Friday 22 November 2019

What are computer networks?

A computer network is a group of computer systems and other computing hardware devices that are linked together through communication channels to facilitate communication and resource sharing among a wide range of users. Networks are generally classified based on their characteristics.

Too much technical explanation, no? Come on! Whenever there is a set of machines interconnected, there is a network. If two computers are interconnected and they can exchange data with each other, then a network is formed.


One of the earliest examples of a computer network was a computer communication network that functioned as part of the US military radar system. In 1969, the University of California at Los Angeles, the Stanford Research Institute at the University of California at Santa Barbara and the University of Utah were connected as part of the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) project. It is this network that has evolved into what we know today simply by the name of the Internet.

What are computer networks for?
Networks are used to:

  • Facilitate communication via email, video conferencing, instant messaging etc.
  • Allow multiple users to share a single hardware device, such as a printer or scanner;
  • Enable file sharing;
  • Allow sharing of software or operating programs on remote systems;
  • Make information easier to access and maintain among multiple users in the same or different environments (with remote access, via the web, for example).

- Also read: What does a network administrator do in practice?

What are the most popular types of networks?

There are many types of networks. The best known are:

  • Local Area Networks (LAN);
  • Personal Area Networks (PAN);
  • Beginning of Networks (HAN) area;
  • Wide Area Networks (WAN);
  • Campus networks;
  • Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN);
  • Private enterprise networks;
  • Internetworks;
  • Backbone Networks (BBN);
  • Global networks (GAN);


Where are the professionals who work with computer networks?

Behind a network, whatever it may be, is the work of some or many network professionals. They are scarce in the job market, according to a Cisco survey in partnership with IDC: more than 117,000 network and connectivity professionals are missing.

The required training is varied, ranging from the technical course in computer networking to specialties in cloud computing, mobility and IT infrastructure. What is important to know, however, is that this is a growing market, as mobile devices are also moving networks in their various formats (from domestic to corporate, government and NGOs).

source url: https://alcidesmaya.edu.br/redes-de-computadores/o-que-sao-redes-de-computadores/



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