Networking Basics and Types of Computer Networks

Computer networking is basically the way to connect different computer devices by using the different components mainly hardware and software across the large distances. Thus networking makes us to easily access the information, sends the information from one device to other devices and makes our life easier.

Basic benefits of Networking

There could be many benefits and advantages of connecting through networking but if we talk in basics there are some main basic benefits of computer networking which are as follows

Information or file sharing: It is the need of the modern technology that information should be easily accessible and easily transferable. It could be in any type, a signal, a file or a file or folder. If you want to send information from one computer to other then networking is the essential part.

Resource Sharing : In case you want to share your computer resources using computer networking such as printers, fax machines, Storage Devices, Webcam, Scanners, Modem and many more devices can be shared using computer networking.

Program sharing and remote services:
You can easily share and send any program from one computer to the other computer by using different techniques of networking and by using remote services you can access the resources far away from the actual computer

Different types of computer networks:

LAN (Local area network):

LAN is called as Local area network and as name suggests it is used to connect networking devices which are geographically close to each other. This type of networking include the examples such as a floor of a building, a building itself, or a campus environment.

WAN (Wide area networks)

Wide area network is used when the geographical locations are not that much close so that we can bind them together with the help of LAN, so we make use of wide area network in that case.

MAN (metropolitan area network)

A metropolitan area network (MAN) is considered the mixture of LAN and WAN to connect the devices in a particular geographical area.

Intranet:

Intranet is a network which is local to an organization. All the information that will be available is from that network only and to access that information; they would not need to rely on the other network. This network comprises the LAN, MAN and WAN too.

Extranet:

Extranet is bit wider that of intranet where some of the information or services can be accessible by the thirds party, so the data can be share to outside an oragnisation up to some extent.

Internet:

Internet is used when the information and resources are too made available to all the external and outside users.

VPN: Virtual private network

VPN is a kind of secured network that is used to provide a secure connection over internet or any other public network. VPN use the three way secure connection which include authentication, confidentiality and integrity to ensure that data is sent between two devices is not been tempered by others.