For some people, the computer itself could be a scary topic, considering the fact around how complicated the machine is. Talking about computer networking could give a heart attack to such people. However, it is not as scary as it may sound.

Computer networking could be understood by separating the two words in the term. A “computer” as we know is a complex machine that helps us to process information. “Networking” refers to linking or connecting. Hence computer networking would simply mean getting two or more computers connected. When we say the word “connected” in this reference, we mean that one computer could be accessed through the other.

Broadly speaking there are two ways of connecting two or more computers. The first one is called the wired network and the other one is called the wireless network. Both of these are huge subjects to study and understand. However, in layman’s language it could be said that when two or more computers are connected through wires it’s called the wired network. And when they are connected without the wires through wireless router, it is known as wireless network. As the wired networks are limited to the area wherein the wire web is installed, similarly the wireless has range limitations. The number of machines that are on a network would ensure the speed of the network. More machines in a network would mean a slow network.

The various computer network systems could be – Personal Area Network; Local Area Network; Campus Area Network; Metropolitan Area Network; Wide Area Network; Global Network and most importantly internet, intranet or the extranet. The names are given to the network depending upon the arena they have. Like for example the campus area would mean the machines that are in a given physically limited campus are connected through the computer networking. This could be wired or wireless networking.

Internet could be understood as a global network system.