Appendix A. Introduction to Networks
IF YOU’VE EVER MADE a phone call or used a bank ATM, you’ve already experienced using a network. After all, a network is simply a collection of computers and peripheral devices that can share files and other resources. The connection can be a cable, a telephone line, or even a wireless channel. The Internet itself is a network—a global network made up of all the computers, hardware, and peripherals connected to it.
Your bank’s ATM consists of hardware and software connected to central computers that know, among other things, how much money you have in your account. When you call cross-country or just across town, telephone company software makes the connection from your phone to the phone you’re calling through ...
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