Understanding the network.pdf - Back to Home

• A short introduction to SNMP
Appendix A, "Binary Conversion Table," provides the binary conversion table.
This table is a number conversion chart for 8-bit numbers.
Chapter 1. Understanding Networking
Concepts
When personal computers became part of the workplace in the mid-1980s,
computer networking was, for most companies, an additional task for the computer
administrator or perhaps a group project for those who needed and used the
network. The computer network was primarily a way for individual computers to
share common resources, for example, a file server, printers, or maybe terminal
access. In the 1990s, all this changed. The explosion of the Internet, mostly due to
the World Wide Web, has transformed computers and their importance in the
workplace. What were once spreadsheet stations and personal printing presses
have now become powerful communication tools that utilize text, graphics, video,
and sound-to-relay information. Now, computer networks are the central nervous
systems of most companies and, to some extent, of our planet.
The goal of this chapter is to make you familiar with the concepts and processes
associated with computer networking before you examine their specifics in the
following chapters.
Computer Network Types
What is a computer network? Generically, a network is a collection of computers
interconnected by a common method. Because this definition is rather abstract and
provides little insight about how the interconnection is achieved, further definition is
required. There are currently three classes of computer networks:
• Wide area networks (WANs)
• Local area networks (LANs)
• Metropolitan area networks (MANs)
LANs are limited to a single geographical area (usually a building or collection of
buildings, such as a college or company campus complex). Most LANs utilize
high-speed networking technologies and are limited by the network size constraints
associated with those particular technologies.