What does Computer Network mean?

A computer network is a group of computer systems and other computing hardware devices that are linked together
through communication channels to facilitate communication and resource-sharing among a wide range of users.
Networks are commonly categorized based on their characteristics.

One of the earliest examples of a computer network was a network of communicating computers that functioned as
part of the U.S. military's Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) radar system. In 1969, the University of California
at Los Angeles, the Stanford Research Institute, the University of California at Santa Barbara and the University of Utah
were connected as part of the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) project. It is this network that
evolved to become what we now call the internet.

Networks are used to:

 Facilitate communication via email, video conferencing, instant messaging, etc.

 Enable multiple users to share a single hardware device like a printer or scanner
 Enable file sharing across the network
 Allow for the sharing of software or operating programs on remote systems
 Make information easier to access and maintain among network users

The Different Types of Networks are the following:

 Local Area Networks (LAN)

 Personal Area Networks (PAN)
 Home Area Networks (HAN)
 Wide Area Networks (WAN)
 Campus Networks (CAN)
 Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN)
 Enterprise Private Networks
 Internetworks
 Backbone Networks (BBN)
 Global Area Networks (GAN)
 The Internet

Network & Communication Cables That Power Your Internet

Network and communication cables are network hardware used to connect one network device to other network
devices. For example, connecting two or more computers to share printers and scanners; connecting several severs to
an access switch. The range covers data and Ethernet cable assemblies, including twisted pair cable, coaxial cable,
optical fiber cable, power line, etc. The twisted pair cable, coaxial cable and optical fiber cable are categories that are
most often referred to.

What Twisted Pair Is Like and Its Cabling Standards

Twisted pair cabling is a type of wiring in which two conductors (usually copper) of a single circuit are twisted together.
Why are the pairs twisted together? Because the two wires are carrying equal and opposite signals, one pair can induce
crosstalk in another and the effect gets stronger along the length of the cable, which is bad for the transmission of
signal. Twisting the pairs reduce the crosstalk between lines. Twisted pair cabling is often used in data networks for
short and medium length connections because of its relatively lower costs compared to optical fiber and coaxial cable.
Crosstalk is a disturbance caused by the electric or magnetic fields of one telecommunication signal affecting a signal in
an adjacent circuit. In an telephone circuit, crosstalk can result in your hearing part of a voice conversation from another
circuit.

Shielded Twisted Pair vs. Unshielded Twisted Pair

Twisted pair cables are often shielded in an attempt to prevent electromagnetic interference. Twisted pair with shielding
are known as shielded twisted pair (STP). In contrast to STP, unshielded twisted pair (UTP) is not surrounded by any
shielding.

UTP cable without shielding is more prone to outside interference. For this reason, this cable type is more often found in
indoor telephone applications. Outdoor telephone cables contain hundreds or thousands pairs. Pairs that have the same
twisted rate within the cable can experience some degree of crosstalk, so wire pairs are usually selected carefully within
a large cable to reduce the crosstalk.

Ethernet cable is a typical type of twisted pairs, and probably the most familiar one to us . The following table gives the
basic information of some Ethernet cables.

Coaxial Cable: Not Just a Video Cable

Coaxial cable is a type of cable that has an inner conductor surrounded by a tubular insulating layer, surrounded by a
tubular conducting shield. The inner conductor and the outer shield share a geometric axis. Many coaxial cable has an
insulating outer sheath or jacket.

The Capable Optical Fiber Cable

Optical fiber cabling is an excellent transmission medium for its high data capacity and supported long distances. It is
indispensable in any fiber optic network. It has a fiber/glass core within a rubber outer coating and uses beams of light
rather than electrical signals to relay data. Because light doesn't diminish over distance the way electrical signals do, this
cabling can run for distances measured in kilometers with transmission speeds from 10 Mbps up to 100 Gbps or higher.

Crimping tool

A crimping tool is a device used to conjoin two pieces of metal by deforming one or both of them in a way that causes
them to hold each other. The result of the tool's work is called a crimp. A good example of crimping is the process of
affixing a connector to the end of a cable. For instance, network cables and phone cables are created using a crimping
tool (shown below) to join the RJ-45 and RJ-11 connectors to the both ends of either phone or Cat 5 cable.
 4 Main Categories of Network
Local Area Network (LAN): It’s a relatively small network of computers, printers, and other devices in a single
building or floor. LANs save people time, lower equipment costs by centralizing printers and other resources,
and allow sensitive information to remain in a secure location. Many new local area networks are being
installed using wireless technologies. Wireless LANs allow users to connect to network resources without the
need for cabling or wiring.
Local area networks have the following characteristics:
• They are used within small areas (such as in an office building).
• They offer high-speed communication—typically 100Mbps or faster.
• They provide access for many devices.
• They use LAN-specific equipment such as hubs, switches, and network interface cards.
Campus Area Network (CAN): A network spanning multiple LANs but smaller than a MAN, such as on a
university or local business campus.
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN): It’s a high-speed internetwork of LANs across a metropolitan area
typically spanning up to 75 miles. MANs are popular as a way of allowing local governments to share valuable
resources, communicate with one another, and provide a large-scale private phone service. Traditional MANs
connect through a backbone network (BN). A BN can be used to connect LANs to form MANs, but can also
connect other BNs, MANs, and even WANs.
MAN networks have the following characteristics:
• Sites are dispersed across a city and perhaps the surrounding area as well.
• With the advent of MANs, historically slow connections (56Kbps–
1.5Mbps) have given way to communication at hundreds of megabits per second and even gigabit speeds.
• They provide single points of connection between each LAN.
• They use devices such as routers, telephone switches, and microwave antennas as parts of their
communication infrastructure.

Wide Area Network (WAN): It traditionally connects LANs using the public switched telephone network, but
more commonly connects through the Internet. Traditionally, a LAN becomes a WAN when it connects across
the public telephone network often using lines leased from local telephone companies. These connections
involve lines known as long-haul transmission lines because they are designed to carry traffic over long
distances and require coordinating services from multiple regional carriers. They can also be connected
through fiber-optic cabling or, less frequently, wireless technologies.
WANs have the following characteristics:
• They can cover a very large geographical area—even span the world.
• They usually communicate at slower speeds (compared to LANs).
• Access to the WAN is limited—a LAN usually has only one WAN link that is shared by multiple devices.
• They use devices such as routers, modems, and WAN switches, connectivity devices specific to LANs and
used to connect to long-haul transmission media.

Internet Technologies
Technologies developed for the Internet have been a major evolutionary factor in how LANs are implemented
and used. Two common terms are intranets and extranets.
An intranet is a LAN that uses the same technologies as the Internet, such as using web servers to facilitate
internal communications, but it’s open to only those inside the organization.
An extranet is similar to an intranet in that it, too, uses the same technologies as the Internet but instead is
provided to invited users outside the organization who access the network from the Internet. It can provide
access to information services, inventories, and other internal organizational databases that are provided only
to customers, suppliers, or those who have paid for access.
Ethernet and Ethernet cabling
Ethernet is a family of computer networking technology commonly used in Local Area Network(LAN), Metropolitan Area
Network(MAN), and Wide Area Network(WAN). It was commercially introduced in 1980 as IEEE 802.3, and has since
retained a good deal of backward compatibility and been refined to support higher bit rates and longer link distances.

You want UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair) ethernet cable of at least Category 5 (Cat 5). Cat 5 is required for basic 10/100
functionality, you will want Cat 5e for gigabit (1000BaseT) operation and Cat 6 or higher gives you a measure of future
proofing.

Ethernet Cable Pin Outs

Ethernet Cable Connectors

RJ-11 (Registered Jack)

Standard telephone cable connectors, RJ-11 has 4 wires (and RJ-12 has 6 wires). RJ-11 is the acronym for
Registered Jack-11, a four- or six-wire connector primarily used to connect telephone equipment.

RJ-11 Pin Signal Name

1 VCC (5 volts regulated)
2 Power Ground
3 One Wire Data
4 One Wire Ground
RJ-45 (Registered Jack)

The acronym for Registered Jack-45 is RJ-45. The RJ-45 connector is an eight-wire connector that is

commonly used to connect computers to a local area network (LAN), particularly Ethernet LANs. Although
they are slightly larger than the more commonly used RJ-11 connectors, RJ-45s can be used to connect some
types of telephone equipment.

Coaxial Cable Connectors

F-Type

The F connector is a type of RF connector commonly used for cable and universally for satellite television.
They are also used for the cable TV connection in DOCSIS cable modems, usually with RG-6 tri-shield cable.
The F connector is inexpensive, yet has good performance up to 1 GHz. One reason for its low cost is that it
uses the center wire of the coaxial cable as the pin of the male connector. The male connector body is
typically crimped onto the exposed outer braid. Female connectors have a 3/8-32 thread. Most male
connectors have a matching threaded connecting ring, though push-on versions are also available.
Table 2: coaxial connector types.
Fiber Optic Cable Connectors

ST (Straight Tip) and SC (Subscriber Connector or Standard Connector)

Fiber network segments always require two fiber cables: one for transmitting data, and one for receiving. Each
end of a fiber cable is fitted with a plug that can be inserted into a network adapter, hub, or switch. In the
North America, most cables use a square SC connector (Subscriber Connector or Standard Connector) that
slides and locks into place when inserted into a node or connected to another fiber cable, Europeans use a
round ST connector (Straight Tip) instead.

Fiber LC (Local Connector)

These connectors are used for single-mode and multimode fiber-optic cables. FC connectors offer extremely
precise positioning of the fiber-optic cable with respect to the transmitter's optical source emitter and the
receiver's optical detector. FC connectors feature a position locatable notch and a threaded receptacle.

MT-RJ (Mechanical Transfer Registered Jack)

MT-RJ connectors are used with single-mode and multimode fiber-optic cables. The MT-RJ connectors are
constructed with a plastic housing and provide for accurate alignment via their metal guide pins and plastic
ferrules.

Used for Gigabit ethernet. To connect to modules with MT-RJ interfaces, use multimode fiber-optic cables.

****** An Ethernet crossover cable is a type of twisted pair Ethernet cable used to connect computing devices
together directly that would normally be connected via a network switch Ethernet hub or router, such as
directly connecting two personal computers via their network adapters. Most current Ethernet devices
support AUTO MDI-X, so it doesn't matter whether you use crossover or straight cables.