What is a Network and process of Network Communications?

Network is a connection of two or more systems which are used to share resources and information.

Network Communication

Flow of information among the group of members is a communication network. Network helps managers to establish contacts in different patterns through communication flows.

The network depends on the magnitude of the organisation, nature of communication channels in the organisation and the number of persons involved in the process. There can be many patterns of communication networks.

Function of Communication devices

The functions of communication networks include the following −

• It is the way of coordinating the activities of individuals, relationships, groups and other sub-units within the organization.

• It provides a mechanism for directing the activities of the organization as a whole.

• It helps in facilitating the exchange of information within the organization, and Ensuring the flow of information between the organization and the external environment in which it exists.

Network Communication Devices

The network communication devices are as follows −

NIC Adapters

NIC is a Network Interface Card. It is an important device in building networks. NIC is a part of computers which are used in our homes and offices. NIC is also referred to as LAN.

Routers

Router is a device which routes data from source to destination computers. It helps in connecting two different logical and physical networks together. For communication in a small network, the server is connected to the router along with clients.

Hubs

Hub(s) are required to build networks on a large scale. The computers are connected directly to the hub because the hub performs as a centralized device on the network. When data is sent to the hub it broadcasts the data to all the ports of the hub and then it is sent to the destination computer on the network.

Switches

Switch is an important device when we talk about computer networks on a broader spectrum. It is used at the same place as the hub is used but the only difference between the hub and switch is the switch possess switching table within it. Switching tables store the MAC addresses of every computer it is connected to.

Gateways

The name implies it is some kind of passing through to something. The gateways can be software or it can be a device. Gateway device connects LAN with the internet. Its functionality is to provide security to the network

Networking Cables

Cables are used to connect communication devices with each other to form a network. The different types of cables used are 10baseT/CAT5, coaxial cable, and Ethernet and fiber optical cable. Fiber optics are more expensive because they enable data transfer at the speed of light.