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internetwork shares the overall charactenstics of a LAN and m this section ONLY the uniąue hardware, software and protocols necessary for intemetworking will be considered.

Hardware

Bridges Routers Gateways Topolog y

Backbone

FDDI

Software (see 1.1)

Communication

Internet protocol (TCP/IP)

Addressing (IP)

Functionality

Transparent communication over networks Security

Network access control

1.3 Wide Area Networks and Wide Area Internetworks

A Wide Area Network is a number of computers connected together which are geographically remote. These computers could be a single Computer connected to a another Computer which is geographically remote or two or morę geographically distant Local Area Networks connected together to form a Wide Area Internetwork. These reąuire suitable hardware, software and a protocol to permit data to flow between them.

Wide Area Networks can rangę in scalę, for example:

•    a home Computer connected to a bulletin board

•    a LAN in a company head Office linked to a branch office LAN

•    the Computer networks belonging to a bank or building society

•    the Internet.

Wide Area Internetworks share the overall characteristics of a Local Area Internetwork as described in 1.2 and in this section ONLY the uniąue hardware, software and protocols necessary for Wide Area Networks/Internetworks will be considered.

Hardware

Modems (speed, data compression, error detection/correction)

ISDN (adapters, routers)

Cable modems

Radio link (satellite, microwave)

Topolog y

Mesh

Software

Client (dial-up, e-mail, browser, news reader)

Server (e-mail, search engine, web server, proxy, cache)

Communication

Circuit/packet switching

Protocols (FTP, SMTP, HTTP, Telnet, SLIP, PPP)

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Computing Support Materials: Computer Networking (H)