Networking Guide : Introduction
Traditional definition of "network" is a group of computers connected
together
to share resources such as programs, files, printer, and
storage disk.
However modern
network also includes connections to portable/mobile devices (such as
tablet PC, notebook, PDA, digital camera, portable MP3 player, and mobile
phone), home
entertainment devices (such as TV, video player/recorder, stereo, and radio), home
appliances (such as refrigerator and washing machine), and monitoring or
sensor devices. Wearable things (such as wristwatch, clothing) and perhaps living objects like human, pet, and tree
will be network-able in the not-so-distant future.
Picture: Network Sphere
Anything can be networked provided it contains or wears a network interface.
Network design is not a hard-to-grasp science, yet it had been only the job of IT professionals or
network specialists before because it was only about big company networks
with complex wiring and many computers. Nowadays network design
comes down to consumer
realm because of the growing popularity of wireless ad-hoc networks using
IrDA and
Bluetooth and the prevailing
home networking technologies such as Ethernet,
Wi-Fi,
HomePNA, and
HomePlug. New technologies such as
ZigBee and
WiMedia (UWB) will give even more
connectivity choices for consumer networks.
|
