A network is a group of computers connected together in a way that allows information to be exchanged between the computers.

Computer Network

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Local Area Network (LAN)

A LAN is a network of computers that are in the same general physical location, usually within a building or a campus. If the computers are far apart (such as across town or in different cities), then a Wide Area Network (WAN) is typically used.

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Wide area network (WAN)

technologies connect a smaller number of devices that can be many kilometers apart.

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Peer-2-Peer Architecture

Often referred to simply as peer-to-peer, or abbreviated P2P, a type of network in which each workstation has equivalent capabilities and responsibilities. 

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Client-Server Architecture

 a network architecture in which each computer or process on the network is either a client or a server.

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Bus Topology

 Each node is daisy-chained along the same backbone, similar to Christmas lights. Information sent from a node travels along the backbone until it reaches its destination node.

Ring Topology

Like a bus network, rings have the nodes daisy-chained. The difference is that the end of the network comes back around to the first node, creating a complete circuit. In a ring network, each node takes a turn sending and receiving information through the use of a token.

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Star Topology

In a star network, each node is connected to a central device called a hub. The hub takes a signal that comes from any node and passes it along to all the other nodes in the network. A hub does not perform any type of filtering or routing of the data. It is simply a junction that joins all the different nodes together.

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Mesh Topology

a local network topology in which the infrastructure nodes connect directly, dynamically and non-hierarchically to as many other nodes as possible and cooperate with one another to efficiently route data from/to clients.

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Protocol

An agreed-upon format for transmitting data between two devices. 

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