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Thread: What is a network.

  1. #1
    Junior Member
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    What is a network.

    I've been debating about whether to ask this question or not, and I finally decided that I had nothing to lose.

    I have a decent working knowledge of what, physically, a network is. What I am having trouble with is finding an analogy that would make it easier to understand just how far networking goes.

    The only idea that I had was that of a similar analogy about electricity (electricity = water).
    Where the actual network is like a waterway, and unsecured ports (etc) would be things like faucets.

    Does that work, or in other words, would that be a good assessment of how a network actually functions?

  2. #2
    Just Another Geek
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    Does that work, or in other words, would that be a good assessment of how a network actually functions?
    If you're asking this then you yourself don't seem to know enough about how a network functions.. If you knew you would know if the assesment was good or not..

    Try and explain what a network is to a total n00b.. You'll quickly find out how much knowledge you have about networking..
    Oliver's Law:
    Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

  3. #3
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    Hmmm,

    Most people have very little knowledge of plumbing or electricity, so you have to be careful that your analogy doesn't become an ignotum per ignotis (providing an even more complex explanation of something that is already complex )

    I would be inclined to look at something like the telephone system? people generally have a much better understanding of that through personal use.

    Just a thought

  4. #4
    IT Specialist Ghost_25inf's Avatar
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    Originally posted here by nihil

    I would be inclined to look at something like the telephone system? people generally have a much better understanding of that through personal use.
    Well, yes and No. if you look at how you can use a simple phone splitter and get multiple phones to work then I have to say it can be very differnet. but that is a better explantion than water and pipes.

    There are several different networking topologies out there, an older one I would like to mention would be a token ring. this is an interesting design, think of several computers linked in a ring style. Now some one wants to send data to someone else on the network. They send the message out and this message is put into a packet and sent on to the next computer in the ring. If this isnt the computer that the data goes to that computer pushes it onto the next computer. But before that if that computer has data to send also it will include that with the exsisting data. then it moves on till everyone gets there data.

    there should be several sites out there offering information on how a network works, maybe you can google it. So I hope I helped you understand this a little bit better. If you want to get deaper look at the OSI Model.
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  5. #5
    There is a good thread that was posted today on AntiOnline about Networking here.

    In that post mikester2 has posted a very good web address which explains in full detail about networking.

    I hope this is what you mean and that i have properly understood your question.

    This is the website im talking about here: http://www.tcpipguide.com

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