To put is simply a network is a collection of devices (computers, servers, routers, switches, etc..) that are connected to shared resources and information. There are many types of networks but we will focus mainly on the two most common and basic types of networks, a Local Area Network (LAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN).
A LAN is a small network usually confined to a small geographic location- Think your home, a single office building, etc. LANs are where your device is connected whether it is tethered with a wire or using wireless. One way to think about it is that if you have a printer at home, you can only print to it if you are connected to your home network. These devices may have access to the internet, but they usually aren’t accessible from outside of your LAN (this is the general rule, however there are always exceptions).
A WAN is a large network that connects multiple locations. Another way to think of the internet or a WAN is a connection between a bunch of LANs that can span large geographic areas like multiple offices, cities, or even countries. The greatest example of this would be the Internet.
A common analogy that is used to describe networks is to think of your postal system. Where each device is a house, that has a unique address and exists on a street, in a city, in a larger territory like a state or providence, and then finally in a country. If a device is a house, the street would be a LAN, where there are multiple houses, each with its own unique address. You then have a city, which is made up of many streets and houses, making a City a small WAN if you will connecting several LANs together. From there we can connect towns together with larger distance WANs, called a state and connect states together in larger WANs like a country.
As you can imagine as networks grow it can be harder and harder for computers to communicate. For example, if I wanted to talk to my neighbor down the street, I can just walk there without much trouble. If I want to visit someone in the next town over, I need to know their house number, their street and the name of the town. Just having this information isn’t even a guarantee that I can find them, if I’m not familiar with the path to the destination.
In the world of cybersecurity, understanding these concepts help us to understand scope. What is our
Definitions
Network – A network is a collection of devices (computers, servers, routers, switches, etc..) that are connected to shared resources and information.
Local Area Network (LAN): A network that connects devices within a limited geographical area, such as a home, office, or building.
Wide Area Network (WAN): A network that connects devices over a large geographical area, such as multiple offices in different cities or countries.
Series Navigation
Day 0: Introduction to Networking and Protocols: The Building Blocks of Cybersecurity
Day 1: What is a Network?
Day 2: The Role of Protocols