What is Networking?
A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of computers and devices interconnected by communications channels that facilitate communications and allows sharing of resources and information among interconnected devices. All networks have the same basic goal: to ensure that data is shared quickly, reliably and accurately.
Why build a Network?
(1)Network enables communications in ways that fundamentally change the way we view and interact with the work around.
(2)They increase efficiency.
(3)They help standardize policies, procedures and practices among network users.
(4)Networks can bring together diverse ideas and issues into a common forum, where they can be addressed in a global fashion than in a case-by-case fashion.
(5)Networks help ensure that information is redundant – in other words, that it exists in more than one computer at a time.
(1)Network enables communications in ways that fundamentally change the way we view and interact with the work around.
(2)They increase efficiency.
(3)They help standardize policies, procedures and practices among network users.
(4)Networks can bring together diverse ideas and issues into a common forum, where they can be addressed in a global fashion than in a case-by-case fashion.
(5)Networks help ensure that information is redundant – in other words, that it exists in more than one computer at a time.
Benefits of Networking:
1. Simplified resource sharing
- Shared disk space
Networked computers can share their hard disk space with each other. I also can share applications and files.
- Shared applications/files
Shared applications are also known as groupware applications. A groupware application is an application that enables multiple users to work together using a network to connect them. Such applications cab work serially, ie when one user is finished with the app the other can use it, Eg: IBM’s Lotus Notes; or such applications can be real-time collaboration, Eg: Microsoft Office 2000. Examples of shared applications include group calendaring and email.
- Shared printers
A third aspect of resource sharing is shared printers
2. Networking is faster
3. Centralized Management
A better solution to managing networks is to centralize management functions. Once computers are networked, there are a host of software utilities (Microsoft Systems Management Server, McAfee’s Saber LAN Manager, Tivoli’s TME10 and Symantec’s Norton Administrator for Networks, among others) that enable the administrator to diagnose and fix problems and install and configure software. These utility suites allow a network administrator to collect and standardize computer configurations from across a network – and very often, to install software on users computers without leaving his or her desk.
4. Communication
You can connect all the computers which are connected through a network to the internet by using a single line. So it means that you can save the connection cost for each computer but you internet connection must be fast. Eg: email, chatting, etc
5. Critical Storage
Using a backup server to store important informations
Note: Back when Ethernet networking was invented, data was shared using a process called Sneakernet. What it meant was that if a user wanted to move files between nonconnected computers, he or she had to copy the file to a floppy disk; walk to the other machine, and copy the file to the other computer.
The first network was developed by the American Defence System and it was called ARPA Net (Advanced Research Project Agency)
