What is Computer Network?🌟

A network of computers is established by linking them together using wires, optical fibers or optical links, enabling multiple devices to communicate and interact with one another.
The primary objective of computer networking is to facilitate the sharing of resources across different devices. Computer networks come in various types, ranging from basic to intricate (complex), in terms of technology and functionality.

Components of Computer Network💥

💫 Major components of computer network are:-✍

• Server

• Router

• Modem

• Switch

• Network Interface Card (NIC)

• Repeater

• Hub

• Bridge

What is Server?👇

A server refers to either a physical piece of computer hardware or a software program that offers services or functions to other devices or programs, referred to as **" clients."**🚀

The architecture used to establish this connection between servers and clients is referred to as the client-server model.

Servers are designed to offer various services or functionalities, such as data or resource sharing among multiple clients or performing computations on behalf of clients.

Some types of servers are:- ✍

• Database servers

• File servers

• Mail servers

• Print servers

• Web servers

• Game servers

• Application servers.

What is Router?👇

A router is an electronic device that serves as an intermediary between the Local Area Network (LAN) and the Internet. The primary function of a router is to connect different networks or link the internet to multiple computers.🔥

In simple terms, we can say that a router is a networking **device that forwards data packets between computer networks.**🚀

Information transmitted over a network, such as emails or web pages, is segmented into smaller units known as data packets.

Once created, a packet is generally transmitted from one router to another through the networks that form an internetwork, such as the internet, until it ultimately arrives at the intended destination node.

A router is typically connected to two or more data lines originating from distinct IP networks. When a data packet arrives through one of these lines, the router examines the network address details in the packet header to determine its final destination. Based on the information in its routing policy or routing table, the router then forwards the packet to the next network in the transmission path.

The most common type of IP routers are home and small office routers, which are primarily designed to facilitate the transmission of IP packets between home computers and the internet.

What is Modem?👇

A modem is a type of computer hardware device that is utilized to convert digital data into a format that is compatible with an analog transmission medium, such as a telephone or radio. 🔥

To transmit data, a modem modulates one or more carrier wave signals to encode digital information, while the receiver on the other end demodulates the signal to recreate the original digital data. The purpose of this process is to create a signal that can be transmitted efficiently and decoded accurately.

Modems are compatible with almost any form of analog signal transmission, ranging from radio waves to light-emitting diodes.

In simple terms, **A modem is a device that connects a computer or network to the internet or another network by converting digital data into signals that can be transmitted over telephone lines or radio waves and then converting those signals back into digital data at the receiving end.**🚀

What is Switch?👇

A network switch, also referred to as a switching hub, bridging hub, or MAC bridge (as per IEEE), is a type of hardware used for connecting devices in a computer network. 🚀🔥

It makes use of packet switching to receive and transfer data to the intended destination device. Network switches are multiport network bridges that use MAC addresses to forward data at the data link layer, which is layer 2 of the OSI model.

In some cases, they can also incorporate routing functionality to forward data at the network layer (layer 3), and such switches are typically known as multilayer switches or layer-3 switches.

What is Network Interface Card (NIC)?👇

A Network Interface Card (NIC) is a hardware component that provides a physical connection between a computer and a network. 🔥

Its main function is to enable the computer to communicate with other devices on the network by transmitting and receiving data packets. A NIC is typically a small circuit board that is installed into an expansion slot or integrated into the motherboard of a computer. 🚀

It provides a physical interface for network cables, such as Ethernet cables or fiber optic cables, to connect to the computer. NICs also have a unique Media Access Control (MAC) address that is used to identify the computer on the network.

NICs can operate at various speeds and support different protocols, such as Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.

There are two types of NIC: wireless NIC and wired NIC.✍

• Wireless NIC: All modern laptops use the wireless NIC. In Wireless NIC, a connection is made using the antenna that employs radio wave technology.

• Wired NIC: Cables use the wired NIC to transfer the data over the medium.

What is Repeater?👇

🔥 A repeater is a type of networking device that is used to regenerate or amplify signals in a network. It is used to extend the range of a network by boosting the signal strength of data transmissions. 🚀

Repeaters receive signals from one network segment and then regenerate the signal and retransmit it to another network segment.

Repeaters work at the physical layer (layer 1) of the OSI model and are often used to increase the distance that data can travel across a network. They can be used with different types of transmission media such as twisted pair, coaxial cable, and fiber optic cable. A repeater simply amplifies the signal and extends its range but does not modify the data being transmitted.

There are different types of repeaters:-✍

• A telephone repeater, also known as a voice repeater, is an electronic device used to amplify a telephone signal over long distances. It is typically used in areas where the telephone line suffers from signal attenuation or loss.

• An optical repeater is an optoelectronic device that is used to amplify the light signal in an optical fiber cable. It regenerates the light signal to overcome signal loss due to attenuation, dispersion, and other impairments that occur over long distances.

• A radio repeater, also known as a "repeater station," is a device that receives and retransmits a radio signal to extend its range. It is often used in situations where radio signals cannot reach their destination directly due to obstacles such as hills, buildings, or other obstructions. The radio repeater receives the signal and then amplifies and retransmits it at a higher power to reach the destination.

What is Hub?👇

🔥 Hub is a central device that splits the network connection into multiple devices. When a computer requests information from a computer, it sends the request to the Hub. Hub distributes this request to all the interconnected computers.🚀

A hub also works by connecting multiple Ethernet devices and making them act as a single network segment, just like a switch. However, there is a significant difference in the way they operate.

A hub works at the physical layer (layer 1) of the OSI model, which means it is a simple device that just takes incoming data packets from one of its ports and broadcasts them to all the other ports. All the devices connected to the hub receive the data packets and then filter out the packets that are intended for them based on their MAC address.

Unlike a switch, a hub operates in half-duplex mode, which means that it cannot send and receive data at the same time. The bandwidth of the hub is shared between all the devices connected to it, and collisions can occur if two or more devices transmit data at the same time.

Due to these limitations, hubs are less efficient and slower than switches, and they are now less commonly used in modern networks.

What is Bridge?👇

A network bridge is a device that connects multiple communication networks or network segments to create a single, aggregate network. 🚀🔥

Unlike routing, which allows multiple networks to communicate independently, bridging connects separate networks as if they were a single network. Network bridging is performed in the data link layer (layer 2) of the OSI model.

There are several types of network bridging technologies, including simple bridging, multiport bridging, and learning or transparent bridging. If one or more segments of the bridged network are wireless, the device is called a wireless bridge.

Conclusion🤩

So, Computer networks 🚀 consist of various components that work together to enable communication and data transfer between different devices. These components include servers, routers, modems, switches, network interface cards, repeaters, hubs, and bridges. Each component plays a crucial role in ensuring that data is transmitted accurately and efficiently across the network. Understanding these components is essential for building, configuring, and troubleshooting computer networks.🔥

References:-

Components of Computer Network:- javatpoint.com/computer-network-components

StudyTonight:- studytonight.com/computer-networks/componen..

Interview Bit:- interviewbit.com/blog/components-of-compute..

NWKings:- nwkings.com/computer-network-components

Wikiversity:- en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Basic_computer_netw..

Guru99:- guru99.com/basic-computer-network.html

💫Note:- 😎

Thank you for reading this blog post. I hope you found it informative and useful. Stay tuned for our next blog post, where we will delve further into the exciting world of computer networking. See you there!🚴‍♀️

Thanks for scrolling.🏃‍♀️

— Mohammed Rizwan Bhavnagri, March 29, 2023.