- A network is an interconnected system that connects computers and allows for sharing of information and resources.
- There are several types of computer networks including local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs).
- Setting up a network provides benefits like increased speed of file transfers, lower software costs, improved security, centralized software management, and ability to share resources like printers. However, networks also have disadvantages like downtime if the main cable is broken and costs of switches or routers.
- Common network topologies include bus, ring, and star configurations. The bus layout has a main backbone cable, ring uses each device as a repeater in a closed loop, and star connects all devices to a