《计算机专业英语教程》ch02.pdfVIP

Computernetworkisasystemconnectingtwoormorecomputers.Acomputernetworkallows

usertoexchangedataquickly,accessandshareresourcesincludingequipments,applicationsoftware,

andinformation.

Datacommunicationssystemsaretheelectronicsystemsthattransmitdataovercommunications

linesfromonelocationtoanother.Youmightusedatacommunicationsthroughyourmicrocomputer

tosendinformationtoafriendusinganothercomputer.Youmightworkforanorganizationwhose

computersystemisspreadthroughoutabuilding,oreventhroughoutthecountryorworld.Thatis,all

theparts—inputandoutputunits,processor,andstoragedevices—areindifferentplacesandlinked

bycommunications.Oryoumightusetelecommunicationslines—telephonelines—totapinto

informationlocatedinanoutsidedatabank.Youcouldthentransmitittoyourmicrocomputerfor

yourownreworkingandanalysis.

Toattachtoanetwork,aspecial-purposehardwarecomponentisusedtohandleallthe

transmission.Thehardwareiscalledanetworkadaptercardornetworkinterfacecard(NIC),itis

aprintedcircuitboardpluggedintoacomputersbus,andacableconnectsittoanetwork

medium.

Communicationsnetworksdifferingeographicalsize.Therearethreeimportanttypes:

LANs,MANs,andWANs.

LocalAreaNetworksNetworkswithcomputersandperipheraldevicesinclosephysical

proximity—withinthesamebuilding,forinstance—arecalledlocalareanetworks(LANs).

Linkedbycable-telephone,coaxial,orfiberoptic.LANsoftenuseabusformorganization.Ina

LAN,peoplecansharedifferentequipments,whichlowerthecostofequipments.LANmaybe

linkedtootherLANsortolargernetworksbyusinganetworkgateway.Withthegateway,one

LANmay