Computer networks allow the sharing and central management of information, resources and applications across multiple devices in an scalable, secure manner. They are a vital part of our lives today and offer benefits such as improved collaboration and communication, less costs, enhanced security, and increased accessibility to data and resources.
Links and nodes are two most important elements of a network. Nodes are network devices like printers, computers, and servers that communicate with each other via an established set of rules known as communication protocols. Links connect these nodes to one another via wireless, optical, or wired connections. A laptop that communicates with an area network via Wi-Fi is a node (DTE) and a link (DCE). Network switches and routers work as traffic cops, directing data streams to their intended destination in the most efficient manner.
A wide area network (WAN) is a larger-scale network which uses bridges and gateways to interconnect multiple LANs. A WAN unlike a local network (LAN), is connected to www.boardroomco.net/why-is-firefox-so-slow-and-how-to-deal-with-it global communication networks as well as the Internet. Students in Florida, for example can join teleconferences on their computers with colleagues in Tokyo thanks to a wireless network.
Computer networks can streamline work processes and encourage collaboration and engagement in the workplace. Employees can save documents to a server which is regularly backed-up, instead of sending documents back and forth and resulting in lost documents. They can also easily access standard versions of the customer or employee manuals on the network, which guarantees consistency and accuracy.