Computer networks

A computer network is a system for communication among two or more computers.

Computer networks may be categorized with respect to range:

• personal area network (PAN)

  • wireless PAN

• local area network (LAN)

  • wireless LAN

• metropolitan area network (MAN)

• wide area network (WAN)

• (Tiny area network (TAN)

Computer network applications may be categorized with respect to the functional relationships between components:

• client-server

• multitier architecture

• peer-to-peer

Computer networks may be categorized with respect to network topologies:

• star network

• grid network

• toroidal networks and hypercubes

• tree and hypertree networks

Computer networks may be categorized with respect to specialised functions

• Storage Area Networks

• Server farms

Computer networks may be implemented using a variety of protocol stack architectures, computer buses or combinations of media and protocol layers, incorporating one or more of:

• ARCNET

• DECnet

• Ethernet

• IP

• TCP

• UDP

• AppleTalk

• Token Ring

• IPX

• FDDI

• HIPPI

• Myrinet

• ATM

• RS-232

• IEEE-488

• USB

• IEEE 1394 aka Firewire, iLink

• X.25

• Frame relay

• Bluetooth

• IEEE 802.11

• System Network Architecture

References

Andrew S. Tanenbaum, “Computer Networks” (ISBN 0133499456).

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.