Sunday, September 19, 2010

NETWORKS AND THE INTERNET

A network is a collection of computers and devices connected together, often wirelessly, via communications devices and transmission media. When a computer connects to a network, it is online.
Networks allow computers to share resources, such as hardware, software, data, and infor­mation. Sharing resources saves time and money. In many networks, one or more comput­ers act as a server. The server controls access to the resources on a network. The other comput­ers on the network, each called a client or work­station, request resources from the server (Figure 1-6). The major differences between the server and client computers are that the server ordinarily has more power, more storage space, and expanded communications capabilities.
Many homes and most businesses and schools network their computers and devices. Most allow users to connect their computers wirelessly to the network. Home networks usually are small, exist­ing within a single structure. Business and school networks can be small, such as in a room or building, or widespread, connecting computers across a city country, or the globe. The world's largest computer network is the Internet.

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