. |
| Because of the above difficulties in transmitting | | | | The second classification is according to the data |
| data across movable disks, the idea of | | | | distribution across the network and how the |
| networking two or more computer has been | | | | computers that are connected to each other are |
| arisen. Instead of transmitting the files across | | | | treated. There two types of networks according |
| movable disks, the computers are connected to | | | | to this classification. The first one is peer to peer |
| each other by cables through ports on the | | | | network. The meaning of this classification is that |
| computer. When someone needs to transmit the | | | | all computers in the network are treated as equal. |
| data to another computer, he simply can share | | | | Thus the size of the data on one computer can |
| the files he needs to transmit across the network. | | | | be equal to the size on another computer. Also |
| This way no movable disk is needed and the | | | | the processing and storage power of the all |
| matter is easier. | | | | devices are equal. Thus there is no computer on |
| When talking about computer networking, one | | | | the network that is higher in value than the other |
| must differentiate between the many types that | | | | computer. Hence the name peer to peer network. |
| exist for the network. The computer network | | | | The second type of networks according to the |
| can be classified according to the geographical | | | | above classification is the client-server network. In |
| area they occupy or according to the manner | | | | this type, the matter is different in that not all |
| they will behave when sharing and accessing data | | | | computers are equal in value. At the least, there |
| between the computers in the network. | | | | is one computer (that is called the server) that |
| Let us first see how they are classified according | | | | has much processing power and storage power. |
| to the geographical area. The meaning of this | | | | Therefore the data is stored on that computer to |
| classification is how much the network will occupy | | | | be shared across the network. Every computer |
| or simply what the size of the network is. There | | | | that needs some data that is shared across the |
| are three types for any networks according to | | | | network can take it from the server only. This is |
| this classification. They are the LAN, WAN, and | | | | because all computers other than the server have |
| MAN. The LAN (Local Area Network) has the | | | | less sizes of memory and also processor power. |
| smallest size with respect to the other types. The | | | | |