Problem Building a Network

What is the goal of the book?
The goal of the book is to describe the available building materials and then show how they can be used to construct a network from the ground up.

What was the original meaning of a network?
The original meaning of a network was the set of serial lines used to attach dumb terminals to mainframe computers.

What are two other examples of important networks aside from mainframe computers?
Two other examples of important networks aside from mainframe computers are the:

  1. Voice telephone network.
  2. Cable TV network.

What are two things that the mainframe, telephone, and cable TV networks have in common?
The two things that the mainframe, telephone, and cable TV networks have in common are that:

  1. They're specialized handle on particular kind of data.
  2. They typically connect to special-purpose devices.

What are three things the distinguish computer networks from other types of networks?
Two things that distinguish computer networks from other types of networks are that:

  1. They're built with general-purpose programmable hardware.
  2. They're not optimized for a particular application like phone calls or television signals.
  3. They can carry many different types of data and support a wide, ever growing range of applications.

What have today's computer networks taken over?
Today's computer networks have taken over the functions previously performed by single-use networks.

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