Network Fundamentals: What is Network

Network is a collection of 2 more devices connected to each other and can share the information or exchange files with each other. Devices can be linked to each other using Cable, Radio, Satellites or Wireless.

Type of Network: There is 2 type of common network-

• LAN: LAN stands for Local Area Network, LAN is basically a small building or area network like school, colleges or any building etc. LAN is called an intranet (Means internal network). In a LAN, device can be connected through Wired or wireless. Wireless connection is making by wired network using a Wireless Access-Point(WAPs).

• WAN: WAN stands for Wide Area Network, which means a large geographical area like a city or metro cities. WAN connects multiple LAN connections.

 

Wired or Wireless:

• Wired: Wired network means connected through a cable i.e. physically connected network. Wired connection consists of Coaxial Cable, Optical Fiber, Twisted Pair.
• Wireless: Wireless making a connection through the WAPs (Wireless Access-Point) to the end point.

 

Network Topology:

Network Topology represents the structure of the network connected devices. It also represents the connection count. Typically, below are the types:

• Mesh Topology: In mesh topology, each device or node or networking devices is connected to each other. In this topology, each device sends signals to the connected device and also received the signal from other connected devices. In most of the networks, this topology is not being used because it is expensive and difficult. Typically, it’s used in Wireless network.

Type of Mesh Network Topology:

Full Mesh: In this topology, each node is connected to each other to send traffic. In case of node down, traffic can be redirected through another node.

Partial Mesh: some of the nodes get connected to each other in the type of full mesh and others are connected to one or two nodes.

• Ring Topology: In this topology, one device/node is connected to two nodes. All nodes making a Ring. In ring topology, every packet travels through each node to the destination.

• Star Topology: In star topology typically use in a LAN connection, where all the networking devices/nodes or computers get connected to central devices like router/switch or hub. The advantage of this topology, if a node fails, only one node brought down. It won’t affect to other nodes.

• Bus Topology: In this topology, every node is connected to the main cable called Bus. This is very less expensive topology and reliable also.

• Tree Topology:  Tree topology consist multiple Start networks. This is the combination of Star and Bus topology. Every star network has LAN network which has one center device and this center device is connected to the main cable (Bus)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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