Computer network

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)

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 connective topologies:

• star network
• grid network
• toroidal networks and hypercubes
• tree and hypertree networks

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

• Ethernet
• IP
• TCP
• Appletalk
• Token Ring
• IPX
• FIDDI?
• HIPPI?
• Myrinet
• ATM
• RS-232
• RS-488?
• IEEE-4888?
• UDP
• ICMP
• USB
• IEEE 1394, aka Firewire, iLink
• SCSI

For standards see IEEE 802.

Suggested topics:

• [communication theory]?
• [data transmission]?
  • [PSTN the Public Switched Telephone Network]?
  • [dedicated data lines]?
  • [wireless transmission]?
    • [short range]?
      • WiFi, 802.11
      • Bluetooth
    • [long range]?
      • MMDS?
      • SMDS?
      • [cellular telephone data transmission]?
        • CDMA
        • CDPD
        • GSM
        • i-Mode?
        • GSM
        • TDMA
      • [paging networks]?
        • DataTAC?
        • Mobitex?
        • Motient?
  • [Wired Transmission]?
    • Ethernet
    • SONet?
    • RS-232?
• Routing
• Bitnet

An often cited reference is Andy Tannenbaum, "Computer Networks" (ISBN 0133499456 (amazon.com, search)).

see also computing, internet, routing