subject: NETWORKING and applications [print this page] Development in the computer hardware and software technologies has enabled us to send and receive data from all over the world. This process is possible by the vast network that connects all the PCs that are in use. A computer network can be divided to Local Area Network (LAN), networking between computers in a building of a office, medium sized networks (MAN), communication between two offices in a city and wide area networks (WAN) networking between the computers, one that is locally placed and the other can be in some part of the continent.
Wide area connection is possible only with the help of a Router. The Internet is the world's largest network connection, which connects millions of computers that are used globally.
Computer networking can be client-server and peer to peer. Server plays the major role in the client-server networking where it stores all the files and data in the form of web pages and are retrieved to the client in the request of the client. The server is the supreme here with all the clients connected to the server for the information.
A network topology makes up the structure and the layout of networks. The star topology is the commonly used one with a hub which connects all the computers in an area which in turn is connected to the server.
Data flow or communication can be divided into seven logical layers called OSI layers model. The layers are as follows:
