Computer networks are a very important within the IT industry. A basic definition of a computer network can be; a collection of connected computers, used to share resources or data transfer.
This basic definition however, is just that, basic. Computer networks are varied, with different hardware, software, topologies (explained later) in addition to size and type. These are all basic components of networks.
To begin with, there are two basic types of networks referred to as WAN or LAN. You may have heard of these definitions, as they are two key networking terms.
WAN stands for Wide Area Network. Essentially, this type of network is a larger geographical one, with a large number of interconnected computers spread out over greater distance. The Internet is one such network, and the term is really used to refer to larger network types.
LAN stands for Local Area Network. This is the opposite of WAN with regard to geographical size. Usually, it is used to refer to those networks that are included within a single location, usually office based. They are smaller scale networks, and that is the main difference between them and WAN networks.
This only covers the surface however, and there are other big differences between the two basic network types. For example, their connection types differ. By this, LAN use something called Ethernet, which has become a de-facto standard within the industry. In contrast, the WAN actually relies more on leased lines for their connection, via service providers. This type of connection is slower than that used by LAN.
Network architecture, is another key networking concept. This refers to how the network is designed. Client to server is one type of network architecture, which is used for the WAN. Here, the client makes requests from the server in a more central type of network.
Peer-to-peer (P2P) is another type of network architecture, which is more specific to smaller networks like LAN. Here, the computers share their resources between each other without a central server. P2P are ideal for file sharing which is one of main uses of LAN, in addition to sharing hardware resources.
Aside from these important basic principles of networking, there is the protocol, which is a part of architecture. A protocol, is a data transfer standard, which networks use. They can vary, with different network architecture, but some are common like:
HTTP Hyper Text Mark-up Language
FTP File Transfer Protocol
TCP Transmission Control Protocol
IP Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
Take a look at a standard web address, and you will note the http at the beginning. These protocols are what really link the computers together on the network, aside from the hardware connections. They allow the computers to share and distribute the data on the network.
One final basic network term is that of topology, which is inherently linked with architecture. By this, what is really meant is how the computers on the network are arranged or linked together. There are a few different types of topology, but star, is one common type used for client-server network types. For a P2P, a topology like ring is often used, so the computers resemble more of a ring when connected.
There are of course, many other details of computer networking. But, those are the basics of networking: WAN, LAN (network types), protocol, topology, connection type and the all embracing network architecture, which is a more general term relating to the design.