80. Networking

Networking is the concept where many nodes (computers) are connected together, where they can share data, resources, etc. Linking the different group of computers together is called networking. Different groups of computers are connected together through communication media and devices. These communication devices are cable, telephone lines, modems and other resources used in networking. A computer network is any set of computers or devices connected to each other. Examples of networks are the Internet, a wide area network that is the largest to ever exist, or a small home local area network (LAN) with two computers connected with standard networking cables connecting to a network interface card in each computer.

Networking is basically used to share resources such as hardware devices, software programs, data and information. Networking save large amount of time by sharing information among individuals. Electronic mails are efficient way of sending messages from one end to other end. Electronic mail is also called email. It enables us to get information quickly and make decisions and easily send management decisions to other offices. Organizations use standalone computers tend to spend a good deal of time on coping information from one computer another computer.

Peer-to-peer network, computers can act as both servers sharing resources and as clients using the resources. Server-based networks provide centralized control of network resources and rely on server computers to provide security and network administration. A networking switch is the central device in a wired or wireless LAN (local area network). It receives signals from each computer on the network via Ethernet cables in a wired network or radio waves in a wireless LAN. In both cases, the networking switch directs traffic across the LAN, enabling the computers to talk to each other and share resources.

All computers included in the LAN must contain a network interface card (NIC). The card assigns a unique address to the machine in which it is installed. This address is called a MAC (Medium Access Control). A wired NIC accommodates an Ethernet cable, which runs to a port on the back of the networking switch. If the NIC is wireless, the card will feature a small antenna instead of an Ethernet port. The antenna transmits signals to the wireless networking switch, which also bears an antenna rather than ports. Whether wireless or wired, the networking switch acts as a relay, reading traffic packets as they arrive from the various machines and directing the packets to the proper MAC address.