Computer and Wireless Networking
In general terms, cis anything that connects like things together. People use networking for business purposes. Radio and TV stations owned by the same company are another type of network. However, in the world of computers, networking is defined as the interconnection of a group of computers.
Computer networks are classified according to scale
Computers are networked according to size (scale). There are PANs (personal area networks); LANs (local area networks); CANs (campus area network); MANs (metro area networks) and WANs (wide area networks). Each has applications based upon the area they function within.
Networking is important to permit computers to communicate over a closed system within their areas although the entire network may also have an Internet connection.
Computers networks can also be classified in terms of the hardware technology used to connect all the devices to the network. These may be Ethernet, Wireless LAN, HomePNA or Power line. Ethernets utilize physical wiring for interconnecting individual devices. They also employ switches, bridges, hubs and routers. Wireless LAN technology provides for the networking of devices through a radio frequency connection or WiFi system.
What are the most commonly used networks?
Local area networks and Wide area networks are the two most common types in use today. The LAN is used for networking over a small geographic area such as a home, hotel, office or other building. They are most likely to be based upon Ethernet (wired) or WiFi technology. IEEE 802.3 or 802.11 protocols are generally applied. The WAN is a data communications network that extends through a broad geographic area such as one city to another or even one country to another. It frequently operates on facilities provided by telephone companies or other common carriers. Campus area networks (CANs) and Metro Area Networks (MANs) are also frequently used but mainly within the setting of a metro area or university campus.
What is WiFi networking and how does it work?
WiFi (wireless) or IEEE 802.11 networking is a big boon to Internet connections since it requires no physical wiring. Today, you can take a laptop computer almost anywhere in a metropolitan area and gain immediate Internet access through available WiFi systems. Its operation is fairly simple. A computer’s wireless adapter translates data into an RF signal and transmits it from a small antenna. The transmitted signal is then received by a nearby wireless router, decoded and sent to the Internet through a wired Ethernet connection or a satellite system. The process works in reverse to ensure two-way Internet communication. RF communication is either at 2.4 GHz or 5.0 GHz.
Are their job opportunities for networking specialists?
There are numerous employment opportunities in the computer-networking field. Many people with expertise in networking hardware and software gain employment with major communications carriers while many others find good-paying projects as independent contractors or freelancers on Internet websites that facilitate both buyers of outsource networking services and the freelance providers who can make their projects happen economically and on time.
