What are Server computer, client computers and computer network? - Computers - Hardware

Do you have more than one computer at your home and you would like to connect them together for sharing your important files, photos, music and videos? You can do it very easily with some basic knowledge of computer network. Whether you want to set up home network or office network, it is imperative to have some knowledge about server computer, client computer, cable and switch, etc. In this article you will get all these required information. For Network Setup support you can also get in touch with a computer repair services company.

In simple term computer networks could be interpreted as a collection of devices which are interconnected through a link to the communication media. Whether the network is large or small, all of them are composed of several building blocks. These include client computer, server, Network interface card, cable, switch, wireless network, etc.

Let??s delve into the discussion with client computer. Computers which are used to use the service or access of the network resources are termed as client computer. Some examples could be Folder Sharing, Printer Sharing, etc. on the other hand, computer servers offer these services. Windows Server 2000/2003, Linux, Novel Netware are examples of Network Operating System that are used in servers.

To connect the network there should be a Network Interface Card on the computer. To connect to the network two types of connections are used, wireless and cable. Traditionally, all the computers use cables as media intermediary. These cables are commonly known as 10BaseT. Apart from this, there are other types of cables as well like coaxial which is commonly termed as 10Base2.

It is not like that every computer is connected to another directly with a cable. There is a switch basically acts as an interconnector. In the recent times, people are mostly fond of wireless network. This is one network communication medium where the computers don??t need cable or switches to get connected with the other computers and servers. Rather there should be wireless network card on the computer to access to the network. To use this mode of connection, it is suggested to take better security measures.

Now let??s have a look at the Network Topology. All the computers are connected through LAN (Local Area Network. In computer networks three topology are Bus, Star and Ring. A bus network topology is one kind of network architecture in a local area network (LAN) where each computer is connected to a main cable. Being one of the most common computer network topologies, a star network comprises one central switch, hub or computer. For connection, coaxial cable (RG58) or 10Base-2 is used. In ring network computers and other devices are connected in a closed loop and for this, cat 3 UTP cable or Token Ring is used.