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Network
Source Destination
Computer Network?
o “interconnected collection of autonomous
computers”
o What is the Internet?
– “network of networks”
– “collection of networks interconnected by routers”
– “a communication medium used by millions”
– Email, chat, Web “surfing”, streaming media
o Internet Web
o Distributed system
The Big Picture of Networks
Why network?
Before networks:
– One large computer (mainframe) used for all
processing in businesses, universities, etc.
• Business Applications
• Home Applications
• Mobile Users
• Social Issues
Business Applications of Networks
Number Crunching
Data Storage
Mainframe
Minicomputer Productivity
Workstation
Interactive
PC
Streaming
Laptop
Information
PDA
to/from Physical
World
year
Various Rates of Improvement
Networking Scenario: Present
Networks today
Clients
Routers
Web servers
Networking Scenario: Future
Clients
Audio Video
Web servers
Computers of the Future
Computers are integrated
– small, cheap, portable, embedded
Advances in technology
– more computing power in smaller devices
– flat, lightweight displays with low power consumption
– new user interfaces due to small dimensions
– more bandwidth
– multiple wireless interfaces: wireless LANs, wireless WANs, regional wireless
telecommunication networks etc. (“overlay networks”)
Broadcast Networks
The range of a single radio may not cover the entire system.
Wireless LANs (3)