--- title: "What is computer networking?" description: "What is computer networking?" author: "Ava Reeve" published: 2017-12-13 canonical: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/31650/what-is-computer-networking category: "hardware" tags: ["computer networking"] reading_time: 2 minutes --- # What is computer networking? What is computer [networking](https://www.mindstick.com/startup/26/zerotier-secure-peer-to-peer-networking-made-simple)? ## Answers ### Answer by Harshal Vispute A **computer network is a collection of [computers](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/93605/what-is-the-history-of-the-computer-generation) that share resources shared by network nodes.** The computers use common **[communication](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/92999/what-is-written-communication-skills) protocols through digital connections to communicate with one another**. **Telecommunication network technologies** based on physically **wired, optical, and wireless radio-frequency systems** that can be assembled in a number of network topologies make up these interconnections. **Personal computers, servers, networking hardware**, and other specialized or general-purpose hosts can all be nodes in a computer network. **Network addresses and hostnames may be used to identify them**. Hostnames serve as easy-to-remember labels for nodes, and they're rarely modified after they're assigned. Communication protocols such as the **Internet Protocol** use network addresses to locate and identify nodes. The transmission medium used to convey signals, **bandwidth, communications protocols** to **organize network traffic, network size, topology, traffic control mechanism, and organizational goal** are all factors that can be used to classify computer networks. Access to the **World Wide Web, digital video, digital music, shared usage of application and storage servers, printers, and fax machines, and use of email and instant messaging programs** are all supported via **computer networks**. Because it relies on the theoretical and practical application of **related fields, computer networking** might be regarded as a branch of **computer science, computer engineering, and telecommunications**. A variety of **technological advancements and historical events** influenced computer networking. A computer network uses multiple technologies such as **email, instant messaging, online chat, audio, and video telephone conversations, and video conferencing to extend interpersonal connections via electronic** means. A network allows network and computing resources to be shared. Users can access and use network resources such as printing a document on a shared network printer or accessing and using a shared storage drive. A network allows authorized users to access information stored on other computers on the network by **transferring files, data, and other sorts of information**. To complete tasks, distributed computing makes advantage of computing resources spread over a network. The organizations that own the networks are usually in charge of managing them. **Intranets and extranets** may be used in private company networks. They may also provide network access to the Internet, which is a global network with no single owner and essentially unlimited connectivity. --- Original Source: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/31650/what-is-computer-networking Copyright © MindStick Software Pvt. Ltd. This Markdown version is provided for developers, AI systems, and offline reading.