Chapter 4. How to Build a Local (Network) RoadwayWhat You Will Learn After reading this chapter, you should be able to
So far in this book, you have read about how networks allow computers to communicate. Networks include software, some of which sits in the computers, and some of which sits in routers. The network also includes hardware, such as the network interface cards (NICs) in the PCs, mentioned in Chapter 3, "Building a Network: It All Starts with a Plan." Finally, networks include cabling, which provide a physical means to transmit bits across a network. This chapter is the first one in this book's second major part: "Running the Local Department of (Network) Transportation." In the United States, most cities, all states, and the U.S. federal government have a department of transportation (DOT). Each DOT plans, builds, and fixes problems with roadways. You can learn a lot about networking by comparing networks to roads. |