A computer network allows information to be shared between computers.
Before delving fully into analyzing the meaning of the term computer network , it is important that we proceed to determine the etymological origin of the two main words that give it shape:
• Red , comes from Latin, specifically from the word rete , which can be translated as "fishing net."
• Computer , on the other hand, also emanates from Latin since it is made up of three components of said language: the prefix con- , which means "completely"; the verb putare , which is synonymous with "think or ponder"; and the suffix -dor , which indicates an "agent."
Network is a structure that has a characteristic pattern . A computer , for its part, is an electronic machine that processes data and enables the execution of different sequences or routines indicated by the user.
What is a computer network
A computer network , therefore, is a set of these machines where each of the members shares information , services and resources with the other. In general, we speak of a computer network since it is common that, in addition to computers, other complementary equipment is used to facilitate communication (such as a router or a switch ).
It is also essential to establish that for a computer network to exist as such, it is essential that there be the following elements: computers, work sites, network cards and types of servers. Among the latter are those of impressions, those of telephony, those of web, those of mail, those of impressions or those of authentication.
On the other hand, we must not forget that when we are talking about computer networks it is essential that they take into account some important parameters or maxims for them to function correctly. By this we are referring to speed, which indicates how quickly or slowly the data is transmitted; the probability of error it has, the security and also the availability and scalability .
There are different types of computer networks.
Its functions
The computer network allows remote sharing of resources, increases the speed of data transmission (it is faster to access a file over a network than through the Internet , for example) and increases reliability .
Computers can be interconnected using coaxial cable (which carries data through two concentric conductors), twisted pair cable (the two concentric conductors are intertwined to reduce interference), or optical fiber (a very fine thread through which data flows). light pulses with the information to be transmitted).
Types of computer network
According to their scope, it is possible to distinguish between various types of computer networks. The Personal Area Network ( PAN ) brings together devices located near a person. The Local Area Network ( LAN ), for its part, includes computers connected in a small area, such as a room, an office or a building. Other networks are the Wide Area Network ( WAN ) and the Storage Area Network ( SAN ).
There are also more types of networks, among which we could highlight these two that we present below: the Campus Area Network ( CAN ) and the Virtual Local Area Network ( VLAN ).