Network Components

Host Roles

• A network consists of hosts or end devices that communicate with each other.

• Hosts can have different roles, such as servers or clients, depending on the type of information they provide or request.

• Servers are hosts that offer services to other hosts, such as email, web, or file services.

• Clients are hosts that request services from servers, such as web pages, emails, or files.

• Servers and clients use specific software to communicate with each other, such as email software, web browsers, or file managers.

• The internet is a network of networks that connects hosts around the world.

Pear to Pear Network

• A peer-to-peer network is a type of network where hosts can act as both clients and servers, without needing a central authority or server.

• Peer-to-peer networks are suitable for small networks that have few hosts and low traffic.

• Peer-to-peer networks have some advantages, such as easy setup, less complexity, and lower cost.
• Peer-to-peer networks also have some disadvantages, such as lack of centralized administration, security, scalability, and performance.

End Devices

• End devices are the network components that generate or consume data, such as computers, laptops, phones, or servers.

• Data flows through the network from one end device to another, following different paths depending on the network topology and protocols.

• A LAN (local area network) is a network that connects end devices in a small geographic area, such as a home, office, or school.

• An internetwork is a network of networks that connects end devices across different geographic areas, such as cities, countries, or continents.

• The internet is the largest and most well-known internetwork that connects hosts around the world using common standards and protocols, such as IP, TCP, and UDP.

Intermediary Devices