Computer networks facilitate sharing and central management of applications, resources, and information across multiple devices, in a safe and scalable way. They are a vital part of modern life and offer benefits such as improved collaboration and communication, reduced costs, increased security, and increased accessibility to data and resources.
Links and nodes are the two main components of a network. Nodes are network devices, such as computers, printers and file servers that communicate with each other by using a set of standardized rules known as communication protocols. Links connect these nodes with each other via wireless, optical, or wired connections. A laptop that is connected to a network in the local area using Wi-Fi can be described as a node and a link. Network switches and routers work as traffic cops, directing data packets to their destination efficiently.
A wide area network (WAN) is a larger-scale network which uses bridges and gateways to interconnect multiple LANs. A WAN is different from a local area network (LAN) is connected to global communication networks as well as the Internet. For example, students in Florida can connect to peers in Tokyo on their workstations thanks to a WAN and a bridge that connects them.
Computer networks simplify workflows and encourage collaboration and participation in the workplace. For example employees can save their files to a server that is regularly backed up on a daily basis, instead of sending documents back and forth, which could result in the loss of files. Users can also access standard versions of the customer or employee manuals on the network, which will ensure accuracy and consistency.