A computer network or data network is a type of telecommunications which allows all computers
connected to the network to exchange data using a data link. In a network , connected computing
devices can exhange data using a data link. The connections between nodes are established using
cable or wireless media
Hardware
Switch
A network switch is a computer networking device that connects
devices together on a computer network, by using packet
switching to receive, process and forward data to the destination
device.
Hub
When referring to a network, a hub is the most basic
networking device that connects multiple computers
or other network devices together. Unlike a network
switch or router, a network hub has no routing tables
or intelligence on where to send information and
broadcasts all network data across each connection.
Router
A router is a networking device that forwards data packets
between computer networks. Routers perform the traffic
directing functions on the Internet. A data packet is
typically forwarded from one router to another router
through the networks that constitute the internetwork
until it reaches its destination node.
Server
a computer or computer program which manages
access to a centralized resource or service in a
network.
Computer hardware is the collection of physical parts of a
computer system. This includes the computer case,
monitor, keyboard, and mouse. It also includes all the
parts inside the computer case, such as the hard disk
drive, motherboard, video card, and many others.
Computer hardware is what you can physically touch.
Peer To Peer
In its simplest form, a peer-to-peer (P2P) network is created when two or more PCs are connected
and share resources without going through a separate server computer. A P2P network can be an
ad hoc connection—a couple of computers connected via a Universal Serial Bus to transfer files.
Client Server
In its simplest form, a peer-to-peer (P2P) network is created when two or more PCs are connected
and share resources without going through a separate server computer. A P2P network can be an
ad hoc connection—a couple of computers connected via a Universal Serial Bus to transfer files.
LAN
A local-area network (LAN) is a computer network that spans
a relatively small area. Most often, a LAN is confined to a
single room, building or group of buildings, however, one LAN
can be connected to other LANs over any distance via
telephone lines and radio waves.
WAN
A computer network that spans a relatively large geographical area.
Typically, a WAN consists of two or more local-area networks (LANs).
Computers connected to a wide-area network are often connected
through public networks, such as the telephone system. They can also
be connected through leased lines or satellites.
Topology
Star
Star networks are one of the most common computer network topologies. In its simplest form, a star
network consists of one central node, typically a switch or hub, which acts as a conduct to transmit
messages. In star topology, every node (computer workstation or any other peripheral) is connected
to a central node.
Ring
A ring network is a network topology in which each node connects to exactly two other nodes,
forming a single continuous pathway for signals through each node - a ring. Data travels from node
to node, with each node along the way handling every packet
Bus
Alternatively referred to as a line topology, a bus topology is a network setup in which each
computer and network device are connected to a single cable or backbone. The following sections
contain both the advantages and disadvantages of using a bus topology with your devices.
Mesh
A mesh network is a network topology in which each node relays data for the network. All mesh
nodes cooperate in the distribution of data in the network. Mesh networks can relay messages using
either a flooding technique or a routing technique.
Network topology is the arrangement of the various elements (links, nodes, etc.) of a computer
network. Essentially, it is the topological structure of a network and may be depicted physically or
logically
IP Address
a unique string of numbers separated by full stops that identifies each computer using the Internet
Protocol to communicate over a network.
Ping
A utility to determine whether a specific IP address is accessible. It works by sending a packet to the
specified address and waiting for a reply. PING is used primarily to troubleshoot Internet
connections. There are many freeware and sharewarePing utilities available for personal computers.
Tracert
In computing, traceroute is a computer network diagnostic tool for displaying the route (path) and
measuring transit delays of packets across an Internet Protocol (IP) network. The history of the route
is recorded as the round-trip times of the packets received from each successive host (remote node)
in the route (path); the sum of the mean times in each hop is a measure of the total time spent to
establish the connection.
Hop
In computer networking, a hop is one portion of the path between source and destination. Data
packets pass through bridges, routers and gateways as they travel between source and destination.
Each time packets are passed to the next network device, a hop occurs.
Internet
The Internet is the global system of interconnected computer networks that use the Internet
protocol suite (TCP/IP) to link devices worldwide.
Internet
The Domain Name System (DNS) is a
hierarchical decentralized naming system
for computers, services, or other resources
connected to the Internet or a private
network. It associates various information
with domain names assigned to each of the
participating entities.