Question

what is networking (80-100 words)

Answer 1

Networking is a process of connecting two or more computers for sharing. Through the networking, computers share information such as email, file, documents and resources such as printer, internet and disk storage. This article presents a brief overview of what computer networking is and how it works.

Introduction of Networking

Networking has single purpose and that is sharing. So if you have nothing to share, networking has nothing for you. If you anything to share, networking is everything for you. Computer networking is not a new concept. It has been here since the computers used to look like abacuses. At that time networking was used to share abacus answer with others. Over the time abacuses became computers and networking became more sophisticated. However the purpose of networking is still same: sharing the information as fast as possible. To achieve this goal networks now use electrical cables, fiber optical cables, and wireless radio signals.

A computer network includes at least two computers. Following figure illustrate a simple computer network.


A complex network may have thousands of computers connected via different communication links. For example Internet that is the largest computer network ever created by mankind.

Internet interconnects thousands of millions of computing devices including PCs, Laptops, Workstations, Server, Smartphones, tablets, TVs, Webcams, Environmental devices, Automobiles, Security cameras and many mores. In Networking all these devices are known as Hosts or End system or End devices. Computer networks use communication links to connection end devices with each other's. Communication links use different types of physical media such as coaxial cable, electrical cable, copper cable, fiber optical cable and radio spectrum. Different media types can transmit data at different rate that is measured in bits/second. Every media type has its limit that is measured in speed, distance, signal loose etc.