Information and Communication Technology

4.1.3 Computer Networks

A computer network is a way to connect computers together so that they can communicate with each other and share' their resources. The physical location of each computer is tailored to personal and organisational needs. A network may include only personal computers or a mix of PCs, minis and mainframes spanning a particular geographical area. Computer networks that are commonly used today may be classified as follows:

Based on geographical area

• Local area networks (LAN)
• Wide area networks (WAN)
• Metropolitan area networks (MAN)
• International network (Internet)
• Intranet

Based on how computer nodes are used

• Client-server networks (CSN)
• Peer-to-peer networks (PPN)
• Value-added networks (VAN)