What is the importance of computer network and its types?

A computer network is a setup that joins many computers so they may exchange data and knowledge. Engineering’s field of computer networking studies and analyses the communication between various computing systems or devices that connect to one another or “networked” to share resources and data. The theoretical and also practical application of fields like computer engineering, computer sciences, information technology, and telecommunication forms the foundation of computer networking.

Different designs are used for creating computer networks. Client-server and peer-to-peer network designs are the two most common types. Client computers and other client devices may access email, web pages, files, and programs that store on centralized server computers in client-server networks. On a peer-to-peer network, on the other hand, all devices often provide the same features.

Peer-to-peer networks are popular in households, whereas client-server networks are popular in offices. The architecture or structure of a computer network from the perspective of data flow knows as its topology. For instance, in bus networks, all computers share and communicate across a single conduit, but in a star network, data passes through a single centralized device. Common network topologies include bus, star, ring, and mesh.

What are the types of networking And Examples?

Local Area Network (LAN):

A local area network (LAN) is a private computer network that gives authorized users access only to a single system connection at a shared location, typically within a mile and the same building. As a result, they are able to share equipment, resources, printers, and information just like they would if they were all utilizing the same system. Resource sharing is achievable with an operating system that is aware of networks.

LANs were initially used in research labs and universities, but they are now used in homes and offices. Coaxial cables, optical fiber cables, or twisted wire pairs use to implement many network topologies, including bus, star, and branching tree. Devices may share information and interact with one another across various topologies using Wi-Fi or TCP/IP Ethernet.

Examples of Local Area Network (LAN):

LAN enables you to save data on any company-wide computer and share it with other employees. In a LAN (Local Area Network) network, file transfer and recovery are straightforward since backup files keep on a single server. It therefore frequently uses in the following circumstances:

• Networking in the home and business

• Campus networking in schools, laboratories, and also universities

• A network links two computers together.

• Wi-Fi is accessible (When we consider wireless LAN).

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN):

In the world of computer networking today, effectiveness and speed are crucial factors to take into account. While some technologies can offer both, others can only offer one or none. A metropolitan area network (MAN) uses fiber optics, dense wavelength division multiplexing, and optical packet switching to satisfy both requirements.

This information was retrieved from Science Direct, which is a typical network configuration for a metropolitan area (MAN).

MANs, sometimes referred to as medium-sized networks, encircle a larger area than a LAN but less than a WAN. They may span an entire city or a number of buildings since they make up of several LANs that connect by point-to-point high-capacity backbone technology. Thanks to shared regional resources, MANs can take the shape of cable TV networks or even telephone networks that provide high-speed DSL lines.

Examples of Man Area Network (MAN):

The IUB network serves as an example of a MAN; 

others include a television cable or a DSL line, and all of them offer high-speed network connections, whether IEEE 802.16 or WiMAX.

Wide Area Network (WAN):

Through the use of private lines, virtual private networks (VPNs), multiprotocol label switching (MPLS), wireless networks, cellular networks, and the internet, LANs and other types of networks may connect and also send data in different geographical areas. A wide area network (WAN) is a type of computer networking that offers access to a variety of media through a specific provider and restricts to any one geographic location.

WANs can be simple or hybrid when using point-to-point or packet-switched networks over shared circuits. In hybrid WANs and SD-WANs, several connection types use, ranging from virtual private networks (VPNs) to multiprotocol label switching (MPLS). A wide range of technologies, including fiber optics, routers, FSO connections, and I/O interfaces, may use in a WAN for communication channels.

WANs, which connect cities, continents, and also even space, are pervasive in modern life yet frequently go unnoticed. These and several more examples show how far-flung WANs have developed, from giving employees remote access to company headquarters to enabling students to connect with other students on other continents to real-time teleconferencing.

Examples of Wide Area Network (WAN):

• Wide-area networks include the Internet (WAN).

• A network of bank ATMs knows as a WAN.

• The most typical kind of school network is a LAN.

• A school network could connect to the Internet as one example of how LANs routinely connect to WANs.

Virtual Private Network (VPN):

A virtual private network (VPN) offers customers an encrypted connection that successfully conceals data packets when surfing the internet since the danger of sensitive information being mined, intercepted, or even stolen lurks around every corner. By creating a VPN tunnel between two connecting devices, which wraps and encrypts the data exchanged between them, this is done. A VPN is often used when two devices are linked over a public network, such as the internet.

The VPN tunnel’s increased security stops sensitive information from being leaked online, including IP addresses, browser history, communications with a corporate office, and also even travel schedules. The degree of protection around a data packet depends on the type of VPN tunnel used. Common VPN tunnels include L2TP/IPsec, OpenVPN, Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol (SSTP), Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP), and SSTP.

The strongest encryption standard now available for all types of network connections is AES-256 bit encryption, which is frequently used by Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) that is protected by Internet Protocol Security (IPsec).

There are several types of VPNs, which may be categorized into two categories: site-to-site VPNs and also remote-access VPNs. Remote-access VPNs allow users to securely connect their devices to the corporate office. The connection between a corporate office and a branch is made possible through a site-to-site VPN.

Examples of Virtual Private Network (VPN):

• IPsec is an example of a VPN
• Intranet is also an example of a VPN

Campus Area Network (CAN):

Campus area networks (CANs) are used by universities, colleges, and corporate campuses to link several LANs from different departments that are located in the same general area. By doing this, many networks are combined to create a single network that enables users to access information quickly while preserving the required authentication to avoid privacy intrusions. Although the scale of these networks varies, CANs and LANs operate in a similar manner. Users that access a CAN with different devices usually employ Wi-Fi, hotspots, and Ethernet technologies.

Examples of Campus Area Network (CAN):

·         Offices

·         School Campus

Personal Area Network (PAN):

The linking of information technology devices within 10 meters of a single person is known as a personal area network (PAN). An individual traveling with a laptop, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a portable printer, for instance, may be able to link them all via wireless technology without the need for any plugs. Typically, this kind of personal area network may link wirelessly to the Internet or other networks.

A personal area network (PAN) is a technology that would enable wearable computer equipment to speak with other nearby computers and exchange digital data. It uses the electrical conductivity of the human body as a data network.

Examples of Personal Area Network (PAN):

• Body area network
• Offline network
• Small home office
• These are examples of personal area network

What is the Importance of Networking?

It is crucial to computer network because Networking makes it possible to interact with individuals from other professions, countries, and cultures, which broadens your perspective. Your open-mindedness expands as a result of networking interactions with individuals from a variety of backgrounds, ages, and viewpoints. Another advantage of networking is that it teaches you how to be a better team player by encouraging your ability to think critically and comprehend others.

By giving you additional employment opportunities, networking may also help you advance in your career. Increasing your network may result in new business opportunities, career achievement, and personal growth. The capacity to exchange knowledge, counsel and assistance regarding problems, experiences, and objectives is the primary significance of networking. You can gain fresh perspectives that you would not have otherwise had.

What are the network topology and its types?

Network topology refers to the configuration of a communication network’s components. The architecture of many different forms of telecommunication networks, including command and also control radio networks, industrial fieldbuses, and computer networks, can describe or define using the phrase “network topology.”

What are the types of network topologies?

There are five types of network topologies. Following are the types of network topologies:

Bus topology:

The most basic sort of network topology is the bus topology. In a bus topology, there is a principal wire to which drop lines connect all of the devices. A component known as a tap connects the drop line to the main wire. The number of drop lines and the maximum length that the main cable may go both restricted since all data must travel through the main cable.

Advantages of bus topology:

1. Simple to install each cable must link to a backbone cable.
2. Bus topology is not expensive compare to other topologies.

Disadvantages of bus topologies:

1. Fault detection is difficult.
2. There’s a limit to how many nodes you can link using backbone cable, thus it’s not scalable.

Ring topology:

The two devices on either side of a device in a ring topology link to it. Two dedicated point-to-point connections are available between a device and the devices on either side of it. The fact that this structure forms a ring referr to as its ring topology. A gadget delivers data in one method when it needs to transfer it to another device. If the data received intends for another device, the repeater forwards it until it reaches the target device. Each device in a ring topology has a repeater.

Advantages of ring topology:

1. It’s simple to set up.
2. It’s easy to manage since only two links need to modify to add or remove a device from the topology.

Disadvantages of ring topology:

1. Because the signal will not move forward owing to the breakdown, a link failure can bring the entire network down.
2. Because all of the data is flowing in a ring, there are traffic concerns.

Star topology:

A network structure known as a star topology connects nodes to a central connecting point, such as a hub or switch. The star topology is the most often use network architecture in computer networks. Like Bus Topology, Star Topology is a very fundamental and straightforward approach to constructing a computer network. There are many Real-World Examples of Star Topology if you have a look around. There are several examples of star network topology in banks, schools, hospitals, and even airports.

Advantages of star topology:

1. It’s simple to wire and install.
2. When attaching or uninstalling devices, there are no network interruptions.
3. It’s simple to spot flaws and delete pieces.

Disadvantages of star topology:

1. More cable length requires than with a linear bus topology.
2. If the connected network device (network switch) fails, nodes attached to it become deactivated and unable to communicate over a computer network.
3. Because of the cost of the connecting devices, it is more expensive than a linear bus architecture (network switches).

Tree topology:

The characteristics of bus topology and a star topology combine in a tree topology. The nodes of the underlying bus network architecture swap out for complete stars in a tree topology. A type of structure known as a tree topology has several linked pieces arranged in the form of a tree’s branches. For instance, tree topologies frequently use to organise data in a database or computers in a corporate network.

In a tree structure, there can only be one link between any two linked nodes. Since each node may only have one common link, tree topologies naturally create a hierarchy of parents and children.

Advantages of tree topology:

1. Leaf nodes can accept more nodes in the hierarchical chain, making it scalable.
2. Each intermediate node of a tree topology represents a node in the bus topology via point-to-point wiring to the central hub.
3. If one of the hierarchical networks destroys, the others unaffect.
4. Maintenance and also defect detection are simplified.

Disadvantages of tree topology:

1. Massive cabling is required.
2. A lot of upkeep is required.
3. The point of failure is formed by the backbone.

Mesh topology:

There is no central linking point in a mesh arrangement. Instead, every node has connections to at least one and frequently several other nodes. Each node has the capacity to send messages to other nodes and receive messages from them. As relays, the nodes forward messages to their intended destinations.

This type of topology is quite expensive since it takes a lot of time and effort to set up the connections in the mesh topology. Each node in a mesh topology connects to every other node point-to-point. The links in a mesh topology might be wire or wireless.

There are two types of mesh topology:

Full mesh topology:

Each node in a full mesh topology intimately links to every other node. This allows a message to transmit across a number of different paths.

Partial mesh topology:

Not all nodes in a partial mesh topology link directly to each other. As a result, a partial mesh has fewer paths for a message to go down than a full mesh, but it is easier to construct.

Advantages of mesh topology:

1. Each link has the ability to carry its own data load.
2. It’s tough.
3. It’s simple to diagnose a problem, and it offers security and privacy.

Disadvantages of mesh topology:

1. If the connectivity grows, installation and configuration become more complicated.
2. Cabling costs are higher and higher in a fully linked mesh architecture.
3. Wiring in bulk is necessary.