Chandra's Concept : Computer Networks

Q. What is Computer Network?

A computer network is a system in which multiple computers are connected to each other to share information and resources.

Features of Computer Networks

  • Share resources from one computer to another.
  • Hardware and Software sharing.
  • Quick data transfer within few seconds.
  • Secure way of data transmission ( HTTPS: HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure.)
  • Not very much expensive.
Types of Computer Networks
There are mainly two types of Computer Networks.
  • LAN (Local Area Network): LAN connects small areas. Its range is limited to a particular area. Outside that area, the network is destroyed. There are two types of LAN - 1) Wired LAN and 2). Wireless LAN. Home networks, School networks, Building networks, etc are some examples of Local Area Networks.
  • WAN (Wide Area Network): It connects a wide area. In other words, we can say it is a worldwide network. It can connect cities or states or countries.
Required Hardware Devices to Set up a Computer Network.
  • Network Cables: Network cables are used to connects computers. 
  • Switch: It helps us to connect all the computers to the main server.
  • Hub: It is used to connect multiple devices in a network.
  • Router: It works as a gateway in a network. A router allows us to connect a LAN computer to another LAN network or Outsite that LAN. Nowadays it is a very popular device in computer networks
  • Network cards: Network card is a necessary component of a computer without which a computer cannot be connected over a network. It is also known as a Network adapter or Network Interface Card (NIC). Mostly, network cards are pre-installed in computers. It is of two types: 1). Internal Network Card and 2). External Network Card. (External Network Card is popularly known as Modem.
Q). What is Internet?
Internet is an interconnection of thousand of networks or computers. First Internet facility invented by Advanced Research Project Agency in 1969. It is known as ARPANET. 
One of the major applications of the internet is the World Wide Web (WWW). WWW was started in 1989 by "Sir Tim Berners-Lee" at CERN Laboratory.

Some words related to the Internet
  • Browsing: Browsing also called surfing the process of looking into the information available on the web.
  • Browser: A web browser is a software application that enables you to find, retrieve, and display information available on the World Wide Web. Some popular browsers are Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Opera Mini, MS Internet Explorer, etc.
  • Search Engine: A tool to search diverse and disorganized sources of information available on the internet. Some popular search engines on the internet are:- Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.
  • Social Networking or Social Media: A social network is a network of individuals who have some sort of interdependence on each other. This interdependence may be in the form of friendship, kinship, common cause, and so on. Some of the popular social networking services are:- Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram, etc.
  • Email: Email is one of the ways on the Internet to send messages to another person across the network. E-mail and Postal mail coexist in present India. Some popular E-Mail providers are: Google Mail, Yahoo Mail, Hot Mail, E-Patra, etc.
  • Website: A website is a virtual place that can be developed to provide a particular service. It will help one to grow his/her business digitally.
  • Blog: A blog is also a kind of website where entries are written as information or news on a particular subject.
Frequently Asked Question About Computer Network

Q). What is an IP (Internet Protocol)?
=> IP or IP address is a unique identification number of a particular device in a network. 

Q). What is Intranet and how It is different from Internet?
=> Intranet is a private network. It is not a public network so only permitted persons can access the information on Intranet. Usually, each company or organization has their own Intranet network and members/employees of that company can access the computers in their Intranet. 
            The intranet is not very much different from the Internet. Intranet uses internet protocol like TCP/IP and FTP. Intranet sites are also accessible via a web browser. The main difference between the Intranet and the Internet is the intranet is a private network but the Internet is a public network. That's why Intranet is more secure than the Internet. A Website (or its data) that is hosted on the internet can be hacked by a hacker but Intranet's website can't be hacked.

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