What Is a Network?

A network is two or more computers connected together. However, its much more
than that.
Networks are usually classified into two different categories: peer-to-peer and clientserver. From these two completely different types of networks, we can choose the
one that will fit our companys needs both now and in the future.

Peer-To-Peer Networks
Peer-to-peer networks usually consist of several Windows 95/98 machines connected together, allowing
them to share files and printers.

Client-Server Networks
Client-server networks are usually found in larger businesses where security is an issue. However, a
client-server network can also work for our small business. The client-server network offers many
advantages. One of these advantages is that when we first logon we will be prompted for our user
name and password (which is used to access all of the information on one or more servers).

LAN / WAN
A local area network (LAN) is a computer network that interconnects computers
in a limited area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, or office building
using network media. The defining characteristics of LANs, in contrast to wide area
networks (WANs), include their usually higher data-transfer rates, smaller
geographic area, and lack of a need for leased telecommunication lines.
A Wide Area Network (WAN) is a network that covers a broad area (i.e., any
telecommunications network that links across metropolitan, regional, or national
boundaries) using private or public network transports. Business and government
entities utilize WANs to relay data among employees, clients, buyers, and suppliers
from various geographical locations. In essence, this mode of telecommunication
allows a business to effectively carry out its daily function regardless of location.
The Internet can be considered a WAN as well, and is used by businesses,
governments, organizations, and individuals for almost any purpose imaginable.

Internet Protocol (IP)

The Internet Protocol (IP) is the principal communications protocol in the Internet
protocol suite for relaying datagrams across network boundaries. Its routing
function enables internetworking, and essentially establishes the Internet.

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)

The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a network protocol that is
used to configure devices which are connected to a network (known as hosts) so
that they can communicate on an IP network. It involves clients and a server
operating in a client-server model. In a typical personal home local area network
(LAN), a router is the server[1] while clients are personal computers or printers. The
router receives this information through a modem from an internet service provider
which also operate DHCP servers where the modems are clients.
Static IP addressing
Static IP addresses are manually assigned to a computer by an administrator. The
exact procedure varies according to platform. Some infrastructure situations have to
use static addressing, such as when finding the Domain Name System (DNS) host
that will translate domain names to IP addresses. Static addresses are also
convenient, but not absolutely necessary, to locate servers inside an enterprise. An
address obtained from a DNS server comes with a time to live, or caching time,
after which it should be looked up to confirm that it has not changed. Even static IP
addresses do change as a result of network administration

IP addressing and routing

IP addressing entails the assignment of IP addresses and associated parameters to
host interfaces. The address space is divided into networks and subnetworks,
involving the designation of network or routing prefixes. IP routing is performed by
all hosts, but most importantly by routers, which transport packets across network
boundaries. Routers communicate with one another via specially designed routing
protocols, either interior gateway protocols or exterior gateway protocols, as
needed for the topology of the network.

Internet/Intranet
The Internet is a very important tool in todays marketplace. Many say that if we cant find what we are
looking for on the Internet, then it probably does not exist. That statement is almost true. The Internet is
the largest WAN in existence today and contains a virtually inexhaustible library of knowledge and
information.
An Intranet is very similar to the Internet except that it only exists within your company. It can contain
Web Pages that look just like the ones on the Internet and allow you to store valuable information
on that type of format.

Network address translation (NAT)

In computer networking, network address translation (NAT) is the process of
modifying IP address information in IP packet headers while in transit across a traffic
routing device.

Firewall
A firewall can either be software-based or hardware-based and is used to help keep
a network secure. Its primary objective is to control the incoming and outgoing
network traffic by analyzing the data packets and determining whether it should be
allowed through or not, based on a predetermined rule set. A network's firewall
builds a bridge between the internal network or computer it protects, upon securing
that the other network is secure and trusted, usually an external (inter)network,
such as the Internet, that is not assumed to be secure and trusted

Voice over IP (VOIP)

Voice over IP (VoIP, abbreviation of voice over Internet Protocol) commonly refers to
the communication protocols, technologies, methodologies, and transmission
techniques involved in the delivery of voice communications and multimedia
sessions over Internet Protocol (IP) networks, such as the Internet. Other terms
commonly associated with VoIP are IP telephony, Internet telephony, voice over
broadband (VoBB), broadband telephony, IP communications, and broadband
phone.

Virtual private network (VPN)

A virtual private network (VPN) extends a private network across public networks
like the Internet. It enables a host computer to send and receive data across shared
or public networks as if they were an integral part of the private network with all the
functionality, security and management policies of the private network. [1] This is
done by establishing a virtual point-to-point connection through the use of
dedicated connections, encryption, or a combination of the two.

Router
A router is a device that forwards data packets between computer networks,
creating an overlay internetwork. A router is connected to two or more data lines

from different networks. When a data packet comes in one of the lines, the router
reads the address information in the packet to determine its ultimate destination.
Then, using information in its routing table or routing policy, it directs the packet to
the next network on its journey. Routers perform the "traffic directing" functions on
the Internet. A data packet is typically forwarded from one router to another through
the networks that constitute the internetwork until it reaches its destination node.
Cisco, mikrotik router is common router used in Bangladesh