- The Internet is the most widely used form of computer network.
- Networks connect computers to each other to allow communication and sharing of services.
- Originally, a computer user kept all the computer hardware centralized in one place.
- Users had to go to where the computer was located access it.
- Although this is still true in some instances, most computer systems are decentralized, i.e., the computer and a variety of peripheral devices may be in one location, but the devices to access the computer resources are distributed among users in different places.
- These devices are connected to the computer by telephone lines.
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- For example, the computer and storage that has the information on your bank account may be located in bank headquarters but the terminals are located in branch banks all over so a teller in any branch can find out the status of customer accounts.
- The subject of decentralization is intimately tied to data communications, the process of exchanging data over communications facilities.
- A network uses communications equipment to connect computers and their resources.
- A local area network (LAN) is one type of network where personal computers in an office are hooked together so that users can communicate with each other.
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- Users can work on their personal computers independently or in collaboratively with other PCs or mainframes to exchange data and share resources.