Computer Networking
Computer Networking or simply called as Network comprises of computer hardware interconnected with one another by the use communication channels such as coaxial wires, fiber optic cables, and twisted pairs among others. Networking is using a protocol in order to connect. PROTOCOL is a set of rules that a network is using in order to communicate.
Networking is widely used in schools, offices and other business establishments. It is used in order that a company or a school can share their resources, to ease the communications between them and to be able to share their files through the network. Though, it is very helpful, it is also hard to implement and computers which are connected in the network are prone to viruses.
Topologies are layouts of how are you going to connect the devices in a network. There are different topologies used in networking such as mesh, bus, ring, star, tree and hybrid.
1. Mesh Topology
Mesh topologies involve the concept of routes. Each node of the mesh topology can disseminate its own information in the other nodes in the network. The picture below is an example of mesh topology.
(Source:http://www.desktopclass.com/education/computer-it/tree-topology-and-mesh-topology-with-explain-devices.html)
2. Bus Topology
In Bus Topology, each node is connected to a single cable. A signal from the source travels in both directions to all machines connected on the bus cable until it finds the intended recipient. If the address does not match to the one that is looking for in the system, the network or that computer will ignore it and proceeded to the next computer. For example, if there are three computers connected in a bus topology, and the system is looking for an address 3 (which is the 3rd computer for example), the network will find the address 3. If the signal reaches the first computer with the address of 1 for example, it will ask the address 1 if it is address 2, if not, he will continue again in the next computer and so on until it reaches the address 3. It is not expensive compared to other topology. The problem in this type of topology is that, if the cable is broken, the whole system will be broken too. The picture below is an example of bus topology.
3. Ring Topology
Ring Topology is a type of topology in which each computers are connected in both ends forming a continuous path for the network. The picture below is an example of ring topology.
4. Star TopologyStar Topology is one of the most common topoly used. It consists of one central hub and the other computers are connected in it. The picture below is an example of star topology.
5. Tree TopologyTree Topology has one or more hubs with the computers connected in it in succession order. The picture below is an example of tree topology.
5. Hybrid Topology
It is a combination of two or more topology.The picture below is an example of hybrid topology.
(Source: http://voisinrilymike.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/hybrid-topology.jpg)
Aside from topologies, there are also different types of networking used such as LAN, MAN and WAN, etc. but these three are the most popular ones. See for the next post for the description of the types of networking.
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