Network Building

A "network" is a collection of two or more connected computers. Networking allows computers to share:

  • Data files, such as word-processing files, electronic spreadsheets, or presentations.
  • Peripheral devices such as printers, scanners, and monitors.
  • Software applications.
  • An Internet connection.

Networks are not limited however, to two or four computers. You can connect directly from your computer to a corporate office network or you can connect many remote offices to one another.

If you would like to learn how to build your own network, please review Secure Florida's "How to Build a Network" section.

The Internet is a huge system of computer networks connected with one another.

Building blocks of all networks

These things are needed to create a network:

  • At least two computers.
  • A network interface that allows the computer to talk to the other computers. This is usually called a Network Interface Card (NIC) or adapter.
  • A connection medium, such as wire, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, or wireless access points.
  • Network operating software, such as Windows NT, Windows 2000, Novell NetWare, or others

Most computer networks, even those with just two computers, contain a hub, switch, or router. This allows the computers to work in a peer-to-peer arrangement so that each computer can share the other's resources.

In large networks, one computer can act as a server — a central point used for storing files or application programs. Servers also provide connections to shared peripherals such as printers and scanners.

See the entry in Wikipedia for more information about networking.