Networking

Introduction

Example of a simple network configuration composed of an Internet connection (A), a firewall (B), a router (C), a switch (D) and a wireless access point (E).

Computer networks allow various devices to communicate between one another and are becoming increasingly important in this industry. The following sections cover a number of important articles surrounding this topic.
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Components

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Internet Services (A)

xDSL - Residential broadband Internet services delivered over telephone networks.
Cable - Residential broadband Internet services delivered over television cable networks.
FTTH - Residential broadband Internet services delivered via fibre-optic cabling directly to the home.
Hotspots - Short range wireless services using standard WiFi equipment.
Wireless - Various Internet services provided over cellular telephone networks.
Satellite - Data services based on satellite networks providing Internet services to remote areas.
Dial-up - Low-speed Internet service operating through the conventional telephone network.

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Firewalls (B)

Firewalls are devices designed to protect internal networks from threats imposed by public networks such as the Internet. They provide an insulating layer that controls what can and cannot pass through them. When connecting networks of devices to the Internet, this is an extremely important tool to keeping critical data protected from malicious users.
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Routers (C)

Routers are networking devices used to tie two or more networks together. Devices that need to transmit information to outside networks pass that data to a router, which in turn forwards it through an appropriate route to its final destination. As such, routers are critical components of any interconnected network, forming the backbone of such systems.
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Switches (D)

Switches are devices used by networks to connect wired devices to a single network. Unlike hubs, they manage the traffic flowing over the network and pass data directly to the appropriate port - increasing throughput and security. Small switches are typically built into residential routers, however they can also be purchased seperately to expand the size of the network.
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Wireless Access Points (E)

Access Points provide a bridge between wired and wireless portions of a network. This allows devices with WiFi adapters to access all of the resources provided on an existing wired network. While they can be purchased separately, they are generally found built into residential wireless routers.
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Types of Networks

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Gigabit Ethernet

An Ethernet network operating at 1Gbps (~128MB/s) speeds over copper wiring. Provides the highest speed transfers and removes many bottlenecks that slower forms of Ethernet networks impose. While Gigabit Ethernet adapters are quite common at this stage, most switches and routers are still based on Fast Ethernet.
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Fast Ethernet

The most common form of network, Fast Ethernet networks operate at 100Mbps (~12MB/s). This provides more than enough bandwidth for most Internet connections, however it can be a bottleneck when transferring files on the local network.
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Ethernet

A networking system used in previous generations of equipment, these operate at 10Mbps (~1.3MB/s). It is still more than sufficient for most Internet services, but can be extremely slow when transferring files on the local network.
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Wireless Ethernet

WiFi is an implementation of Ethernet networks that allows devices to connect to the network without wires. Since they share many characteristics, these networks can interoperate with wired Ethernet networks without much trouble. Various different standards work at different rates and on different frequencies. Please see the dedicated article for more information.
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Settings

IP Address - The unique number identifying a computer on a set of interconnected networks.
Subnet Mask - A mask used to determine the way that an IP Address is utilized by the system.
Default Gateway - The router that should be used when a networked device needs access to external networks.
DNS Server - The server that should be used to translate domain names to IP Addresses.
SSID - A unique name that is used by WiFi devices to find and connect to the correct network.
MAC Address - A unique number hard-wired into every Ethernet adapter that identifies it on the local network.
Port - A number used to identify a specific service provided on an individual networked device.
Proxy Server - A special server used on more complex networks that intercepts all requests passing through it. Used to increase speed and security, but may cause problems with some tasks.
QoS - Quality of service functionality that allows networks to prioritize certain types of network traffic.

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Protocols

FTP - File transfer protocol used to allow users to quickly send/receive data files of all types to/from a remote computer.
SFTP - A secure version of FTP that adds a layer of encryption to protect the data being sent.
SMTP - Protocol used to transport e-mail messages to their destination.
POP3/IMAP - Protocols used to retrieve e-mail messages that have been sent to the user.
HTTP - The protocol used by web browsers to access web sites.
PTP/IP - A protocol that provides interactive control of digital cameras over wireless networks.
PPTP/IPSec - Tunneling protocols that allow secure access to remote networks via VPN servers.

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See Also

Ethernet - The networking system used by the vast majority of modern wired networking equipment.
TCP/IP - Underlying networking protocol used for most modern networking tasks.
Wireless - Summary of a number of different wireless networking services and technologies.
WiFi - Short-range wireless networking technology standard used to provide networked services without the wires.