No, Really, What Is a Network?

No, Really, What Is a Network?

I'll start with a nice, purposefully broad definition of network and then show some examples:

Network A combination of hardware, software, and cabling, which together allow multiple computing devices to communicate with each other.

In short, a network gives computers the ability to communicate. However, that definition could apply to a lot of different types of networks. So, some examples can help. Figure 1-1 shows the basic idea of a typical small network used by a company at a single site.

Remembering the definition, a network consists of hardware, cabling, and software. Figure 1-1 does not show some of the hardware, and it shows no cabling; the cloud represents those parts of the network. A cloud in a network diagram simply means that there are network componentshardware, software, and cablingbut the details are hidden because they are not important to the current discussion.

Figure 1-1 does show some important parts of the networkin particular, the server and the client end user computers, typically personal computers (PCs). In networks, a server provides some form of service to the users in the network. In this case, both users store files on the server, and they print files on the printer that is attached to the network. Many of you probably do that every day you are at work or at school.

This simple network does fit the definition of a network. Even though you cannot see some of the details, this network allows the computers to communicate. But like the three blind men and the elephant, depending on your job, you might have a totally different view from what this network looks like in real life.