Contents
PREFACE xiii
1 F
UNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS OF COMPUTER NETWORKS AND
NETWORKING 1
Concepts and Related Issues of Computer Networking 1
Definition and Components of Computer Networks 3
Network Protocols 5
Network Media 6
Applications Versus Application Protocols 6
Interoperability 9
Internet, internet (Internetwork), Intranet, Extranet 9
LAN, MAN, WAN, PAN, GAN, SAN 10
Decentralized Versus Centralized Versus Distributed Systems 14
Client/Server, Peer-to-Peer, Servent, and WWW Network Models 15
Network Appliances 20
Serial and Parallel Communications 21
Synchronous, Asynchronous, and Isochronous Communications 22
Simplex, Half-Duplex, and Full-Duplex Communications 24
Network Standards 25
2 NETWORK TOPOLOGIES, ARCHITECTURES, AND THE OSI MODEL 31
Concept of Network ...