Basic Computer Networking

The invention of the computer undoubtedly revolutionized the world. As they rapidly evolved, new features were added to make their operation easier and increase their usefulness. People adopted them into their homes, and businesses began using them to store and process data, as well. Soon, the need to share information between computers gave rise to more efficient ways to transport information on disks, but the need for two computers to communicate directly was still very high. Thus, the demand for networking was born. Computers today thrive off of connectivity to the world wide web, but the internet was born from the idea of having many computer connected together simultaneously, able to share data freely. That idea is still very alive and present today, and it has become easier than ever to set up and use a network to share information quickly and easily. The basic form of a network is what is called and "ad-hoc" network, which is essentially just two computers connected together to share information. This can be done with a wired connection for stability and speed, or a wireless connection, since most computers these days come equipped with wireless network capabilities. Ad-hoc networks are typically used to share information quickly, and usually aren't used for prolonged periods of time, since they may not support all the features that a traditional router-based network does. A more common network seen in more situations is one that is run through a "hub" or "access point." These devices act as a nexus point between several computers, allowing the computers to be aware of each other. The computers can share data between one another, much like the ad-hoc network, but many more computers can be connected together in this way to form a larger network. More complex networks rely on "servers" to manage the data that flows between the computers, and may act as a central point that all the computers can access data from. These types of networks typically exist in larger businesses, since employees may need to store and retrieve data at all hours of the day, and require a persistent, reliable way to access this data. Servers also power the internet that most people are familiar with, storing all the information that people need when they wish to access web sites and services. Setting up a computer network has been simplified considerably in recent years. What used to require specialized knowledge and sometimes years of training to set up can now be automated with the use of intelligent software and hardware that adheres to established standards. In order to set up a home network that allows computers to access the internet, all most people will need is a router and modem of sort (depending on the company that provides your internet connection, usually cable or DSL, although wireless broadband is becoming more commonplace). Many internet service providers actually offer this hardware for rent or purchase to ensure that their customers are using hardware that is compatible and interoperable. In most cases, the average consumer will not need to look beyond their local electronics retail store to find what they need to set up a home or small business network.

Peter Wendt is a writer and researcher specializing in network support Austin. For readers who are interested in learning more about this subject, Peter recommends they check out UFOComputerServices.com.