Computer Networks

Computer networks allow communication between users and provide access to unique databases. They could be defines as information highways over which data is transported. Networks have changed the computing paradigm from "number-crunching" to communication, spawning online industries which provide information and services to customers via modem. Networks contained within a building or small area are called local-area networks, or LANs. Larger networks, called wide-area networks or WANs, use telephone lines and satellite communication to span states, countries, or the entire globe. The links below provide information about using, operating, and managing computer networks, as well as about the networks themselves.