Stand Alone Computer and Computer Network.

Stand Alone Computer

A desktop or laptop computer that is used on its own without requiring a connection to a local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN). Although it may be connected to a network, it is still a stand-alone PC as long as the network connection is not mandatory for its general use.

In offices throughout the 1990s, millions of stand-alone PCs were hooked up to the local network for file sharing and mainframe access. Today, computers are commonly networked in the home so that family members can share an Internet connection as well as printers, scanners and other peripherals. When the computer is running local applications without Internet access, the machine is technically a stand-alone PC.




 Computer Network.

    A computer network is a set of two or more computers connected together in order to share information and other resources. The computers in a network are connected with one another through cables, satellite or telephone lines.Different types of computers in a network are as follows:

Network Components:
Different components of a network are as follows:
• Network software - This may be part of the operating system, or it can be software designed specifically to manage a network.
• Cables - Cables are usually used to connect devices on a network. Some networks make use of radio or microwaves to provide the link.
• Connectors - These are used to attach network cables to workstations or other devices.
• . Network cards - If a personal computer is to be used as a terminal in a network, a device called a network card must be built into it. Network cards have connectors on them for network cables.
• Terminal Computer - Every computer that is part of a computer network is called a terminal or node. The users -using different terminal computers can share information and send or receive data from one terminal to another.
• Server Computer - A server computer in a computer network is used as a central computer. It controls other computers in the network. Server computer is more powerful than terminals. Anonymous