What is a Network? Explain its Advantages and Topologies

The networks in today’s world have actually become a routine and these networks have come into this information technology world as a result of the massive development that has taken place in the field of the science of the computer and also the telecommunications and the connectivity. The way the business was done about two decades back and the way the business is being done today – has been influenced by a great number of the changes. In the past the business first was done on a manual level but as the time passed the business and the different ways of carrying out the business were greatly affected by the computers and also the telephone facilities. The ways have also been influenced a lot by the industrial revolution and as well as the various developments that have taken place in the automobiles sector.
Now the businesses are carried under the supervision of the very powerful micro – processors and the telecommunication networks which enable the companies to carry out the activities at a great pace and also in a very efficient manner.

Computer Networking can be defined as the process which has the responsibility of providing the connection between the two or more computers – which ultimately helps the various users to communicate with each other and also share the hardware or the software resources and also not to get constricted by the stand – alone systems.

Computer Network, according to the Information Technology Act 2002, refers to the “inter – connection of one or more computers with the help of the use of the satellite, microwave, terrestrial line or the communication media and the terminals or a complex, which consists of the two or more inter – connected computers, whether or not the inter – connection is continuously maintained.”

The basic advantages of the networks and the networking can be summarized as the follows –
1. Help the different types of the users to share the various resources like the hardware, the software, the peripherals etc.
2. Help in the accessing of the data file with the help of the multiple users.
3. Helps in sharing of the data files.
4. Facilitate almost instantaneous communication between the various users.
5. Help in the de – centralized processing of the data.

Constituents of the Network –
1. Node – It is an end – point in a computer network.
2. Access – It is a connection between the two ends – users, which help them in the whole communication process.
3. Protocol – Refers to the different types of the rules, according to which the transmission of the data takes place in the computer network.
4. File Server – Refers to a computer in a network, which is responsible for the storage of the different programmes and the data files for the users of the network.
5. Network operating system – It can be defined as the special software that is mainly responsible for managing the file server in a network and the routes and also the communications on the network.
6. Gateway – Plays a very critical role in providing the connection between the various dissimilar networks.

Network Topologies
Formation of the networks takes place by inter – connection of a number of the different locations with the help of the telecommunication facilities. The most common network topologies can be summarized as the follows –

1. The Star Network –

a. Very vulnerable in the nature.
b. Ties all the units to a central host.
c. Central computer acts as the traffic controller for the units in this type of the topology.
d. All the communication that takes place between the various units should necessarily pass through the central computer.
e. Major drawback of this type of the topology is that if in any case the central computer goes down, then the total network goes down and ultimately the functioning is stopped.

2. The Bus Network –

a. Referred to as the peer – to – peer network.
b. A number of the computers are linked with the help of the single circuit.
c. Has no central host.
d. Transmission of all the signals is done to the total network.
e. Not vulnerable in the nature.
f. The total system is not at all affected like in the case of the star topology.

3. The Ring Network –

a. Consists of the computers arranged in the ring – like structure.
b. Data is passed along the ring from one computer to another in a unidirectional manner.
c. Each computer in the ring network has the ability to communicate directly with any other computer.

Types of the Network
1. Local Area Network (LAN):

a. Are small and with – in the limited distance transmission and throughout capacity.
b. Acts as the logical extension of the emergence of the personal computers.
c. Allows PC users to transfer the files, send electronic mails and also share the peripherals.
d. Controlled, maintained and also operated by the end – users.
e. Possess higher transmission capabilities.
f. Helps in sharing the costly hardware and also the software.
g. Promotes the productivity as the direct communication among the users.
h. Can be connected to the larger backbone network.
i. Can be used with – in the buildings etc.
j. Can be operated in the geographically specific location.
k. A group of the mini – computers located in the same general area is connected with the help of the common cable, by this the information can be exchanged and this is referred to as the local area network.

2. Back – bone Network:

a. Is a large central network having a connection between everything with – in the organization.
b. Inter – connects everything on a single company site.
c. Is very much similar to the Metropolitan Area Network.

3. Metropolitan Area Network (MAN):

a. Acts as the extension of the LAN.
b. Involves the LAN technology for the longer distances.
c. Is capable of providing high speed switched connectivity across distances typical of those found in the metropolitan area.
d. Acts as a network spanning a geographical area that usually encompasses a city or a particular country area.
e. Consists of a transmission medium and also the nodes that provide the customer, access to the medium.
f. Inter – connects the various buildings on the entire campus.
g. Possesses high band – width and also the low delay.
h. Also has high transmission quality.
i. Typical MAN traffic is expected to include the following –

A. LAN interconnection.
B. Connections between the PC’s / terminals / work – stations to the main – frames.
C. Bulk data transfer.
D. Graphics and the digital images.
E. Digitized voice.
F. Compressed video.
G. Conventional terminal traffic.

4. Wide Area Network (WAN):

a. Spans a large geographical area.
b. Its nodes (micro – computer) span the cities, states.
c. Inter – connects the data transmission facilities on the world – wide basis.
d. Can sometimes consist of the combination of the switched lines, dedicated lines, microwave links and also the satellite communications.

5. Value Added Network (VAN):

a. Are private, multi – path, data – only and the third party managed networks.
b. Adds extra value to the communications with the help of the telecommunication and the computing services – hence providing a great facility to the user.
c. There is no need for the clients to invest in the network hardware and the software.
d. Also there is no compulsion for the user to perform their own error checking, editing, routing and the protocol conversion.
e. Provide economies in the cost of the service and in the network management.
f. Reduce the cost levels and also the operational problems linking with the networks.