Over a period of time, computers have become an indispensable part of businesses. Computer installation, support and maintenance are services that all organizations require. As businesses grow, so does the number of computers in the organization. It becomes imperative to establish a systematic way of connecting these computers so that they work smoothly. Therefore, computers are interconnected in various ways. This is the concept of a computer network.
What is a computer network?
A computer network can be understood as a number of computers connected to each other to share resources. The most common shared resource is the Internet. Other resources can be printers, file servers, etc. The computers on the network can be connected via an Ethernet cable or wirelessly via radio waves.
Now we will see how individual computers are connected in a network:
Computers connected in a network are known as nodes.
Star topology:
In this case, there is a central node from which connections to individual computers are provided. In this case, even if there is a problem with a particular cable, the other computers can continue to work without interruption. On the other hand, this type of connection requires a lot of wiring.
Bus topology:
In this case, all computers are connected by a single cable. Information that is destined for the last computer must travel through all nodes. The main benefit is that it requires minimal wiring. However, if there is a cable failure, all equipment is affected.
Ring topology:
In this topology, all the computers are connected through a single cable. End nodes are also connected to each other. The signal circulates through the network to reach the intended recipient. In the event that a network node is misconfigured or there is some other problem, the signal will make numerous attempts to find the intended recipient.
Collapsed ring topology:
In this case, the central node is a network device known as a hub, router, or switch. This device works in a ring with add-ons for cables. And, each computer is independently connected to the device via individual cables.
Each organization chooses its own computer network topology to ensure optimized operation of its equipment. Once the computers are connected, the offices also have separate wiring closets, which is essentially a space that contains a switching device that connects to the network.
There are a number of computer networking companies that provide the installation, maintenance, and support services that ensure the smooth and optimized operation of your systems.