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A network is a collection of two or more interconnected devices that use a common language or protocol to exchange information. The network has a series of points known as nodes that are interconnected by communication paths.
Most people are familiar with home computer networks that connect two computers to the Internet. They also consist of more complex applications that connect all computers, servers and mobile devices for multinational corporations all over the world.
Just like computer networks, electrical equipment uses communication networks to connect and control equipment as well as gather and transfer data.
A network can be as simple as connecting a monitoring device to a single computer or as complex as sending information around the world via the Internet through a series of different communication devices and protocols.
Residential applications such as a single-family home can be networked by using structured wiring to manage voice, data and video.
You can connect your computer, security system, television, telephone, audio and more via the Ethernet to a centralised system that lets you control access and configuration.
For example, you can link your outdoor security camera to your television so you can see who's ringing your doorbell.
Examples of commercial facilities requiring networking include:
A communications network allows the facility manager to control panelboards and optimise sunlight and indoor lighting (daylight harvesting) as well as programming the building management systems to reduce lighting output on holidays and evenings.
Industrial applications use communications networks to optimise power usage and control manufacturing processes. Examples include:
A water/sewage treatment plant uses power metering to measure overall power use, and process control is applied to synchronise the pumping operation.
A communication network in power management or industrial automation system:
A communication network is defined by its scope or scale. A network is any collection of independent computers or electrical equipment that exchange information with each other over a shared communication medium.
Common types of networks are:
Local area networks (LANs) are usually confined to a limited geographical area such as a single building or corporate campus. LANs can be small, linking as few as three computers, but often can link hundreds of computers used by thousands of people.
The worldwide proliferation of LANs throughout business and education organisations is due to the development of standard networking protocols and media. The most widely used LAN connectivity technology is Ethernet.
Ethernet is the most popular physical layer LAN technology in use today. It defines the number of conductors required for a connection and the expected performance thresholds, and provides the framework for data transmission.
Ethernet is popular because it strikes a balance between speed, cost and ease of installation. These benefits, combined with wide acceptance in the computer marketplace and the ability to support virtually all popular network protocols, make Ethernet ideal networking technology for many applications.
After a physical connection has been established, network protocols define the standards that allow computers and other devices to communicate. A network protocol establishes the rules and encoding specifications for sending data. Internet protocols are the most widely used network protocols.
Although each network protocol is different, they all share the same physical cabling. This common method of accessing the physical network allows multiple protocols to peacefully co-exist over the network media and allows the builder of a network to use common hardware for a variety of protocols.
| TCP – transmission control protocol |
| IP – Internet protocol |
| TCP/IP – the first two are commonly seen together |
| HTTP – hypertext transfer protocol |
| FTP – file transfer protocol |
| SMTP – simple mail transfer protocol |
