Chapter 1Networks

Computer networks are everywhere. It's impossible to escape them in the modern world in which we live and work. We use them at work, at home, and even in between, in places like our cars, the park, and the coffee shop. We have come to take them for granted in the same way we treat electricity and hot water.

But a lot is going on behind the scenes when we use these networks. Cisco routers and switches play a critical role in successful network operation.

This opening chapter lays the foundation required to understand all the details that make networks function. Specifically, this chapter covers the following topics:

  • Describing network components
  • Classifying networks by function
  • Defining network architectures

Describing ...

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