Computer Networks are everywhere.

From the distributed systems to the middle ware and to

the world wide web, computer networking has proved to be improving in techniques to reach
remote areas and applications to serve the purpose.

1. Business Applications: Resource sharing is one of the most popular use of computer
networks in the business applications. For Instance, a printer is shared in a network
and hence saves a lot of investment in hardware. The computers connected in a
network can make use of the printer in the network instead of having separate printers
for every computer. Scanners, Cd burners, Fax machines are few other resources
which can be shared in a network. Email facility with the help of Outlook application
has enabled communication among the members of the company in sending reports
and analyzing data. There would be a server handling the requests of all the
computers connected in the network. Clients pass the request and the server works on
the request by giving the reply.
2. Home Networking: Computers are now a days used just for person to person
communication with the help of Internet. Internet can be used to have remote access
to the information, person - person communication as discussed earlier electronic
commerce, Interactive entertainments like games. Interactive entertainments such as
XBOX gaming online and online tutorials which used flash for interactive
environment. Now a days, people are buying a computer just for the sake of checking
their email which enables person to person contact. With the help of VPN ( Virtual
Private Network) one can work and access of office data right from home. In peer
-peer systems there is no client system. Every computer in a network is connected to
every other computer through wire.
3. Mobile Users: With the advent of technology in improving protocols for better
communication, WAP (Wireless Access Protocol is now being increasingly used to
communicate in a network. There are two forms of wireless: Fixed Wireless and
Mobile Wireless. Desktop computers in an office are neither fixed nor mobile
wireless. A notebook computer used in a Hotel room with the help of Ethernet cable is
an example of mobile wireless and not of fixed wireless. Networks in old unwired
building is an example of typical fixed wireless and not of mobile wireless. Portable
office or PDA for store inventory is a perfect example for fixed as well as mobile
wireless technology being used. M-commerce is using mobile device for paying cash
using credit cards and act as an electronic wallet.