A computer network is a digital telecommunication network which allows nodes to share its resources.
The network is used to exchange, store, end and retrieve data between network devices, also known as network nodes.
In order to understand network in detail first we need to understand what is a node in a network?
What are nodes in network?
A node within a computer network is a connecting point or joint, a transfer point where data can be stored, retrieved, transmittted, or created.
A node can either be a computer or any device that involved in sending or recieving data inside a network.
Nodes within a computer network must have some form of identification, like an IP address or MAC address in order for network device to identify them.
A node without this info no longer function as node. It is an offline node.
A node in network can be:
- computer
- printer or scanner
- switches, hubs
- modems
- router
- firewall
- server
- client
- bridges
When network nodes are connected together they form a network.
What does network node do?
Network nodes send, recieve or store data.
For example, when printer is connected in a network it can recieve a print request, while scanner can send images back to a computer.
Other types of nodes
There can be other nodes in a network like:
- cable tv system nodes
- computer network nodes
- internet network nodes
- distributed system nodes
- telephone network nodes